A True Country Original

I first heard of country superstar back in 1967 when my parents ordered a greatest hits collection by him (a different one from the one I'm reviewing here). I was drawn to Cash's unique sound and his expressive low voice. Johnny was one of the few country singers I enjoyed when I was a kid--his music was a mix of country, rock, rockabilly, and gospel that was sung with emotion and conviction: He was tough and sensitive at the same time. In early August I picked up the disc I am reviewing here, and I've enjoyed it a great deal.

When people think of Cash, the first song that comes to mind is the first track on this album,

1. I Walk The Line: I enjoy the tension in this song: Johnny plans to remain committed to his woman, despite all the temptations all around. The strumming hook was what mesmerized me when I was young, and it remains a favorite of mine to this day. It was a huge country hit--and top-20 pop hit back in 1956.

2. I Still Miss Someone: This is a plaintive song of longing for a previous lover. He is telling some new woman he can't get involved just yet because it is too soon. This is more "country" in flavor, with the trademark twang.

3. Legend Of John Henry's Hammer, The: This story song, complete with sound effects, runs about eight minutes long. Cash was a spokesman for the working man, and this song is one reason why--it tells of a railroad worker who is determined to be the hardest worker who ever laid down the steel. The steel sound effects can be a bit tiresome, however, and the song does go on a bit too long.

4. Don't Take Your Guns To Town: One of my favorites, I recall hearing this story song when I was young. It tells of a young man who ignored his mother's warnings--and took a gun into a rough outlaw village. Unfortunately, the naive kid was a dead ringer for the more seasoned outlaws. I enjoyed the guitar playing on this song--it was a classic rockabilly sound.

5. In The Jailhouse Now: A singalong sort of song, this is another hit that chronicles the life of an outlaw. The deceptively cheerful tone of the song belied the lyrics' grim reality of a life behind bars.

6. Ring Of Fire: One of Cash's best knows songs, I used to think it was called "RAIN of Fire." For some reason I thought it was about either nuclear war or Judgment Day. Then, I heard the lyrics, and I discovered it was about a hot romance. Musically, the song has a Mexican/Herb Alpert sort of feel, and the chugging rhythm helped make it one of the most distinctive country hits of the '60s, reaching #1 country and top-20 pop in 1963.

7. Understand Your Man: A song about the need for both parties to work at a marriage. He warns his wife that if she doesn't change her ways, he will leave. Once he leaves, then she'll understand her man. It was a huge country hit and a moderate pop hit about this time 40 years ago. Cash delivered the song in a searing, no-nonsense sort of way.

8. Ballad Of Ira Hayes, The: A song about a Native American who was a war hero but returned to obscurity after returning from war. The song deals with how society often turns its back on physically or psychologically injured veterans after they return home from war. The song is one of many Cash songs that speak for the common man--Johnny had an uncanny ability to empathize with many people and made each protagonist in his songs believable.

9. Folsom Prison Blues: This song was originally recorded four dozen years ago--and became a hit all over again three dozen years ago when it was recorded live at the prison that bears the song's title. Cash himself has had some run-ins with the law, so he can relate to what many of the prisoners are going through. Unlike some self-righteous law-and-order country singers of the present (like Toby Keith, in "Beer for My Horses,") Cash tries to look at an issue from every point of view. The song tells of the fact that the prisoners have years, if not decades left to serve, and the fact that they may never bee free again tears at their hearts. This was a top-40 pop hit in the summer of 1968.

10. Daddy Sang Bass: This saw Cash and his wife, June Carter, in a gospel-tinged vein. It was a song of Sunday celebration, a hymn that encourages perseverance because there will be a better life for all of us after we die. The vocal interplay was delightful in this song. It was one of the favorites of my old friend Cindy Lou, whom I met on January 4, 23 years ago.

11. Boy Named Sue, A: This novelty story song packed quite a wallop. The song tells the story of a father who left his son at an early age and gave him a girl's name. He reasoned that the feminine name would actually turn him into a fighter, and he was right. The song was written by Shel Silverstein, who was best known for his cartooning work. It was Cash's biggest pop hit, reaching #2 in 1969.

12. Sunday Morning Coming Down: This may be one of my favorites by Cash: This is probably one of the best portrayals of alcoholism that was ever written. The writer, Kris Kristofferson, painted an excellent picture of the solitary, lonely life endured by a person with a substance abuse problem. Cash really brings the song to life--Sundays can be a long day, especially if you are living alone. There is something solemn about the day, and there's often a nagging feeling of guilt--especially if it's the morning after a wild Saturday night. I recall being haunted by this excellent song as a nine-year-old in 1970. One of the lines tells of a child who was kicking a can--something I enjoyed doing a great deal around the time that song was popular.

13. Flesh And Blood: I recall hearing this song several times in late 1970 and early 1971. The lyrics tell of a man who enjoys nature a great deal, but he misses his woman. He longs to love--and make love to--his woman--"flesh and blood needs flesh and blood."

14. Man In Black: Another of my favorites, this was one of Cash's protest songs. It told of the reasons why he always dressed in black: because of social injustice--and people who live on the "hopeless, hungry side of town." The song also mentioned that his heart went out to the Vietnam veterans who were being scorned because of a misguided war. (It is possible to be anti-war but pro-troops).

15. One Piece At A Time: This was a hilarious novelty song about an autoworker who stole a different part of a car, accumulating quite a collection over the years. The automobile that emerged had features of every model from 1949 to 1970! The song was a real hoot, and it was sung with Cash's trademark rockabilly sound. It was Cash's last top-40 pop hit, reaching the top 30 in 1976.

16. Riders In The Sky, (Ghost): This was a major country hit around the time the Outlaws had a pop hit with hit. "Ghost Riders" is a Western story song with an impeccable hook. Cash's version is a little synthesized (it was a hit around 1980), but it still works well.

My only two disappointments was that the songs "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" (an excellent late-'50s springtime sort of song) and "What Is Truth" (a 1970 protest song) were not included on this disc. There's always one or two songs I like that don't make the cut. However, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the songs on this album, though some of the early ballads were a bit weepy for me.

Only five weeks after I purchased this disc, Johnny Cash died. Music lost a legend that day, and we are all the worse for it. His music, however, will live on for a long time.

Actual rating: 4.3 stars