BCB 100 - Johnny Cash

[sloopjohnc]

I may be among the few who refrain from falling all over themselves feigning amazement of his American albums, which really are mostly poor due to the fucking inane song choices that Rubin made.

I absolutely detest them and they have kind of put me off Johnny Cash but hopefully not for good. It's just annoying that the only Cash I hear on jukeboxes anymore are those atrocious pieces of shit. And I hear them all the time.

That said, I have heard most of his 50's and 60's output (after that I could really care less) and there are certainly a lot of gems to be found but sometimes all that boom-chicka-boom really gets on my nerves. I see a lot of praise here for his unwavering and consistent style but it's one of the main gripes I have with his music. I didn't grow up with his music and only came upon him about 15 years ago. But his music never hits me the way his other contemporaries music does. A lot of times I can't even figure out what the big deal is. A lot of his lyrics seem trite and shallow to me, and I could never figure out his obsession with trains. It actually creeps me out.

Favorite song: Cry Cry Cry

Just to add to the list---I don't like the American albums very much either. Cash's version of the Soundgarden song is embarrassingly bad. I don't know how it ever got recorded.

The new Personal Files album is much better.

I will argue with you Nathan about his lyrics. While I love George Jones, for example, his voice is what carries lots of his songs. While Cash's voice was just as much a vehicle as Jones, Cash didn't have the vocal resources that some of his contemporaries had and had to rely on the song, IMO.

[Matt Wilson]

Not much to say which hasn't already been said.
I've got more Johnny Cash than any other country artist in my collection. Everything he recorded up through 1969 or so.

Most of it pretty damn good.

[moonie]

I can remember singing "Rock Island Line" for the first time when I was 4 years old, and yes I had to learn it John R style (which ain't easy for a young'en). My old man spent a good part of his life modeling his deep baritone voice after the man in black, so I spent most of my youth listening to Cash. I don't know that it's been mentioned here, but Cash did give a lot of folk and blues tunes a new (and maybe more permanent?) existence. Songs like Rock Island Line, Long Black Veil, Frankie and Johnnie. I think he understood how important folks and their songs were, and I don't think he ever lost that respect for the workaday person in any way. And, there are covers that he did that, for whatever reason, will probably be remembered more as being a Johnny Cash tune that who originally did it (I'm thinking Dark as the (a) Dungeon or Wanted Man or even Supper Time). He had the good insight to recruit the Carter Sisters and Mama Maybelle to sing with him, he recorded some of Helen and Anita's tunes. He made a children's album, and was a guest on Sesame Street. I could go on, but I will close it now. Can't pick a favorite, not by a long throw....

[Leslie Phillips]

What a shrivelled little drama queen he is. I remember seeing him in the Nashville YMCA back in 1954 preening himself in his tight little shirt and wiggling his arse.
He wasn't so cocksure when I took Hank Williams off his hands and showed him what a real man can do. Hank never went back to him after he had me!

[geoffcowgill]

What a shrivelled little drama queen he is. I remember seeing him in the Nashville YMCA back in 1954 preening himself in his tight little shirt and wiggling his arse.

Jesus fuck, Wayles, who ya been hangin' 'round?

[moonie]

What a shrivelled little drama queen he is. I remember seeing him in the Nashville YMCA back in 1954 preening himself in his tight little shirt and wiggling his arse.

Jesus fuck, Wayles, who ya been hangin' 'round?

I don't know, but if my mama caught me talkin' like that, I'd be havin' soap for dinner...

And, you'd think Waylon would remember their days livin' together

[BlueMeanie]

Favorite Song: Folsom Prison Blues
Favorite Album: At San Quentin