Tuesday, April 6, 2010
JOHNNY CASH
American VI: Ain't No Grave
American Recordings
What do Johnny Cash, Tupac Shakur and Elvis all have in common? They are all still alive, living at some beach resort and sporadically release new material almost on an annual basis. The latest release by the Man in Black is a very stripped down album delivered in Mr. Cash's signature lonely, sad voice. Its a final spoken word on confronting death. Cash looks the Reaper right in the eye and tells him, "What took you so long?". While some of the album can get depressing at times (i.e. For the Good Times, I Corinthians 15:55) the release is worth picking up for tracks such as Ain't No Grave and a cover of Sheryl Crow's Redemption Day.
TOP TRACKS: Ain't No Grave, Redemption Day, Satisfied Mind, I Don't Hurt Anymore
FINAL VERDICT: A must listen for Cash fans and anyone who likes substance with their music. There must have been some transcendent feeling as Rick Rubin produced these tracks with an american icon
such as Johnny Cash.
RATING: 5/5
SHOOTER JENNINGS & HEIROPHANT
Black Ribbons
Black Country
I don't know much about Shooter Jennings except he's the son of country greatness, Waylon Jennings and married to ex-Sopranos star and fashion designer, Drea de Matteo. You would think he
would follow in his daddy's footsteps and continue the country legend right? Wrong. Shooter joins up with a band of musicians that when combined with Shooter's vocals gives you one part Pink Floyd and three parts Soundgarden. Its been described as an "experimental" album for obvious reasons since there is no rhyme or reason to it. The tracks seem focused on an oncoming Apocalypse as we are warned of it through the voice of Stephen King acting as an evangelistic radio jockey throughout the album.
TOP TRACKS: Wake Up!, God Bless Alabama, California Via Tennessee
FINAL VERDICT: If pretentious kids of famous people are your thing than this album is for you. I'll give Shooter credit for trying to develop his own sound but do it in the privacy of your own home. I could think of worse things than being locked up with Drea de Mateo.
RATING: 1/5
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