"She
stood in a crowd and shed not a tear..." Cash sings about infidelity (not
for the first time) on "Long Black Veil" – an acoustic chill about a
ghost walking the hills looking for her lover who gave up his life for her even
when the judge gave him a chance to cop out. It is the opening outtake on CD1
and typical - the jaw dropping continuing unabated throughout the next four
compilations of Folk, Folk-Rock, Country-Rock and Acoustic Gospel. Disc 2 has Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers as the House Band - Cash in superb vocal form backed up by the perfect musical foil - all of it just working no matter what genre they take on.
Like the entire American Recordings series – and even when his voice was cracking and health disappearing fast – the giant that was Johnny Cash still shone through and "Unearthed" is full of that. There are black and white photos too of Cash with Tom Petty and Joe Strummer in the hardback booklet – other heroes taken way too soon too. So with heavy heart and hat clutched in the hand of a sinner, let us get to the humbling details...
US released 25 November 2003 - "Unearthed" by JOHNNY CASH on American Recordings/Lost Highway Records B0001679-02 (Barcode 602498613351) as a 5CD Clothbound Brick Block Box Set that plays out as follows (the UK variant of the Box Set is American Recordings/Lost Highway Records 986 133-5 – Barcode 602498613351):
CD1 "Who's Gonna Cry" (51:22 minutes):
1. Long Black Veil [Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin cover]
2. Flesh And Blood [Johnny Cash song]
3. Just The Other Side Of Nowhere [Kris Kristofferson cover]
4. If I Give Me Soul [Billy Joe Shaver cover]
5. Understand Your Man [Johnny Cash song]
6. Banks Of The Ohio [Johnny Cash song]
7. Two Timin' Woman [Johnny Cash song]
8. The Caretaker [Johnny Cash and Gordon Jenkins song]
9. Old Chunk Of Coal [Billy Joe Shaver cover]
10. I'm Gong To Memphis [Johnny Cash, Holly Dew and Alan Lomax song]
11. Breaking Bread [Randy George cover]
12. Waiting For The Train [Jimmie Rodgers cover]
13. Casey's Last Ride [Kris Kristofferson cover]
14. No Earthly Good [Johnny Cash cover]
15. The Fourth Man In The Fire [Arthur Smith cover]
16. Dark As A Dungeon [Merle Travis cover]
Bonus Tracks:
17. Book Review [Bobby George and Charlie Williams cover]
18. Down There By The Train (Alternate Take) [Tom Waits cover]
NOTES:
All tracks are just Johnny Cash and Acoustic Guitar
CD2 "Trouble In Mind" (52:17 minutes):
1. Pocahontas [Neil Young cover]
2. I'm A Drifter (Version 1) [Dolly Parton cover, band is Tom Petty/Heartbreakers]
3. Trouble In Mind [Richard Jones song, Joe Turner and Bob Wills covers]
4. Down The Line [Roy Orbison cover]
5. I'm Movin' On [Hank Snow cover]
6. As Long As The Grass Shall Grow [Johnny Cash & Peter LaFarge song, a duet with June Carter Cash]
7. Heart Of Gold [Neil Young cover]
8. The Running Kind [Merle Haggard cover, duet with Tom Petty]
9. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby [Carl Perkins cover]
10. Brown-Eyed Handsome Man [Chuck Berry cover, duet with Carl Perkins]
11. "T" For Texas [Jimmie Rodgers cover]
12. Devil's Right Hand [Steve Earle cover]
13. I'm A Drifter (Version 2) [Dolly Parton cover]
Bonus Tracks:
14. Like A Soldier [Johnny Cash song, duet with Willie Nelson]
15. Drive on (Alternate Lyrics) [Johnny Cash song]
16. Bird On A Wire (Live With Orchestra) [Leonard Cohen cover]
NOTES:
All tracks are with a full band, in most cases it's Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - The Red Devils play on Tracks 11 and 12 - Flea and Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers feature on Track 13 - Vocal Duets noted on Tracks 6, 8, 10 and 14
CD3 "Redemption Songs" (48:04 minutes):
1. A Singer Of Songs [Tim O'Connell cover]
2. The L & N Don't Stop Here Anymore [Jean Ritchie cover]
3. Redemption Song [Bob Marley & The Wailers cover, a duet with Joe Strummer of The Clash]
4. Father And Song [Cat Stevens cover, a duet with Fiona Apple]
5. Chattanooga Sugar Babe [Norman Blake cover]
6. He Stopped Loving Her Today [George Jones cover]
7. Hard Times [Stephen Foster cover]
8. Wichita Lineman [Glen Campell cover, Jimmy Webb song]
9. Cindy [Traditional, a duet with Nick Cave]
10. Big Iron [Marty Robbins cover]
11. Salty Dog [Traditional cover]
12. Gentle On My Mind [Glen Campbell cover, John Hartford song]
13. You Are My Sunshine [Jimmie Davis cover]
14. You'll Never Walk Alone [Rogers and Hammerstein cover]
Bonus Track:
15. The Man Comes Around [Early Take]
CD4 "My Mother's Hymn Book" (38:33 minutes):
1. We'll Never Grow Old
2. I Shall Not Be Moved
3. I Am A Pilgrim
4. Do Lord
5. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
6. If We Ever Meet Again This Side Of Heaven
7. I'll Fly Away
8. Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies
9. Let The Lower Lights Be Burning
10. When He Reached Down
11. In The Sweet By And By
12. I'm Bound For The Promised Land
13. In The Garden
14. Softly And Tenderly
CD5 "Best Of Cash On American" (52:48 minutes):
1. Delia's Gone [Johnny Cash song] (from "American Recordings", April 1994)
2. Bird On A Wire [Leonard Cohen cover] (from "American Recordings", April 1994)
3. Thirteen [Glenn Danzig cover] (from "American Recordings", April 1994)
4. Rowboat [Beck cover] (from "Unchained", November 1996)
5. The One Rose [Jimmie Rodgers cover] (from "Unchained", November 1996)
6. Rusty Cage [Soundgarden cover] (from "Unchained", November 1996)
7. Southern Accents [Tom Petty/Heartbreakers cover] (from "Unchained", Nov 1996)
8. Mercy Seat [Nick Cave cover] (from "American III: Solitary Man", October 2000)
9. Solitary Man [Neil Diamond cover] (from "American III: Solitary Man", Oct 2000)
10. Wayfaring Stranger [Traditional] (from "American III: Solitary Man", Oct 2000)
11. One [U2 cover] (from "American III: Solitary Man", October 2000)
12. I Hung My Head [Sting cover] (from "American IV: The Man Comes Around", November 2002)
13. The Man Comes Around [Johnny Cash song] (from "American IV: The Man Comes Around", November 2002)
14. We'll Meet Again [Vera Lynn WWII song] (from "American IV: The Man Comes Around", November 2002)
15. Hurt [Trent Reznor song/Nine Inch Nails cover] (from "American IV: The Man Comes Around", November 2002)
Like the albums - the first CD here is Cash and Acoustic only - an American Recordings type of deal. The 2nd and 3rd CDs deal with the primarily Rock stuff where Tom Petty or The Red Devils or members of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers are essentially the backing band on the track - all hugely complimentary to that Cash-Rock sound. The fourth CD is where his heart is - Gospel sung deep and lonesome and on his own. The fifth disc is a Bonus of sorts but it makes for a fabulous listen all by itself - the rawk riffage of "Rusty Cage" sitting comfortably alongside the WW II anthem "We'll Meet Again". After November 2003's "Unearthed" and Cash's sad passing - American Recordings 'The Series' continued for another two volumes - "A Hundred Highways" (Volume 5 in 2006) and "Ain't No Grave" (Volume 6 in 2010). Which brings us to the musical choices...
His cover version choices were truly extraordinary - truthful to him - a man who had lived the hurt and pain - so he knew how to sings the lyrics because he had been around love, guns, marriage and infidelity and was now looking death in the face. When you hear how Cash supercharges Nick Cave's death-row song "Mercy Seat" with all that organ and piano crescendo and lyrics like "...I'm not afraid to die...God is never far away..." - you know it comes from a well of real and not cheesy Country angst for the sake of it. It embibes each of these late-career performances with a power that is undenible - and yes - even cool. And who would think that the King of Soppy love songs with flowers Neil Diamond could be grist for the JC mill - but his "Solitary Man" is fantastic where it combines audiophile-worthy Production values from Rick Rubin and is then given huge oomph by Tom Petty's backing vocals - a match made in Heaven indeed. And even if his voice is clearly failing him for "Wayfaring Stranger" - his croak and weariness adds pathos to the rendition - a lonely violin note going over Jordan, going over home.
The two hardback booklets are beautiful - song-by-song explanations for Disc 1 to 4 with Cash adding his own reasons - but it's frustrating that there is none for the Disc 5 compilation. The photos are gorgeous and classy - but it is nothing to CD2 and CD3 where the band is featured - stunning stuff. Even the live "Bird On A Wire" where he jokes with the audience before duetting with an orchestra - is so good.
If the fire comes, "Unearthed" is one of the ones I grab when exiting the house. What a giant he was...
