One thing that we can hold on to

For sure, John Prine just has to play "Angel From Montgomery" tonight.

And "Sam Stone," while we're at it, and of course, "In Spite of Ourselves."

Forget it -- if this list of essential John Prine songs were to go on, this article would just be a list that took up at least one whole page.

Prine -- who plays at Cary's Booth Amphitheatre tonight with Patty Griffin -- is the kind of artist you delve into, not just go to for radio staples.

As rock critic Robert Christgau wrote when reviewing 1993's "Great Days: The John Prine Anthology": "There aren't 41 best Prine songs. There are 50, 60, maybe more; the only way to resolve quibbles would be a bigger box than commerce or decorum permits."

Since Prine debuted in 1971 with an eponymous debut that included classics such as "Angel From Montgomery" and "Illegal Smile," his discography has grown to include 14 regular studio albums, a Christmas album, two live albums, two anthologies and a 2000 revisiting of his old material called "Souvenirs."

A couple of these albums may have been less memorable than his best work, but none are outright stinkers. Not many artists can match those kind of stats.

Prine's music career started on a dare, when the former U.S. Army serviceman and post office employee took to an open-mike stage and performed "Sam Stone" and others to prove he could do it better than the other performers that night. He was right. Soon he was attracting attention from well-known performers Steve Goodman and Kris Kristofferson, and had a deal with Atlantic.

Rock critics heralded him as one of the "New Dylans" of the '70s, which included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and Elliott Murphy.

Like others on that list (with the exception of Murphy) Prine outlasted the hype and carved his own niche. He went on to record for Asylum, and began releasing albums on his label Oh Boy in 1984.

His latest release "Standard Songs for Average People," an album of duets with octogenarian bluegrass star Mac Wiseman, shares an old-time country kinship with other recent releases from stars more aged than Prine: Porter Wagoner's "Wagonmaster," and the Willie Nelson/Ray Price/Merle Haggard collaboration "Last of the Breed."

But where these classic country stars sound as if they're cementing their legacy with these albums -- Wagoner musters nearly frightening intensity with his faltering voice -- Prine and Wiseman sound as relaxed as a couple of good old boys bringing you a live, laid-back Sunday-afternoon singalong on 1950s country radio.

Age is a theme that comes up a few times on the album, and it's approached with good humor. Prine beat cancer in the late '90s, so he especially deserves to have some laughs in his golden years (he's in his 60s).

Vocally, Prine sounds about as grizzled these days as Wiseman, and together they breeze through "Don't Be Ashamed of Your Age" like two old coots in rocking chairs telling lies about old times, just for fun.

It's anyone's guess as to what era of his career Prine will lean on most heavily when he performs tonight. Figure his set will be full of surprises, and expect to hear some old standards.

If he doesn't get around to playing one of your personal favorites. no worries. He'll definitely get you digging afterward through those old album and CD crates for "Sweet Revenge" or "Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings," or "In Spite of Ourselves."

The list could go on and on.