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229 of 235 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "early "essential Johnny Cash and a fitting tribute, September 18, 2003
This double-CD version of "The Essential Johnny Cash," not to be confused with a three-CD set with the same title that came out a decade earlier, was issued to commemorate Cash's 70th birthday. Consequently, it has ended up serving as a fitting tribute album to remember the Man in Black who died this month. It provides a more than adequate look at his career from 1955-1993, which, unfortunately, does mean it stops before his brilliant 1994 recording "American Recordings." However, this is a minor point because that is an essential Johnny Cash album in its own right, along with the Sixties albums "At Folsom Prison" and "At San Quentin." However, for someone who discovers that they do not have a Johnny Cash album in their music library, this is certainly a good place to start. This version of "The Essential Johnny Cash" focuses on the early years, with the vast majority of tracks coming from the 1950s and 1960s. Actually, there is only one track after 1986, which would be "The Wanderer," recorded with U2 in 1993. However, it is hard to argue with covering the first two major peaks in Cash's career like this and to leave the single album assessment of the final renaissance he enjoyed in recent years, exemplified by his cover of Nine Inch Nail's "Hurt," for down the road. The main thing is that you get his signature tunes, "I Walk the Line," Man in Black," and the live version of "A Boy Named Sue" that officially marked his crossover from country to the popular consciousness of American music, as well as his celebrated covers of "If I Were a Carpenter" and his duets with his wife, June Carter Cash, such as "Jackson." There are also a few choice gospel songs as well along with a surprisingly good duet of "Girl from the North Country" with Bob Dylan. Several American icons have died this year and unlike what happened with Bob Hope, where the current younger generation was rather clueless as to why this old guy had been so popular for so long, the MTV generation understood Johnny Cash. The music video for "Hurt" received a lot of acclaim, even earning a nomination for video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards. I am not particularly surprised by this, since Cash's music career began at the same time as the birth of rock `n' roll and his rebellious attitude made him at least a kindred spirit. He might not have sounded like a rocker, but he was never what Nashville would have considered to be country either. Johnny Cash was unique, with his deep, resonant baritone and spare, percussive guitar, which is why his death deserved the cover of "Time" magazine. You can quibble over whether or not these are truly THE essential three dozen tracks from the Man in Black's music career, but there is no doubt about Johnny Cash's place in the musical pantheon.
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104 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Retrospective, September 16, 2003
Johnny Cash was an American music icon known to the world as the "Man in Black." His booming deep bass voice is surely one of the most recognizable in country music history. While his vocal range was fairly limited, it was incredibly effective at conveying the plight of the common man. As befits a legend, there are several Cash collections available. This double disc is my favorite because it captures nearly all of the highlights of Cash's recording career between 1955 and 1993 (since then he put out four excellent albums on American Records as well). This chronological collection begins with eights hits from his tenure at Sun Records (1955-1958). Each of these great recordings, such as his double-sided hit debut "Cry, Cry, Cry"/"Hey Porter," "I Guess Things Happen That Way," "I Walk The Line," and his biggest chart hit "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" (ten weeks at number one!) features a "boom-chicka-boom" rhythm and sparse instrumental backing by Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant (also known as the Tennessee Two). If you are looking for more music from this period, I suggest Varese's double-disc, forty track Complete Sun Singles. Cash left Sun in late 1958 and signed with Columbia in hopes of occasionally recording his first love, gospel music, which Sun owner Sam Phillips would not allow. Cash's productive Columbia tenure (which ended in 1986) makes up 26 of the remaining 28 recordings. The remainder of disc one takes us through 1965 and shows Cash branching out far beyond rockabilly, with the old west cautionary tale "Don't Take Your Guns To Town," the yearn-filled ballad "I Still Miss Someone," the mariachi-flavored "Ring Of Fire" (June Carter's composition detailing her then turbulent relationship with Cash), the folky "Ballad Of Ira Hayes," the bluegrass toetapper "Orange Blossom Special," and fittingly, a stark, religious number for the closer, "Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)." The first half of disc two highlights Cash's work in the mid-to-late '60s, leading off with hit collaborations with wife to be June Carter ("It Ain't Me Babe," "Jackson," "If I Were A Carpenter") as well as megahits from his successful live prison albums ("Folsom Prison Blues," "A Boy Named Sue"). Interspersed is the less known acoustic "Girl From The North Country" duet with Bob Dylan (not a hit, but a superfine recording by two legendary artists) as well as the gospel-oriented "Daddy Sang Bass" which prominently features June Carter and the Statler Brothers (both members of Cash's late '60s/early '70s stage show, which was one of the best of its time). As the '70s began, Cash was still making a strong impact with the weary Kristofferson ode "Sunday Morning Coming Down," the matter of fact "Flesh And Blood," and the biographical ditty "Man In Black." As the decade wore on, though, big hits became harder to come by, limited to humorous chart-topper "One Piece At A Time" and haunting chestnut "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" (both found here) as well as "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" (unfortunately omitted). This Essential collection concludes with four diverse collaborations: "Song Of The Patriot" with Marty Robbins (1980), "Highwayman" with Kristofferson, Nelson, and Jennings (1985 - Cash's last number one single), the reflective "Night Hank Williams Came To Town" with Jennings (1987, from his otherwise unmemorable two-album Mercury Records stint), and "The Wanderer" with U2 (1993, from U2's Zooropa album, a hint of the adventurous material Cash would explore on his American Records albums, such as his recent reworking of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt"). For more material, you can go with the three-disc box set (confusingly, also titled Essential Johnny Cash), but track for track, this set is the more enjoyable listen.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not a Complete History, But Still a Winner, October 17, 2002
This collection was released in conjunction with Cash's 70th birthday, and the CD booklet is filled with testaments to the Man in Black from the likes of Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard to Paul McCartney, Bono, Chrissie Hynde, Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Ray Davies and Kirk Hammett. Anyone who can be an influence on such diverse artists as these has been doing something right since first stepping into Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in 1955.The set leans awfull heavy on Cash's Fifties and Sixties material. Tracks 1-8 are from his tenure at Sun. The rest of disc one and the first seven tracks of disc two take us through the end of the Sixties. The only track from the past fifteen years is "The Wanderer," taken from U2's 1993 Zooropa album. What's missing is any of Cash's Nineties work with Rick Rubin. But if you're looking for an inexpensive overview (with an emphasis on the hits) of one of country music's most influential artists, you can't go wrong here. (I would have given this five stars, but disc one is only 46 minutes and disc 2 is only 59 minutes.) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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~ Willie Nelson
~ Joaquin Phoenix
~ Johnny Cash
~ Johnny Cash
~ Waylon Jennings
by Johnny Cash 
