Johnny Cash

[Californiaman]

Before his death in 2003, Johnny was in the midst of some serious recording projects.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IStlBOX9F4o

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aF9AJm0RFc

[grampa]

His "American Series" is some of the best music ever recorded. Thank god for Rick Rubin.

[10K-DB]

It would be almost impossible to find a songwriter as gifted as Mr Cash. Hes a true "American Idol".

[RowdyMoon]

I may sound like a typical old fart ( and Im not only 47) when I say this but.....they just don't make them like that anymore.

[jedzep]

Oh stop gushing guys! His wife's family had all the talent. Crappy songs, crappy player. Iconic, nonetheless.

[Californiaman]

Johnny was the man.

The recording sessions during the last few years of his life showed the depth and breath of the man.

His voice is haunting, and lingers long on the soul.

[CowboyBillyBob1]

Oh stop gushing guys! His wife's family had all the talent. Crappy songs, crappy player. Iconic, nonetheless.

This post totally proves my point that there are many here who do not have a clue.

[grampa]

It would be almost impossible to find a songwriter as gifted as Mr Cash. Hes a true "American Idol".

 

And any song he sang that he didn't write he made his own.

[adam411booking]

We need another great pioneer in the music industry like Johnny Cash.

[daveinspain]

Very moving songs. I was never a big Johnny Cash fan but I sure appreciate his talent....

[jedzep]

This post totally proves my point that there are many here who do not have a clue.

 

Spoken like a true Connecticut cowboy.

 

I'll check back into the discography this weekend and see if I missed something. Was he a proficient guitarist? OK strummer, I guess. Amazing successful career...true enough. It's merely my opinion that his writing, playing, and irritating singing are overglorified.

 

Do any of you JC fans have a suggestion for a period or particular album I could check out?

Been on this earth for 60 yrs. addicted to and around music for most of it. Started guitar at 14. Not clueless...just very discerning.

[daveinspain]

Spoken like a true Connecticut cowboy.

 

I'll check back into the discography this weekend and see if I missed something. Was he a proficient guitarist? OK strummer, I guess. Amazing successful career...true enough. It's merely my opinion that his writing, playing, and irritating singing are overglorified.

 

Do any of you JC fans have a suggestion for a period or particular album I could check out?

Been on this earth for 60 yrs. addicted to and around music for most of it. Started guitar at 14. Not clueless...just very discerning.

 

Not in defense of anybody but what Johnny had was style, like it or not the guy was unique...

[CowboyBillyBob1]

Spoken like a true Connecticut cowboy.

 

I'll check back into the discography this weekend and see if I missed something. Was he a proficient guitarist? OK strummer, I guess. Amazing successful career...true enough. It's merely my opinion that his writing, playing, and irritating singing are overglorified.

 

Do any of you JC fans have a suggestion for a period or particular album I could check out?

Been on this earth for 60 yrs. addicted to and around music for most of it. Started guitar at 14. Not clueless...just very discerning.

Johnny Cash bridged the gap between Country and Rock n Roll. A true visionary similar to how Chuck Berry melded Blues and Country music. You do not need to be a virtuoso to have a profound impact on popular music.

A great songwriter that speaks from the heart. Sorry if it is lost on you.

[Murph]

A Great talent. "Delia's Gone" from the American Recordings took him full circle back to his roots. As did the entire c.d.

 

Just a man and a guitar, it's one of my favorite c.d.s of all time.

 

[Guest rogerb]

The man in black is a legend and an icon!

[Mark]

I am a fan of his music and his attitude.

[Twiz]

I don't know if they make it any more, but if you can find it (probably on iTunes or something) get a boxed set called Love, God, and Murder. -That's a pretty good cross section of his abilities. He could do a beautiful song about love (Flesh and Blood, or I Still Miss Someone), and then turn around and do some really dark stuff (Folsom Prison Blues, or Long Black Veil). I love the American recordings he did. Sam Hall is one of my favorite covers he ever did.

 

Every year around the anniversary of his death (Sept 12) there's a concert here in Pittsburgh called Johnny Cash Day. Local bands and singers play sets made up of Johnny Cash songs. I try to go every year. Don't forget, wear all black on 09.12. "...But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black."

[MissouriPicker]

Marty Stuart (and others) tells of going to Cash's home and Cash would be playing riffs and leads to his songs. Stuart asked him why he didn't do that while performing and Cash told him that's why he had Bob Wooton in the band. In fact, there are some videos coming-out from his solo performances after getting with Rick Rubins where he did play the riffs. One is from The Viper Room and another is thought to be at a roadhouse called Emo's or Eno's, something like that. Beyond that, Cash was an okay guitarist. What he did he did well. If you asked him, he would say that he was a poor guitar player who only knew three chords. In fact, he regularly used over forty chords, extenions, variations. One of Cash's major performing virtues was his ability to connect with mainstream people, many who were just amatuer guitar pickers and less. He was kind of like "me," because I'm one of those mainstream people. Of course, lots of it has to do with personal taste in music. I couldn't care less about people who fall into the catagory of shredders, heavy metal, etc. Many of them are extremely talented, but to me the music is crap and I don't know if they're making all those musical noises or is it some little box they've got on the floor or attached to their belt. I've shocked myself when I add some distortion to a song. I almost sound like I know what I'm doing, but that doesn't change the fact that I have nowhere near the guitar playing ability of Jimmy Page, and THOUSANDS of others..

 

For me, Cash had something going for him that was beyond talent. He was human. He was flawed. He was real. He was a sinner who often tried to be a saint, but never quite made it. Throw-in some music that peole can identify with and you have the makings of a legend.

[Californiaman]

Wear black on 9/12.

Yes indeed.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJlN9jdQFSc

[milod]

Well... I was privileged to interview him with the huge advantage of my introduction to him being by his mom-in-law Mother Maybelle. This was in the rocky times for Johnny where family support was making some huge changes in his lifestyle. Her "He's a guitar player and knows Carter Family music!" was a huge help for a half scared cub reporter.

 

Physically Johnny Cash was a very big man. He did have a huge stage presence without fireworks or strobes, not unlike Roy Orbison of roughly the same era. I doubt he'd have claimed to be a great guitar player.

 

Thing is, those transitional folks in the huge 1950s transitional period of "popular" music genres tend to be judged by current stylistic standards as opposed to the impact they made in music not only of their own entry to fame, but also in music ever since. Is, for example, Chuck Berry the greatest lead guitar player ever? Technically his body of work doesn't hold up to the skills of many younger players. But I'll wager nearly every "kid" of fame today has messed with the intro to Johnny B. Goode. And who did that stuff before him like that? Few if any.

 

Ditto Cash, Orbison... Their music broke ground rather than a rehash of earlier stuff, at least to the ears of those hearing them for the first time. Like it (or them) or not they formed today's rock and country styles. Frankly in ways I think both had a more significant musical impact long-term than Elvis, whose impact IMHO was more a matter of stage "show" presence and show concept.

 

m

[Californiaman]

I wanted to point out that the reason I posted the God is Gonna' Cut You Down video twice was because of all the stars paying homage to Johnny Cash by wearing black in the video.

I'm not trying to make a religious statement, simply showing the official video.

Johnny Cash has had an impact on an entire generation of musicians here in America.

When I'm asked, "Who ya' been listening to?," Cash is often one of the first people I mention.

Others often include Mike Ness of Social Distortion, Joe Bonamassa, Roy Buchanon, amongst others.

 

And Milod,

I agree with you about the impact Cash and Orbison had on Rock-n-Roll over Elvis's stage presence.

[MissouriPicker]

Regarding Elvis: What he needed in his life was what Cash found. A "June Carter" and all the support that came with her. Had Elvis found someone like her, he might have lived to meet his own "Rick Rubins." It would have been cool to have Elvis sit down with a lone guitar. Forget the Vegas band and hyped music and the flashy suits. Just Elvis really being the country boy he originally was. That would have been interesting.

[milod]

Missouri... Well, in the old days those guys all pretty much knew each other...

 

I dunno.

 

From living in Memphis and such, I think Elvis always was a charmer, a singer willing to improve his craft and an entertainer with great show presence.

 

I'm not at all sure he had the kind of depth Cash or Orbison had, each in their very different ways.

 

But then, I tend both to be cynical and I never cared that much for Elvis' material or show anyway.

 

So there may be a degree of subjectivity that may not be entirely fair. I dunno. My impression is that I could have talked one-on-one with either Cash or Orbison about life and death and the human condition and gotten a lot deeper sort of response than with Elvis. Different minds do indeed work differently, and that's not a value judgment, just a fact.

 

IMHO, though, both Cash and Orbison were deeper human beings. Very different from each other, but...

 

Yeah on June, though. And likely not just June, the whole "family" thing. The Carters had been there, done that and were more than aware of the biz and the life options, good and bad.

 

m

[Dennis G]

I think that a lot of us who were coming of age in the 50's & 60's have a much better appreciation for how innovative a lot of artists of the time were, venturing into crossover genre's, and virtually creating their own style/sound/etc. The contributions from guys like Cash, Berry, Perkins, Haley, Eddy, Holly, Presley, and just countless others of the time from Country, Blues, Pop, etc just can't be underestimated. These guys were all very much pioneers.

 

And if you haven't watched the movie about Cash starring Juaqin (sp?) Phoenix, it's worth a watch. I think it's "Walk the Line" but don't remember for sure.

[Californiaman]

Just a side note regarding Elvis.

My uncle, he's mom's brother-in-law and now 90 years old, tells me stories about Elvis.

See his brother was Elvis's pastor.

Elvis used to come home and play touch football with my oldest cousin and his friends too.

He was down to earth and real friendly, but he didn't ever trust the press or media if you will.

One day at a county fair, Elvis hugged my uncle's brother (his pastor mind ya') back stage at a performance he was doing.

A woman from the local paper took a photograph and tried to turn the story into Elvis being gay.

How stupid.

She tried to bring shame to a pastor of an Assymblies of God Church and to Elvis.

It didn't work. The local folks saw it for what it was and what it wasn't.

 

Anyway,

back to some Johnny Cash.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtbuUlSGXzc