An album for eternity

With "The Man Comes Around", the last appeared to Johnny Cash's lifetime album from the American Recordings - series, we come full circle. The themes of the first two CDs were about all sorts of hardships of life, for their unsentimental portrayal of the Man In Black was famous on "Solitary Man" focused the issue, influenced by Cash's serious illness, the inevitable tragedies and death. The fourth part of the American Recordings spins this yarn indeed continue, but in contrast to the very gloomy predecessor it comes here primarily to the redemption that is necessary to watch the suffering.
"Spirit," Cash said himself, was the theme of the album, the human mind, which is marked by the difficulties and catastrophes of life, often suffering and yet never breaks, as long as he fights. Cash's voice sounds here betimes badly damaged, the disease is full of stories out, but even still the unconditional perseverance.
The album kicks off with "The Man Comes Around", a biblically inspired imagination on the Day of Judgment, in the cash presents itself as librettist of dylanscher Verklausulierungsbegabung. A quite bulky, but insistent entry.
"Hurt" is the first highlight of the album. The Nine Inch Nails - song is like for the late Cash wrote his version surpasses the original by far and is impressive arranged: from a soft start to the piece in a massive "Wall Of Sound" increases, is at the end (deliberately, of course, when Rick Rubin makes a mistake, then he wants to make it) overrides and finally sounds, again come to rest, quietly out. The ingenious video that was filmed on this number, is a throwback to Cash's long career and made the Man In Black to previously oldest Grammy - winners of a music video.
"Give My Love To Rose" is already a well-known cash - number whose new recording but fits very well to the album, the singer finds a dying man on the train tracks and takes its per se. A song about repentance and forgiveness.
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" has absolutely nothing from the kitsch of the original of Simon & Garfunkel, the piece sounds here like a hymn, the more fragile of Cash's voice and the oblique harmonies Fiona Apple's pathos is stolen. A musically very idiosyncratic, but intriguing version.
"Hung My Head" comes from Sting, the Man In Black makes the song about a murder by mistake a pensive ballad about crime and forgive.
"First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a classic evergreens, which you can add almost nothing, only just missing a version of Johnny Cash, who appears here as a tradition True and the piece argues simply and without pathos.
"Personal Jesus" is the next stroke of genius. The Depeche Mode - piece again does not fit at first glance in the cash - cosmos, but shows once again that cash had no reservations. From the original only the text and the rhythm remains on effects will be omitted, and the piece in an absolutely kitsch free Gospel - transformed Piano - Song with casual Boogie. One of the most successful cover - versions of all time.
"In My Life" has since quite difficult as a result of Song. The Beatles - piece fits indeed awarded the album and of course, it sounds completely different when an experienced singer who already has the rest of his life in mind interprets it. Here, however, the creativity has eased somewhat and cash can the song abgewinnen new pages. Not a bad version, but the schächste track on the album.
With "Sam Hall" to Cash shows once again as the Outlaw, the do not care. The role played cash often in his songs and has lost over the years and in spite of serious illness none of its credibility.
"Danny Boy", the unofficial Irish anthem, should not be missed on an album about death and redemption, of course. Cash taps something into the trash event, the piece is something therefore to church-song. Nevertheless, the Man In Black succeeds quite an impressive presentation. A Song for feasting.
"Desperado" has again the class, which makes up the album. Of the glossy version of the Eagles, despite the participation of Don Henley when shooting, nothing remained. When cash is from the brilliant colt a rusty old gun, as it has every gloomy hero of Italo -Western with him.
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" proving the grandmaster of the Country - music Hank Williams the honor. A hundred stings added this version of the classic with Cash and Nick Cave on vocals out and even exceeds the intensity of the original. One of the best songs on the album.
"Tear Stained Letter", a cash - Original, falls compared to something from, but you can see here once again the legendary dry humor of the Man In Black.
"Streets of Laredo", one of the absolute classics of Country - Music, must not be missing here. The song about a dying cowboy shows cash (it's his second version of this song) again fully up to par, his voice has here again the famous rich baritone and interpretation makes a wide arc to cliché and pathos. Only Johnny Cash could sing this song so.
The album ends with "We'll Meet Again", with which even the Byrds on their first hit - album "Mr. Tambourine Man" had passed. "The Whole Gang cash" is here represented on Mirko and dismisses the listener with a silver lining and the hope for a continuation of the American - series.
Unfortunately, Johnny Cash died some time after the release of the album. He had, however, still left a lot of material from which quite a lot has been published (on the Grand Box - Set "Unearthed" and the album "A Hundred Highways") still not spoken, who knows, maybe the last words of the Man In Black ,
"The Man Comes Around" but marks the end retrospectively. It is the last published during his lifetime to Cash's album, in which he was fully involved and shows him again as an outstanding musician and songwriter who can not be overcome even by the most severe blows of fate.
An album, from which you can never get enough.