jThat then is the end of the C’s all CD albums I own, it’s not, I have a fair old selection downstairs but it will be some time before I see them so as far as the C’s are concerned. Richard Dunn.
It was nothing like the slog the B’s were, the most of a single artist that I encountered was JC, by the way his new album is utterly marvellous, very much a down beat album, beautiful and his voice is quite controlled. Where was I, oh yes, just Cash really and The Cramps but what of the best, what were the best C’s?
Orange Blossom special by Johnny Cash
Whilst we have Johnny Cash in mind, it was a close run thing between his compilation God and his album, Orange Blossom Special, in the end without a pause it was Orange Blossom Special. Admittedly of late I have been giving more play to Ride This Train but of all the Cash albums I poured words over, Orange Blossom special hit all the right notes, perfectly, and completely.
Was it the best C? I am still writing, ease up there a second.
Of the best C’s we also had two Clash albums, two perfect in every way easily ten out of tens in The Clash and London Calling. Genre defining and at the same time not tied to a genre, something special this way comes in both albums.
Career Opportunities by The Clash
And then there is Gene Clarks White Light, and that for my money was the best C. An album that I come back to time and time again and improves with every listen. All the C 10’s were great in their own way and any other day I may well have put Camera Obscura’s Lets Get Out Of This Country, but no, today it is Gene Clark that is the best C.
This is where I would post a video of a track but it seems all of Gene Clarks White Light tracks aren’t embeddable.
Showing posts with label Johnny Cash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny Cash. Show all posts
Friday, 19 March 2010
Saturday, 13 March 2010
The Best Of Johnny Cash
The Best Of Johnny Cash that was Thursday on the way to work CD, This is the last of my Johnny Cash discs and as I am a mere spit away from the end of the C's, this is unlikely to change unless a visit to HMV beckons.
This is a mid nineties release on Columbia and of all the Cash CD's that I have, its the worst of an excellent bunch. Do not get me wrong it is still superb but in the scheme of Cash, its the worst.
The Columbia years produced some marvellous work, some absolute greats, but this album seems to have rerecorded versions, live versions and odd selections. I like Jackson, but why would you put an alternate version of Jackson on a best of? Orange Blossom Special is one of my favourite Cash songs, but is it considered a best of track?
Strange.
Its still good for the strange reasons, it closes with Ballad Of Ira Hayes, a fantastic song, a little dark in its tone, but still great. Thats the thing with Cash, he can have a best of, he has earned that and he has the material to do it, you should look to see how many best of's and G.Hits that have been released bearing his name, he must have some kind of record, no pun intended. Anyway, busy week, Cash's label drops a point for this, 9 out of 10.
The Ballad of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash
This is a mid nineties release on Columbia and of all the Cash CD's that I have, its the worst of an excellent bunch. Do not get me wrong it is still superb but in the scheme of Cash, its the worst.
The Columbia years produced some marvellous work, some absolute greats, but this album seems to have rerecorded versions, live versions and odd selections. I like Jackson, but why would you put an alternate version of Jackson on a best of? Orange Blossom Special is one of my favourite Cash songs, but is it considered a best of track?
Strange.
Its still good for the strange reasons, it closes with Ballad Of Ira Hayes, a fantastic song, a little dark in its tone, but still great. Thats the thing with Cash, he can have a best of, he has earned that and he has the material to do it, you should look to see how many best of's and G.Hits that have been released bearing his name, he must have some kind of record, no pun intended. Anyway, busy week, Cash's label drops a point for this, 9 out of 10.
The Ballad of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Greatest
After the shocking music from the previous couple of days, its nice to come back, momentarily to Johnny Cash and the album recorded for Sun, Greatest.
Johnny was the Greatest and thats what this refers to, its not a greatest hits, although of course the quality that Johnny produced through all periods was great.
This is an album that was released in 1959 after Johnny had left Sun and this reissue is notable for many things, but the most notable and memorable is the scratchy track recorded at KWEM a radio station, Rock and Roll Ruby, its extremely rare and a joy to listen to, Cash sounds different on this recording, but still as the album suggests, the greatest.
Present on this recording are a few of my favourites in Katy Too, Get Rhythm and Luther Played the Boogie. Its quite telling that I favour the Cash penned tracks over other solid songs. Admittedly Hey Good Lookin and Johnny’s version makes me want to investigate Hank Williams a little more.
All in all as ever, a fantastic Johnny Cash album, he should have celebrated his birthday last week, he would have been 78, therefore 71 when he died. My wife pointed out that is far too young in this day and age. 10 out of 10.
Rock and Roll Ruby by Johnny Cash
Johnny was the Greatest and thats what this refers to, its not a greatest hits, although of course the quality that Johnny produced through all periods was great.
This is an album that was released in 1959 after Johnny had left Sun and this reissue is notable for many things, but the most notable and memorable is the scratchy track recorded at KWEM a radio station, Rock and Roll Ruby, its extremely rare and a joy to listen to, Cash sounds different on this recording, but still as the album suggests, the greatest.
Present on this recording are a few of my favourites in Katy Too, Get Rhythm and Luther Played the Boogie. Its quite telling that I favour the Cash penned tracks over other solid songs. Admittedly Hey Good Lookin and Johnny’s version makes me want to investigate Hank Williams a little more.
All in all as ever, a fantastic Johnny Cash album, he should have celebrated his birthday last week, he would have been 78, therefore 71 when he died. My wife pointed out that is far too young in this day and age. 10 out of 10.
Rock and Roll Ruby by Johnny Cash
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Stack O' Cash
After being deep into the Johnny Cash section of my CD albums, its perhaps became apparent that I hold the man in rather high esteem. I would say that I had never heard a Johnny Cash song that I didn’t love completely, but also with the wealth of material that he produced when I do hear something new for the first time, it reminds me why I love his work so much.
If you had to pin me down though, across a career that spans 50 years, what is the best? What releases surpass all of the other wonderful and great songs.
Now the thing with me is that I love it all, I love the hymns, the songs about native Americans, the songs about soldiers, murder, everything. That in mind of everything here is what I consider to be the very best.
Far Side Banks of Jordan
Ah this gorgeous cut from a June Carter Cash album, 1999’s Press On. She was 70 when she recorded that. Resurfacing on Johnny’s Duets album. This, most days, is my absolute favourite. More poignant when you listen to it and know that Johnny died 5 months after June in 2003. A similar tone explored on his cover of Hank Williams’ On The Evening Train. That a journey is coming to an end, but the belief that when it does end, one or the other will be waiting.
As I said all the more poignant that John would follow June so swiftly.
Delia’s Gone
Delias Gone was from Johnny’s American period, when his career it seemed was in a bit of a lull, American signed him and opened up a new creative period and indeed gave him to a whole new fanbase. This was a period that spawned his take on Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt, his cover of Soundgardens Rusty Cage and amongst a rich vein of covers and originals was this track, Delia’s Gone. Delia’s Gone was the track that made me think that this period Cash wasn’t so bad after all, it was not until this track that I fell for this period Johnny. I was suspicious of Rick Rubin and his motives, I still am to a degree, more so with Neil Diamond, is he really a fan? I don’t know. But Delia’s Gone, it’s a simple acoustic number originally released on 1962’s The Sound Of Johnny Cash but the version I love is the version that appeared on 1994 American Recordings. Its just a stunning and simple song, beautiful.
The Beast In Me
The Beast In Me also appeared on the American Recordings album, this is a song written by Johnny Cash’s son in law Nick Lowe. Lowe released it on his Impossible Bird album and I can’t comment on the original yet, as of today I haven’t heard it. I suspect that will change pretty soon. Johnny’s version is a menacing song though, one that doesn’t threaten with words, but with a glance or peering over glasses. It’s a song that sends shivers up your spine truly, and a million miles from A Boy Named Sue, but a bedfellow for the other tracks on the American Recordings album written by people such as Glenn Danzig and Tom Waits. This is as light as it will get. The Beast In Me is perfection though, its amongst his very best, easily.
Peace In The Valley
I have this thing for June Carter Cash’s voice, she really has the most beautiful angelic voice you will ever hear, from her time as a youngster right up until her later years prior to her death, no ones voice is like June Carter’s and no voice betters it. On Peace In The Valley, like all of the spiritual songs June contributed to her voice on is just so important to the whole feel and sound of the song. She transcends backing vocalist and makes herself integral to the whole piece. Peace In the Valley as a song by itself is amazing, add June Carters vocals to that mix and its difficult to beat.
Jackson
Which brings us neatly to Jackson. If ever there was a song that associated June and Johnny as a couple then it has to be Jackson. To my mind their most famous song, barring Ring Of Fire. Opening a song with the line, “We got married in a fever”, it just paints the urgency of the start of the relationship so well, and to enforce that “hotter than a peppered sprout”, but then it tells of the fire in the relationship going out. Jackson will show them delights, but sadly not with each other.
This isn’t a Johnny Cash song, Jerry Lieber wrote it, but Cash truly made it is own, the plethora, the many many covers that have been made of it, really are a cover of Cash and not I suspect of the version that appeared on co-writer, Billy Edd Wheeler’s album.
Jackson delights me everytime I hear it, be it by Johnny Cash, be it by Brakes, be it The Pleasure Barons, all versions are fantastic, but it is Johnny and June singing this song together which is by far the best.
I Still Miss Someone
Ah I Still Miss Someone, a Cash penned song composed in collaboration with Roy Cash, Johnny Cash’s nephew. Roy Cash is also the father of Carey Cash, President Obama’s pastor. As for his contribution to this song, Roy Cash that is, I don’t know, he gets a writing credit so I assume he had some input and not hopefully, change a word, claim a third.
I Still Miss Someone is up there as my favourite of Johnny’s romantic songs and it’s a beauty I return to a lot, foisting it on my uninterested wife whenever possible, I suspect I could play it to her today and she would claim that she has never heard it. I Still Miss Someone should be a bona fide classic but I think its not particularly well known. It is beautiful though, a gorgeous song that has been covered numerous times, as is the case again with this, it is the Cash version that surpasses all others.
Girl From The North Country
Ah Girl From The North Country. This is a song that appeared on the Dylan album, Nashville Skyline, the best Dylan album by a considerable chalk and the version that appeared on that album sees Dylan and Cash duet on this song. They also duetted on I Still Miss Someone during those sessions, whereas this track benefits from Cash’s gravelly vocals, I Still Miss Someone loses something with the addition of Dylan. That all said this is a fine Dylan track that gives and gives, it oddly reminds me, for reasons I cannot fathom, of Lambchops, The Man Who Loved Beer. I have no clue why. This song though is beautiful in every aspect, Dylan lets us in and lets us know about this girl, confides in us. Dylan is astonishingly honest in this song and I don’t think he betters it.
It has been covered many many times but the version for me is the one that he performed with Cash. Stunning.
(I'm Proud) The Baby is Mine
When my good lady has had a little too much wine, this song always springs to mind, (I'm Proud) The Baby is Mine tell us listeners of a lady, who perhaps may not be quite as classy as other women, but heck JR is proud she is his. I adore this song, I love everything about it, it tells you something about love, about how its easy to love someone demure and dignified, but when that gal is flat on her ass, that’s real love. Maybe not but for some reason I hold this song in extremely high regard. I have it as a bonus track on the incredible Orange Blossom Special, another reason why that album is so great.
When It’s Springtime In Alaska
This is a song that not only popped up a considerable amount when I was listening to Johnny Cash as part of my commute CD journey, but it’s a song that my iPod and its randomness seems to settle on at least once in fifty times. I don’t mind this as I consider this to be one of the most special Cash songs he ever committed to tape. The bonus is that it features the perfect vocals of June Carter Cash. Again this is another track from Orange Blossom special.
The tale, as is often the case of someone wronging Big Ed and suffering the consequences.
Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom Prison Blues, from Cash’s Sun Records period and as spitting and as angry as you will get, bitterness, jealousy and very nearly hate. That’s what prison will do to a man. Cash said of the line, “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die”, "I sat with my pen in my hand, trying to think up the worst reason a person could have for killing another person, and that's what came to mind." That sums up the whole tone of the song, but that line, perhaps is Johnny Cash defining line. Amazing. An amazing song.
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord
Finally to this, today, its his best work, today. It’s a traditional song, a hymn that owes a debt to June Carter, her vocals on this surpass anything at all I have heard and this song just keeps on improving, it is a career highlight for them both and the point where June's vocals come in makes you think, music really doesn’t get any better than that.
If you had to pin me down though, across a career that spans 50 years, what is the best? What releases surpass all of the other wonderful and great songs.
Now the thing with me is that I love it all, I love the hymns, the songs about native Americans, the songs about soldiers, murder, everything. That in mind of everything here is what I consider to be the very best.
Far Side Banks of Jordan
Ah this gorgeous cut from a June Carter Cash album, 1999’s Press On. She was 70 when she recorded that. Resurfacing on Johnny’s Duets album. This, most days, is my absolute favourite. More poignant when you listen to it and know that Johnny died 5 months after June in 2003. A similar tone explored on his cover of Hank Williams’ On The Evening Train. That a journey is coming to an end, but the belief that when it does end, one or the other will be waiting.
If It Proves To Be His Will That I Am First To Cross
And Somehow I've A Feeling It Will Be
When It Comes Your Turn To Travel Likewise Don't Feel Lost
For I Will Be The First One That You'll See
And I'll Be Waiting On The Far Side Banks Of Jordan
I'll Be Sitting Drawing Pictures In The Sand
And When I See You Coming I Will Rise Up With A Shout
And Come Running Through The Shallow Water Reaching For Your Hand
As I said all the more poignant that John would follow June so swiftly.
Delia’s Gone
Delias Gone was from Johnny’s American period, when his career it seemed was in a bit of a lull, American signed him and opened up a new creative period and indeed gave him to a whole new fanbase. This was a period that spawned his take on Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt, his cover of Soundgardens Rusty Cage and amongst a rich vein of covers and originals was this track, Delia’s Gone. Delia’s Gone was the track that made me think that this period Cash wasn’t so bad after all, it was not until this track that I fell for this period Johnny. I was suspicious of Rick Rubin and his motives, I still am to a degree, more so with Neil Diamond, is he really a fan? I don’t know. But Delia’s Gone, it’s a simple acoustic number originally released on 1962’s The Sound Of Johnny Cash but the version I love is the version that appeared on 1994 American Recordings. Its just a stunning and simple song, beautiful.
The Beast In Me
The Beast In Me also appeared on the American Recordings album, this is a song written by Johnny Cash’s son in law Nick Lowe. Lowe released it on his Impossible Bird album and I can’t comment on the original yet, as of today I haven’t heard it. I suspect that will change pretty soon. Johnny’s version is a menacing song though, one that doesn’t threaten with words, but with a glance or peering over glasses. It’s a song that sends shivers up your spine truly, and a million miles from A Boy Named Sue, but a bedfellow for the other tracks on the American Recordings album written by people such as Glenn Danzig and Tom Waits. This is as light as it will get. The Beast In Me is perfection though, its amongst his very best, easily.
Peace In The Valley
I have this thing for June Carter Cash’s voice, she really has the most beautiful angelic voice you will ever hear, from her time as a youngster right up until her later years prior to her death, no ones voice is like June Carter’s and no voice betters it. On Peace In The Valley, like all of the spiritual songs June contributed to her voice on is just so important to the whole feel and sound of the song. She transcends backing vocalist and makes herself integral to the whole piece. Peace In the Valley as a song by itself is amazing, add June Carters vocals to that mix and its difficult to beat.
Jackson
Which brings us neatly to Jackson. If ever there was a song that associated June and Johnny as a couple then it has to be Jackson. To my mind their most famous song, barring Ring Of Fire. Opening a song with the line, “We got married in a fever”, it just paints the urgency of the start of the relationship so well, and to enforce that “hotter than a peppered sprout”, but then it tells of the fire in the relationship going out. Jackson will show them delights, but sadly not with each other.
This isn’t a Johnny Cash song, Jerry Lieber wrote it, but Cash truly made it is own, the plethora, the many many covers that have been made of it, really are a cover of Cash and not I suspect of the version that appeared on co-writer, Billy Edd Wheeler’s album.
Jackson delights me everytime I hear it, be it by Johnny Cash, be it by Brakes, be it The Pleasure Barons, all versions are fantastic, but it is Johnny and June singing this song together which is by far the best.
I Still Miss Someone
Ah I Still Miss Someone, a Cash penned song composed in collaboration with Roy Cash, Johnny Cash’s nephew. Roy Cash is also the father of Carey Cash, President Obama’s pastor. As for his contribution to this song, Roy Cash that is, I don’t know, he gets a writing credit so I assume he had some input and not hopefully, change a word, claim a third.
I Still Miss Someone is up there as my favourite of Johnny’s romantic songs and it’s a beauty I return to a lot, foisting it on my uninterested wife whenever possible, I suspect I could play it to her today and she would claim that she has never heard it. I Still Miss Someone should be a bona fide classic but I think its not particularly well known. It is beautiful though, a gorgeous song that has been covered numerous times, as is the case again with this, it is the Cash version that surpasses all others.
Girl From The North Country
Ah Girl From The North Country. This is a song that appeared on the Dylan album, Nashville Skyline, the best Dylan album by a considerable chalk and the version that appeared on that album sees Dylan and Cash duet on this song. They also duetted on I Still Miss Someone during those sessions, whereas this track benefits from Cash’s gravelly vocals, I Still Miss Someone loses something with the addition of Dylan. That all said this is a fine Dylan track that gives and gives, it oddly reminds me, for reasons I cannot fathom, of Lambchops, The Man Who Loved Beer. I have no clue why. This song though is beautiful in every aspect, Dylan lets us in and lets us know about this girl, confides in us. Dylan is astonishingly honest in this song and I don’t think he betters it.
It has been covered many many times but the version for me is the one that he performed with Cash. Stunning.
(I'm Proud) The Baby is Mine
When my good lady has had a little too much wine, this song always springs to mind, (I'm Proud) The Baby is Mine tell us listeners of a lady, who perhaps may not be quite as classy as other women, but heck JR is proud she is his. I adore this song, I love everything about it, it tells you something about love, about how its easy to love someone demure and dignified, but when that gal is flat on her ass, that’s real love. Maybe not but for some reason I hold this song in extremely high regard. I have it as a bonus track on the incredible Orange Blossom Special, another reason why that album is so great.
When It’s Springtime In Alaska
This is a song that not only popped up a considerable amount when I was listening to Johnny Cash as part of my commute CD journey, but it’s a song that my iPod and its randomness seems to settle on at least once in fifty times. I don’t mind this as I consider this to be one of the most special Cash songs he ever committed to tape. The bonus is that it features the perfect vocals of June Carter Cash. Again this is another track from Orange Blossom special.
The tale, as is often the case of someone wronging Big Ed and suffering the consequences.
I was as innocent as I could be
I didn't know Lil was big Ed's wife to be
He took out his knife and he gave it a throw
When it's springtime in Alaska I'll be six feet below
Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom Prison Blues, from Cash’s Sun Records period and as spitting and as angry as you will get, bitterness, jealousy and very nearly hate. That’s what prison will do to a man. Cash said of the line, “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die”, "I sat with my pen in my hand, trying to think up the worst reason a person could have for killing another person, and that's what came to mind." That sums up the whole tone of the song, but that line, perhaps is Johnny Cash defining line. Amazing. An amazing song.
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord
Finally to this, today, its his best work, today. It’s a traditional song, a hymn that owes a debt to June Carter, her vocals on this surpass anything at all I have heard and this song just keeps on improving, it is a career highlight for them both and the point where June's vocals come in makes you think, music really doesn’t get any better than that.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Johnny Cash American Legend
Another brief one I am afraid, Christmas and all that has meant that if I am not listening to a CD on my commute I am either wrapping presents, roasting chestnuts (on an open fire), cursing the long hairs on the MTV or wondering when I am going to do the big shop. Its these things that limit the time that I can wax about the commute CD.
The Johnny Cash fortnight, for you at least mercifully draws to a close. Its been rather marvellous for me, as well as todays discs I know I have almost the same boxset coming up in a week or two, if it is the same content I may skip it, we will see. Also by the stereo I have further Cash discs that will turn up in a year or two when I have completed the upstairs CD’s.
So to todays disc, it’s a 3 disc boxset, Johnny Cash American Legend. A £3 boxset licensed from Charly and released by a German company. Its is in its essence, the Sun recordings with some live tracks thrown in for good measure.
The Sun recordings are as to be expected, excellent in every possible way. The live tracks are possibly why I bought this, live versions of Jackson, Orange Blossom Special and in particular the fantastic If I Were A Carpenter, featuring June Carter Cash. As time goes on I wonder if I should try and but Junes solo output, at the moment I have all of Johnnys on MP3, some on vinyl but slowly I am buying it all on CD, Santa I suspect will get the next one or two on my wishlist, but I think I really need to hear what June could do as a solo singer, what a voice.
I said it would be brief and I am afraid it is, very brief. This boxset is a gem, a real find, I think I have the complete Sun Recordings and I will give more detail when that gets played, in the meantime, as ever Johnny Cash American Legend 10 out of 10.
If I Were A Carpenter by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash
Edit. 9th January 2010. I had the other boxset yesterday, it was the same one all told, its still a ten though.
The Johnny Cash fortnight, for you at least mercifully draws to a close. Its been rather marvellous for me, as well as todays discs I know I have almost the same boxset coming up in a week or two, if it is the same content I may skip it, we will see. Also by the stereo I have further Cash discs that will turn up in a year or two when I have completed the upstairs CD’s.
So to todays disc, it’s a 3 disc boxset, Johnny Cash American Legend. A £3 boxset licensed from Charly and released by a German company. Its is in its essence, the Sun recordings with some live tracks thrown in for good measure.
The Sun recordings are as to be expected, excellent in every possible way. The live tracks are possibly why I bought this, live versions of Jackson, Orange Blossom Special and in particular the fantastic If I Were A Carpenter, featuring June Carter Cash. As time goes on I wonder if I should try and but Junes solo output, at the moment I have all of Johnnys on MP3, some on vinyl but slowly I am buying it all on CD, Santa I suspect will get the next one or two on my wishlist, but I think I really need to hear what June could do as a solo singer, what a voice.
I said it would be brief and I am afraid it is, very brief. This boxset is a gem, a real find, I think I have the complete Sun Recordings and I will give more detail when that gets played, in the meantime, as ever Johnny Cash American Legend 10 out of 10.
If I Were A Carpenter by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash
Edit. 9th January 2010. I had the other boxset yesterday, it was the same one all told, its still a ten though.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
The Fabulous Johnny Cash / Songs Of Our Soil
The Johnny Cash commute fortnight is coming to a close, still not quite there but close enough. Today was a double album set of his third album, The Fabulous Johnny Cash and his sixth album, Songs Of Our Soil.
The first of the albums, The Fabulous Johnny Cash amongst its grooves features the now perennial I Still Miss Someone, I suspect this may be the first recording it appeared on, I would have to check that though. Johnny also gives his version of Frankie and Johnny, and a fine version it is too.
This Columbia album if anything went against it, it is perhaps that there are so few Johnny Cash penned songs on it, I Still Miss Someone, Run Softly Blue River, Pickin Time and the original version of Don’t Take Your Guns To Town. The latter is a fantastic measured performance with pauses in all of the right places, a far far superior version to the rerecorded versions from his later career.
Of the covers Shepherd of My Heart is a stand out track, Jenny Lou Carson penned the original and it is one that I will have to track down, here it in its correct context.
All in all, The Fabulous Johnny Cash, is fabulous. 10 out of 10.
Don’t Take Your Guns To Town by Johnny Cash
Song of Our Soil as I said was Johnny’s sixth album and a bit of a treat over all. The songs are taking a much darker tone that would remain throughout his career, indeed most of the songs tackle death in one capacity or another.
For the most part Johnny writes the songs, and a few greats show their faces for the first time, notably Five Feet High And Rising however the highlight for me is a track that also appears on the God compilation, The Great Speckled Bird, a song covered since by Lucinda Williams. A song that I am currently loving.
Songs Of Our Soil also has Cash singing the traditional song, My Grandfathers Clock, a song that I recall singing at junior school, if only I knew Cash had done it I may have been able to incorporate Cash’s growl into my rendition as a 10 year old. Finally this album also features the traditional song I Want To Go Home, or as it is more well known, Sloop John B. A better version. Songs Of Our Soil, 10 out of 10.
I Want to Go Home by Johnny Cash
The first of the albums, The Fabulous Johnny Cash amongst its grooves features the now perennial I Still Miss Someone, I suspect this may be the first recording it appeared on, I would have to check that though. Johnny also gives his version of Frankie and Johnny, and a fine version it is too.
This Columbia album if anything went against it, it is perhaps that there are so few Johnny Cash penned songs on it, I Still Miss Someone, Run Softly Blue River, Pickin Time and the original version of Don’t Take Your Guns To Town. The latter is a fantastic measured performance with pauses in all of the right places, a far far superior version to the rerecorded versions from his later career.
Of the covers Shepherd of My Heart is a stand out track, Jenny Lou Carson penned the original and it is one that I will have to track down, here it in its correct context.
All in all, The Fabulous Johnny Cash, is fabulous. 10 out of 10.
Don’t Take Your Guns To Town by Johnny Cash
Song of Our Soil as I said was Johnny’s sixth album and a bit of a treat over all. The songs are taking a much darker tone that would remain throughout his career, indeed most of the songs tackle death in one capacity or another.
For the most part Johnny writes the songs, and a few greats show their faces for the first time, notably Five Feet High And Rising however the highlight for me is a track that also appears on the God compilation, The Great Speckled Bird, a song covered since by Lucinda Williams. A song that I am currently loving.
Songs Of Our Soil also has Cash singing the traditional song, My Grandfathers Clock, a song that I recall singing at junior school, if only I knew Cash had done it I may have been able to incorporate Cash’s growl into my rendition as a 10 year old. Finally this album also features the traditional song I Want To Go Home, or as it is more well known, Sloop John B. A better version. Songs Of Our Soil, 10 out of 10.
I Want to Go Home by Johnny Cash
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Johnny Cash The Mercury Years
A hurried review tonight, very hurried. Enough to say its great, it features duets with people like the fantastic Tom T Hall, and John Cash Jr.
10 out of 10.
Thats a bit too hurried though, but that's the long and short of it, its an album that draws on the best efforts of his Mercury Records output, an over looked period that covers the eighties and very early nineties. Johnny is starting to feel his age and you hear it in his voice. A little more weary, a little more considered, yes it has an eighties Nashville sheen but under all that is Johnny.
Johnny goes back to Don't Take Your Guns To Town, and covers his own song reasonably faithfully, as well as his interpretation of Sixteen Tons. The highlight is the rather jokey Backstage Pass.
Still 10 out of 10.
A Backstage Pass by Johnny Cash
10 out of 10.
Thats a bit too hurried though, but that's the long and short of it, its an album that draws on the best efforts of his Mercury Records output, an over looked period that covers the eighties and very early nineties. Johnny is starting to feel his age and you hear it in his voice. A little more weary, a little more considered, yes it has an eighties Nashville sheen but under all that is Johnny.
Johnny goes back to Don't Take Your Guns To Town, and covers his own song reasonably faithfully, as well as his interpretation of Sixteen Tons. The highlight is the rather jokey Backstage Pass.
Still 10 out of 10.
A Backstage Pass by Johnny Cash
Monday, 14 December 2009
Ride This Train
Today I was riding the train with Johnny Cash, that is if by train you mean Ford Fiesta, and by Johnny Cash you mean a black rucksack. My journey was through Staffordshire, he was my soundtrack, his 1960 album, Ride This Train. Johnny released 3 albums in 1960, this was the middle of the three.
This is an odd album really, it’s a concept album, considered to be one of the very first concept albums and Johnny opens each track with a little narrative about the destination the train will be taking you to, and somehow linking that to the song that comes after it. All the while you can hear in the background the clickety-clack of the train on the tracks. It was the first time I had listened to this album, and outside of a single song, Going To Memphis, I hadn’t heard any of it before.
Of the 8 songs that appeared on the original disc, Cash only wrote 3, he lets the troubadours, folklore artists and story tellers of the US tell the tales that make up Johnny Cash’s fictional journey. He isn’t about the now, or the modern, but he never was and these songs are more akin to the 1800’s than 1960. Johnny talks, not for the first time, about John Wesley Hardin, the outlaw, and that’s what these songs are about, Cowboys and Outlaws, about journeys and destinations. Cash does what he does best when he is painting you a picture, on this album he wants the picture to be that of one that goes past as you ride this train.
Cash really isn’t about modernity, through his entire career Cash harked back to an era of cottonfields and shacks, you couldn’t imagine talk of ipods and emails coming into his songs could you. This album is thankfully before the time of ipods and emails, and it is all the better for it. 10 out of 10.
Old Doc Brown by Johnny Cash
This is an odd album really, it’s a concept album, considered to be one of the very first concept albums and Johnny opens each track with a little narrative about the destination the train will be taking you to, and somehow linking that to the song that comes after it. All the while you can hear in the background the clickety-clack of the train on the tracks. It was the first time I had listened to this album, and outside of a single song, Going To Memphis, I hadn’t heard any of it before.
Of the 8 songs that appeared on the original disc, Cash only wrote 3, he lets the troubadours, folklore artists and story tellers of the US tell the tales that make up Johnny Cash’s fictional journey. He isn’t about the now, or the modern, but he never was and these songs are more akin to the 1800’s than 1960. Johnny talks, not for the first time, about John Wesley Hardin, the outlaw, and that’s what these songs are about, Cowboys and Outlaws, about journeys and destinations. Cash does what he does best when he is painting you a picture, on this album he wants the picture to be that of one that goes past as you ride this train.
Cash really isn’t about modernity, through his entire career Cash harked back to an era of cottonfields and shacks, you couldn’t imagine talk of ipods and emails coming into his songs could you. This album is thankfully before the time of ipods and emails, and it is all the better for it. 10 out of 10.
Old Doc Brown by Johnny Cash
Friday, 11 December 2009
God
Today I had an exam, but on the way to that exam I had the best soundtrack possible. The God compilation that Johnny Cash released.
If the rules dictated that you could have a compilation as your favourite Johnny Cash record, this would top that list. I don’t set the rules, that’s set by the International Favourite Johnny Cash Album League, they are sticklers.
This album is really as fantastic as it gets, I used to mistakenly think my very favourite Johnny Cash track was on this album, Far Side Banks Of Jordan, it isn’t, that’s on a June Carter Cash album, no harm no foul and as is the quality of this album, its still a great great album even minus that song.
This album revisits songs from almost his entire career that deal with God, religion or some other spiritual nonsense. The subject matter is neither here nor there, the delivery is the important thing and boy does he deliver it.
Cash can talk about spiritual awakening with the same tone that he talks about fixing to shoot someone, there is fire in his belly and sincerity in his voice.
Normal run of things this album would drop around 10 points due to having that fucking idiot Bono write the liner notes, I didn’t read them though so the points stay in tact.
What of the songs then, by golly they are good, some originals, some traditional, some by June, some by others, every single one a great. From Johnny’s rendition of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot to his take on Kristofferson’s Why Me Lord. Each one delivered with more meaning, more passion, more beauty than a million Aled Jones’s.
Even amongst all of the great songs on this album, one song stands head and shoulders above everything else, the ridiculously good Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord, a traditional song that has the most gorgeous vocal of any record you will hear any time or any place. June Carter Cash on this record will not be equalled, sincerely. If I do find it on Youtube, stick with it and listen please, (I have, 31 seconds in, stunning) I would like to know your thoughts as well.
That all said, an easy 10 out of 10. An album everyone should own.
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord by Johnny Cash
If the rules dictated that you could have a compilation as your favourite Johnny Cash record, this would top that list. I don’t set the rules, that’s set by the International Favourite Johnny Cash Album League, they are sticklers.
This album is really as fantastic as it gets, I used to mistakenly think my very favourite Johnny Cash track was on this album, Far Side Banks Of Jordan, it isn’t, that’s on a June Carter Cash album, no harm no foul and as is the quality of this album, its still a great great album even minus that song.
This album revisits songs from almost his entire career that deal with God, religion or some other spiritual nonsense. The subject matter is neither here nor there, the delivery is the important thing and boy does he deliver it.
Cash can talk about spiritual awakening with the same tone that he talks about fixing to shoot someone, there is fire in his belly and sincerity in his voice.
Normal run of things this album would drop around 10 points due to having that fucking idiot Bono write the liner notes, I didn’t read them though so the points stay in tact.
What of the songs then, by golly they are good, some originals, some traditional, some by June, some by others, every single one a great. From Johnny’s rendition of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot to his take on Kristofferson’s Why Me Lord. Each one delivered with more meaning, more passion, more beauty than a million Aled Jones’s.
Even amongst all of the great songs on this album, one song stands head and shoulders above everything else, the ridiculously good Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord, a traditional song that has the most gorgeous vocal of any record you will hear any time or any place. June Carter Cash on this record will not be equalled, sincerely. If I do find it on Youtube, stick with it and listen please, (I have, 31 seconds in, stunning) I would like to know your thoughts as well.
That all said, an easy 10 out of 10. An album everyone should own.
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord by Johnny Cash
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Ragged Old Flag
Ragged Old Flag today on the commute, another Johnny Cash album. This was released in 1974 on Columbia Records.
This is a more stripped down album than yesterdays Silver. Outside of the first track, the title track its paired down making use of The Tennessee Three and backing vocal talents of The Oak Ridge Boys. The Statler Brothers had relinquished themselves of the position of Cash’s backing group at this point.
The title track features Earl Scruggs on Banjo, it may be, for English ears at least a bit too much of a schmaltz fest. Its like a musical version of that Simpsons episode, Barts People. Cash telling the story of why the flag was so ragged. I think in the time of Watergate the American public loved the song.
Lonesome to The Bone appears on this album and its better on this than the version that appeared on Silver, a beautiful song, that, as I mentioned yesterday reminds me of Kris Kristofferson.
Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Johnny Cash takes a shot at what was happening to the environment in Don’t Go Near The water
All in all this is a very good album, all songs on the album are written by Cash, it isn’t over produced, it is really marvellous. One I recommend searching out.
10 out of 10. He doesn’t do anything less than great.
Lonesome To The Bone by Johnny Cash
This is a more stripped down album than yesterdays Silver. Outside of the first track, the title track its paired down making use of The Tennessee Three and backing vocal talents of The Oak Ridge Boys. The Statler Brothers had relinquished themselves of the position of Cash’s backing group at this point.
The title track features Earl Scruggs on Banjo, it may be, for English ears at least a bit too much of a schmaltz fest. Its like a musical version of that Simpsons episode, Barts People. Cash telling the story of why the flag was so ragged. I think in the time of Watergate the American public loved the song.
Lonesome to The Bone appears on this album and its better on this than the version that appeared on Silver, a beautiful song, that, as I mentioned yesterday reminds me of Kris Kristofferson.
Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Johnny Cash takes a shot at what was happening to the environment in Don’t Go Near The water
All in all this is a very good album, all songs on the album are written by Cash, it isn’t over produced, it is really marvellous. One I recommend searching out.
10 out of 10. He doesn’t do anything less than great.
Lonesome To The Bone by Johnny Cash
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Silver
Todays CD is yet another Cash CD, this time it is his 1979 album Silver. You may recall the B’s and my frown at the multiple Bragg’s that I was working through. You might expect the same with Johnny after all its been quite a Cash intensive week so far, a week that isn’t coming to an end any time soon.
So this album, Silver, from a period that most listeners aren’t massively familiar with, even though this album contains one of Johnny’s most well known songs in his interpretation of Ghost Riders In The Sky.
Silver is quite notable for being the final album Johnny Cash recorded with bassist Marshall Grant, original member of Cash’s backing band, The Tennessee Two (and later with WS Holland the Tennessee Three). The sound of The Tennessee Three had mellowed over the years and although the boom-chicka sound was still present it was more broader, and none more so on this album.
1979 in country and western music was reaching a bit of a watershed. It was at the end of the peak that the 70’s had ushered in and The Highwaymen had not yet formed, perhaps with this Cash needed to set his own agenda, needed to re-impress himself on his public. Prior to this Cash had released, or at least labels representing Cash had released 2 or 3 compilations, the last album proper, Gone girl had only had 2 Cash compositions on it, Silver needed to make a mark, and if his songwriting juices were not flowing, Johnny had to ensure that what he did work with sounded like his own.
As was the case during this period, Johnny Cash revisited songs from his past, Cocaine Blues had already appeared in a couple of incarnations, on this release it sounds like a rich cousin of White Lightning, Cocaine Blues over the process of this listening exercise is becoming more increasingly a favourite. In the bonus tracks on this CD, Cash is ably assisted on I Got Stripes and I Still Miss Someone by George Jones, Jones’ twang sits at odds with Cash’s growl but oddly they match.
Lonesome to the Bone on this album, initially I thought it was a Kristofferson track, sounding in part like Sunday Morning Coming Down, but the liner notes tell me differently and this is the stand out track for me, its quite a beautiful song. It first appeared on the 74 album (and imminent to me) Ragged Old Flag.
The entire album is a bit of an uncovered classic in its own way, the production is rich but not schmaltzy, its full but still has an intimacy, the Tennessee Three can be heard but are ably assisted.
Cash is serious on this album but still finds time to poke fun at himself on I'll Say It's True.
Marvellous. 10 out of 10.
Ghost Riders In The Sky by Johnny Cash
So this album, Silver, from a period that most listeners aren’t massively familiar with, even though this album contains one of Johnny’s most well known songs in his interpretation of Ghost Riders In The Sky.
Silver is quite notable for being the final album Johnny Cash recorded with bassist Marshall Grant, original member of Cash’s backing band, The Tennessee Two (and later with WS Holland the Tennessee Three). The sound of The Tennessee Three had mellowed over the years and although the boom-chicka sound was still present it was more broader, and none more so on this album.
1979 in country and western music was reaching a bit of a watershed. It was at the end of the peak that the 70’s had ushered in and The Highwaymen had not yet formed, perhaps with this Cash needed to set his own agenda, needed to re-impress himself on his public. Prior to this Cash had released, or at least labels representing Cash had released 2 or 3 compilations, the last album proper, Gone girl had only had 2 Cash compositions on it, Silver needed to make a mark, and if his songwriting juices were not flowing, Johnny had to ensure that what he did work with sounded like his own.
As was the case during this period, Johnny Cash revisited songs from his past, Cocaine Blues had already appeared in a couple of incarnations, on this release it sounds like a rich cousin of White Lightning, Cocaine Blues over the process of this listening exercise is becoming more increasingly a favourite. In the bonus tracks on this CD, Cash is ably assisted on I Got Stripes and I Still Miss Someone by George Jones, Jones’ twang sits at odds with Cash’s growl but oddly they match.
Lonesome to the Bone on this album, initially I thought it was a Kristofferson track, sounding in part like Sunday Morning Coming Down, but the liner notes tell me differently and this is the stand out track for me, its quite a beautiful song. It first appeared on the 74 album (and imminent to me) Ragged Old Flag.
The entire album is a bit of an uncovered classic in its own way, the production is rich but not schmaltzy, its full but still has an intimacy, the Tennessee Three can be heard but are ably assisted.
Cash is serious on this album but still finds time to poke fun at himself on I'll Say It's True.
I've never been in prison
I don't know much about trains
My favorite singer cooks my breakfast
I like her fancy and I like her plain
I love bright and flashing colors
Like hot pink and Dresden blue
But if they ask me if it's true
That I still love you, I'll say it's true
Marvellous. 10 out of 10.
Ghost Riders In The Sky by Johnny Cash
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show
More Cash, well actually not an entire Cash album today, The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show is a compilation album featuring artists that appeared on Johnny Cash’s TV show. This is a double disc packsge, one disc is a DVD of selected appearances and the other is the audio and its interspersed with Johnny singing a few tracks.
There is enough on the disc to keep me more than entertained, from the none Cash selections we have Kris Krisstoferson, Glen Campbell performing Wichita Lineman, Neil Young performing The Needle and the Damage Done, Tammy Wynette perfroming Stand By Your Man aswell as James Taylor, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. The latter doing a low down dirty version of Blue suede Shoes.
The Disc also contains a rather splendid version of Ring Of Fire performed by Ray Charles, and many fine contributions by June Carter Cash, a voice no better exists I would say.
This all brings me round to Johnny Cash’s contributions, all the tracks are performed live and what we have is a rousing version of Boy Named Sue, a cover of Cash’s hero, Jimmi Rodgers featuring Louis Armstrong. Duets with June include their beautiful If You Were a Carpenter, which is a little muddled up on this recording.
The complete highlight though, and something in this version I had not heard before was Cash and Joni Mitchell duetting on The Girl of The North Country, a truly great and beautiful song made even better with the addition of Mitchell’s voice. A real highlight.
So it’s a compilation, but as strong a compilation as you will find, these are live versions, but controlled live versions and it’s a joy to hear them. The DVD features Neil Diamond singing Cracklin Rosie, I may have to watch that tonight. All in all, purely for Joni Mitchell, but also for Glen and June. 10 out of 10.
Girl of The North Country by Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell
There is enough on the disc to keep me more than entertained, from the none Cash selections we have Kris Krisstoferson, Glen Campbell performing Wichita Lineman, Neil Young performing The Needle and the Damage Done, Tammy Wynette perfroming Stand By Your Man aswell as James Taylor, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. The latter doing a low down dirty version of Blue suede Shoes.
The Disc also contains a rather splendid version of Ring Of Fire performed by Ray Charles, and many fine contributions by June Carter Cash, a voice no better exists I would say.
This all brings me round to Johnny Cash’s contributions, all the tracks are performed live and what we have is a rousing version of Boy Named Sue, a cover of Cash’s hero, Jimmi Rodgers featuring Louis Armstrong. Duets with June include their beautiful If You Were a Carpenter, which is a little muddled up on this recording.
The complete highlight though, and something in this version I had not heard before was Cash and Joni Mitchell duetting on The Girl of The North Country, a truly great and beautiful song made even better with the addition of Mitchell’s voice. A real highlight.
So it’s a compilation, but as strong a compilation as you will find, these are live versions, but controlled live versions and it’s a joy to hear them. The DVD features Neil Diamond singing Cracklin Rosie, I may have to watch that tonight. All in all, purely for Joni Mitchell, but also for Glen and June. 10 out of 10.
Girl of The North Country by Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell
Monday, 7 December 2009
At Folsom Prison
Today we are at Folsom Prison, not literally, literally it’s Coleshill, but as far as my loosely alphabeticised CD collection goes, the next album along is another Johnny Cash album, perhaps his most well known, At Folsom Prison.
At Folsom Prison is a better record of Cash’s prison gigs, the San Quentin album although excellent is a little more polished than the Folsom album and this 1999 reissue although not my favourite album of Johnny’s or my favourite live album of Johnny’s you can certainly see it’s worth and importance and as far as the set list is concerned, it’s a strong one that isn’t just about the hits.
Joe Bean reappears here, as does The Wall, but I don’t think he could do a prison concert without doing those, similarly Long Black Veil and Folsom Prison Blues.
If anything though away from those songs of murder, the mood is very much light, June Carter isn’t he wife at this point, at that was 2 months away, and Johnny is pretty much drug free, and that new found feeling is shown in the lightness of the songs, be it Cocaine Blues, or Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog or Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart. Johnny still gives us I Still Miss Someone and Orange Blossom Special, but he wants to keep the mood light and that is what pervades this album.
All in all its difficult for me to write anything about this album that you wont already know, it’s a classic, a true great, the songs, the performance, the venue and therefore an unsurprising 10 out of 10.
Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash
At Folsom Prison is a better record of Cash’s prison gigs, the San Quentin album although excellent is a little more polished than the Folsom album and this 1999 reissue although not my favourite album of Johnny’s or my favourite live album of Johnny’s you can certainly see it’s worth and importance and as far as the set list is concerned, it’s a strong one that isn’t just about the hits.
Joe Bean reappears here, as does The Wall, but I don’t think he could do a prison concert without doing those, similarly Long Black Veil and Folsom Prison Blues.
If anything though away from those songs of murder, the mood is very much light, June Carter isn’t he wife at this point, at that was 2 months away, and Johnny is pretty much drug free, and that new found feeling is shown in the lightness of the songs, be it Cocaine Blues, or Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog or Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart. Johnny still gives us I Still Miss Someone and Orange Blossom Special, but he wants to keep the mood light and that is what pervades this album.
All in all its difficult for me to write anything about this album that you wont already know, it’s a classic, a true great, the songs, the performance, the venue and therefore an unsurprising 10 out of 10.
Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Murder
The journey back from Oxfordshire was made all the more enjoyable with another Johnny Cash disc, this time the 2000 compilation, Murder.
Murder was originally part of a three disc box set, although they were also sold seperately, the other discs were God, Love and later one was also released called Life. Effectively they were themed discs that picked out the best Johnny Cash songs that fitted loosely in to those categories, this one Murder, fits the bill on the whole, sometimes its just death though.
So what of it, with Cash, regardless of the album you never get anything less than perfect, this is not the exception.
This collects tracks across a career spanning selection, be it Folsom Prison Blues or Cocaine Blues, the latter was originally recorded by Cash under the name of Transfusion Blues on his 1960 album, Now There Was A Song, as well as being performed at the Folsom prison concert, it appears here as Cocaine Blues.
The eeriest song outside of the gorgeous When it's Springtime in Alaska, is the song Joe Bean. The song closes with Cash and Carter Cash singing Happy Birthday to Joe Bean only for the sound of the gallows floor opening and the rope creaking. Eerie stuff.
Finally amongst the other great songs on this disc are two of Johnny Cash's late career highlights, Delia's Gone, certainly one of my all time top ten Cash tracks and his take on Bruce Springsteen's Highway Patrolman. A great version.
The song closes with The Wall, a song also on At San Quentin, like most on Murder, not only very sad, but it you see the futility of the situation from the off.
All in all Murder is a fantastic compilation, unsure if I have God on CD, but I know God is the better of the three, that doesnt detract from this disc though, a perfect 10 out of 10.
Joe Bean by Johnny Cash
Murder was originally part of a three disc box set, although they were also sold seperately, the other discs were God, Love and later one was also released called Life. Effectively they were themed discs that picked out the best Johnny Cash songs that fitted loosely in to those categories, this one Murder, fits the bill on the whole, sometimes its just death though.
So what of it, with Cash, regardless of the album you never get anything less than perfect, this is not the exception.
This collects tracks across a career spanning selection, be it Folsom Prison Blues or Cocaine Blues, the latter was originally recorded by Cash under the name of Transfusion Blues on his 1960 album, Now There Was A Song, as well as being performed at the Folsom prison concert, it appears here as Cocaine Blues.
The eeriest song outside of the gorgeous When it's Springtime in Alaska, is the song Joe Bean. The song closes with Cash and Carter Cash singing Happy Birthday to Joe Bean only for the sound of the gallows floor opening and the rope creaking. Eerie stuff.
Finally amongst the other great songs on this disc are two of Johnny Cash's late career highlights, Delia's Gone, certainly one of my all time top ten Cash tracks and his take on Bruce Springsteen's Highway Patrolman. A great version.
The song closes with The Wall, a song also on At San Quentin, like most on Murder, not only very sad, but it you see the futility of the situation from the off.
All in all Murder is a fantastic compilation, unsure if I have God on CD, but I know God is the better of the three, that doesnt detract from this disc though, a perfect 10 out of 10.
Joe Bean by Johnny Cash
Saturday, 5 December 2009
At San Quentin
Next CD, Friday nights drive to Oxfordshire was the Johnny Cash album, At San Quentin. This is the 2000 reissue of the 1969 album. The previous year saw Cash perform at Folsom, but this is a record of his concert to prisoners and wardens at California's San Quentin Prison.
San Quentin has hosted as inmates Merle Haggard and Art Pepper within its walls but this was quite a unique concert really. Cash had always wanted to do a concert for prisoners and this started at Folsom prison at continued here at San Quentin.
This was recorded for Granada TV and he refers to this in his between song dialogue, a later deluxe edition of this disc contains the entire concert and a DVD of that concert.
This album contains more than a few highpoints for me, the stand out track is I Still Miss Someone, not a massively well known song, it should be, hopefully Youtube will have a recording of this but if not please do seek it out for a listen.
Cash is backed, vocally by The Statler Brothers but also by the gorgeous voice of June Carter Cash. And its her contribution to the song (There'll Be) Peace in the Valley, a beautiful song. Utterly gorgeous.
Outside of these you get on the whole Cash staples such as I Walk The Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Daddy Sang Bass as well as A Boy Named Sue.
The other tracks on this disc are the intriguing for me, such as the song San Quentin, it went down so well that he plays it twice in a row.
Unsure if this album is better than his Folsom album, I will know next week I think. Either way, superb. 10 out of 10.
San Quentin by Johnny Cash
San Quentin has hosted as inmates Merle Haggard and Art Pepper within its walls but this was quite a unique concert really. Cash had always wanted to do a concert for prisoners and this started at Folsom prison at continued here at San Quentin.
This was recorded for Granada TV and he refers to this in his between song dialogue, a later deluxe edition of this disc contains the entire concert and a DVD of that concert.
This album contains more than a few highpoints for me, the stand out track is I Still Miss Someone, not a massively well known song, it should be, hopefully Youtube will have a recording of this but if not please do seek it out for a listen.
Cash is backed, vocally by The Statler Brothers but also by the gorgeous voice of June Carter Cash. And its her contribution to the song (There'll Be) Peace in the Valley, a beautiful song. Utterly gorgeous.
Outside of these you get on the whole Cash staples such as I Walk The Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Daddy Sang Bass as well as A Boy Named Sue.
The other tracks on this disc are the intriguing for me, such as the song San Quentin, it went down so well that he plays it twice in a row.
Unsure if this album is better than his Folsom album, I will know next week I think. Either way, superb. 10 out of 10.
San Quentin by Johnny Cash
Friday, 4 December 2009
Orange Blossom Special
Here is a fact for you, up to 1965 Johnny Cash had released 20, get that, 20!! albums. Its that 20th album that I listened to on my commute in this morning. It may be Johnny’s 20th but it is my favourite Johnny Cash album, Orange Blossom Special. Orange Blossom Special is the first of a week of Cash albums by the look of it.
I love this album more than any other Cash album because of the songs, obviously, but the choice of songs is more perfect than the preceding 19 or the subsequent 76, all great in their own way, but not as fantastic as Orange Blossom Special.
I can even forgive 3 Dylan songs on this album as in the case of It Ain’t Me Babe, it stops becoming Dylans and Cash claims it, the same could be said for Mama, You've Been on My Mind. The third Dylan track is Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright and this further cements the relationship that Dylan and Cash would have throughout Cash’s life. Great versions.
The album, at least on this version, but the albums highlights for me are two of my favourite Cash tracks. On any given day When It's Springtime in Alaska is my favourite Cash song, its so damn sparse, yet so beautiful, possibly only bettered by The Far Side Banks Of Jordan, that doesn’t appear on this album though. Another contender for Cash’s best is (I'm Proud) The Baby is Mine, appearing here as a bonus track. I man re-affirming his love for a woman that takes the pint. It’s a great song, stunning.
Another highlight of the album in a bonus track form is Engine 143, re-recorded later in Cash’s life and another one of the songs that using train imagery to get its point across, along with the title track of course. Engine 143 in its re-recorded version was the very last song that Johnny recorded, at least according to Wikipedia, I thought that honour befell to the beautiful Like the 309, but that actually may have been the last one he wrote. I have digressed a little.
Enough to say this is another perfect Cash album, 10 out of 10.
When It’s Springtime In Alaska by Johnny Cash
I love this album more than any other Cash album because of the songs, obviously, but the choice of songs is more perfect than the preceding 19 or the subsequent 76, all great in their own way, but not as fantastic as Orange Blossom Special.
I can even forgive 3 Dylan songs on this album as in the case of It Ain’t Me Babe, it stops becoming Dylans and Cash claims it, the same could be said for Mama, You've Been on My Mind. The third Dylan track is Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright and this further cements the relationship that Dylan and Cash would have throughout Cash’s life. Great versions.
The album, at least on this version, but the albums highlights for me are two of my favourite Cash tracks. On any given day When It's Springtime in Alaska is my favourite Cash song, its so damn sparse, yet so beautiful, possibly only bettered by The Far Side Banks Of Jordan, that doesn’t appear on this album though. Another contender for Cash’s best is (I'm Proud) The Baby is Mine, appearing here as a bonus track. I man re-affirming his love for a woman that takes the pint. It’s a great song, stunning.
Another highlight of the album in a bonus track form is Engine 143, re-recorded later in Cash’s life and another one of the songs that using train imagery to get its point across, along with the title track of course. Engine 143 in its re-recorded version was the very last song that Johnny recorded, at least according to Wikipedia, I thought that honour befell to the beautiful Like the 309, but that actually may have been the last one he wrote. I have digressed a little.
Enough to say this is another perfect Cash album, 10 out of 10.
When It’s Springtime In Alaska by Johnny Cash
Monday, 16 November 2009
Johnny Cash and His Hot and Blue Guitar/ Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous
We hit the C section good and proper today, and we hit it running with a double disc pack by Johnny Cash, hist first two albums to be precise, Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar and Johnny Cash Sings The songs That Made Him Famous.
Johnny Cash means a great deal to me, his music has been with me since I was a very small child and I have yet to hear a song by him that I disliked. Periods that divide other fans, I adore, its hard to be subjective when you struggle to see anything wrong with him and so this is more of an apology as I have quite a number of Johnny Cash discs and I love all of them.
Where to start? Lets start with the debut …Hot and Blue Guitar. Released in 1957, not only Johnny’s debut album, but the first LP to be released on Sam Phillip’s Sun Records. A milestone not just for the label but I will wager for Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, and Country music.
On this album Johnny is backed by Luther Perkins, Marshall Grant and session musician Al Casey, at this point drummer WS Holland hasn’t joined the band and the Tennessee Three is merely the Tennessee Two.
As a statement of intent, this is a brash and as fierce as the famous ad of Johnny giving the finger. It comes out swaggering and against the grain of 50’s hillbilly music.
A number of covers are present, his take on Rock Island Line on this album is the best of anyones, Luthers guitar driving that train. Also he takes on Hank William’s (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle, pretty faithful to the original and its clear across the tracks that Williams is the major influence, not just in his song selection and reinterpretation, but also in his own songs, and it is in his own songs where his strength lies and this is where the swagger, the statement of intent and the self belief come in. Undoubtedly the strongest songs on this album are the ones penned by JR Cash.
Well, you work all day
While you're wantin' to play
In the sun and the sand,
With a face that's tan.
At the end of the day,
When your work is done,
You ain't got nothin' but fun.
Country Boy, you may not have shit, but you aint got no worries either. Maybe Johnny put it a little more eloquently than that, but basically that’s what he is saying.
If Country Boy was the only original song on this debut that would be enough, but Cry Cry Cry and So Doggone Lonesome also appear along with I Walk The Line.
The stand out track for me, easily the stand out track was the beligerant, unapologetic, snarling song that is Folsom Prison Blues, easily one of Johnny’s best, and on a given day it may be his best. Musically magnificent, lyrically brilliant. A perfect song.
I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Exceptional. 10 out of 10.
Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (an absolutely fantastic performance it is too)
Which brings us on to Johnny’s second album, 1958’s Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous.
Following up such a strong debut must be intimidating, but to follow it up and have more faith in your own songs, at a time when you had singers, and you had songwriters, that’s just massive self belief. That is though what Johnny did on the follow up, more of his songs.
There are still nods to his hero Hank Williams in his cover of Williams’ I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You), and Williams influence is still apparent in Cash’s tone, but that’s was soon to disappear as Cash slowly becomes his own man.
Just around the corner there's heartache
Down the street that losers use
If you can wade in through the teardrops
You'll find me at the Home of the Blues
Home of The Blues on this album is possibly my favourite, chronicling an unhappy childhood, a partner to Heartbreak Hotel, but where that was love, this is more circumstance. Johnny Cash carving out a niche as the dark man of country, the man in black isn’t quite there yet, but he isn’t a million miles away.
Big River continues the theme, sadness, and dark moods, a gorgeous song and a great great closer to this album.
Through Ballad Of A Teenage Queen, the reappearance of I Walk The Line, through to Guess Things Happen That Way and Next In Line, this album is just perfect, still the Tennessee Two haven’t been augmented by WS Hollands drums but you don’t miss them, Luther Perkins guitar style is such that you don’t need the drums.
Another fantastic album. 10 out of 10
Home of The Blues by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash means a great deal to me, his music has been with me since I was a very small child and I have yet to hear a song by him that I disliked. Periods that divide other fans, I adore, its hard to be subjective when you struggle to see anything wrong with him and so this is more of an apology as I have quite a number of Johnny Cash discs and I love all of them.
Where to start? Lets start with the debut …Hot and Blue Guitar. Released in 1957, not only Johnny’s debut album, but the first LP to be released on Sam Phillip’s Sun Records. A milestone not just for the label but I will wager for Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, and Country music.
On this album Johnny is backed by Luther Perkins, Marshall Grant and session musician Al Casey, at this point drummer WS Holland hasn’t joined the band and the Tennessee Three is merely the Tennessee Two.
As a statement of intent, this is a brash and as fierce as the famous ad of Johnny giving the finger. It comes out swaggering and against the grain of 50’s hillbilly music.
A number of covers are present, his take on Rock Island Line on this album is the best of anyones, Luthers guitar driving that train. Also he takes on Hank William’s (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle, pretty faithful to the original and its clear across the tracks that Williams is the major influence, not just in his song selection and reinterpretation, but also in his own songs, and it is in his own songs where his strength lies and this is where the swagger, the statement of intent and the self belief come in. Undoubtedly the strongest songs on this album are the ones penned by JR Cash.
Well, you work all day
While you're wantin' to play
In the sun and the sand,
With a face that's tan.
At the end of the day,
When your work is done,
You ain't got nothin' but fun.
Country Boy, you may not have shit, but you aint got no worries either. Maybe Johnny put it a little more eloquently than that, but basically that’s what he is saying.
If Country Boy was the only original song on this debut that would be enough, but Cry Cry Cry and So Doggone Lonesome also appear along with I Walk The Line.
The stand out track for me, easily the stand out track was the beligerant, unapologetic, snarling song that is Folsom Prison Blues, easily one of Johnny’s best, and on a given day it may be his best. Musically magnificent, lyrically brilliant. A perfect song.
I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Exceptional. 10 out of 10.
Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (an absolutely fantastic performance it is too)
Which brings us on to Johnny’s second album, 1958’s Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous.
Following up such a strong debut must be intimidating, but to follow it up and have more faith in your own songs, at a time when you had singers, and you had songwriters, that’s just massive self belief. That is though what Johnny did on the follow up, more of his songs.
There are still nods to his hero Hank Williams in his cover of Williams’ I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You), and Williams influence is still apparent in Cash’s tone, but that’s was soon to disappear as Cash slowly becomes his own man.
Just around the corner there's heartache
Down the street that losers use
If you can wade in through the teardrops
You'll find me at the Home of the Blues
Home of The Blues on this album is possibly my favourite, chronicling an unhappy childhood, a partner to Heartbreak Hotel, but where that was love, this is more circumstance. Johnny Cash carving out a niche as the dark man of country, the man in black isn’t quite there yet, but he isn’t a million miles away.
Big River continues the theme, sadness, and dark moods, a gorgeous song and a great great closer to this album.
Through Ballad Of A Teenage Queen, the reappearance of I Walk The Line, through to Guess Things Happen That Way and Next In Line, this album is just perfect, still the Tennessee Two haven’t been augmented by WS Hollands drums but you don’t miss them, Luther Perkins guitar style is such that you don’t need the drums.
Another fantastic album. 10 out of 10
Home of The Blues by Johnny Cash
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Keith West to The Wedding Present
Recently Kev did his musical history, my own is rather warty when it comes to warts and all, I like to think that the route taken was one that made me the person I am today, one that appreciates the niceties of most genres.
I was born in 1970, my first musical memory was a song that was being played but had been released in 1967, so I assume that Jimmy Saville or Ed Stewart was playing it for some reason, it was Excerpt from a Teenage Opera by Keith West, potentially the single saddest song ever recorded, or possibly not, but rather sad in its tone. I remember hearing it in the kitchen of our Donnington home.
The first song that I really recall and played time after time after time was one of my parents 7 inches, and it was the Johnny Cash schmaltz fest that is A thing called love, I absolutely loved this song and played it over and over and over, not from his glory days and bereft of god or murder, and the production on the original has thse dreadful female backing singers that seemed to be on a lot of his Colombia released albums, that single and the repeated plays of it was the start of a love affair with Johnny Cash that goes on today.
1976 and punk rock was just starting and the musical world was changing, for me though it wasn’t, Brotherhood of man had won Eurovision and I liked that, Jimmy Saville liked it too and unless Jimmy played it, it didn’t mean shit. I worked at Butlins up until the mid nineties and managed to watch Brotherhood of man quite a number of times, it was rather sad as in 30 years they hadn’t appeared to age, they seemed quite old on the Eurovision footage.
1980 was the year music changed for me, I was ten and had pocket money burning a hole in my pocket, older brother and sister influencing me more and more, and it was the year I bought my first single, or singles to be precise, bought from a Wallpaper shop in Donnington Telford, that had a sideline in selling records, in the back of course, behind the anaglypta. I bought 2 singles that day and the pop foundations were well and truly enforced, but pop of the most magnificent type. Blondie’s The tide is high and Abba’s Super Trooper, the former was just a record that I liked but the latter was the first tentative steps with the first band that I ever got into. For the next two years Abba would be a flirtation.
This may have of course sent out signals to my parents, after all it wasn’t Deep Purple or ACDC or some other manly band, it was Abba, I was going to allay any fears they may have had and asked my dad for a music album which I played a lot over 1981 and 1982 and that was You Can’t Stop the Music by The Village People. Ahem
1984 and 13 years old was the year that I started to love music and it started to mean more to me than just background fluff, In 1983 there was talk about a band that had made this record, but radio wasn’t playing it, but it was on 160 at the moment. I duly called dial a disc and pre digital telecommunications were not kind to it, but I liked what I heard. Frankie Goes to Hollywood were without doubt the first band that I truly truly loved to the point of buying every release on every format, and postering my room to an inch of its life with pictures of the band. I absolutely adored the band and for me realistically, 1984 was year one for music.
Frankie and me probably lasted 2 years, then one night I decided to listen to radio late at night, I hadn’t before, well I had but it tended to be Lee Vynon on Signal FM, now it may have been Peel, it may have been Gambacini, but someone was playing Bonzo Goes to Bitburg, the current single by The Ramones, and oh my, I had never heard anything like that at all ever, The Ramones were a life changing thing, and this is absolutely true, I ripped down all of my FGTH posters and gave away all their records the next day, I needed to get that Ramones single and investigate just how stunning they sounded. Over the next 3 years intensely and again recently, The Ramones just became my gods, they were the first band I ever saw, I wore their t-shirts, I made pilgrimages to Lndon to track down the gaps in my record collection. I loved that band.
I knew what I wanted from music from that moment, and it would not really change for quite a number of years, I liked guitars and that was the case when Alex Poulson introduced me in 1987 to The Wedding Present, Alex introduced me to a lot of music, notably Husker Du and The Clash, but his main contribution to my life was playing me George Best by The Wedding Present, a band that kickstarted my gigging years and probably had a retirement home built due to the ridiculous amount of money spent by me on them. I travelled the length and breadth of Britain watching them, payed stupid sums for a mispressed singles and the like and really should have known better.
So this brings us neatly up to 1987, 84-87 were the 80’s for me, and after 87 it gets a little crowded so my musical history can take a break until soon when I regale you with Peter: The Dance Years.
I was born in 1970, my first musical memory was a song that was being played but had been released in 1967, so I assume that Jimmy Saville or Ed Stewart was playing it for some reason, it was Excerpt from a Teenage Opera by Keith West, potentially the single saddest song ever recorded, or possibly not, but rather sad in its tone. I remember hearing it in the kitchen of our Donnington home.
The first song that I really recall and played time after time after time was one of my parents 7 inches, and it was the Johnny Cash schmaltz fest that is A thing called love, I absolutely loved this song and played it over and over and over, not from his glory days and bereft of god or murder, and the production on the original has thse dreadful female backing singers that seemed to be on a lot of his Colombia released albums, that single and the repeated plays of it was the start of a love affair with Johnny Cash that goes on today.
1976 and punk rock was just starting and the musical world was changing, for me though it wasn’t, Brotherhood of man had won Eurovision and I liked that, Jimmy Saville liked it too and unless Jimmy played it, it didn’t mean shit. I worked at Butlins up until the mid nineties and managed to watch Brotherhood of man quite a number of times, it was rather sad as in 30 years they hadn’t appeared to age, they seemed quite old on the Eurovision footage.
1980 was the year music changed for me, I was ten and had pocket money burning a hole in my pocket, older brother and sister influencing me more and more, and it was the year I bought my first single, or singles to be precise, bought from a Wallpaper shop in Donnington Telford, that had a sideline in selling records, in the back of course, behind the anaglypta. I bought 2 singles that day and the pop foundations were well and truly enforced, but pop of the most magnificent type. Blondie’s The tide is high and Abba’s Super Trooper, the former was just a record that I liked but the latter was the first tentative steps with the first band that I ever got into. For the next two years Abba would be a flirtation.
This may have of course sent out signals to my parents, after all it wasn’t Deep Purple or ACDC or some other manly band, it was Abba, I was going to allay any fears they may have had and asked my dad for a music album which I played a lot over 1981 and 1982 and that was You Can’t Stop the Music by The Village People. Ahem
1984 and 13 years old was the year that I started to love music and it started to mean more to me than just background fluff, In 1983 there was talk about a band that had made this record, but radio wasn’t playing it, but it was on 160 at the moment. I duly called dial a disc and pre digital telecommunications were not kind to it, but I liked what I heard. Frankie Goes to Hollywood were without doubt the first band that I truly truly loved to the point of buying every release on every format, and postering my room to an inch of its life with pictures of the band. I absolutely adored the band and for me realistically, 1984 was year one for music.
Frankie and me probably lasted 2 years, then one night I decided to listen to radio late at night, I hadn’t before, well I had but it tended to be Lee Vynon on Signal FM, now it may have been Peel, it may have been Gambacini, but someone was playing Bonzo Goes to Bitburg, the current single by The Ramones, and oh my, I had never heard anything like that at all ever, The Ramones were a life changing thing, and this is absolutely true, I ripped down all of my FGTH posters and gave away all their records the next day, I needed to get that Ramones single and investigate just how stunning they sounded. Over the next 3 years intensely and again recently, The Ramones just became my gods, they were the first band I ever saw, I wore their t-shirts, I made pilgrimages to Lndon to track down the gaps in my record collection. I loved that band.
I knew what I wanted from music from that moment, and it would not really change for quite a number of years, I liked guitars and that was the case when Alex Poulson introduced me in 1987 to The Wedding Present, Alex introduced me to a lot of music, notably Husker Du and The Clash, but his main contribution to my life was playing me George Best by The Wedding Present, a band that kickstarted my gigging years and probably had a retirement home built due to the ridiculous amount of money spent by me on them. I travelled the length and breadth of Britain watching them, payed stupid sums for a mispressed singles and the like and really should have known better.
So this brings us neatly up to 1987, 84-87 were the 80’s for me, and after 87 it gets a little crowded so my musical history can take a break until soon when I regale you with Peter: The Dance Years.
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