Released... A Memorial Album - Johnny Adams

Advantages: He is Johnny Cash
Disadvantages: I am not Johnny Cash

...or something. (1) Ok this album released in 1996 was Johnny Cash’s first with American recordings and Rick Rubin at the helm producing it. For most of the album the backing band are Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, and this album sounds exactly like you would expect collaboration between Johnny Cash and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers to sound like (2). In an interview at the time Johnny Cash mentioned that Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers seem to have a unique musical language of their own, which he was impressed by, this is high praise indeed, I have never had Johnny Cash comment on my musical style or abilities boo hooo. However I am Glad That Johnny Cash never witnessed my version of A Boy Named Sue(3). The album comes with extensive sleeve notes written by the Man (4) himself in which he explains the songs selected for this project and he... Read review

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Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Boring, Same Old Songs Rehashed, Embarrassing Lyrics

...Bryan Adams is unfortunately clutching at straws with his eleventh album and its rather predictable title "eleven". In releasing another album featuring yet more of the same old songs, Adams' record company bosses seem to have had a bit of a panic. Being the eleventh album by Adams, and containing eleven tracks (purposely listing the technical twelfth track "Way of the World" as a "bonus"), Adams' will play it on his "eleven dates, eleven cities" tour this year. Perhaps if this album had any merits worth mentioning I could view this as a clever little marketing ploy; instead, I just have visions in my head of music executives sat round a table going "this sounds just like his last five albums, what are we supposed to do with it?" The first three tracks are sweet, melodic laid-back little ditties far too similar to songs that most... Read review

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Advantages: Sombre, poignant, affecting
Disadvantages: Couple of right royal stinkers

...WHO'S THIS THEN? ----------------------------- It's Johnny Cash: the biggest and possibly most famous country singer ever. He recorded well over 75 albums and some 1100 tracks in a career spanning 50 years. He died at the end of 2003, shortly after the release of this album. WHAT'S THE ALBUM LIKE? --------------------------------------- Johnny knew he was dying when he recorded this album and so it makes it possibly one of the saddest, sentimental albums ever in that respect. He recorded a quadrilogy of albums in the 21st century with Rick Rubin (who produced Beastie Boys and Run DMC in the 80s and Korn in the 90s). I personally detest country music, but there's something about Cash's voice - and this album in particular - that proves the exception to the rule. THE TRACKS -------------------- 1. The Man Comes Around... Read review

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