Cash as cash can!

With "American Recordings" began in 1994 Johnny Cash's spectacular comeback. Many others in his place might have again "Ring of Fire" was recorded (Nothing against "Ring of Fire"), and that's it. But cash was too good to ride old boots (again! Nothing against "Ring of Fire"), and even if this album is not the intensity of "Solitary Man" and "The Man Comes Around" reached and an even not so immediately gets to the heart and leaves waidwund - it is one of those albums that you will not forget, can not forget.
Cash is here of a lesser-known side, lets his famous "boom-chicka-boom" rhythm off and leads instead continue what he hinted at the end of the 60s (like with "Long Black Veil" to "San Quentin") : He sings very simple (simple ...) 13 songs with his distinctive bass-baritone and accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. No frills, he does not need. The living room as a recording studio ... Derlei minimalism reminds stops monoliths like Woody Guthrie or Leadbelly, and Johnny Cash this comparison.
At first listen acting "American Recordings" "only" simply beautiful, homogenous, wonderfully relaxed and loose, but never superficial; Cash archaic dark voice excludes any Tralala from the outset. A thoroughly enjoyable album, no doubt. Nick Lowe rare gloomy "The Beast in Me" falls one probably immediately, probably also the haunting "Redemption", and of course Leonard Cohen's immortal "Bird on the Wire" - in the latter case you wonder at most, that cash is not earlier has recorded. His version sounds anyway similarly convincing as Cohen's live version in 1993 or the interpretations of Joe Cocker, Jennifer Warnes or KD Lang.
But "American Recordings" has more to offer than you will notice at first hearing, much more. Each track is a gem of songwriter tradition, sometimes with country and times with Gospel-impact (the appropriate musical drawer for Johnny Cash has still to be timbered). Howlers like "Delia's Gone" as well as Cash's own compositions (including Drive On, Redemption, Like a Soldier) bribe by an intensity that is covered by no overweight Arrangement. In addition, compositions of about Tom Waits (Down There by the Train), Kris Kristofferson (Why Me, Lord) and Glenn Danzig - read correctly! -, Where cash awards the musical accolade.
These are the songs that he had always wanted to take, and thanks to his new producer Rick Rubin he could import the way he wanted.
And now comes the first Hammer: From a musician, who is known primarily as a gifted folk and country music singer and songwriter, you do not necessarily expect that he, for example, deals with the Metal rocker Glenn Danzig. And the second hammer comes immediately afterwards: Normally an album on which sings a song of any artist Glenn Danzig and Leonard Cohen would, something öhöm, sound inhomogeneous. But cash is not any artist, but a unique; one who can make the other compositions of his own and finds its true soul, gives them new size or their size ever discovered. The few can: Bob Dylan may, Ray Charles could - and also Johnny Cash.
"American Recordings" is one of those albums, for the repeat button was invented. One loves it almost as soon as the first notes of "Delia's Gone" are faded, you it closes the heart, even while one's heard for the first time; with each successive run discovers new things, and no later than the third one is listening addicted. So much happiness hormones suddenly there's not every day.
Cash as cash can!