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“…Are You Counted With The Meek…”
Released May 2000
in the USA and June 2000 on Columbia/American/Legacy COL 498580 2 (Barcode 5099749858022) in the UK as
a 3CD-set in a flimsy card wrap - the three 16-track compilations contained
within were compiled by Cash himself and make for the most fantastic listen.
Handpicking tunes from across his monumental career (concentrating a lot on the
Sixties and Seventies) - the Legacy Remasters even include 3 Previously
Unreleased tunes. Here are detailed rings of fire, the sweet chariots and the
bad Jesse James...
LOVE (39:51
minutes):
1. I Walk The
Line (Mono) (1956, A-side of a US 7" single on Sun 241)
2. Oh. What A
Dream (recorded 1958, from the album "Johnny Cash - 1958-1986" on
Columbia C2 40637)
3. All Over
Again (1958, A-side of a US 7" single on Columbia 4-41251)
4. A Little At A
Time (1962, B-side of "In The Jailhouse Now" on Columbia 4-42425)
5. My Old Faded
Rose (Recorded June 1964, Previously Unreleased in the USA)
6. Happiness Is
You (1965, from the album "Happiness Is You" on Columbia CS 9337)
7. Flesh And
Blood (1970, from the motion picture "I Walk The Line" on Columbia S
30397)
8. I Tremble For
You (recorded October 1967, Previously Unreleased in the USA)
9. I Feel Better
All Over (1960, from the album "Now There Was A Song!" on Columbia CS
8254)
10. 'Cause I
Love You (as per 7)
11. Ballad Of
Barbara (1977, from the album "The Last Gunfighter Battle" on
Columbia JC 34314)
12. Ring Of Fire
(1963, from the album "Ring Of Fire" on Columbia CS 8853)
13. My Shoes
Keep Walking Back To You (as per 9)
14. While I've
Got It On My Mind (1974, from the album "The Ragged Old Flag" on
Columbia C 32917)
15. I Still Miss
Someone (1959, from the album "The Fabulous Johnny Cash" on Columbia
CS 8122)
16. The One Rose
(That's Left In My Heart) (1996, from the CD album "Unchained" -
American Recordings Vol.2)
[Notes: 1 and 16
are MONO all others STEREO; 5 and 8 are Previously Unreleased in the USA]
GOD (46:45
minutes):
1. What On Earth
Will You Do (For Heaven's Sake) (1974, from the album "The Ragged Old
Flag" on Columbia C 32917)
2. My God Is
Real (1961, from the album "Hymns From The Heart" on Columbia CS
8522)
3. It Was Jesus
(1959, from the album "Hymns By Johnny Cash" on Columbia CS 8125)
4. Why Me Lord
(1993, from the CD album "American Recordings" - Volume 1)
5. The Greatest
Cowboy Of Them All (1979, from the album "A Believer Sings The Truth"
on Cachet CL3-9001)
6. Redemption
(as per 4)
7. The Great
Speckled Bird (1959, from the album Songs Of Our Soil" on Columbia CS
8148)
8. The Old
Account (as per 3)
9. Swing Low,
Sweet Chariot (as per 3)
10. When He
Comes (as per 5)
11. The Kneeling
Drunkard's Plea (1996, from the CD album "Unchained" - American
Recordings Vol.2)
12. Were You
There (When They Crucified My Lord) (1963, from the album "Ring Of
Fire" on Columbia CS 8853)
13. Man In White
(1986, A-side of a US 7" single on Ezra 227)
14. Belshazzar
(1957, from the album "Original Sun Sound" on Sun Records LP 1275)
15. Oh, Bury Me
Not (Introduction: A Cowboy's Prayer) (as per 4)
16. Oh Come,
Angel Band (as per 5)
[Note: 4, 6, 14
and 15 are MONO - all others in STEREO)
MURDER (51:18
minutes):
1. Folsom Prison
Blues (1955, A-side of a US 7" single on Sun 232)
2. Delia's Gone
(1993, from the CD album "American Recordings" - Volume 1)
3. Mister
Garfield (1965, from the album "Johnny Cash Sings The Ballads Of The True
West")
4. Orleans
Parish Prison (Live) (recorded in Stockholm in 1972, released as a USA 7"
single on Columbia 4-45997)
5. When It's
Springtime In Alaska (It's Forty Below) (1964, from the album "Orange
Blossom Special" on Columbia CS 9109)
6. The Sound Of
Laughter (recorded in January 1966, Previously Unreleased in the USA)
7. Cocaine Blues
(Live) (1968, from the album "Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison" on Columbia
CK 65955)
8. Hardin
Wouldn't Run (as per 3)
9. The Long
Black Veil (as per 5)
10. Austin
Prison (1966, on the album "Everybody Loves A Nut" on Columbia CS
9292)
11. Joe Bean (as
per 10)
12. Going To
Memphis (1960, from the album "Blood, Sweat And Tears" on Columbia CS
8730)
13. Don't Take
Your Guns To Town (1958, from the 7" US EP "Fabulous Johnny
Cash" on Columbia B 12532)
14. Highway
Patrolman (recorded 1983, from the album "Johnny Cash - 1958-1986" on
Columbia C2 40637)
15. Jacob Green
(Live) (B-side of 4)
16. The
Wall (as per 5)
[Note: 1, 2, 5
and 8 are MONO - all others STEREO. 5 features JUNE CARTER-CASH on Duet Vocals;
6 is Previously Unreleased]
This is the kind
of music when men are "as wild as a buck" for their women - where
alcoholic's reach their mother's grave and "I know God in Heaven looked
down" - where a pistol went awry and someone now has a "warrant out
for my arrest". The different period choices of the songs just mentioned
are brilliant - "I Feel Better All Over" (Love), "The Kneeling
Drunkard's Plea" (God) and "Austin Prison" (Murder). It makes
each themed compilation a fascinating and invigorating listen. It's also cool
to see tracks from the genius 2nd American Recordings album -
"Unchained" - for me one of the best in the distinguished 6-album
series (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are the backing band). The cover of
Springsteen's "Nebraska" nugget "Highway Patrolman" is
superb too - tailor made for him and his huge voice.
The flimsy card
slipcase on the outside holds the three card digipaks on the inside but it
easily falls apart. There are deliberations by JUNE CARTER CASH on Love, BONO
on God and QUENTIN TARATINO on Murder but nothing in the way of booklets. Still
it's the music you want and the remasters are great.
"Someone
got killed 'neat the town hall light..." Johnny testifies on the classic
"Long Black Veil". He was a mountain of a man. And these days this
triple is often less than a fiver second-hand. Time to get this righteous
slayer in your home right soon...
