Customer Reviews

Johnny Cash Christmas 1976

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

By the mid-1970s, Johnny Cash was a veteran TV performer, and new how to keep a show humming. This seasonal special recalls the roasts and variety shows that were so popular at the time, packed with guests, gags and corny, prepackaged humor... But there's also the obvious sincerity that Johnny and June Carter Cash brought to their holiday cheer...

Filmed in their spacious ranch home, the show is conceived of as a big Christmas party, with their friends coming over for dinner and for a folksy, round-robin "guitar pull," where each guest taking a turn pickin', singing or telling a story. The performers include "Hee Haw" star Roy Clark and pop crooner Tony Orlando, who harmonize with Cash on a long medley of Stephen Foster classics, as well as Johnny's brother Tommy, superpicker Merle Travis (who picks a mean version of "The Cannonball Rag") and Johnny's pastor, Billy Graham, who closes the show with a grim Christmas parable about a rough-and-tumble mining camp that gets civilized through Jesus, but only after all kinds of violent, bloody behavior. (Yikes. What a buzzkill!)

The biggest surprise, though, comes from countrypolitan queen Barbara Mandrell, then at the height of her fame, who Cash remembers as a little girl who played steel guitar when he first met her... And sure enough, she sits down at the pedal steel and plays an impressive version of "Steel Guitar Rag." Who knew?? Although the pacing of the show is clunky, it was in keeping with the standards of live TV at the time, and it's a marvelous time capsule in many ways (especially the fashion: dig those cowboy duds on Tony Orlando!) Cash fans will definitely want to check this one out... students of the 'Seventies as well! (DJ Joe Sixpack - Slipcue)

I enjoyed both of the Johnny Cash Christmas shows: 1976 & 1977. They were great. June Nelson

I am so very pleased with the Johnny Cash Christmas '76. Since Johnny is no longer with us, this is an album to treasure. I am happy that I bought it.

This DVD of Johnny Cash's 1976 Christmas Special is a precious reminder of one of music's greatest legends.It shows his talent in so many ways with his music,his friends,his family and most of his humility ,love and faith in God.
What wonderful Christmas Specials we were treated to back when this Show was aired;and what a pity that we don't have them today.In those days we had a limited number of Channels to watch,but the quality of the programming was so good on them,compared to what we get today,that it was hard to decide which to watch.Now it seems we have an unlimited number of Channels,and we keep "flipping" from from one to another,looking for good entertainment,and finally give up.If you are lucky,you pull out a DVD such as this,and get a class act.It is a great show,,includes the extended Cash Family,Tony Orlando,Roy Clark,Merle Travis,Barbara Mandrell, and Reverend Billy Graham.Many of these wonderful people and entertainers,are gone;and the ones still left with us are seldom seen on TV and it is only by recordings such as this;that we can still enjoy them.
George Jones said it all in his song "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?".Well,we are still waiting and watching for the answer to that one.

I was quite disappointed with this Johnny Cash Christmas special 1976. Not only were there very few Christmas songs we also had to endure a sermon by the evangical Mr Billy Graham.Come on Johnny get back to real country music!!!!!

It's not quite what I was imagining. It's just one episode from his show, the "Christmas Special". Short, not really worth the money.