Customer Reviews

The Legend Of Johnny Cash: Volume II

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This 20-track collection is a good follow-up to last year's volume one. Both offer up seminal Cash sides, from his early days at Sun through his golden years at Columbia, his stay at Mercury in the '80s and his career capping sides for American. Both volumes also sandwich themselves in the narrow space between single-disc hit collections and deeper anthologies like 1992 and 2002's "Essential" titles, 2000's thematic "Love, God, Murder," 2005's 4-disc "The Legend," or Bear Family's oppressive triple-shot of box sets.

Both single-disc "Legend" volumes sample from the entire length of Cash's career, which means that they necessarily short-change any one phase, and leave out some seminal album releases. What you get instead is a sketch - rather than a full-color picture - of Cash's artistic arc, from slap-back echo at Sun through his righteous songs of the man in black, and finishing with stark, folk-styled renditions recorded with Rick Rubin for the American label.

Cash's fans may find this selection of tracks to be scattershot, duplicative of discs they already own, or unrepresentative of their particular favorites. But fans with deep Cash collections aren't the audience for this release. Instead, the songs have been selected and sequenced to make a compelling spin for new converts, those inspired by Cash's passing and subsequent biopic. And for these new fans, the Legend discs provide a good introduction to Cash's vast catalog that provides a bird's eye view from which to zoom in on specific eras or styles. [©2006 hyperbolium dot com]

The fans of Johnny Cash that have not picked up this CD are really missing the boat. No it didn't get the hype that the Volume 1 got for sure, but it is equally amazing if not better. Tracks like That Old Wheel jump out as VINTAGE Cash. Also the pain and beauty of the Rick Rubin productions just shine on this CD.

Even if you arent a Cash fan...I can't imagine not 'getting' what this CD is saying...it is brilliant!

I absolutely love this collection, it has "Bird on a Wire" on it which is such a deep, meaningful song and he sings it with his soul.... also features duets with Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings. Another one of my favorites on this cd is "That Old Wheel" and "Daddy Sang Bass". He also does his own version of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" which is really nice to listen to. Overall anyone who loves Cash or just wants some great country music to add to their collection will fall in love with this cd!!

I bought this as a companion to The Legend of Johnny Cash as it adds several great songs not found on that CD (It Ain't Me Babe, I Still Miss Someone, Home Of The Blues to name a few). When combined, these 2 CD's make a better collection of his greatest hits than Sony's Essential Johnny Cash.

"The Legend Of Johnny Cash, Vol. 2" is brilliant! This is an brilliant companion to Volume 1, with equally impressive songs.

Track Listing

1. There You Go

2. Home of the Blues

3. Ballad of a Teenage Queen

4. Ways of a Woman in Love

5. I Still Miss Someone

6. Don't Take Your Guns to Town

7. Long Black Veil

8. Ballad of Ira Hayes

9. It Ain't Me Babe - Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash

10. Girl from the North Country - Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan

11. Daddy Sang Bass

12. Flesh and Blood

13. Night Hank Williams Came to Town - Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings

14. That Old Wheel - Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Jr.

15. Beast in Me

16. Unchained

17. I Won't Back Down

18. I Hung My Head

19. Bird on a Wire [Live]

20. In the Sweet By and By