Saw a Johnny Cash video the other night and decided he wasn't just some old guy I had vaguely heard of - he was a major talent and I need a CD! Anyone here have any advice as to which one I should get?

for the older albums i'd heartily recommend either (or both!) of the prison albums at San Quentin or Folsom. they've both been remastered in recent years and sound great. for more recent stuff the Unchained album is good, especially his version of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage", which is better than the original!

I second the recommendation for his live album from San Quentin (great stuff and I am not a country music fan). I also have his last album, American IV, and I like it a lot as well. It is recorded very well.

Was the video for the song "Hurt", but any chance? It's a NIN cover that he did shortly before he passed.

It was "Hurt", yes - it was excellent.

CASH: "When the man comes around"

Powerful.......AND fantastic sound quality, as well.

Yes, that NIN cover was a good one. Cash took the song and made it his own. He really showed all the hurt and pain throughout his life. The video is very well done. That song is pretty much my first and only exposure to Cash as well, other then hearing about him on the fringe as you had Amie.

Speaking of Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash singing 'I've Been Everywhere' while the flying boxcar is cruising over the desert during the opening scene of the new 'Flight Of The Phoenix' movie is probably the coolest opening scene of any movie I've seen in a long time.

Also, I remember as a youngster I must have listened to every song Johnny Cash (and Elvis) ever put on vinyl. My parents couldn't get enough of him, even had one of those 'high-tech' early 1960s vintage console (Magnavox?) to play them on.

A third for San Quinton and Folsum. I have the re-mastered copies and they are excellent and not alot of repeating tunes.

I'm with BrotherBob,

Not only was it cool because you never hear the beginning of that song, but only the names of the places, it was funny because what you knew was going to happen (assuming you know the original).

Loved it.

I miss Johnny Cash though.

Ben

Don't forget about his family, specifically Roseanne Cash. On her 2003 album "Rules of Travel" which is great in its own right, she did a duet with her father a short while before he died. It is a breath-taking and brave piece of work.

And don't forget Johnny Stash doing "Black Lassie"

there is no doubt folsem and san quinton are considered the definite 'must haves' for johnny cash albums.. i also really like the "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" album, from the early 70's.

i think any of those will fulfill your JC needs..

bigjohn

John!

You're back!

Ummm, you other guys cleaned up his house before you left, didn't you?

Amie,

I would get both of the prison remasters along with the Essential Johnny Cash which has all of his studio singles remestered. That'll get you just about all of his best work.

Thanks for the recommendations! I've got one on order (unfortunately lumped in with Ian's very large Amazon order that will take weeks to get here!) and plan to pick up one more this weekend.

Definitely not his best album (in my opinion) but as for as sound quality and recording you wont find a better Johnny Cash album than American Recordings.

Just Johnny Cash and a guitar. One of those rare few cds that makes me feel like "im there"

Can't tell everyone how much I enjoyed the San Quentin album. Listened to again and again. Thanks!

Amie, what are you doing here? Get back to us anxious members on the other board!

amie, i thought you'd like to know that the trailer for Walk the Line , the Johnny Cash movie just came out. It looks really good and it's a great sign that Joaquin Phoenix sounds just like Cash when he's singing and speaking. And (surprisingly) it looks like Reese Witherspoon might be tolerable in it.

"One Piece at a Time" is a song I'd love to see done in a movie!

That could be a movie all in itself.....or a TV series

In reply to:

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Reese Witherspoon might be tolerable in it

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i find her "tolerable" in every movie she is in, as long as she keeps her mouth shut..

bigjohn

even then....

Hey thanks for the tip! I've been listening to his last album and San Quentin a lot lately. Movie sounds fun!

You may also enjoy the 5 disc box set: CASH unearthed.........disc three, redemption songs, is the perfect companion disc to CASH: the man comes around.