There is arguably no post-World War II songwriter who penned sadder tunes than John Prine. And there are arguably few songwriters who have penned funnier tunes than John Prine. His body of work constitutes a stand-alone Great American Songbook.
You needn’t take this critic’s word for it. “You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine,” a documentary directed by Michael John Warren, commemorates a two-night concert tribute in 2022 to Prine — two years after his death at 73 — at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Here, his remarkable songs are covered by an all-star cast including Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Lyle Lovett and some relative newcomers, including the duo the War and Treaty. Bonnie Raitt, who made Prine’s song “Angel From Montgomery” a 1970s hit, reminisces with palpable fondness about their friendship. “We were like Becky and Tom Sawyer,” she says. “Playmates.”
The covers of Prine’s songs are interspersed with footage of the man himself. The shaggy young Prine had a sly grin and a twinkle in his eye. In 1998 he contended with squamous cell cancer, the treatment for which required speech therapy — he practically had to learn how to sing again.
As concert films go, “You Got Gold” is pretty straightforward. It doesn’t need to be anything more than that. Prine’s songs are full of wisdom, drama, laughs and heartache — his immortal addiction song “Sam Stone” gets two terrifically affecting workouts here, one by the songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff and the other by the great soul singer Swamp Dogg — and as such they’re the real show.
You Got Gold — A Celebration of John Prine Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes. In theaters.
The post ‘You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine’ Review: Paying Tribute in Nashville appeared first on New York Times.
