| Johnny Cash – American Recordings (1994) Well – you will all shout – this is a cheat, and of course you are right. Johnny has been nothing if not prolific, recording steadily from 1957 (about 60 albums in all) and has sold millions of disc. He had suffered over the years too, from drugs and drink and break-ups. By the early Nineties he was discarded by Columbia and was an old man in search of any vestige of his former popularity. But he still had many fans, one of which, legendary record producer and label owner Rick Rubin sought him out and persuaded Johnny to go right back to basics. He recorded this with just Johnny and his guitar in his front room. Recording a handful of other artists Cash brought a fragile and honest sensibility to them; the album (and 5 others which followed) was a huge hit and rejuvenated his career. These are remarkable for their intimacy and their timeless quality. Best on this ‘debut’ are ‘Why Me, Lord’, ‘The Beast In Me’ and ‘Bird On The Wire’. One of his very last recordings ‘Hurt’ was particularly amazing and won a Grammy Award. Johnny died in 2003 shortly afterwards, at just 71. But he left behind an incredible legacy, one of the true greats. smarkable for their intimacy and their timeless quality. Best on this ‘debut’ are ‘Why Me, Lord’, ‘The Beast In Me’ and ‘Bird On The Wire’. One of his very last recordings ‘Hurt’ was particularly amazing and won a Grammy Award. Johnny died in 2003 shortly afterwards, at just 71. But he left behind an incredible legacy, one of the true greats. |
