Customer Reviews

Johnny Cash - Live From Austin TX

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just picked this DVD up. I skimmed through it once, watching the hit songs. But it was when I really watched it all the way throught that I discovered how really good it is. Some of the songs I was not familiar with are among the best on the DVD, particularly John Prine's "Sam Stone" and also "Let Him Roll". I was glad to see "The Fourth Man" on the DVD as I remember the song from an LP that I have.

Having June Carter Cash and the Carter Family on the DVD is a plus. The affection and chemistry between Johnny and June is obvious. One other thing that makes this DVD special for me is that I saw him in concert at about this time (1987) when the record companies weren't too interested in him, but he was still immensely popular with the public. The DVD brings back nice memories.

I steered clear of the "Live at Montreux" because of reports of poor sound quality. This DVD does not suffer from any lack of audio or visual quality.

I was delighted to find that this DVD was available in record shops here in Sydney a month before North America. I remember watching the concert on PBS in Ottawa in 1987. I was a bit take back with the DVD, it is packaged well, but since it is from the programme 'Austin City Limits' which has become an institution on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS)I expected better.

I was hoping for the intro I recall in 1987. The DVD concert quickly goes into the concert. Cash appeared a bit tired with limited emotion singing the old standards (Ring of Fire and Folsom Prison Blues), but this was the time when many considered his career was in a slump. He was signed to Mercury records and country radio industry was pretty much ignoring the reliable artists that helped build country radio in exchange for 'New Country' which sadly is not as I see it true country. I was relieved to see that his spirirt picked up for 'Sunday Mornin' Comin Down' and did a fine job with John Prine's 'Sam Stone' and a duet with June Carter with 'Where did we go right?'.

I recommend the DVD for Cash fans. I am pleased to own a copy. I give the DVD 3 stars, a good grade not the typical 5 that the so many overly eager 'reviewers' hand out. I only wich that Cash had a concert filmed and packeged to the equivalent of Elvis Presley's 'The '68Comeback Special' and 'The 1973 Aloha concert' because he deserved it.

I was mildly disappointed with this DVD. Nice clear video and great sound [especially in DTS]. Maybe too much time spent on closeups of Johnny. Music performance uninspired. Johnny looks and sounds tired. Band members playing as though they were on the last leg of an exhausting tour. The Rick Rubin American Recordings several years later really brought out the great soul that Johnny was [is]. It was an emotional moment for me when June Carter Cash joined Johnny on stage and I really appreciated Johnny covering songs by John Prine and Guy Clark, but despite the great venue this was a rather mediocre concert.

There's a friendly atmosphere at this show. Cash is upbeat, cheerful, and nonetheless is able to capture the loneliness of some of the classics. He's in good form, and it is interesting to see Cash perform in the years just before his career revitalized under American Recordings and Rick Ruben. It would be nice if the DVD had some extras, but the show, in of itself, is worthwhile.

Let me add a statement about the stars. Simply put, I enjoyed the show... and that is the essence of Johnny Cash, a man who wanted to put on a show. It's not a classic show, like Folsom Prison (wouldn't that be nice to see on video), but it captures a classic Cash, particularly in that phase of his life, a time when he simply performed the classics to give the audience a good time. I thought this DVD was better than "Behind Prison Walls" and that other DVD from 1994, which simply looks too amateurish.

I bought this dvd and instantly fell in love with Johnny all over again. The songs "Let him Roll" and "Sam Stone" were worth the price of admission alone, for me. June joins in later and the couple crank out a heartfelt performance. And of course, you have your standard classics. This dvd is one of the few that I will play over and over and over from my dvd music collection.

To me, what really made this disc was what others refer to as "obscurities". I prefer the term "rare gems", as it implies the value imparted upon them. Let Him Roll may very well be my new favorite Johnny song. As with most Johnny songs, he captures in 3-4 minutes what very well could be a feature length motion picture. The story of a broken hearted man rejected by a Dallas whore "in favor of being a girl about town"...and his ensuing refuge to white port wine. The type of man for whom Johnny wore his characteristic black.

Admittedly, this DVD has a differnt sound than what I'm used to hearing from Johnny in the black and white days...which I rather like. There is another guitarist playing lead (thankfully Fenders), and the sound is pretty chorus heavy overall, relative to what I was used to during the "classic johnny" era. Something about Johnny on this night captures a more somber feel (what others refer to as "worn" or "tired" on these reviews). The man has been through hell in almost 4 decades of touring at this point...does anyone expect him to do jumping jacks and handstands?

The Cliffnotes: If you remotely "get" Johnny Cash, buy this dvd now. You can thank me after you've played it for the 50th time.

I will give this LIVE FROM AUSTIN, TX: JOHNNY CASH on DVD a full 5 star rating, because it is a solid concert performance, but it does have a noticeable flaw in having too many obscure songs in the middle of the show. If not for these obscure songs, which range from "OK" to "Pretty Good," then this could have been one of Johnny's best DVD concerts, but as it is, it is still very decent, at times very good, and it is still, I think, the only DVD concert from the 1980's, that I am aware of.

Johnny's performance is strong, his singing is good, and he seems to be making a good showing of himself, now 20 years ago, when he seems to be between being middle-aged and elderly.

The show starts out strong with four very famous hits, "Ring of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," and "Walk the Line." The momentum slows down for two obscure songs, before coming back strong with a great version of "Big River."

"I'll Go Somewhere and Sing My Songs Again" is obscure but very insightful as to where Johhny is in his career at the time of this concert. I think he is at or near the end of his long contractual relationship with Columbia Records. Eventually, he would have minor, but artistically and personally unrewarding success as a member of the four man "supergroup" called The Highwaymen, before making it to his last career peak, getting signed to American Recordings and having a hit MTV video and song, in the early to mid-1990s. But this Austin concert in 1987, twenty years ago now, is the beginning of a phase of career uncertainty for Johnny Cash.

A few more obscure songs go by, which also include some swear words like "b*itch" and "wh*re" in the lyrics, sometimes very prominently. This is the weakest part of the concert, unknown, so-so songs with language that make it not family friendly.

The show ends strongly, with "Ghost Riders in the Sky," and a good duet with June Carter, "Where Did We Go Right," (the single song featuring June), and then a quick reprise of "I Walk the Line" to end the show.

You can hear sister Anita Carter singing in the background, and shown briefly in one of the obscure songs (blink and you will miss her, though).

This concert is different from many of the Johnny Cash concert DVDs in that it only has one song where a guest performer appears prominently in a song, June in this case. Many of his other great concert DVDs include his personal friends, professional music artists, often doing entire songs by themselves, such as Carl Perkins, Kris Kristofferson, the Statler Brothers, and others. Not so on the Austin, TX DVD.

My favorite Johnny Cash live DVDs are IN DENMARK or IN IRELAND, Denmark being some 15 years before this Austin show, and Ireland being more than 5 years after this Austin show. The worst Johnny Cash live DVD is probably BEHIND PRISON WALLS, which features guest artists who have little to nothing to do with Johnny Cash, other than that single concert event, and they take up as much screen time as Johnny Cash does. There is an obscure, b/w DVD called PETE SEEGER'S RAINBOW QUEST: JOHNNY CASH, which has a good, 40 minutes of Johnny and June sitting around, passing around the acoustic guitar with Pete Seeger, which is highly entertaining despite the obscurity of some of the songs.

Johnny Cash was the Hemingway of music. His style is one of understatement: he doesn't go for flashy performances, he always keeps his music simple. He seems to say: "This is all there is to my music and I don't want to embellish it in any way."

When you're talented and charismatic enough, that's all it takes. Mediocre singers need extras of all kinds, not Cash. I saw Johnny Cash live in Finland twice and this DVD will help me remember him and his style.

Another point about this DVD that I find extremely pleasing is the fact that no one praises Cash's talent and charisma. The very American way of interviewing other celebrities for comments on the star has been pleasantly forsaken. Nothing is more boring than having to listen to other singers laud a superstar known to all.

If you're a Johnny Cash fan, buy the DVD.

I haven't been to any of Johnny's concerts therefore, I purchased this CD. I enjoyed seeing him at the height of his career...and the songs were great. That man didn't walk on a stage, he loped and he had such charisma. It was obvious to me that he liked giving concerts. One song that stuck out was his "Ballad to Barbara"..loved it. Get it!!

Not only is this Johnny Cash DVD a must have for fans of the Man in Black, everything in the "Live from Austin" series is the best quality you'll find for your money. The DVD picture and sound is amazing and the range of artists (also including the CDs in this series)featured should have something for everyone. Whether you like Johnny Cash or Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams or Eric Johnson or Merle Haggard, you owe it to yourself to give the Austin City Limits collection a try!

Liked this a lot. It's obviously been remastered and it looks and sounds like it was recorded presently, not 20-plus years ago. Johnny does an awesome job, and I loved seeing him perform his major hits. Only gave 4 stars because there are a few songs I didn't care for, so I guess the selection could have been better for me. Still, it's a fantastic DVD and chance to see Johnny (and June on one song) looking and sounding great.