| CD REVIEW Johnny Cash |
 |
|
Band : Johnny Cash As always happens with artists whom become legends in their field during their lifetime, when they die the products of their labour become wanted goods. In the case of Country legend Johnny Cash (died September 13, 2003 at the age of 71 because of breathing problems caused by his glycemia illness, and surviving his 2nd wife June Carter by a mere 4 months), also known as “The Man In Black” due to the dark suits he always wore) that effect became exponential after the release of the 2005 movie Walk The Line, and saw the release of several compilation albums. Then again, something like that was to be expected from an artist with such a huge back catalogue (including several compilations already) reaching back to the late ‘50s. A short overview of his career? Born J.R. (Johnny) Cash on 26 february 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash wrote his first songs at the age of 12, inspired by the Country artists he heard on the radio. He bought his first guitar during his military time in Germany, got maried on his return home, and moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he followed lessons to be a DJ. In the evenings he played in a trio, making several auditions with leading label Sun Records. Label owner Sam Phillips asked the band to come along with something a bit more commercial, and when the band complied they finally got their shot, with as first result Cash’s debut and first small hit, “Hey Porter”. Phillips also changed Cash’s first name J.R. to Johnny, and from his two musicians were hence known as Tennessee Two. In 1957 Cash became the first artist on release a full-length on the label with his album Johnny Cash And His Hot Blue Guitar. Following a disagreement on royalties and the fact that Sun wouldn’t agree to Cash releasing a Gospel album, they split ways in 1958 (even then, the label still releasedd albums in the early ‘60s with previously unreleased material). Cash then singed to Columbia Records, and started a longtime release schedule (please don’t expect me to give you a list, because that alone would fill up the rest of the page – for a semi-complete list, look up the artist’s page on Wikipedia) before being dropped in 1986. Cash then signed to Mercury. In 1993 he signed to American for a series of albums produced by Rick Rubin himself and with American Recordings (1994) as a first result, the material featured a mixture of covers and Cash originals. Follow-up album Unchained (which saw Cash backed by none less than Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers and playing songs by, a.o. Soundgarden and Beck). Meanwhile Cash’s health was getting worse all the time. His last studio album during his lifetime was 2002’s American IV – The Man Comes Around, but there was enough material recorded for a couple more albums, prooven in 2006 when the label released American V – A Hundred Highways. Apparently Rubin held back just enough songs (recorded in the sessions for American V) for an additional full-length album by The Man In Black, a collection of songs which hereby serves as the man’s epitaph. With the album already out for a while, I can already tell you something about its real positive reception by the public. Real positive, because with 54,000 copies in the first week of release, the album shot right up to the #3 position in the Billboard 200 charts (and #2 in the Top Country Albums charts). With generally positive reviews worldwide, the album also made the charts in many other countries, including Holland and Belgium…and this in spite of the fact that some reviewers have argumented that the song selection was a bit on the weak side, showing that American VI was more a personal tribute by Rubin, and regrettably fell into the formula of its predecessors. My personal comment? What tha f**k are they bitchin’ about? They should be glad there was still these 10 songs left! Oh, before I start looking at each song separately, let’s mention the musicians involved in these recordings, okay? Obviously, on vocals you get the great Johnny Cash, whom also plays the acoustic guitar. Additional guitar work came from Mike Campbell, Smokey Hornell, Johnny Polonsky, Matt Sweeney, and Scott Avett played the banjo on the album’s title track. Scott’s brother Seth provided footsteps and chains on that same song. Last to be mentioned is Benmont Tench, whom played the piano, harpsicord and organ. Still, in spite of all these people helping out, most songs are kept quite simple, instrumentaly speaking. So, the songs… Album opener “Ain’t No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down)” is a Claude Ely original, recorded by him in 1953. “Redemption Day” was written by Sheryl Crow and features on her 1996 self-titled album. Kris Kristofferson (one of the legendary all-star Country act The Highway Men of which Cash, alongside Waylon Jennings, was also part) originally wrote and recorded “For The Good Times” for his 1970 self-titled album. In following with the previous American recordings, even this album has a Cash original with “Corinthians 15:55”. Tom Paxton wrote and recorded “Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound” for his 1964 album Ramblin’ Boy. “A Satisfied Mind”, was written by Red Hayes & Jack Rhodes for Porter Wagoner, whom recorded the song back in 1955. Don Robertson and Walter E. Rollins wrote “I Don’t Hurt Anymore”, a song originally recorded by Hank Snow in 1954, but also an R&B bit for Dynah Washington that same year. Bob Nolan originally wrote “Cool Water” in 1936, and the song’s most famous version (prior possibly to this one by Cash) was recorded in 1948 by The Sons Of The Pioneers. “Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream” was written by Ed McCurdy, whom recorded the song in 1950. Eventually, album closer “Aloha Oe” was written originally by Hawaiian Queen Lill’uokalani in 1877 (and therefore the song with the oldest origins on this album). Some of you may remember it was also one of the hit songs for Elvis Presley on his 1961 Blue Hawaii album! Well, no matter whether you know the original versions of all these songs, or the possibly even nicer versions other artists made of ‘em, when Cash sang ‘em he made ‘em completely his own thanks to his signature baritone singing voice. There’s but one negative point about this album, and that’s the fact that it only lasts 32 ½ minutes! But hey, since these 10 songs almost certainly represent the last of unreleased material by this truly great artist, you won’t hear me complaining about it! Definitely a must-have for any open-minded fan of good music… 98/100 Tony. |