Johnny Cash - The Essential Johnny Cash (Country, 2002)

"I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way!"

Johnny Cash was one of the most imposing and influential figures in post-World War II country music. With his deep, resonant baritone and spare, percussive guitar, he had a basic, distinctive sound. He didn't sound like Nashville, nor did he sound like honky tonk or rock & roll. He created his own subgenre, falling halfway between the blunt emotional honesty of folk, the rebelliousness of rock & roll, and the world weariness of country. Johnny Cash's career coincided with the birth of rock & roll, and his rebellious attitude and simple, direct musical attack shared a lot of similarities with rock. However, there was a deep sense of history - as he would later illustrate with his series of historical albums - that kept him forever tied with country. And he was one of country music's biggest stars of the '50s and '60s, scoring well over 100 hit singles.
In the mid-'70s, Cash's presence on the country charts began to decline, but he continued to have a series of minor hits and the occasional chart-topper like 1976's "One Piece at a Time," or Top Ten hits like the Waylon Jennings duet "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" and "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky."
The '80s were a rough time for him as his record sales continued to decline and he ran into trouble with Columbia. Along with Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis teamed up to record The Suevivors in 1982, which was a mild success. The Highwaymen - a band featuring Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson - released their first album in 1985, which was also moderately successful.
Health problems plagued Cash throughout the '90s and into the 2000s, whilst his beloved wife June Carter Cash died on May 15, 2003, of complications following heart surgery. Four months later, he died of complications from diabetes in Nashville, TN. He was 71. Five months later, the compilation Legend of Johnny Cash became a Top Ten hit.
This is a double CD compilation compiled to commemorate Cash's 70th birthday. Since it's an impossible challenge to encapsulate the highlights of Johnny Cash's vast musical catalog, it concentrates mainly on Cash's first 15 years as a recording artist with Sun Records and Columbia. Although it barely scratches the surface it's a reminder of Cash's rustic eclecticism that acts like an excellent starter if you haven't heard of him before. Believe me you 'll be amazed!




Let's Go Get It!