Duets - Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it rate alongside the competition	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Great Johnny & June CD, Some Great Country Favourites
Disadvantages:	Some tracks to short, some too slushy !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

One of my long time favourite singers, Johnny Cash has been enjoying something of a revival of late, although the man in black passed on in 2003, the film, 'Walk The Line' and recent releases of 'American V' & perviously 'The Man Comes Around', Johnny Cash seems to be appealling not only to Country & Western fans but to young and old alike, you can't help but love those baritone vocals I feel!.

As I mentioned, I have been a Johnny Cash fan since my Grandmother started babysitting me whilst listening to old vinyl of Johnny Cash & June Carter, several I have recently inherited following her death in March. Sadly, these are not in the best of condition as one ould expect with them being over 30 years old, so when I saw this 'Duets- Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash' on sale in Virgin Megastore today for £5.99, I had to buy it....

TRACK LISTING:

It Ain't Me Babe
Jackson
Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man
Oh, What A Good Thing We Had
Darlin' Companion
If I Were A Carpenter
'Cause I Love You
No Need To Worry
Help Me Make It Through The Night
The Lovin' Gift
The Pine Tree
Old Time Feeling
One Way Rider
Brand New Dance
Far Side Banks Of Jordan
It Take One To Know One

Each track is a duet between Johnny Cash & his wife June Carter Cash. One gets the intial impression from the cover picture of Johnny & June hugging that this could be a lovey-dovey album all about the mutual wonders of each other and yes, there are a few tracks that take that turn but as a whole, the listener is treated to 16 tracks of the delightful vocals baritone of Johnny Cash & the raw Tennesse country twang of his wife, June Carter Cash, you very rarely get vocalists as good as Johnny & June were and putting the two of them together for this recording shows just how well the to worked together as singers as well as being in one of Country & Western's strongest marriage. There are a few tracks on this album which does show June as the weaker singer of the couple, however this doesn't detract from the enoyment of the album.

THE TRACKS:

It Ain't Me Babe
'Go away from my window
Leave at your own chosen speed'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love this track, my husband and I sing this in the car together. June's quiet vocals contrast with Johnny's raw passion and obvious delight in performing. This is a track that shis the couple as a duet at their strongest. It's fun, it's tounge in cheek and it almost epitomises the couple's relationship prior to their marriage.

Jackson
'Go play your hand you big-talkin' man,
make a big fool of yourself'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jackson is my ultimate favourite Johnny & June track. June's is really the star of this track as the woman trying to not to care about her way ward hubby, there is an obvious affection in this track which completely contradicts the lyrics of the song. Another track which is very tongue in cheek and fairly humorous too. June's vocals are particularly strong on this track and I feel this is probably her strongest performance of the album.

Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man
'Oh you big mouth woman
you long legged guitar pickin' man'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This track is again a great cheeky song, however the recording quality isn't great and it does spoit it. There is an equal amount of insulting singing between June & Johnny in this track. June's vocals are very raw and Johnny's have taken a mellow turn in this track. I quite like this track but as I mentioned before, the poor quality of the initial recording is a low on this track.

Oh What A Good Thing We Had
'Long weeks of waitin'
and livin' for the day we marry'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First thing I will say about this track is that it isn't one of my favourites on the album, I find the lyrics too slushy for me even though it's a 'good thing we had gone bad song' as I'm not really a romantic! Johnny's vocals continue to be mellow and the tone of his vocal just oozes love and compassion. June's vocals have equally melloed and are quite motherly in this song which irritates me slightly as her vioce is so much better when it's booming out in unison with Johnny's. Johnny's vocals do however suit this song.

Darlin' Companion
'Darlin' companion, I tell the mountains and the canyons,
Long as I got legs to stand on, I'm gonna stick by you'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another favourite and retracting what I said about not being romantic, I love the lyrics to this song. An upbeat track, this particular recording was done as a live recording on one of Johnny's prison concerts, this one having been recorded at San Quentin prison, but even so, the recording is good and he cheering and whooping adds to the obvious fun Johnny & June are having on stage. There is an obvious affection detectable in the song. I think this could become one of the tracks Andy & I sing in the car very soon....

If I Were A Carpenter
'Save my love through loneliness,
Save my love for sorrow'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not really a favourite, it's a duet which I feel shouldn't really be a duet and doesn't really have any benefit from being as such. June's vocals are very meek and Johny's vocals, for once, seem to be overpowered by the musical accompaniment. The lyrics are sickly sweet, affirming and professing the love for one another despite occupational circumstances and it really doesn't catch my attention as a listener.

'Cause I Love You
I'll be there beside you
If you need a cryin shoulder'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here in the CD the tracks take a mellower turn and although the songs aren't in a strict chronological order, the way June & Johnny has both grown in their marriage and in song becomes obvious from here on it and this song marks this point.
I do like this song it was a favourite before now though! A very simple ditty with nice, heartfelt lyrics.

The Loving Gift
'And even if you leave me I'll be richer when you go
I'm richer with the loving gift you gave me'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Kris Kristofferson written song. Probably not the strongest song of the album. Indeed June's vocals seem to be unnessecerily stretched to performing traditional country twangs, which don't really suit her vocal tone. However Johnny's vocal are as per normal, smooth but sweet and both of them sound sincere about the song. The tune is almost like a lullabye and I am sure that it holds a lot of appeal to fans of the couple, it's just not my cup of tea. A very simple tune none the less and makes for easy listening.

Help Me Make It Through The Night
'Take the ribbon from your hair
Shake it loose, let it fall'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Kris Kristofferson song. Again easy listening, the tune it quite a catchy guitar based ditty that really gets your feet tapping but equally is good for relaxing too. June's vocal are slightly edgier than I have heard so far on the album and in some part she seems slightly lost in pitch but Johnny is the saving grace of this song, he seems to meet June's pitch and then accompanies her. Moving away from the previous tracks lullabye qualities, this track is far more interesting musical with a real country music undercurrent.

The Pine Tree
'The willow tree is fickle and it weeps in the morning dew
My love is a pine tree cause that's the only tree that's true'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A slower song that really shows Johnny's baritone vocal off at their best. The music in this song agains retains the interest the previous track generated. We are treated to June's motherly, soothing vocals again and she really suits this song, she hits her high notes perfectly and there are some stunning backing vocals too. This song bring a new musical direction too, more instrument backing makes for good listening.

No Need To Worry
'You'll be blessed when the Lord gets through,
I've found that if you'll take one step, he'll take two.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marking the first installment of the more spiritual songs of this album. A really upbeat almost gospel song, June & Johnny are accompanied by back vocals again in this track. Johnny is the domant singer on this track and June mostly accompanies in harmony with him and she singsso beautifully ith her husband. Both artists started off their careers by singing religious songs and it is only fitting that they should sing a song of thie genre together as a duet. Both June & Johnny were Chrisitians and it is nice to see an appreciation of faith in a song sung ith so much enthusiasm.

Old Time Feeling
'I could lie here forever
Listen to the fallin' rain'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reverting back to a more mellower song. This song sounds alomost like a 20's or 30's song. It's slowand again almost like a lullabye. June's vocals sound so easy, again she is in accompaniment with Johnny, who is the lead again. In fact both singers sound so effortless. The music is lovely, it really is so relaxing that you could easily just lie on a sofa doing nothing and appreciate the song.

One Way Rider
'One way rider one way down the road baby
I'm right beside you everywhere you go'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Going upbeat in a true country sense, we get the brass instruments involved here. Johnny and June are firm in their singing which really works with this ditty of a tune. It's a tune that gets your feet tapping, it really could get you up and dancing if you were that way inclined! Johnny & June have seperate verses which they sing indivudally. I have to say again, the effortlesss vocal abilities of the couple are again obvious again. June is pretty much second fiddle to Johnny though in this song which is a shame because what she does sing, she really is good at. I like this song, it has a wide reaching appeal I feel & it is so catchy,I found myself singing along after a few plays.

Brand New Dance
'There will always be days when it don't seem to pay when it just doesn't rhyme
Well let's bound to happen some of the time'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A real lullabye tune again, Cash & Carter-Cash reall do these
songs so well, an absolutely beautiful song. The song just oozes simplicity throughout. Neither June nor Johnny are straining to sing and a simple guitar and piano pece with violin accompaniment adds emotion to a song that could quite eaily lack the emotion portryaed in the lyrics if it was solely guitar based. Giving a slightly irish lilt to the music, this song is very different to what we had heard so far and it is a refreshing change. A lovely song that really grwos after a few plays. I have to say this is my favourite of the slower melodies we have on this album.

Far Side Banks Of Jordan
'Lures of this old world have ceased to make me want to stay
and my one regret is leaving you behind'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to say, I am not a fan of this song, it touchs on a country stle music wise but it doesn't delve deep enough into that for my liking. Johnny's vocals are effortless but it shows, he lacks some emotion in this spiritual song. June also seems to have something lacking. The backing vocals almost seem to overpower the song. There is a mix of strings, guitars that doesn't seem particualrly well balanced. There is just an overwhelming lack of emotion that has been so consistent thoughout this album.

It Takes One To Know Me
'It's true that I used to be cazy
And to harder to love than most men'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written by June's daughter from her first marriage to Carl Smith, Carlene Carter, this is a wonderul end to the album. An equally balance song that really does seem to tells the story of the romance of June Carter and Johnny Cash before their marraige and indeed it delves into life after marraige, the song even finshes by Johnny singing 'And June you're the one'. Johnny's vocals have matured and so beautifully too. June sounds every bit the lady she was. The emotion both singers portray in this song is obvious, this song songs like it actually means so much to them. The lyrics are accompanied by a beautiful simple tune. One can't help but to listen to the lyrics and catch a fleeting glimpse into the love that this couple shared. Such a fitting end to a wonderful album, you reallt can't get any better than this!

OVERALL:
~~~~~~~~
As a fan of Johnny Cash but not a big fan of June Carter, this is a great album to showcase how talented she actually was. I wouldn't say it would make me go out and buy her solo albums but it is a great introduction nonetheless. The songs are so varied that I am sure there would be something for everyone, Johnny & June fan or not. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who has seen the film, 'Walk The Line' and is looking for an introduction to country music, not just Johnny Cash music.

My only sadness about this album that despite being such prominant figures in the C&W music scene, they didn't write and perform more songs together, they are very well suited musically and there obviousl affection can hide a lot of musical imperfections! I appreciate that they were doing covers of songs on this album and it is nice to hear different versions of country songs I have previously heard.

An enjoyable musical treat, you can hear the voices June & Johnny maturing throughout the album, telling the story of their lives. It's just a shame neither are alive today to continue this great musical union.

First class country music!

My Rating 8/10