Like Aimless Love, German Afternoons was co-produced by Nashville veteran Jim Rooney but also features contributions from the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival as well as Marty Stuart, and this accounts for Prine's return to the folk-sound of his early albums on songs like "Lulu Walls" and "Paradise", the latter a rerecording of the self-penned classic which appeared on the singer's debut John Prine in 1971.

Perhaps the most significant song that appears on German Afternoons is "The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness", which became a concert staple and an instant classic for many Prine devotees.

Prine had ended his 1972 LP with the Carter Family song "Diamonds in the Rough," and here he kicks off the album with a rollicking arrangement of A.P.

"[1] In the Great Days anthology, Prine revealed that "Bad Boy" had been inspired by Merle Haggard and that it was "a really proud song about guilt.

Prine would later say that the album title, which People joked in its review was "probably the worst album title in pop music history," was not a throwback to his own army service but rather came from a friend: "I had this guy explain to me once that a German afternoon is like you go into town with some errands to run and stuff to do but then you run into an old buddy you haven't seen.

Writing for AllMusic, critic Jim Smith says of the album, "...this is a sleepy-town stroll, featuring snappy accompaniment by the New Grass Revival.

"[2] Music critic Robert Christgau wrote, "...this relaxed, confident album is where Prine comes out and admits he's a folkie...The songs are straightforward and homemade..."[3] Prine biographer Eddie Huffman opines that the LP "was a lively, enjoyable, and well-written album by a pro hitting his stride in middle age.