JOHNNY CASH

America / Ragged Old Flag

CD, Columbia

Johnny Cash just celebrated his 70th birthday and his maybe third peak in stardom, this time round in the most artistical honours and youthful endorsement. Young people everywhere are referring to Johnny Cash as the a true rebel, a real idol speaking words of wisdom and a life full of experience and also an irreverent and uncompromising artist, who still likes to show music establishment his straight middle finger. This is what makes Johnny Cash cool nowadays (again) and he well deserves it. Even though the picture of the man sketched above is just another picture you might have of him, because Johnny Cash still is a lot of things that even the most liberal-minded, middle-European music-critic wouldn’t understand, not to speak of tolerate or withhold. He is for instance deeply religious, a patriot and a southern man. True, he is also a rebel, a pacifist and critical about intolerance. As Walt Whitman once said: “I am big, I contain many things”. And Johnny Cash is a very very big man.

I guess you have been all acquainted with the highs and lows of Johnny Cashs career, so you will know about his bad years during the eighties, when his contract with Columbia ran out, a company he had been recording for for well over twenty years or so. Last month two old record by Johnny Cash were re-released for the first time on CD by Columbia. One reason might be, that the company wants to cash into the newfound fame and sales-potential of their former client. The other one might be, that both of these records proudly show the Stars’n’Stripes on their cover, which in the wake of 9-11 and the subsequent rise in American patriotism might boost sales another notch higher.

“America” was record in 1972 and is (another) travelogue-record, i.e. there are some songs with special themes with spoken introductions in between. Sometime in the middle Sixties this kind of records was very popular and nearly every Country-singer with a name to themselves recorded one. Johnny Cash’s was called “Ride that train” and featured songs about American landscapes, trainbuilders and trainwrecks. Cool thing that and definitely more than just a novelty. “America”, as its subtitle “a 200-year-salute in story and song” subtly hints at, has the development of the USA, from colony to full-grown superpower, as its theme. The funny thing here is the ironic contrast between the songs presented here. On the one hand there is all the history-book-patriotism about the Alamo, the founding fathers, how the west was won, the Gettysburg address and so on. On the other hand, on the cover Cash looks like a disgruntled Vietnam-veteran and includes a song about the plight of the Indians. But as soon as that is over, he goes on about the president, the space-race and so on. Truly a lecture-record about American history for immigrants, this is.

“Ragged old flag” also has a nice cover – in a painted rendition Cash looks very serious at the onlooker and points his finger at the “ragged old flag”, which, as we learn in the title song, is ragged because it has been to every war the USA ever had to fight. This album was recorded in 1974 and is a little less hyper-patriotic than “America”, even has a song with a green edge: “Don’t go near the water” about the poisoning of the rivers by mankind. The rest is a mixed truckload of songs ranging from trucker songs to country ballads. Musically, as far as listenability and variety are concerned, this is definitely the better choice. And with “Lonesome to the bone”, “I’m a worried man” (maybe known from the “Storyteller CD with Willie Nelson) and “What on earth will you do (for heaven’s sake)” maybe known from the “American Outtakes”-bootleg) it has three definite highlights.

Both record were recorded with the Tennessee Three as musicians, so in terms of country-music they feature fine arrangements and the driving beat that has become associated with Johnny Cash. Both records have some pretty good songs and some mediocre stuff. So I guess, these are really just for the fans. Those just slightly interested better get the really early stuff, the prison-records, the Live in Europe collection and the three records on American recordings. And then these here. Believe me, you won’t find these records on vinyl in Europe.