9. John Prine & Iris DeMent - Who's Gonna Take Your Garbage Out?
Back when I did My Top Ten Bickering Couple Songs, John Prine & Iris DeMent featured high up with their excellent duet In Spite Of Ourselves, from the 1999 duets album of the same. 17 years later, Prine has released another album of duets, For Better, Or Worse, featuring big names from the country world such as Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss and Kacey Musgraves. There are some fine (and funny) tunes among this bunch, but I was immediately drawn to his latest collaboration with Iris DeMent since they've always complemented each other so well in the past.
I wasn't familiar with the original version of this song by Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubbs, but I think John and Iris more than do it justice...
John: I take too much abuse to me that's all I ever get
Iris: Yeah callin' a man like you a husband is just like callin' old wild cat a pet
You'd better stop your runnin' around, say nothin', stop movin' on
John: But who's gonna take your garbage out when I've packed my bags and gone?Prine recently fought a second bout with cancer. After having part of his neck removed in the late 90s, he not long ago had surgery to tackle a new growth on his lung. Soon after, he was back out on the road, and recording this new record. Let's hope he's got many more to come...
John Prine & Iris DeMent - a duet made in Heaven.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I didn't know about this album. Thanks for drawing my attention to it. I love In Spite of Ourselves, and Iris DeMent's voice, and I have a soft spot for duets.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, as always.
DeleteI saw John Prine in concert in Glasgow a couple of years ago
ReplyDeleteHe was very late in getting on stage and the crowd were pretty restless.
He seemed very embarrassed and made up for it by playing brilliantly for what seemed like forever
He's on my bucket list.
DeleteI'm getting an education dipping into all your blogs - Not heard of these two before but certainly singing about "life" here. We keep coming back to guilty pleasures and country & western is another of mine! The coalminer's daughter herself, her sister, Tammy, Dolly, Johnny, Billie Jo and the rest. Oh dear.
ReplyDeleteNothing to be guilty about there. I've always had a soft spot for country music, but in recent years it's become one of my favourite genres. As my interest in indie faded, my interest in country grew.
DeleteJohn Prine is an American Treasure. He is the Mark Twain of contemporary music. I just love him.
ReplyDelete"The Mark Twain of contemporary music": I'm sure he'd be happy with that.
Deleteso good
ReplyDelete