Diamonds in the Rough is the second studio album by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 country

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

/folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 John Prine

John Prine

John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...

, released in 1972.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "John Prine's second album was a cut below his first, only because the debut was a classic and the followup was merely terrific... Diamonds in the Rough demonstrated that Prine had an enduring talent that wasn't exhausted by one great album." Music critic Robert Christgau

Robert Christgau

Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...

 wrote "Not as rich as the debut, but more artlessly and confidently sung—the gruff monotone avoids melodrama in favor of Prine's own version of good-old-boy..."

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Prine; except where indicated

1. "Everybody" – 2:43
2. "The Torch Singer" – 2:52
3. "Souvenirs" – 3:32
4. "The Late John Garfield
   John Garfield
   John Garfield was an American actor adept at playing brooding, rebellious, working-class character roles. He grew up in poverty in Depression-era New York City and in the early 1930s became an important member of the Group Theater. In 1937 he moved to Hollywood, eventually becoming one of Warner...
   
    Blues" – 3:02
5. "Sour Grapes" – 2:00
6. "Billy the Bum" – 4L41
7. "The Frying Pan" – 1:47
8. "Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You" – 2:08
9. "Take the Star Out of the Window" – 2:06
10. "The Great Compromise
    The Great Compromise (song)
    The Great Compromise is a song written and performed by John Prine. The song was included on Prine's album Diamonds in the Rough which was released by Atlantic Records in 1972. It is an anti-war song and a protest song. Its theme is the disillusionment of the country during the Vietnam War era...
    
    " – 4:57
11. "Clocks and Spoons" – 3:10
12. "Rocky Mountain Time" – 3:03
13. "Diamonds in the Rough" (A. P. Carter
    A. P. Carter
    Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter , best known as A.P. Carter, was an American musician and founding member of The Carter Family, one of the most notable acts in the history of country music.-Life:...
    
    ) – 1:49

Personnel

• John Prine - vocals, guitar, dobro
• Steve Goodman
  Steve Goodman
  Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
  
   - guitar, harmony vocals
• David Bromberg
  David Bromberg
  David Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Bromberg has an eclectic style, playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the...
  
  - guitar
• Steve Burgh - bass, drums
• Dave Prine - mandolin

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1972	Billboard Pop Albums	148