Johnny Cash - American III Solitary Man (2000)

John R. "Johnny" Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and author, who was widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

American III: Solitary Man is the third album in the American series by Johnny Cash released in 2000 (and his 85th overall album).
The Man in Black shows hints of gray on American III: Solitary Man, his first studio album since being interrupted by a series of serious illnesses in 1997. While the inevitability of aging has been the downfall of many of his contemporaries, Johnny Cash's dark convictions and powerful presence have gone from rough hardwood to solid stone. The stark beauty of his 1994 release American Recordings and the warm, friendly collaborations on 1996's Unchained combine to create two distinct moods: one of living-room jam sessions with invited friends, and another of stark solo (and near-solo) songs highlighting Cash's years and stories.
Partnering once again with Tom Petty, the two join together on Petty's own "I Won't Back Down" and the Neil Diamond-penned title track. Cash also lays his lonesome hands on U2's "One" and reunites with fellow outlaw Merle Haggard on the stubborn "I'm Leavin' Now." These duets and well-known covers show an inviting side of Johnny Cash. But the real highlights of the album are those reminiscent of his American Recordings songs; they feature just the man and his guitar, with nothing else to clutter the story.
The creaks and despair of the vaudeville song "Nobody" tell of a man who has become hardened by his solitude, while the Palace hymn "I See a Darkness" soars with the passion of a thousand gospel choirs, even though there are only two men singing. Although at times it is difficult to hear past Tom Petty's growl or Sheryl Crow's young harmonies in the more popular songs Cash covers, these obscure prison songs and country ballads sound as honest and heartfelt as his own compositions. At age 68, his warm baritone may waver but his passion never does.

Tracklist

1. "I Won't Back Down" (with Tom Petty)  (Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne) - 2:09
     Originally recorded by Tom Petty for Full Moon Fever (1989)
2. "Solitary Man"   (Neil Diamond) - 2:25
     Originally recorded by Neil Diamond as a single (1966)
3. "That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)"   (Haven Gillespie/Beasley Smith) - 2:35
     Originally a hit for Frankie Laine (1949)
4. "One"   (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen) - 3:53
     Originally recorded by U2 for Achtung Baby (1991)
5. "Nobody"   (Egbert Williams) - 3:14
     Originally recorded by Bert Williams in 1906
6. "I See a Darkness"   (Will Oldham) - 3:42
     Originally recorded by Will Oldham for I See a Darkness (1999)
7. "The Mercy Seat"   (Nick Cave/Mick Harvey) - 4:35
     Originally recorded by Nick Cave for Tender Prey (1988)
8. "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)"   (David Allan Coe) - 2:41
    Originally recorded by Tanya Tucker for the album of the same name (1974)
9. "Field of Diamonds"   (Johnny Cash, Jack Routh) - 3:15
     Originally recorded by Cash and Waylon Jennings for Heroes (1986)
10. "Before My Time"   (Johnny Cash) - 2:55
11. "Country Trash"   (Johnny Cash) - 1:47
       Originally recorded by Cash for Any Old Wind That Blows (1973)
12. "Mary of the Wild Moor"   (Dennis Turner) - 2:32
       Originally recorded by The Louvin Brothers for Tragic Songs of Life (1956)
13. "I'm Leavin' Now" (with Merle Haggard)  (Johnny Cash) - 3:07
       Originally recorded by Cash for Rainbow (1985)
14. "Wayfaring Stranger"   (Traditional) - 3:19
       Old folk song previously recorded by countless artists

Companies, etc.

• Licensed To – Warner Music International
• Manufactured By – Warner Music International
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – American Recordings, LLC
• Copyright (c) – American Recordings, LLC
• Copyright (c) – Robbins Music Corp.
• Copyright (c) – Bruce Springsteen
• Published By – EMI Robbins Catalog Inc.
• Recorded At – Cash Cabin Studio
• Recorded At – Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research
• Mixed At – Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research
• Mastered At – Oasis Mastering

Credits

• Johnny Cash – Vocals, Guitar
• Martyn Atkins – Photography
• Norman Blake – Guitar
• Billy Bowers – Digital Editing
• Mike Campbell – Guitar
• John Carter Cash – Associate Producer
• June Carter Cash – Vocals 
• Laura Cash – Fiddle
• Lindsay Chase – Production Coordinator
• Danny Clinch – Photography
• David Coleman – Art Direction
• Sheryl Crow – Vocals, Accordion 
• Richard Dodd – Additional Engineering
• David Ferguson – Engineer, Mixing
• Merle Haggard – Guitar, Vocals & Guitar 
• Will Oldham – Vocals 
• Larry Perkins – Guitar
• Tom Petty – Vocals & Organ, Vocals 
• Lou Robin – Management
• Rick Rubin – Producer
• D. Sardy – Additional Engineering
• David Schiffman – Additional Engineering, Mixing 
• Eddie Schreyer – Mastering
• Randy Scruggs – Guitar
• Marty Stuart – Guitar
• Benmont Tench – Piano, Organ, Harmonium
• Chuck Turner – Digital Editing

Notes

Released: October 17, 2000 

Recorded: 2000 At American Recordings 

Recorded at The Cash Cabin Studio, Hendersonville, TN and The Akadamie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Los Angeles, CA.
Mixed at The Akadamie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Los Angeles, CA.
Mastered at Oasis Mastering, Los Angeles, CA. 

Genre: Country  

Style:  Americana, Southern gothic

Length: 42:15 

Label - American Recordings 

Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)

Johnny Cash’s fourth project with producer Rick Rubin continues on the same path as many of their previous releases: Cash’s warm and rumbling baritone over minimal production and gentle duets with some surprising guests. One of the things that sets American IV: The Man Comes Around apart from the others is Cash’s song selections. The success he experienced with his previous interpretations of contemporary songwriters (Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage,” Nick Cave’s “The Mercy Seat”) is applied to this album with varying degrees of success. His throaty reading of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” easily fits into his “Man in Black” persona, and the spiritual conviction underlying Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” is certainly powerful. Unfortunately, the inclusion of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (featuring a lost-sounding Fiona Apple) and a passionless snooze through the Beatles’ “In My Life” should have been so much stronger (given the subject matter of both songs and Cash’s prolific life story). One of the reasons his previous covers were so successful is that in the past he had chosen some pretty obscure songs (Bonnie Prince Billy’s “I See a Darkness” and Beck’s “Rowboat,” to name a couple) and reinterpreted them with his unique perspective and unmistakable voice. However, there is really no need to hear his versions of the Irish standard “Danny Boy” or the clunky rendition of Sting’s “I Hung My Head,” since something about them just doesn’t fit — either Cash wasn’t entirely comfortable with the song or the performance was never fully realized. Luckily, the new songs Cash wrote for the album are pretty strong, and his cover of the standard “We’ll Meet Again” is among the best versions of the song ever recorded. It is a relief to hear that, although Cash’s voice is clearly older and not the booming powerhouse it was in the earlier Sun and Columbia days, he’s still got some punch left in him, and the wisdom he’s gained in his later life seeps through between the grooves, revealing a man who has lived through it all and lived to tell the tale.

Track List

01. The Man Comes Around (Cash)  – 4:26
02. Hurt  (Originally recorded by Nine Inch Nails for The Downward Spiral 1994)  - 3:38
03. Give My Love to Rose  (Originally recorded by Cash for Sun, appears on Sings Hank Williams 1968) – 3:28
04. Bridge Over Troubled Water  (Originally recorded by Simon and Garfunkel for Bridge over Troubled Water 1970)  - 3:55
05. I Hung My Head  (Originally recorded by Sting for Mercury Falling 1996)  - 3:53
06. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face  (Was a number one hit for Roberta Flack 1972)  – 3:52
07. Personal Jesus  (Originally recorded by Depeche Mode for Violator 1990)  – 3:20
08. In My Life  (Originally recorded by The Beatles for Rubber Soul 1965)  - 2:57
09. Sam Hall  (Originally recorded by Cash for Sings the Ballads of the True West 1965)  – 2:40
10. Danny Boy  (First published in 1910, previously recorded by Cash for Orange Blossom Special 1965) – 3:19
11. Desperado  (Originally recorded by The Eagles for the album of the same name 1973)  – 3:13
12. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry  (Originally recorded by Hank Williams; previously recorded by Cash for Now, There Was a Song! 1960)  - 3:03
13. Tear Stained Letter  (Originally recorded by Cash for A Thing Called Love 1972)  – 3:41
14. Streets of Laredo  (Traditional)  (Previously recorded by Cash for Sings the Ballads of the True West 1965)  – 3:33
15. We’ll Meet Again  (Most famously a hit for Vera Lynn 1939)  – 2:58

Artist:  Johnny Cash
Title:  American IV: The Man Comes Around
Year:  2002
Genre:  Country, Americana
Label:  American Recordings / Universal
Length:  51:55