Introductions: Johnny Cash

I know I only wrote about Johnny Cash relatively recently (‘Embraced by Johnny Cash’), but an old friend asked me the other day where was a good place to start with listening to his music and I thought I’d share what I told him with you.

Initially I suggested he start off with a good best of compilation.  One of the best ones in my mind is ‘Ring of Fire: The Legend of Johnny Cash’.  This has the best of his early music, as well as a good selection of his later work and it is great to see labels collaborate to bring out a rounded best of collection for fans. 

I then said he should move on to the prison recordings (’At Folsom Prison‘ and ‘At San Quenstin‘).  This is the time when Cash was reborn as an artist and found his path again after his struggles with drugs and these albums sound especially alive and fresh.  The perspective of a live concert inside a prison is unique as well and the atmosphere as inmates holler and whoop along with the music and laugh at the gentle jokes at the prisons expense only adds to the music on offer.

Then I would jump ahead and work my way through the American recordings (7 albums).  These series of albums again revived Cash’s career after he was neglected by past record labels.  Rick Rubin took Cash to the studio and told him to make the music he had always wanted to without label interference or pressure and the result is a staggering collection of gospel, traditional, reworked and new music that rates extremely highly in Cash’s back catalogue.  Some albums feature just Cash and a guitar and others have a complete band, but regardless the music feels intimate and personal.

On ‘Unchained’ (the second in the series) Cash is backed up by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the cover of Petty’s ‘Southern accents’ is a real highlight.  The lyrics and significance seem to mean something more when sung in Cash’s rich timbre.

Across the series of albums you get covers of U2’s ‘One’, Sheryl Crow’s ‘Redemption Day’, Springsteen’s ‘Further on up the road’ and Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt’ and these all sound like they could’ve been written especially for Cash.  These are just a snapshot of the covers across the series and each album offers something new to tantalise and delight.

One hidden gem in the American recordings series is ‘My Mothers Hymn Book’ and as its name suggests it is a collection of songs that Cash grew up with at home, singing in the fields and church with his mother. This album was recorded towards the end of his life and was recorded in a cabin on his property.  Cash sings instinctively and accompanies himself on a guitar and he had said before he passed away that of all the albums he ever made, this was his favourite and who are we to argue.

I think if you managed to get these albums and spent some time listening to them you’d get a good idea of Cash and his music.  Of course there are other albums that are worth tracking down if the bug has bitten you and the collection of early Sun records tracks is worth a listen at some point.  But with a good best of collection, the prison recordings and the American recordings, you’d have a solid and satisfying introduction to an American legend.  I am still only scratching the surface of his music and it has moved me a great deal and quickly become an integral part of my music collection.