Saturday, February 05, 2005 AD
Johnny Cash's "Elevator Pitch"
Johnny Cash sums up his entire career in a single paragraph:
Here's a man who could have settled for the nostalgia circuit, playing "I Walk The Line" to yet another theatre full of middle-aged people in stetsons. Instead, while in his 60s and 70s, and in failing health, he comes out with the best material of his career (which is saying something).
Do have a listen to the sample tracks on the Amazon pages linked-to above. Some stand-out tracks to try: "Beast in Me" and "Like a Soldier" (vol.1); "Rowboat", "Spiritual", "Southern Accent" and "Unchained" (vol.2); "I Won't Back Down", "One" and "Mercy Seat" (vol.3); "The Man Comes Around" (an extraordinary song on which I have blogged before) and "Hurt" (vol.4).
Don't miss the video to Hurt, either, which was recently voted top music video of all time by "a panel of music artists and industry insiders".
I love songs about horses, railroads, land, judgment day, family, hard times, whiskey, courtship, marriage, adultery, separation, murder, war, prison, rambling, damnation, home, salvation, death, pride, humor, piety, rebellion, patriotism, larceny, determination, tragedy, rowdiness, heartbreak and love. And mother. And God.This comes from the liner notes for Cash's album Unchained, the second in his four "American Recordings" albums. Having now bought all four of these albums (in order of acquisition: 1 | 4 | 3 | 2), they strike me as one of the most astonishing achievements in popular music history.
Here's a man who could have settled for the nostalgia circuit, playing "I Walk The Line" to yet another theatre full of middle-aged people in stetsons. Instead, while in his 60s and 70s, and in failing health, he comes out with the best material of his career (which is saying something).
Do have a listen to the sample tracks on the Amazon pages linked-to above. Some stand-out tracks to try: "Beast in Me" and "Like a Soldier" (vol.1); "Rowboat", "Spiritual", "Southern Accent" and "Unchained" (vol.2); "I Won't Back Down", "One" and "Mercy Seat" (vol.3); "The Man Comes Around" (an extraordinary song on which I have blogged before) and "Hurt" (vol.4).
Don't miss the video to Hurt, either, which was recently voted top music video of all time by "a panel of music artists and industry insiders".
