csberry

When musical legends make an effort to get one last hit later in their career, producers tend to pull out all of the stops. They will add dance beats to what that artist would typically record. Sometimes the album is filled with guest appearances by current hit artists. But Rick Rubin took a different approach when producing American Recordings. Other than suggesting (mostly non-country music) covers, he stood out of the way and took a spare approach.

You wanna talk about spare? This album is a collection of songs sung by Johnny with acoustic guitar accompanying him. There are two tracks ("Tennessee Stud" and "The Man Who Couldn't Cry") that have a small audience that hoots and cheers along. This is an intimate album. The quietness of the album excludes it from being something I would listen to regularly. It isn't a sob fest of depressing tracks, but the dynamics of the album are confined by the spareness that is only overcome by the two tracks with the eager audience. And it is when I listen to those songs that I get the itch to reach over to my vinyl and put on Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison or Johnny Cash at San Quentin.

Songs I knew I liked: "Delia's Gone" and "Tennessee Stud"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Let the Train Blow the Whistle," "Drive On," "Why Me Lord," and "Thirteen"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "The Man Who Couldn't Cry"