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141 of 143 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Epitaph of Tremendous Importance..., December 21, 2003
I cannot give enough praise to the performances on this collection of (mostly) unreleased material. Cash is astounding. I found many of these songs to be more diverse and impressive than much of what was found on the last two American Recordings releases. I can think of no more fitting farewell from (and for) the Man In Black than this. How much of it didn't end up on an album is beyond my comprehension.
The Re-Recordings:
There are quite a few legendary Cash gems given new life and intensity in this set. Among them is the classic mourner "Long Black Veil," the endearing "Flesh And Blood," and twin mining/coal town songs of "Dark As Dungeon" and "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore." There are others and, honestly, each one is as good (if not more straight-forward and hard-hitting) as the originals.
The Covers:
While I felt that American Recordings IV: When The Man Comes Around contained too many covers of uber-popular songs ("In My Life," "Desperado," etc.), here we find a few numbers from songwriters like Kris Kristofferson ("Just The Other Side Of Nowhere" and "Casey's Last Ride"), Neil Young ("Pocahontas" and "Heart of Gold"), Jimmie Rodgers ("'T' For Texas" and "Waiting For a Train")...and the list goes on and on. Again, I'm left wondering why hadn't some of these made the cut before?
The Duets:
Why "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" was chosen over the charming "Cindy" (both with gloom-crooner Nick Cave) for American IV I'll never know. While I love Hank Williams, Sr. this traditional track is simply perfect. The same for the Fiona Apple duet of Cat Steven's "Father And Son." A vast improvement over "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" where Miss Apple's voice seems to interfere more than harmonize. But hands down the best duets are with veteran rockabilly king, Carl Perkins ("Brown-Eyed Handsome Man"), and the late Joe Strummer of The Clash ("Redemption Song").
The Hymns:
While I love many of Cash's own Christian inspired songs I found that many of the traditional hymns lacked, pardon the expression, spirit. They were faithful renderings, but seemed to lack the interpretation that Cash usually lends to any song. Or perhaps it was just my impression. Regardless, I won't say that these songs aren't good...they certainly are...they just don't all quite match the glory of the rest of the set.
The Best of the Rest:
I still cannot grasp any reason why Unearthed included a "Best of..." disc, except for the sole purpose of upping the price of this boxed set. I would have to guess that most of the folks willing to shell out $65.00 for a Cash boxed set are probably going to have most, if not all, of the American Recordings albums previously released. But this doesn't bother me so much in the long run. They could have charged the same price for four discs if they'd wanted...I'd still have took the bait.
Packaging:
I've heard many folks bemoan the agreeably fragile packaging. I've seen folks complain oblivious to the fact that the upside down flag is the long-standing emblem of American Records and can be found on all the albums on their label. I can only offer one suggestion to those who worry about the cardboard sheaths damaging the cds. If you have a CD recorder...make copies. Use those copies and leave the packaging on a shelf somewhere as something to take down and thumb through from time to time. It's supposedly a Limited Edition...treat it like one and it'll last.
Liner Notes:
Last but not least we have the personal reflections of Cash, producer Rick Rubin, and various other friends, family members, and bandmates that contributed to the creation of this collection. I found myself wishing that we had such intimate accounts of all the songs on the original American Recordings...and thankful that we could be given such insight into such a fruitful and inspiring time in Johnny Cash's career. For those who hadn't gotten a sense of the man from his music...they certainly couldn't miss what a genuine, thoughtful, intriguing, and inspirational individual Cash was...and always will be. Thanks to American Recordings and Rick Rubin for allowing a legend to make a magnificent final stand.
The Final Tally:
Music: *****
Packaging: ****
Liner Notes: *****
PS: The live, orchestral version of Leonard Cohen's "Bird On A Wire" is simply one of the finest pieces of music I've ever heard. If there were more songs from this live performance I'd certainly be willing to pay to hear it. It's glorious. Enjoy.
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87 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not merely a boxed set: a treasure chest for Cash fans, January 10, 2004
To put it quite plainly, Unearthed is essential for anyone who loved the last 10 years of Johnny Cash's recording career - his years with producer Rick Rubin on American Recordings, which many, including this humble reviewer, consider the best years of Cash's long and storied career. This set features not merely the best of the rest of those recordings, but the rest of the best. While some of them are not fully realized, there are many genuine revelations contained within. It boggles the mind how some of them did not make the original albums; some could have worked interchangeably, some are unquestionably better, while some, perhaps, simply did not fit the mood of the album. In any case, this boxed set, thoughtfully, has not been sequenced randomly: each of the first three discs is thematic and corresponds to a specific American album(s); the fourth, My Mother's Hymn Book, is a never-before-released gospel album; and the final disc is a Best Of for Cash on American records. As such, each disc stands very well on its own. WHO'S GONNA CRY. This disc, corresponding with the first American album, features Cash unadorned, with just his acoustic guitar - and that voice. It features several great covers, a few previously-unreleased Cash songs, and some re-recordings of his former hits. It starts the set off with a killer, pardon the pun, version of Long Black Veil that is even better than the classic version on the At Folsom Prison album. Other highlights include Flesh and Blood, If I Give My Soul, a great Banks of the Ohio, Casey's Last Ride, and Dark As A Dungeon. The track Book Review is interesting, as the listener gets to hear Cash in conversation. The disc closes with a fine alternate version of Tom Waits's Down There By The Train. This disc is interesting for its immediacy and its focus on Cash's inimitable voice and for the naked and powerful emotionality that he brings to the songs. TROUBLE IN MIND. Cash goes electric, with help from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Red Devils, and various members of his extended and very musical family. This disc is nearly flawless, with not a single weak track. It also has a considerably lighter tone than the dark first disc, with Carl Perkins even joining in for two of a series of rollicking rockabilly numbers. An epic, monumental re-invention of Neil Young's political Pocahontas starts off the disc. Other highlights include two distinct version of Dolly Parton's (!) I'm A Drifter; a peerless version of the country blues title track, which ranks among Cash's best performances on the entire set; a heartfelt duet with June Carter on the re-invented As Long As The Grass Shall Grow; the aforementioned rockabilly numbers; a driving version of Steve Earle's Devil's Right Hand; and worthy alternate versions of two great songs from the first American album. Closing out is a wonderful and beautiful take on Leonard Cohen's Bird On A Wire - complete with a full orchestra. REDEMPTION SONGS. This disc is also virtually flawless, tainted only by the throwaway Salty Dog. Whereas the second disc worked parallel with the Unchained album, this disc corresponds with the last two American albums - primarily acoustic (though with a band) and darker in mood. A Singer of Songs is a great anthem to start off the disc. The absolute highlight, maybe of the entire set, comes with Redemption Song, a beautiful and heartfelt take on the Bob Marley song that brought tears to my eyes. The duets with Fiona Apple and Nick Cave included here are both superior to their counterparts on American IV and should have been on that album instead. Another great highlight of the disc is a tremendous version of Stephen Foster's Hard Time (Come Again No More), one of the very best tracks on the entire set. Great versions of Wichita Lineman, Big Iron, and You Are My Sunshine round out the disc. MY MOTHER'S HYMN BOOK. This disc features 15 songs of Cash singing gospel songs armed with only an acoustic guitar. This is an album that he wanted to record all his life, and it is the one that he named as his personal favorite. A very personal album it is: Cash is literally singing from his mother's hymn book! Cash states in the liner notes how much these songs mean to him; it comes across clearly on his performances. These stark, moving, unadorned performances are truly something to behold: beautiful and very emotional. Even non-Christian listeners or those who do not like gospel songs, will find much to admire in this set because of its emotional, intense, and clearly heartfelt nature. For those who especially value Cash's gospel performances, this will be the best disc in the set; for those who are not especially interested in it, however, it may come off as somewhat boring. BEST OF. The inclusion of this disc simply makes no sense: anyone who would buy an expensive boxed set of outtakes would already own the first four American albums. The track selection is good, but this is simply superfluous. This extra disc only serves to drive up the price of the box and should have been used to house even more unreleased takes. The 100+ page booklet that comes with this set is excellent, tainted only by a few printing errors. It features very informative and moving notes by Sylvie Simmons, as well as the comments of Cash, Rubin, and the various sessionists for every track. The cardboard slips that house the discs, however, are rather poor. The valuable discs could easily be damaged with such shoddy housing. For the price, these certainly should have been of a higher quality; purchasers should keep their discs in separate jewel cases. Overall, this is simply an essential purchase for anyone interested in the music of Johnny Cash. This is a grand statement from one of American music's towering greats.
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Legacy of a Great Artist and a Powerful Partnership, January 19, 2004
Unearthed is a treasure chest of Cash's movingly sung, austerely rich marvels of American music. Although a handful were written by Cash himself, his artistic weight and keen capacity to interpret the songs of others, makes this 5-CD set the stunning legacy of a man who is an icon the history of Earth's music -to call it "country," "contemporary" or "American," although accurate would not do justice to the universal power of his work. What is still more astonishing to me is that these five CDs never fall into the common, tired batch of outakes and discarded mishaps that we are so used to seeing record companies put out, on behalf of other musical legends, nor is it the "sure-thing" approach of gathering classics and re-selling them with the excuse of having being remastered -which so often is impossible to justify or hardly an improvement. No, this is five CDs of authentic greatness, the late work of a man who was beginning to say goodbye to life but was not done with honoring his craft or searching his soul. The fact that three out of five units are entirely dedicated to material recorded but not previously chosen for the American Recordings series, says something about Cash's productivity, but even more about the endless creativity he found partnering with Rick Rubin and the trove of great material they conceived together. Practically every song -including the CD devoted to old hymns and gospel songs- is treated with a consistent austerity of arrangements and focus on Cash's voice; it is amazing how rich they are, without an endless parade of star-guests or elaborate strings, or other witless and predictable avenues often followed by aging stars joining forces with ambitious producers. Here, none of that is indulged on, here Cash and Rubin breathe into life an amazing musical document. Even the fifth CD which gather a cross-section of what already came out in the original four American Recordings is fitting, and will be particularly appreciated by those who do not own such CDs. As far as the specifics of the songs covered, other people before me have already done a great job of describing them. As to the argument on who should buy such expensive and extended set by one artist, I would have a hard time not recommending it to anyone who appreciates great artists in any genre. You can learn more about America listening to this box-set than driving throughout the country over and over. And that's ultimately the legacy of Cash and Rubin's partnership: to have captured the essence of art, transforming an individual experience into a universal message.
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by Johnny Cash 
