Sweet Revenge is the third album by American

United States

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

 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 and songwriter 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 1973.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, critic Jim Smith wrote of the album "Sympathy takes a back seat to cynicism here, and while that strips the record of some depth, Prine's irreverence is consistently thrilling, making this one of his best. It's not as uniformly brilliant as the debut, but it did steer his music in a new direction — where that record is often hallmarked for its rich sensitivity, Sweet Revenge established cynicism as Prine's dominant voice once and for all." 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 "Prine is described as surrealistic and/or political even though the passion of his literalness is matched only by that of his detachment: inferential leaps and tall songs do not a dreamscape make, and Prine offers neither program nor protest."

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Prine, except "Nine Pound Hammer".

1. "Sweet Revenge"
2. "Please Don't Bury Me"
3. "Christmas in Prison"
4. "Dear Abby"
5. "Blue Umbrella"
6. "Often is a Word I Seldom Use"
7. "Onomatopoeia"
8. "Grandpa Was a Carpenter"
9. "The Accident (Things Could Be Worse)"
10. "Mexican Home"
11. "A Good Time"
12. "Nine Pound Hammer
    Take This Hammer
    "Take This Hammer" is a prison work song. It was collected by John and Alan Lomax. The song "Nine Pound Hammer" has a few phrases in common with this song, and the same Roud number. "Swannanoa Tunnel" is similar, and this group of songs are referred to as 'hammer songs' or 'roll songs'...
    
    "

Personnel

• John Prine - vocals, guitar
• 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, backing vocals
• Ralph MacDonald
  Ralph MacDonald
  Ralph MacDonald is an American percussionist and song-writer. He joined Harry Belafonte's band at age 17. He wrote the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song "Where is the Love" with songwriting partner William Salter. Probably his best-known composition is the Grover Washington, Jr...
  
   - percussion
• Grady Martin
  Grady Martin
  Thomas Grady Martin was one of the most renowned, inventive and historically significant American session musicians in country music and rockabilly....
  
   - guitar, dobro
• Bobby Wood - keyboards, piano
• Kenny Ascher - keyboards, piano
• Steve Burgh - guitar
• Johnny Christopher - guitar
• Cissy Houston
  Cissy Houston
  Emily "Cissy" Houston is a Grammy Award–winning American soul and gospel singer. She led a very successful career as a backup singer for such artists as Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Wishbone Ash and Aretha Franklin, and is now primarily a solo artist...
  
   - backing vocals
• Judy Clay - steel guitar, backing vocals
• Doyle Grisham - steel guitar
• Leo LeBlanc - guitar, steel guitar
• Mike Leech - bass, upright bass
• Raun MacKinnon - harmony vocals, gut string guitar
• Kenny Malone
  Kenny Malone
  Kenny Malone is an American drummer/percussionist from Nashville, Tennessee. He has been, since the 1970s, and continues to be a prominent session musician in folk, country and many other acoustic-based genres.-References:...
  
   - drums
• Hugh McDonald - bass, percussion
• Steve Mosley - drums
• Dave Prine - guitar, banjo, dobro, fiddle
• Jerry Shook - harmonica
• Bill Slater - bass
• Deirdre Tuck Corley - backing vocals
• Reggie Young
  Reggie Young
  Reggie Young was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studios Band , and is a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with artists such as Elvis Presley, B.J. Thomas, John Prine, Dusty Springfield, J.J...
  
   - guitar
• Deidre Tuck - backing vocals
• David Briggs
  David Briggs
  David Briggs may refer to:*David Briggs , American record producer*David Briggs , American keyboardist and record producer*David Briggs , English organist and composer...
  
   - organ, piano
• Arif Mardin
  Arif Mardin
  Arif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
  
  - horn arrangement

Production

• Produced By Arif Mardin
• Engineers: Brad Davis, Jimmy Douglass, Steve Ham, Frank Hubach, Bob Liftin

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1973	Billboard Pop Albums	135