It's always nice to see a deserving person recognized for a lifetime of achievement while still alive. And in American popular music, few living artists are as deserving of accolades as John R. "Johnny" Cash.
Cash has written and recorded a host of seminal songs and albums beginning in the 1950s, and served as an inspiration for musicians of several generations. His music crosses genres from folk to rockabilly, country to pop and nearly everything in between. He has been covered by the likes of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, befriended musicians of every stripe, and covered everyone from Jimmie Rodgers to Danzig. He married into the Carter Family, and been a father or father-figure to an influential dynasty that includes daughter Roseanne and former son-in-law Rodney Crowell. He used his influence to boost the careers of the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and many others. A steely-eyed patriot and confidante of world-famous evangelists, he was also one of the first entertainers of his generation to stand up with the Baby Boomers in questioning the Vietnam War.
Although much of Cash's best-known and most influential work came in the 1950s and '60s, he has released four highly regarded albums since the mid-'90s that brought his music to yet another generation. And it is mainly younger artists who are featured on this, one of two tributes to Cash released in 2002 alone.
The disc features 18 songs written or made famous by Johnny Cash. Most of the numbers are from his early career, the late '50s and early '60s, with a few notable exceptions.
Tribute CDs are usually a hit-or-miss affair, but this one's a little more consistent than many. That's because it was recorded by a core of musicians forming a band to accompany the guest vocalists. Guitarist Chuck Mead of country revivalists BR549 and acoustic bassist Dave Roe set the pace on every track, along with a cast of drummers that includes Ken Coomer, late of Uncle Tupelo.
Artists who take part in tributes have one major choice to make, beyond selecting their song: either hew closely to the original, or put your own stamp on your cover version. Each choice has its perils.
Among those in the flattery-by-imitation group here are Robbie Fulks, with a dead-on "Cry, Cry, Cry," Rodney Crowell's "Ballad of a Teenage Queen," Redd Volkaert with "Luther Played the Boogie," and James Intveld with "Folsom Prison Blues." All of these succeed quite well except Intveld, whose imitation is a pale one to my ear.
Several offer their own idiosyncratic versions of these songs. Those that work best are Hank III with a multi-tempo "Wreck of the Old '97," Rosie Flores with an energetic "Big River," and Raul Malo with a gorgeous cover of "I Guess Things Happen That Way." Malo's vocals fall somewhere between Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers, and his guitar playing is also strong. Rev. Horton Heat turns up the heat on "Get Rhythm," and Damon Bramblett offers a bluesy "I'm Gonna Sit on the Porch and Pick on My Old Guitar."
Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis tackle the Cash version of Richard Farina's "Pack up Your Sorrows" with mixed results. Willis's voice is gorgeous and perfectly suited to the material, but she could use a stronger male vocalist for this duet. Billy Burnette, who played guitar in the late '80s incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, distracts from the simplicity of "Ring of Fire" with his oversinging of a song that speaks for itself if allowed to. Earl Poole Ball's interpretation of "I Still Miss Someone" as a piano-driven honky-tonker is audacious, but calls more attention to the arrangement than the song. Mead and Mandy Barnett don't rise to the level of Johnny and June on "Jackson," but those are mighty big shoes to fill. Dale Watson does a nice job on "I Walk the Line," but fiddles with the lyrics unnecessarily. The album ends on a very strong note, with Chris Knight's cover of Johnny's 1969 hit "Flesh & Blood."
Overall, this tribute CD is better than most of its genre, a worthwhile introduction to the work of the tribute artists, and a valid and heartfelt homage to the Man in Black.
