Ring Of Fire (The Legend Of Johnny Cash) - Johnny Cash

...LISTING
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1. Ring Of Fire
2. I Walk The Line
3. Jackson
4. Folsom Prison Blues
5. Boy Named Sue
6. Big River
7. Get Rhythm
8. Cry Cry Cry
9. Hey Porter
10. Thing Called Love
11. Guess Things Happen That Way
12. San Quentin
13. Man In Black
14. Highwayman
15. Wanderer - Cash & U2
16. I've Been Everywhere ...
.../> ~~~~~~~~~~~

Ring Of Fire
'Love is a burning thing
and it makes a fiery ring'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ring of Fire is the opening track of this wonderful compilation album. The song was written in the early 60's by June Carter & Merle Kilgore. The song was initially performed by June's sister Anita, before Johnny recorded it. The song is a wonderful opener, the not-yet mature baritone vocals of Johnny Cash ... more

I finished writing a review about another Johnny Cash CD I recently bought & I thought I should move on to the CD which will probably appeal more widely than the Duets CD. I started this review back in September and now it has finally come to it's conclusion!

Johnny Cash, the great man in black, enjoying a revival thanks to the film 'Walk The Line' and recent releases of new material. I have been a Cash fan for longer than I care to remember so I am glad to see the man becoming popular again and appealing to such a wide audience, not just country music fans.

Of course, the late, great Johnny Cash is no longer with us, having passed away in 2003, only months after the death of his beloved wife and musical partner, June Carter-Cash, but he seems to be just as popular today as he was in his Sun records hey day in the 60's.

ABOUT JOHNNY CASH- A BRIEF HISTORY
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Johnny Cash was born J.R Cash (the J.R not actually standing for anything) on February 26, 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas. Johnny cash was named 'John' by his service colleagues whilst he served his national service in the US Air Force.

Johnny Cash came from a large family who worked the cotton fields in Arkansas. He lost his elder brother, Jack in a saw mill accident in 1944.

Johnny's mother use to sing from hymn books and sing along to old radio programmes & Johnny released an album (one I actually have on 12" vinyl) called 'My Mothers Hymn Book.

Johnny Cash was married twice, his first marriage at 22 saw him married to 17 year old Vivian Liberto in 1954. They had 4 daughters. Vivian & Johnny divorced in 1966.

Johnny then married June Carter of 'The Carter Family' fame on March 1968 after proposing to her on stage in Ontario a week earlier. They had one son,John Carter-Cash together.

Johnny Cash died on 12th September 2003 less than 3 months after the death of his wife, June Carter-Cash.

TRACK LISTING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Ring Of Fire
2. I Walk The Line
3. Jackson
4. Folsom Prison Blues
5. Boy Named Sue
6. Big River
7. Get Rhythm
8. Cry Cry Cry
9. Hey Porter
10. Thing Called Love
11. Guess Things Happen That Way
12. San Quentin
13. Man In Black
14. Highwayman
15. Wanderer - Cash & U2
16. I've Been Everywhere
17. Rusty Cage
18. Personal Jesus
19. Give My Love To Rose
20. One
21. Hurt

THE TRACKS
~~~~~~~~~~~

Ring Of Fire
'Love is a burning thing
and it makes a fiery ring'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ring of Fire is the opening track of this wonderful compilation album. The song was written in the early 60's by June Carter & Merle Kilgore. The song was initially performed by June's sister Anita, before Johnny recorded it. The song is a wonderful opener, the not-yet mature baritone vocals of Johnny Cash work well against the fanfare-like trumpet instrumentals of the song. The song still sounds like it has just stepped out of the 60's even 40 years later & it is easy to see why this catchy, upbeat yet raw song made it an number 1 hit for Johnny. I really like this song, it has an air of immaturity in the vocals of Johnny Cash but you cannot fail to appreciate this song in all it's glory.

I Walk The Line
'Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line'
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As song as Johnny opens his mouth on this track, you cannot fail to appreciate how much his vocal style has change and how much more maturity he has in his deep south vocals. Simple guitar chords also reflect the deep vocals. The song has such an air of sincerity about it too, it is almost as if you can see Johnny Cash singing this to the current love of his life surrounded by his friends. I feel this song has a wonderful air of 'man with guitar, singing in a Smokey, old pub' and it sounds so fresh but yet so effortless too. 'I Walk The Line' is a superb introduction to just how good Johnny Cash was at making singing seem like so little effort. A simple yet infectious song that also lends itself to the recent film of Johnny's life.

Jackson
We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout,
We've been talking' 'bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I reviewed this song on my 'Duets' review. Johnny teams up with June Carter on this track. This track is a wonderful collaboration between 2 people, with an obvious love for one another as you can really tell from the vocals of June & Johnny. Johnny's vocals have softened slightly, he sounds very affectionate and almost under the spell of his co-artist, June. A simple banjo-guitar mix backs up June & Johnny's vocals. This song is my absolutely favourite duet between Johnny & June, it's tongue in cheek, it's slightly trashy but it is just so wonderfully simple.

Folsom Prison Blues
'When I was just a baby my mama told me. Son,
always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This song again shows just what a talented vocalist Cash was. Broody, dark vocals over a simple ditty. The song is dark, the lyrics are serious and Cash vocal really do this genre of music justice here. I cannot believe ho dark he sounds, how low and even slightly depressed those vocals go. You really could believe that this song may have been written with prior experiences in mind. Of course, Cash did perform at Folsom Prison and San Quentin Prisons in his time and yes he did spent time as one night in prison too! Maybe all these experiences gave him a brooding? I really feel this song is heartfelt or whether indeed it is just pure talent in making the listener believe it is, I am not sure, all I know is yet again it is a wonderful track.

BOY NAMED SUE
'And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do!
Now you gonna die!!"'
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I absolutely love this song, based not on a book as many people tell me. The actual story surrounding this song is based on a male attorney called Sue Hicks, who was named after the mother who dies giving birth to him.
The song has an unusual rhythm to it and the version on this CD was recorded at San Quentin prison in 1964. It has all the feeling of a song being performed to a rough but appreciating audience!! The fact it was recorded in San Quentin, I feel only adds to the atmosphere of this song.
Cash's rough, passionate vocals are the highlight of this song. It is superbly narrative and again it seems so easy to believe that Cash was a boy named Sue because he sounds so angry at times. You cannot help but laugh along to the lyrics which are very descriptive too, lyrics such as '"he kicked like a mule and bit like a crocodile" really get the crowd, and the listener, into a great sing-a-long mood. Great track, slightly infamous for Johnny Cash maybe, but nonetheless, it has a charm that one just does not find in music today.

Big River
'And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die'
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This track is another, moody broody Cash number. The vocal have such an essence of Cash feeling sorry for himself & the sorrow of that is clearly evident. Compared to other tracks on the album, this is an early Cash track and it has the feeling of being very raw, very unpolished but it only adds to the charm of this young. As a listener you get an impression of a very young Cash really trying hard to impress the listener & it doesn't do anything less.
Smooth, slightly edgy vocals mixed with a very simple, true country and western tune underneath make this tune a really grower.

Get Rhythm
'It only costs a dime, just a nickel a shoe
Does a million dollars worth of good for you'
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This song is a real mix, you have elements of C&W, Rock n Roll and Rockabilly and despite this mix of influences, this is a Cash number which really does get your feet tapping. The song talks predominantly about a shoe-shine boy who it is said that Cash had an encounter with on his way to a recording session at 'Sun'. The song shows optimism about a certain persons situation, almost pointing us in the way of 'You make the best of what you have'. The tune is really infectious and Johnny Cash has a voice that could tell a thousand stories and you'd believe them all.
'Get Rhythm' is a wonderful break in the brooding tracks and the track is one that really stands out on the album as something different to the norm.

Cry, Cry, Cry!
'Soon your sugar-daddies will all be gone.
You'll wake up some cold day and find you're alone'
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Cry, Cry, Cry was the B-side of Cash's first release on the 'Sun Records' label, Hey, Porter!.
This track is about an unfaithful lover that Cash is obviously brooding over. As track 6, Big River, this track shows off the mellow baritone vocals that sound so forlorn but behind these vocals, you can detect a slightly hint of anger and it's these little, almost after thoughts, that really impress me as a listener, the way Cash sounds like he is really intimately involved with his songs. I feel in today's music, this is something that is consistently lacking and it is a shame. The music is wonderfully simple but it is catchy and like the vocals, it's a slightly moody but it is very infectious as well, it's a balance that is unfaltering!

Hey, Porter!
'When we hit Dixie will you tell that engineer to ring his bell?
And ask everybody that ain't asleep to stand right up and yell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, Porter! was Cash's first release on the 'Sun' label. The track focuses on one of Cash's passions, railways and tells us about the experience of travelling on the Mason-Dixon line to Tennessee. The enthusiasm Cash has and retains in this song is superb, you could really visage him standing on a train absolutely desperate to get to his destination and although it is not mentioned as such in the song, the listener draws it's conclusions that the destination is 'home'.
Cash's vocals are upbeat, excitable and rough around the edges which only adds to his charm. The music is a country beat and it compliments the excitable young Cash perfectly.
This track is great in every way, you cannot help but it share in the enthusiasm of Johnny Cash's song.

Thing Called Love
'Six foot six stood on the ground, weighted 235 pounds
But I saw that giant of a man brought down to his knees by love'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a very different Cash song to what you would have encountered so far on this album. A gospel feel gives this track a mellow feel and Cash's brooding vocals really tug at the old heart strings! I feel this shows Cash at his roots and I like it. The back choral vocals may not appeal to Cash fans but I actually think this works really well, however, the only drawback, it just does sound too 'dreamy' and is in danger of crossing the boundary to 'dreary' but it keeps it's pace well and a thoroughly enjoyable change this song is too!

Guess Things Happen That Way
'God gave me that girl to lean on,
then he put me on my own'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another brooding Cash track. Not one of my favourites because although it has a really fantastic country edge to this song, it becomes slightly too repetitive for me. Despite the lyrics of this song being sad, Cash's vocal are quite uplifting yet you still get the feel of raw emotion. The music is really quite simple and it does have the feel of a chap, alone, in the corner of a bar, brooding away on his guitar. You really get a feel for Cash's talent in portraying emotions within this song, you can begin to see why he had such a universal appeal and why people felt they could relate to him. Although not a strong track within the album, it is enjoyable nonetheless.

San Quentin (Live)
San Quentin, you've been livin' hell to me
You've hosted me since nineteen sixty three
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Performed at San Quentin Prison. This song is fantastic. Before the song starts, you have Cash giving a commentary to the prisoners of San Quentin and all the crowd are going wild even before he sings. As soon as you hear the guitars strike into action the crowd gets louder and you get that feel of being there too. Cash starts with derogatory lyrics which strike up a howl from the audience and you can only imagine the disapproval from the prison officials in the background! Cash is really bitter and really derisory and it is hilarious, this song, not only is a masterpiece musically but it's also a comedy too.
The audience participation on this track really help make this extra special. Go on....sing along and vent your frustrations and challenge authority!

Man In Black
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is another song from Cash which reminds me of how much people can make political statements in songs. This is another song in which Cash makes somewhat of a political statement. The song is musically very simple but what makes this song is it's lyrical contents and how they have directly come from Cash's reputation 'The Man In Black' and how he has applied his reputation to factors that were affecting the USA at that time. In reality, today, the things he is singing about actually still apply today, years after the songs were first written and performed. You get a feel of how Cash could use his 'celebrity' status and what was obviously his favourite channel of doing so.
The song really is incredible and I urge you to listen to this so carefully because you'll actually find yourself agreeing with a lot of what Cash sings about. It does mention religion but I feel it 'fits' with what Cash is trying to get across, I'm amazed at how much of this song still applies to today's society.

The Highwayman
'Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings & Kris Kristofferson.
This song is actually my favourite of the whole album. I adore this song. By having this track on the album, we turn a corner in the chapter of the life of Johnny Cash. Recorded with 3 other huge country stars, this song almost became the moniker. The lyrics are really poignant, to the point that I actually considered putting them on the card that went with the flowers I bought for my Grandmothers funeral in March. Vocally, all 4 'highway' men are superb, you get a real feeling of how good country music actually is and how is has a universal appeal.
The song is just superb in every way and if you haven't heard of the other 3 highway men, this is a good introducer to them and I feel this is a track that actually works as a collaboration, I don't think it would work so much as a solo track.

Wanderer with U2
'I stopped outside a church house
where the citizens like to sit
they say they want the kingdom
but they don't want God in it'
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A track written by U2. I actually am not a fan of this song, despite being a huge fan of U2. I feel that with this song, you can tell it is a U2 song rather than a duet which it is meant to be. It sounds very like U2 throughout and I feel it gives a sense of U2 competing with Cash, rather than guesting. This is a song where you can sense Cash is old, maybe not so wiser but he is happy in his own skin and is happy to have the company of his admirers on the song. The song itself is very gentle with Cash's gentle vocal complimenting but I'm just not a fan of this song and I do feel it really feels like an early 90's song, it doesn't quite have the timeless appeal many Cash songs retain. Still, if you are a U2 fan too, you get a double whammy by buying this!

I've Been Everywhere
I was totin my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road
When along came a semi with a high canvas covered load
If your goin' to Winnemucca, Mack with me you can ride
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cash's version of Hank Snow's classic track. Recorded by Rick Rubin, who gave Cash free reign to record whatever he wanted, however he wanted. The song is another fantastic rendition by Cash. Cash sounds older again and his vocals suit the nature of this track, I think if Cash had recorded this any younger, it wouldn't sound quite right but you just get this overwhelming sense of a flurry of life experience from Cash. The music is simplicity defined and you can easily have fun trying to sing along to the place names he reels off with effortless fluency.
I think this song shoos, even as Cash got older, he knew what songs suited his brooding vocals and because he knew, you know you are in for a musical treat.

Rusty Cage
'Too cold to start a fire
I'm burning diesel, burning dinosaur bones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you think of Johnny Cash, could you ever think of him covering songs by Soundgarden? I certainly couldn't until I heard this. Admittedly, not one of the album's strong tracks but it is very, well, different to what you would expect from Johnny Cash. On paper, you can't actually even imagine how this sounds and I'm having difficulty too! The music is again, very simple, this is another track he recorded with Rick Rubin and the effortless simplicity of the music combined with Cash's aging crackly vocals actually make this a track which doesn't seem to work on paper, actually really work. I'm not sure whether this is a track should have been included but it's here and after a few listens you do begin to get a feel of why it has been included.

Personal Jesus
'Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a Depeche Mode fan, I was elated and surprised to see this included on this album. I've always been somewhat cautious about Depeche Mode covers, nothing has really ever been as good, in my view, as DM's version. However, I was overwhelmed by Cash's cover of Personal Jesus. Crackly vocals, simple piano and guitar medleys and it really fuses together to give a fantastic version of this song, which has all the appeal of the original.
Cash shows that he knows how to appeal to wider audience and whether you are a Depeche Mode fan or not, you cannot fail to be disappointed in this song. It has so much character about it, you just don't get that on any old cover version.

Give My Love To Rose
'Tell my boy his daddy's so proud of him
And don't forget to give my love to Rose '
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This track is another one recorded with Rick Rubin, hence why again the simplicity is what hits you first about this track.
Cash's brooding vocal and a meaty edge to the emotional lyrics in this song, about a man found dying by a rail line after being released from prison. As Johnny had encountered many a personal tragedy in his life, you really get the feel of this is a song HE wanted to record and because of this, I feel there is a dimension in this track that is hidden unless you remember what Cash has been through in his life. I have never experienced that with a song before and it is so subtle it is best to listen to this either in the car or alone in a dark room!
A very emotional, dark song

One
'Love is a temple
Love a higher law'
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An absolutely flawless cover of the U2 classic. Cash really gets into this song and you feel he is believing every single word that he sings.
As with the previous few song, this is another song which, aside from the aging Cash's vocals, have nothing to overwhelm the listener with and I feel this is an exceptional cover of 'One' because of this.
'One' takes another dimension here because of Cash, he really add something tremendously special to this track and it really is one of the best tracks on the album and it won't disappoint any U2 fans either.
I love the simplicity of this track and Cash's crackling vocals, the old man in his voice brings something so special to this, so fantastic that words fail me in how I can describe it. Just listen to this to appreciate it.

Hurt
'I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar's chair'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Again, in passing, would you have thought about Johnny Cash covering a Nine Inch Nails song? It hardly sounds likely on the face of things but this just goes to show, give Cash the right song and he will make an amazing version of it but he doesn't have to compete with the original version either.
Cash gives a really stunning vocal performance, you really, really feel the 'hurt' in his voice in this track and simple guitar playing sets off this track perfectly.
As Cash's vocals get more emotionally stretched, the guitar playing becomes more intense to reflect this emotion, show a strong relationship between Cash and his guitarist and it's thing type of simplicity that makes this track a really raw, emotional treat.
This song always is played when this album is shown on TV and it seems to be the one track everyone I have spoken to remembers because of his brooding vocals.
A superb rendition of this song and it really is given a whole new fan base to both NIN & Cash.

OVERALL
~~~~~~~~
I have been a Johnny Cash fan for year and this album is only the tip of the iceberg as far as Cash's career goes.
All the songs are wonderful & I do feel, despite some glitches, the right tracks have been chosen to be included on this album as it gives a real sense of how much Cash did throughout his career and how he changed to suit his audience and how he used his status in society to make a statement!
Cash was never a conformist and this album goes to show that you could be different yet have a universal appeal. It also shows that when he country music career was falling out of favour, he simply changed tack, went back to basics but did so in order to renew and established a new fan base.
With the release of the film of his life 'Walk The Line', Cash has enjoyed a posthumous revival and for those fans Cash has made because of the film, this is the starter album for you.

I enjoy listening to this album because of it's diversity in it's tracks and how you can almost track Cash's career throughout the tracks.

I would recommend this album to everyone but especially people who may have only just come across Johnny Cash or for those who were fan's of Cash in his earlier years but may have lost track of him over the years. This is a CD that I feel everyone should have or at least have a listen to in order to fully appreciate Johnny Cash at his best.

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A huge thank you to my late Grandmother for introducing me to Johnny Cash & June Carter at the tender age of 4. Without her LP's and enthusiasm for Cash, I doubt whether this review would have been such a pleasure to write.......

"I fly a starship across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again.."
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