Johnny Cash

Looking back, I always had music phases, almost like different chapters reflecting my current experiments and experiments & explorations. As a kid and teenager I followed pop charts because young person often follows the herd and soaks in everything that is trendy as it should be because at the very young age one wants to belong to the group, hence sharing similar memories and music that belongs to certain generation. Later in life I even worked on a radio as a DJ and it was lesson that taught me how music industry works: pop hits of the day had to be played with or without my preferences and this is when I stopped listening to the radio in general, because it became predictable and brainwashing. From that moment on I continued to listen music but trough my own hit-and-miss experiments and it seems that different times of my life had their own discoveries and what was my current passion at the time. It still works that way, today more than ever Internet makes my discoveries much more easier than previously when I depended on recommendations and literature. I still avoid anything that is hyped and follow my own muse, specially now when I'm on vacation and have all the time in the world - and privacy - so this summer it is country. I have already covered a little bit about Willie Nelson, Lefty Frizzell, Eddy Arnold and Tammy Wynette so here goes one and only man in black Johnny Cash.

"The Fabulous Johnny Cash" (1958)

Impossible as it sounds, since I truly love that old classic Sun record "With His Hot and Blue Guitar" but this is as brilliant as my old favourite, perhaps even better if you are lucky to get remastered version - move to bigger recording company did not compromise Johnny Cash's artistic integrity one bit and he was basically left to do what he was already doing, using small backing band and legendary The Jordanaires as occasional vocal backing chorus. Doing wonders with what is actually limited instrument (his baritone is effective but could hardly be described as extraordinary voice of say, Roy Orbison calibre) Cash projects natural cockiness and assurance, he swaggers quite irresistibly and I'm sure he appealed to both women and men, who probably identified with him. Material here is almost consistently first-rate, middle-tempo, chugging rockabilly/country ballads with occasional religious twist that is part of his charm, after all it reflects his background and gospel number "That's Enough" is not out of place here at all. Since Johnny Cash had this image of lonely cowboy wanderer it just sounds completely natural that he turns to Lord when cold, wild wind comes. Than he does something heartfelt as "I Still Miss Someone" and its such a beautiful, universal message that t could have been written centuries ago, real classic. And how about "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" about young, doomed cowboy who becomes a victim of his own youthful inexperience, another classic. Album ends with country gospel "Supper Time" that could have been corny but is sung with such feeling and honesty that it actually made me reflect on my own similar experience and this is what great music does.

"Hymns By Johnny Cash" (1959)

I have no problem whatsoever with artists doing religious material if it's done with passion and conviction, after all I am the first one always checking out churches and temples everywhere I go around the world. However, if you know anything about Johnny Cash than you know that recording gospel album was his main motivation behind leaving "Sun Records" and joining "Columbia" - than he comes along with this pretty unexciting collection of stately country gospel. It sounds just as you would expect, nothing different from his previous work except that backing vocals of The Jordanaires were beefed up by some anonymous, quasi-operatic voices that were frankly not really necessary. There's no doubt Cash was dead serious about this but after a while the sameness creeps in. Yes, he had descended from a preaching grandfather but his artistic persona was markedly different and I prefer just occasional spiritual to the whole album of them. (Another curious example of artist who had the best intentions was Nat King Cole whose father was Baptist minister and he himself was church organist, but his own gospel album was so darn polite and respectful that it ended as footnote instead as a statement.)

"Songs Of Our Soil" (1959)

Gospel album out of the way, Johnny Cash returns to business as usual with this delightful, classic album full of little masterpieces like "Five Feet High And Rising", "Hank And Joe And Me", "The Caretaker", you name it, they are all excellent little dramas in music. What strikes me immediately is how effective and strong these stories are and they are all under three minutes its almost like some really good, focused short stories from a wild west. Almost everything is written by Cash himself but he also adds some traditional material and occasional oldie like "Clementine" that fits perfectly with the rest of repertoire here. Just as I already noticed, gospel numbers are fine when served in small doses ("The Great Speckled Bird") and sometimes there are not even pure gospel, but sentimental, old-time ballads like "Don't Step On Mother's Roses" and "My Grandfather's Clock" that would probably sound cheesy in some other hand's but Cash is so dead serious about them that he makes them irresistible. Wonderful, old-time country album.

"Ride This Train" (1960)

A concept album about trains and hobos, travelling life, depression that forced people to move on and dusty little towns along the way.

Its very ambitious work and Johnny Cash pulls it off wonderfully, giving each song a little recited monologue which is joy to hear, because he has really effective talking voice with that serious drawl that sounds just right, you can tell he knows what he is talking about. This is not something just anybody could have done, definitely not some city slicker who just pretends but Cash, man he is right there all dusty and sweaty and dreamy, following his star. Its a music equivalent to a good novel and as I grew up reading, this have exactly the same effect as some good old western about  cowboys moving around, looking for job. Am I the only one who noticed that at the very beginning, when he recites names of native tribes who lived along the rivers, the way he rhythmically chants their names precedes what we know today as rap? It probably confuses people used to listen for hits because its not about that at all, this is album you listen from the start to end. In awe. Its as good as Marty Robbins's "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs", absolutely in the same league.

"Now, There Was A Song!" (1960)

Affectionate glance back to hard-core country classics written by other people, kind of call-covers album that Johnny Cash sings with such conviction that it sounds like they are his own originals. Composers are Kenny Rogers (?), George Jones, Marty Robbins, Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams so its a first-rate selection of twang Heaven. There is deliberate, slight change in sound because this album have pronounced traditional country atmosphere, with fiddles and all - though he can't resist to throw in some rockabilly ("I Feel Better All Over" where he whoops with pleasure and shows off a bit but I dare you now to whoop along, because his joy is contagious). "Transfusion Blues" is absolute highlight, little happy ditty about the man who killed his wife and its delightful in spite of its subject - its probably the happiest song about murderer that I have ever heard. Guy gets 99 years in a jail and you sing along with him.