For Better, or Worse explained

For Better, or Worse
Type:studio
Artist:John Prine
Cover:John Prine - For Better, or Worse.png
Recorded:January–February 2016
Genre:Country
Label:Oh Boy
Prev Title:Singing Mailman Delivers
Prev Year:2011
Next Title:The Tree of Forgiveness
Next Year:2018

For Better, or Worse is the seventeenth studio album by John Prine. It consists of tracks in which the artist teams with an all-star contingent of female singers on a selection of vintage country songs as duets. It was his first studio album in nine years, preceded by 2007's Standard Songs for Average People.

Background

This is the second album featuring duets with Prine. His first album of duets was released in 1999 with the similarly styled In Spite of Ourselves.[1] [2] [3]

The 15 tracks include 14 duets and feature 11 female artists, (with Iris DeMent, Lee Ann Womack and Kathy Mattea recording two duets each and Alison Krauss, Susan Tedeschi, Holly Williams, Morgane Stapleton, Amanda Shires, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves and Prine's wife, Fiona, also contributing). The last track is a solo recording by Prine, of Hank Williams' "Just Waitin'".

Iris DeMent and Fiona Prine were featured on the 1999 album as well.

Commercial performance

Released on September 30, 2016 on CD and vinyl and in digital formats, the album debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard Country Albums chart and at No. 30 on the Billboard 200. It also reached No. 7 on the US Independent Albums chart and No. 5 on the US Folk Albums chart. The album sold 43,700 copies in the US within its first six months of release.[4]

Personnel

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. https://www.wsj.com/articles/john-prine-sings-duets-in-new-album-for-better-or-worse-1474471674 Richard Turner
  2. https://www.npr.org/2016/09/22/494572040/first-listen-john-prine-for-better-or-worse Jim Allen review on npr.com: John Prine - 'For Better, Or Worse'
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/02/john-prine-for-better-or-worse-review-duets-kacey-musgraves-lee-ann-womack-alison-krauss-iris-dement Neil Spencer
  4. News: Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: March 6, 2017 . Matt . Bjorke . March 5, 2017 . Roughstock .
  5. Web site: Top Country Albums – Year-End 2016. Billboard. July 18, 2020.