Johnny Cash birthday bash!

By John Lewis
Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Johnny Cash would have been 76 year old on the 26th of next month, and I'll be honest: I MISS him.

Four days before my fifteenth birthday, I sat with my late Dad in Manchester, England,and watched "Johnny Cash at San Quentin" on Granada TV. That night changed my life - and my Dad's. It sent me down the Country Music track and it set my Dad collecting everything he could about Johnny Cash.

For the next few years, I was glued to the TV every week as "The Johnny Cash Show" bestrode the world of music, crossed the Atlantic and showcased the best in Country music.

I have to say that "The Best of the Johnny Cash Show: 1969-1971" CD - a follow up to the DVD released last year - is a partial disappointment, and it will be to a great many Cash fans.

Sure, it includes material not used on the DVDs, but for most, the highlights of  "The Johnny Cash Show" were Cash, The Statler Brothers, June Carter (before she married Cash) and the Tennessee Three.

Yet we get Derek (Eric Clapton) and the Dominoes, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell - all making their national TV debuts - and we get only six Johnny Cash tracks.

Of course, their were some amazing guest appearances: The George Jones medley here is classic, as is Tammy Wynette's live take of "Stand By Your Man". Waylon Jennings sings "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", Kris Kristofferson does a splendid version of "Loving Her Was Easier...." and Bobby Bare sings a creditable version of "Detroit City".

But the highlights are easy to find: Cash sings "Belshazzar", the first song he sang to Sam Phillips at Sun Studios back in 1955. He bares his soul and shows his songwriting skills on "Flesh and Blood"; even his duet with Lynn Anderson for "I've Been Everywhere" is worthy of note.

But for me, the ultimate track here is "Daddy Sang Bass". Written by Carl Perkins, the song speaks volumes about Cash and his roots. As was usual in those days, The Statler Brothers play the song's "little brother"; June Carter plays Mom and Cash sinks his voice way down to the bottom to play Daddy. Absolutely brilliant.

When you consider how Nashpop and Coffee table country music dominate the Country charts today, you realize how good this guy was.

My View: I never met the man, but he shared his music with me. I miss him. BUY IT!

Johnny Cash: "The Best of the Johnny Cash Show: 1969-1971".
Release date: January 8,  2008. (Sony BMG Commercial Music Group)