Fair & Square is the 15th studio album by American folk singer-songwriter John Prine, released on Oh Boy Records in 2005. It was rereleased in 2007 as a vinyl double-LP with four more bonus tracks, and in 2008 those four tracks were rereleased as an EP. At the 48th Grammy Awards, Fair & Square won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Reception

Writing for AllMusic, critic Mark Deming wrote of the album "...the man on Fair and Square seems a good bit less scrappy and more contemplative than the guy who cut Prine's most memorable material... for the most part this album is an unusually spare and subdued effort from an artist who usually can't help but crack a smile; with any luck he'll be feeling a bit more hopeful next time out, though this is still great music for a quiet afternoon." Music critic Bill Frater wrote "There is a timeless quality to his songwriting style. He claims that the words just come to him without him having to do anything, but just write ‘em down. I don't doubt it; even random words like Constantinople can work if the right writer hears it. John Prine is indeed a songwriter's songwriter and we all should be so honest and trusting." Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a 3-star Honorable Mention rating but 15 years later admitted that he underrated it.

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Prine, except where indicated: Bonus tracks: 13. "Other Side of Town" (Live recording) – 4:53 14. "Safety Joe" – 3:58 The following bonus tracks are also found on the 2007 vinyl rerelease and on a 2008 EP:

Personnel

Chart positions

Cover versions