Common Sense was John Prine’s fourth studio album, and final album released with Atlantic Records before moving to Asylum. Produced by Booker T. & the M.G.’s guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper, the album features a number of headline collaborators such as Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Glenn Fray; as well as Steve Goodman continuing to feature with Prine. Tracks such as “Forbidden Jimmy” and “Saddle In The Rain” show a slight change in Prine’s sound with Cropper’s production. The album also features a cover of Chuck Berry’s “You Can Never Tell.”
John Prine, who passed away in April, was one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters of his generation and recipient of the 2020 Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award. Considered a true folk-singer, Prine was known for his raspy voice and equally admired for his unique songwriting ability. His career spanned over five decades, during which he created witty and sincere country-folk music that drew from his Midwestern American roots and incorporated sounds from rockabilly, R&B and rock 'n' roll.
In addition to earning the Lifetime Achievement Award this year, Prine also won Grammy® Awards for The Missing Years (1991) and Fair and Square (2005). His songs have been recorded by a long list of well-respected artists, including Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, George Strait, Norah Jones, John Denver, Miranda Lambert, The Everly Brothers, Bette Midler, Paul Westerberg, Tammy Wynette and Dwight Yoakam.