Live on Tour

Recorded on various dates of his 1997 tour in support of *Lost Dogs + Mixed Blessings*, John Prine’s *Live on Tour* incorporates the band that made that album, which included members of Tom Petty’s band and other MVPs from the Los Angeles session scene. Traveling with several multi-instrumentalists gave Prine the opportunity to rearrange some of his older material. Hence there\'s a sweet version “The Late John Garfield Blues,” in which an accordion wraps itself around Prine’s guitar like a feather boa, and a version of “Illegal Smile” that morphs into a barroom waltz, with the welcome participation of a gently rowdy theater audience. The rock songs from *Lost Dogs* fair much better onstage than they did in the studio. “Lake Marie” and “Picture Show” might be listeners\' first and only opportunity to catch Prine ably assuming the role of rock frontman, à la Petty or Springsteen. Still, it’s the quiet moments that really count, whether the spoken introduction to the hilarious “Space Monkey” or the dramatic but drumless rendition of “Storm Windows.”

The studio tracks tacked onto the end of this album are nothing to write home about, but overall, Live on Tour is a solid collection.