Songwriter

Down a tiny and narrow street in Copenhagen hangs a handwritten poster in a window with the headline “15 reasons why Johnny Cash is the coolest man in the world.” I agree. He is pretty damn cool; his voice, the musical style, his life, his love, and that whole ‘The Man in Black’ thing he did so well. So, anytime more of his previously unheard recorded music is released, it’s good for Cash fans everywhere, which brings us to Songwriter.

Of course, most of us know his hits. The Walk The Line movie made him famous to a new generation of listeners. And the Rick Rubin recordings are all great as well. And now John Carter Cash, Cash’s son, has dug out some recordings Cash did in 1993 that were never released because Cash started working with Rick Rubin.

But unlike the Rubin recordings, these are all original songs entirely written by Cash himself and much akin to the kind of style we know from his previous recordings before Rubin. The lyrics are straightforward and the salt of the earth—Americana at its roots. My streaming services keeps playing Country music after the Cash album ends. But I don’t consider Johnny’s music ‘Country’. Not his previous stuff and not the new album either. Granted, my perspective might be skewed by ‘Bro-Country’, but I’ve always felt Johnny Cash was Americana before there was Americana!

No interpretation is necessary to understand his lyrics. Johnny Cash shoots the story straight, without any frills or decorations. There are a couple of songs about the Vietnam War, which he might have written those lyrics earlier. There are several songs describing his other great love—besides music—his wife June Carter. They are very sweet and ring true.

Like all his previous music, this album features Johnny’s typical infectious locomotive rhythm, his deep resonant voice, and sparse and simple backing instrumentation. However, we don’t know the original style of these recordings; his son John, who co-produced with David ‘Fergie’ Ferguson (a producer who previously worked with Johnny Cash) peeled the recordings back to just Johnny’s voice and deep vocals. They then invited a select group of musicians, all of whom had played with Johnny Cash previously, to keep the music rooted in his spirit. 

The opening track, ‘Hello Out There,’ is a sort of appeal/hymn/warning about where our world is headed if we don’t wise up, with spiritual connotations, so it is pretty much even more relevant now than ever. Meanwhile, the first single from the album ‘Well Alright’ is probably my favourite. It is a song about finding love in the most unusual places and how that is “Well, alright” for Johnny Cash. The final time he sings the words “Well Alright” in the song, his voice rises through the registers and brings back his old classics to mind. So, too, does the great rhythm of the track.

The many tracks about June Carter and their love are lovely and reveal Cash’s feelings about his wife. They are almost like stumbling over love letters he might have written her back in the day. 

The Vietnam track ‘Drive On’ is encouraging despite its grim theme. Finally, ‘Like A Soldier’ is a confession. It is a very personal and honest song about his long struggles with addiction and his eventual triumph over it. 

Songwriter paints a beautiful landscape of the American heartland. Johnny Cash followed his heart in his musical choices as much as in his personal life. This album reflects his legend, visions, and love for the places and people he loved. This might not be my favourite album by Cash, but it is Johnny Cash nonetheless, so, of course, it’s good. It is also an absolute must for Johnny Cash fans. And if you have never really listened to Cash, you should get this album. Cash was a great songwriter, and the tracks on this album seem very personal and close to the great man’s heart, and his fantastic voice echoes that throughout.