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Rating: When Johnny Cash recorded this album, he had been a sick man for quite some time. What kept this legend going, whose body had been worn down by Parkinson's and serious lung problems? An answer surely comes from this CD, the fourth produced by Rick Rubin.
The amazing thing is that Johnny knew how to handle every piece he interpreted, whether in his classic songs or in compositions by authors seemingly at the opposite end of his style and musical sensitivity. Would you ever have thought of hearing the man in black tackle tracks by Nine Inch Nails or Depeche Mode?
In this great album, that happens too, and it happens with two of the best tracks on the album, "Hurt", and "Personal Jesus", the latter of which is turned inside out like a sock and transformed into a blues, in my opinion, one of the best things to come out in the rock scene in the year of 2003. The album doesn't lack recoveries of American traditionals, as in the case of "Streets of Laredo" or "We’ll Meet Again", showcasing Johnny at his most classic. There’s also a composition by singer-songwriter Ewan McColl, a particularly tormented and poignant "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face". The collaboration with Nick Cave results in a cover of ZZTop, "I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry", in an applause-worthy duet, other great recoveries include a stunning version of the “Desperado” by the Eagles, and an "In My Life" by the Beatles that absolutely does not make you miss the original.
One of Johnny's abilities was to make exceptional songs that were perhaps not particularly brilliant at their origin (the two mentioned are certainly not, in my opinion, among the best of the Beatles and Eagles), and to give everything a touch of greatness with his unique voice and simply with his guitar. The great production work of Rick Rubin is also noteworthy, as the sounds of the album are among the most crystalline one can hear in a rock record (in my opinion, to define this album as simply "country" would be quite reductive).
Johnny's sick and suffering voice gives chills in every nuance. This voice and this guitar, unique and unforgettable. Ultimately, a great album, especially for those who desire something that music should provide, but unfortunately often doesn't: emotions!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Hurt (03:40)
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liars chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way
03 Give My Love to Rose (03:30)
i found him by the railroad track this mornin'
i could see that he was nearly dead
i nelt down beside him, and i listened
just to hear the words the dyin' fella said
he said they let me outa prison, out in frisco
for ten long years i paid for what i done
i was tryin to get back to lousiana
to see my rose, and get to know my son
give my love to rose, please wont ya mister?
take her all my money, tell her buy some pretty clothes
tell my boy that daddy's so proud of him
and dont forget to give my love to rose
wont ya tell um, i said thanks for waitin' for me
tell my boy to help his ma at home
tell my rose to try to find another
cause it aint right that she should live alone
mister here's the bag with all my money
it wont last them long, though it goes
god bless you for finding me this morning
now dont forget to give my love to rose
give my love to rose, please wont ya mister?
take her all my money, tell her buy some pretty clothes
tell my boy that daddy's so proud of him
and dont forget to give my love to rose
07 Personal Jesus (03:22)
Your own, personal, Jesus
someone to hear your prayers,
someone who cares
Your own, personal, Jesus
someone to hear your prayers,
someone who's there
Feeling unknown
and you're all alone,
flesh and bone,
by the telephone,
lift up the receiver,
i'll make you a believer
Take second best,
put me to the test,
things on your chest,
you need to confess,
i will deliver,
you know i'm a forgiver
Reach out and touch faith
Reach out and touch faith
Your own, personal, Jesus
someone to hear your prayers,
someone who cares
Your own, personal, Jesus
someone to hear your prayers,
someone to care
Feeling unknown
and you're all alone,
flesh and bone,
by the telephone,
lift up the receiver,
i'll make you a believer
i will deliver,
you know i'm a forgiver
Reach out and touch faith
Reach out and touch faith
Reach out and touch faith
Reach out and touch faith
11 Desperado (03:15)
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now.
Oh, you're a hard one,
But I know that you've got your reasons.
These things that are pleasin' you,
Can hurt you somehow.
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy,
She'll beat you if she's able.
Know the queen of hearts is always your best bet.
Now it seems to me, some fine things,
Have been laid upon your table.
But you only want the things that you can't get.
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger:
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home.
And freedom, oh freedom,
Well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking,
Through this world all alone.
And don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow, the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're loosin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling,
Goes away?
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, and open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you,
You better let somebody love you,
You better let somebody love you,
You better let somebody love you,
Before it's too late.
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Other reviews
By Enkriko
The song that starts it all, "When The Man Comes Around," is a ballad that illustrates the day of judgment with resurrecting dead and the Man walking among them.
The strength of Reznor’s song here is rendered tired and creaky, accompanied by just a few piano notes; the quality of the sound is truly that of a march for the ghosts.
By fede
"Johnny’s voice, hoarse, warm, deep, and rich like aged whiskey, is enhanced by collaborations with well-known artists."
"‘Hurt’ is a confession, an act of impotence and love, touched with an almost spiritual and mystical intensity."
