I Hate Country & Western Music

Any of my friends will tell you that there are only two kinds of music I despise. Country AND Western. I remember one night when my girlfriend came over. I was watching a Johnny Cash concert. She asked Mark, why are you watching this?, I thought you hated Country and Western music?. I answered I do, but this isn't country and western, this is JOHNNY CASH.

Yes, I believe that the legendary "Man in Black" truly crosses genre borders in a way few musicians can. Ray Charles is another who easily crossed genre borders, so I don't think it's any coincidence that both these musical legends each got their own movies recently. (Ray and Walk the Line). So, why does someone like me, who hates country and western music, like Johnny Cash? Perhaps this review of Johnny Cash -Walking the Line: The Legendary Sun Recordings will help to explain.

The Box Set in a Single Quote

In the three years (1955-58) that Johnny Cash spent at Sun Records, he became the label's most prolific and best-selling artist. This collection is a comprehensive overview of that period, when the Man in Black created and perfected the timeless, pared down and plain spoken sound that would make him a legend. Not my quote, it's on the back of this 3 CD set that I found used at Newbury Comics for only $16.00.

Disc One

The CD begins with well known Cash song Walk the Line A simple guitar and drum beat backs Cash's deep gravely voice as he sings about his commitment (assumablely to June Carter) because you're mine, I walk the line. Get Rhythm is just a simple toe tapping song about getting rhythm when you've got the blues. There you Go is just a song about a woman who cheats. You can almost picture the look of sorrow and disappointment on Cash's face as he sings. Train of Love again, begins with a simple rhythm strummed out on the guitar and bass backing Cash's story of a train full of peoples lovers coming home (except his).

These songs really set the theme of the Sun Years. Simple songs, no fancy guitar solos, no catchy pop hooks, no complex arrangements. What makes the songs so listenable is just the way Johnny Cash sings them. I can't even explain why one would like his voice. It is not the smooth voice of a Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett by any means. Johnny Cash's voice is deep and gravely. What makes Johnny Cash so listenable for me is summed up in one word: Emotion. Cash is able to get so much emotion out of his simple songs that it makes them great to listen to. (It's probably no coincidence that one of my favorite rock and rollers, Neil Young, also has a voice that is, by all accounts, not really great, but is packed with sheer emotion). Also on Disc One is Cry!Cry!Cry!, Hey Porter!, So Doggone Lonesome, Ballad of a Teenage Queen, Big River, Guess Things Happen That Way, The Ways of a Woman in Love, I Forget to Remember to Forget, Sugartime, It's Just About Time, Katy Too, Belshazzar, Life Goes On, and You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven.

Disc 2

Disc 2 also begins with a very classic Cash tune Folsom Prison Blues. I hear the train a coming, it's rolling round the bend, and I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when, I'm stuck in Folsom prison. (Why do so many of Cash's songs have lyrics about trains in them?) The disc also contains the tracks Luther Played the Boogie, Straight A's in Love, Home of the Blues, Port of Lonely Hearts, Come in Stranger, Country Boy, Wide Open Road, Don't Make Me Go, Leave that Junk Alone, Mean Eyed Cat (I loved this song, it just struck me funny) , Next in Line, Give My Love to Rose, Cold Cold Heart, Hey Good Lookin', I Could Never Be Ashamed of You, I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You) and You Win Again.

Disc 3

The tracks on Disc 3 are Goodnight Irene an emotional sad song, about a man who lost his wife. Cash's voice once again shows that he is a master at evoking deep emotional responses from simple songs. Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye, follows and then count em THREE songs about Trains! The Wreck of the Old '97, Blue Train, and Rock Island Line. The religious almost hymn like I Was There When it Happened is followed by , Remember Me (I'm the One that Loves You), I Love You Because, Born to Lose, New Mexico, Down the Street to 301, Fools Hall of Fame, If the Good Lord's Willing, Doin' My Time, Thanks a Lot, Oh Lonesome Me, Story of a Broken Heart and I Heard that Lonesome Whistle. I still prefer Ray Charles interpretations of country classics Born to Lose and Oh Lonesome Me, but Cash definitely gives both tunes an emotional work out.

Sound Quality Keep in mind that the SUN YEARS for Johnny Cash were 1955 to 1958. Recording technology had not reached an apex at that moment in time. Despite that however, I was fairly happy with the sound of these early CDs. Although it doesn't quite capture the sound of the American Cash recordings, for the time it was recorded there isn't quite as much of a noise floor as I thought there would be. I was also disappointed by the lack of separation and stereo imaging on this 3 CD set. On most songs, it seems that the sound all comes from left of center and many songs have that "recorded in a barrel" sound. I couldn't close my eyes and imagine that Cash and his band was in my living room. I am not certain that this was a fault from the original Sun masters or from the remastering by Union Square Music.

Packaging / Manufacturing This 3 CD set was released in 2005 by Union Square Music, Ltd. a company from London. It was manufactured in the European Union. The set comes in a simple cardboard box with a picture of Cash on the front, and track listings on the back. The package contains 3 regular size jewel cases, again with a picture of Cash on the front, and track listings on the back. No liner notes or additional booklets were included with this box set. I like to learn about the recording sessions or the artist, the label or a bit of history of the songs when I get box sets, but this one has nothing, except for the quote that I included above in this review. However, for $16.00, 3 CDs with 54 songs is a pretty good deal.

Summary For less than six dollars a disc, you can get a very comprehensive slice of a prolific stage of Johnny Cash's career. Although I was a bit disappointed with the sound quality, that could be due to the fact that these were all recorded from 55 to 58, and it isn't that bad, it's just not that good. Overall, I give the set 4 stars based on Cash's emotional voice and the value of this set.