American IV: The Man Comes Around

One of the most unforgettable, chilling voices in history. An album that is stripped and beautiful, relying on the emotional strength that Johnny Cash's voice is capable of. This album is almost hard to listen to because it feels so imbued with grief and knowledge - you can almost tell that Johnny knows that he is going to die, and this album is a reckoning with the different aspects of a life long lived. While this is a cover album, it feels transformational (like a great cover album should). Songs like "In My Life" sound completely different. It doesn't sound like a bad pastiche of the original artists, but rather the uniquely simple and strong instrumentation and vocals of a country legend. 5/5.

Not me crying in the break room at lunch because Johnny is giving me an existential crisis over the impermanence of life.

The greatest version of Desperado, period (featuring non other than Don Henley on background vocals). A cover of a Nine Inch Nails song that somehow becomes one of The Man In Black's greatest songs (its no longer a Trent Reznor song, it's forever a Johnny Cash song). Cash and producer Rick Rubin come close to doing the same to a Depeche Mode classic. Fiona Apple sings with Cash on Bridge Over Troubled Water. Billy Freaking Preston shows up to tickle the ivories on a couple of tracks. Some of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers contribute, along with a Chili Pepper, Nick Cave, and the great Marty Stuart. But it's still Johnny Cash who makes it all work, his voice huskier than ever, sometimes sounding like he's singing at his own funeral, ready to shuffle off his mortal coil at the end. The ultimate victory lap to cement his legend, the last album released while Johnny Cash was alive. It's the perfect swan song.

I mean... dang. Old Cash beats the pants off of Young Cash any day. These songs, covers and all, are so hauntingly beautiful. You feel the weight of life lived, mistakes made, and perspective gained in Cash's performances. It's a damn near perfect album.

This album could have been half the length and come across stronger. Some brilliant interpretations, some “this is Johnny Cash covering something”.

I think this is one of those rare moments. I must be honest, sacrilegious as I know this is, but much as I admire and respect Johnny Cash for so many reasons, I never really cared to listen to him. It didn't bother me; I just wasn't interested. Well, with this album, forget all that. I feel like this is one of those 'a-ha!' moments when something inside me switched on and now, silly as this might sound, I "get it". I know. Could I be any later to the party? Nothing I can do about that, my friends. Here I am. Brilliant.

Oh I'm just not arsed, Johnny. Just well known songs that aren't really improved. I know it was just before he kicked the bucket and Hurt was all very poignant and that, but...yeah whatever. Sue me.

It's an interesting album. The sparse acoustic guitar accompaniment goes well with Johnny Cash's voice to make for a haunting, somber tone. My issue with the album is the song selection. Some (Hurt, Personal Jesus, In My Life) work great, but others (Bridge Over Troubled Water, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Desperado) just don't work for me. They sound awkward and forced. 3 stars.

First track was better than expected, but nothing else was. And I didn't expect much. Really not a fan of traditional Johnny Cash, and his take on the more modern songs didn't do much for me either - I much prefer the original versions in every case. Bridge Over Troubled Water was particularly painful, especially when the backing vocals come in. Danny Boy has been murdered by many before, and it's good to hear Johnny Cash keep up that tradition. I listened, so at least I can say I gave it a chance, and I definitely preferred this to most of his other music. Still hated it.

Cash rules everything around me

Amazing. How he takes songs from different eras and dramatically different artists and turns them into his own classic Cash style. His vocal performance and emotional delivery create something magical and knowing it was his last work brings it all to a new realm. I truly responded emotionally and for me that is what true art and performance does.

Wow. So hauntingly beautiful. For an album of covers, this feels incredibly intimate - to the point that it sometimes feels too personal to listen to. The way Johnny Cash delivers these songs and makes them his own is something else. His voice is calm but deeply emotional, and it demands your attention. He's contemplative and retrospective too, as if he's looking back at every facet of his life while saying goodbye through his music. Being my first full-length Cash album, this makes me thankful for this project. What a pleasure listening to this record. I'm only saddened by the fact that I might not be able to play it front to back as much as I want to, because it starts feeling very heavy and emotional at some point. But that's only a testament to how good it is. Standout tracks would have to be Hurt, In My Life, Desperado, & We'll Meet Again, but the whole album is breathtaking.

Original NIN version of hurt is way better, bugs me that everyone thinks its a Johnny Cash song First impressions of this album is that it's an album middle aged conservative men love because he sings about good ol american values n shit. Not that I always dislike that but this all sounds too jesus-y for me. Damn he covered personal jesus too, this version sucks more that hurt. Jesus, In My life too, this is the worst cover yet. I hate this man's voice, I get he's trying to sound sad but he just sounds bored. Ok I'm gonna skip the last 3 songs, I've heard enough All of his songs sound the same to me, I'm not a fan

I was waiting for this album. Dang Johnny, thanks for this last one. Simple, beautiful arrangements. His originals, reworked or not (The Man Comes Around, Give My Love to Rose, Tear Stained Letter) have just as good lyrics and draw you in just as well as any of his other previous songs or versions. His version of Hurt just epitomizes this whole album - stripped down, vulnerable, sad (mostly). I Hung My Head and Personal Jesus are other great examples of how his reworked versions really put a new spin on the original. You have to be in a certain mood for it, but as a concept this album is brilliant, as is his execution.

I love how even though this album is mostly made of covers, Cash makes them sound like they were always his songs to begin with Favorites: The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Personal Jesus, Streets of Laredo

I watched Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story this week and would have loved for Johnny Cash to have covered Beautiful Ride or Let’s Duet on American V

this made me cry. a lot.

good but always the same thing

Poignant and beautiful. Hurt and Personal Jesus are magnificent examples of what good covers should be. And I love hearing Cash re-do songs with his impossibly gravelly old man voice that he first recorded in the 50s and 60s. Give My Love to Rose is even sadder now! You know how artists will get together and do tribute albums to a musician after they die? I feel like Johnny Cash decided to record one of those for himself, and he killed it.

initial thoughts: why have I never sat down and fully listened to this album, I basically favorited every song on it fav off album: hurt

kinda boring - prefer johnny singing country

Boring, uninteresting covers of songs.

One thing about the march of time is that around the 2000s you start getting these last testaments by great acts. You Want it Darker and Blackstar come to mind. But this album is probably the first I think of. A last dance with a legacy act. And country is a fantastic genre for it. Getting old? All the weariness comes forward. Better than that is this album is inventive, covering all sorts of songs including famously NIN, a thing that on paper sounds INSANE but in practice is one of the most devastating performances ever. What an album. 1000% belongs on here even if you dislike it. This is an important fucking album, it says things about life itself dammit hahah

When I first heard Hurt I was in high school and didn't know why we were listening to an old man trying to be cool. Listening now - there is just so much emotion - sadness, longing, love If you can listen to this without feeling something you are a sociopath haha

fav track: i hung my head

Johnny Cash is one of those guys that somehow gets a pass for most people. The "I don't like country but Johnny Cash is good" crowd. I mean, this isn't even really country. The album that sent a bunch of boomers to Potbelly's to play covers. There's better country, there's better albums, there's just not a whole lot here. It also seems like a big cash grab

Ugh. This was not much an album. It was not memorable and not really singing the lyrics but more of speaking the lyrics. The covers were weird and not good at all. Did this album get added simply because it is Johnny Cash? Yes. Is it dog shit? Yes.

Loved it. Spending time to listen to each song is rewarding

A great album by one of the greatest songwriters of his era. A very moving, extremely well done mix of originals and covers that feel like they could be his own. Highly recommended much like the other albums in the American Recording series.

Cash's late imperial phase is dominated by covers, yes, but so was most of his career. Anyway this album is fantastic, not a bad song here.

Great great album

This is good, but now I'm imagining a Johnny Cash covers album of songs that really wouldn't work as Johnny Cash covers. "Through the Fire and the Flames" by Dragonforce, "Sicko Mode" by Travis Scott, "Woodpecker No. 1" by Merzbow. I would pay money to hear some bullshit like that. Alas, rest in peace.

This was interesting. Listening to Johnny Cash sing Personal Jesus is worth a star on its own. I'd listen again but can't say that I loved it.

Some classic Cash sounds and some that felt like they dragged him into the studio and put the lyrics in front of him. "We'll Meet Again" probably my favorite... although "Hurt" is always good.

Man. I don't know what to say. This is heartbreaking to listen to - a fitting swan song for a brilliant career in country-folk music. Johnny Cash's voice is expressive, emotive... just great. The instruments backing his singing make tasteful use of piano, strings, and even guest vocalists (including Fiona Apple in the third track!). If I had to suggest one thing to change, it would be to include more original compositions (fewer covers) and more musical variations between the songs. But really, given the context of the album, I doubt this performance could have been surpassed. 4/5 Key tracks: Hurt, Bridge Over Troubled Water, In My Life, The Man Comes Around

Excellent, but the 3 duets would be better if Johnny handled them alone.

Pretty cool to hear him sing these songs. He seems to really perk up when a song involves shooting someone

Some stand out covers amongst some dreary songs. Hurt and Personal Jesus are my favourites

Great concept and cool album. Very neat that it’s his last one. Also, it is just cover songs…

What a treasure of an album. I'd heard "Hurt" before, but most of these I hadn't. And I didn't realize there was a whole series of this. Much respect for you, Johnny ❤️

Badass cover album. Even Trent Reznor said Hurt isn't a NIN song anymore, it's Cash's. Also cool that John Frusciante was on Personal Jesus such a jam. As is In My Life. All in all the lows balanced out the highs I mentioned. His voice was insanely good on this though. High 3.

This is the first Johnny Cash album that's come up on the list for me. I wasn't expecting much, and it managed to slightly exceed those expectations. I appreciate the guy was 70+ when he recorded this, but his vocals weren't very good. Musically it was very sparse, which I'm was an intentional less-is-more approach. I listened all the way through and there were a couple of decent tracks. It's 3 stars from me.

Some of the best covers ever performed. As Reznor said about Hurt, it's his song now.

My first 5/5 album, 37 albums in. Cash's renditions of these songs are absolutely beautiful. Tear Stained Letter has been one of my favorite songs for a long time, and obviously his cover of Hurt is divine. But listening to this album end to end was such a treat. I loved this one.

iconic

What a fantastic listen. Usually I'm not a fan of albums thay almost exclusively contain covers, but the covers on this album could stand alone as their own songs, and some are honestly better than their original versions. Top tracks: Hurt, Personal Jesus, Danny Boy

Five/Five

CASH is great

Really enjoyed this one, and I’ll be returning to it, just a masterpiece. Rating: 5

This was the album that first introduced me to Johnny Cash. His rendition of Hurt still makes me cry.

As a casual fan of both artists, it is extremely funny to me that Cash took one of Trent Reznor’s best known songs and said “hey, this is mine now” right before dying. And it’s arguably not even the best cover on the album! Five stars.

I was at the library shopping for video games. Wu-Tang and Final Fantasy X. Then outside of the mall A woman who was not my mom and a little girl who was not my sister found an injured bird and picked it up to help it and as they went inside a jingle making fun of them started playing over the outside loud speakers. It infuriated me so I went into the mall and demanded to speak to the mall principal, Nick Lowe, the last thing I remember was telling my two bothers, who aren't my brothers, about what I did and passive aggressively blamed them.

His cover of Personal Jesus is one of my favorite songs.

I don't think I've ever heard another album this quietly sad. Like, for most of this album's runtime I was just... Staring off into the distance. At the wall, at the floor — at nothing in particular, honestly. I just couldn't do anything else. Not with how this album was causing sadness to wash over me, over and over. Every time I thought it would stop, I'd catch Cash's voice — so old and ragged — and it'd all come back all over again. Even the songs that were more upbeat in one way or another still had an air of melancholy around them. You can't shake the feeling, no matter how hard you try. It's like he knew he didn't have much time left. It's like he knew that this was his last statement. It's like he knew that if he didn't say anything about where he was right then and there, he wasn't gonna get another chance. And that's just remarkable when you consider that this album is mostly covers. Like, that's the big thing that separates it from albums like Leonard Cohen's IF YOU WANT IT DARKER and David Bowie's ★. There's only two songs that Cash penned himself, and one of them is a re-recording of a song written decades ago. But if you don't know these were all covers... Gosh, you'd never be able to tell. It's like what I usually say about Elvis: even if he never wrote a song in his life, just him being him was enough to make any song he sang his own. That's pretty much exactly what's going on. Cash being who he was, and being as old as he was when this was recorded, is enough to make songs like "Hurt" all his own. They're imbued with so much more meaning than if he'd been a younger man at the time. Which, there's a part of me that feels like that's kinda messed up. Y'know, the idea that I like this album **because** he died so shortly after it was released. That if he'd somehow lived long enough to release AMERICAN V, this album wouldn't have held as much weight as that one would have. But that's just the truth, and the same goes for stuff like IF YOU WANT IT DARKER, ★ and any other album with this kind of reputation. That's just honestly where it gets its power from, no matter how much I wish they could have lived longer and had done more. Though I wanna feel like either way this would still be a melancholic heartbreaker of an album. I don't think you can hear a voice like this, over arrangements like this, and not feel at least somewhat down. I can't imagine the kind of person who can hear stuff like this and not feel anything. I mean, I've gone out of my way to avoid using words like "depressing" and "feels bad," 'coz I feel like those are a bit over the top for what I think this album evokes, but... Still, goodness, y'know? I would absolutely be lying if I said I didn't feel close to crying more than once. I just can't give this album any less than a 5. It just wouldn't feel right to. Not with the context of its release and how much it gives to what would've been very powerful material regardless. It's, jus'... Oof. Goodness. And I do hope his reassurance at the end comes true: that someday soon — who knows where, who knows when — we'll all meet again. That someday, eventually, the man in black will come around once more.

He knew that the pale horse was coming soon, so it gives this tracklist a haunting quality to it. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at another 10. I’ve only ever known the cover of “Hurt” from this album – it’s immensely famous, and it’s a track that Johnny Cash basically stole, in brilliant fashion. I never knew it was only the second track here, though. I’ve always assumed it was the closer, because it feels so poignant and so… final. I’m so very, very glad that it’s not though, because this album is structured in such a way that it works perfectly in conjunction with “The Man Comes Around” as the opener, and arguably creates a narrative throughout where Johnny is trying to atone for those sins so present and so fruitfully captured on that cover of “Hurt”. From Simon & Garfunkel, to Sting, to Depeche Mode, & ironically enough, the Eagles, as well as scattering of rerecordings of covers he already did, it’s just a stellar 51 minutes. It leaves me with the same sense of “getting it” as I had after listening to Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged album. I truly do get what Johnny Cash meant to people now, and in particular, what he likely meant to my dad. The thing that strikes me the most about this album, besides the excellent song choices to cover, most of which I’ve never actually heard the originals of, is in its intimacy. There’s no bombastic backing bands here & no intense instrumentation (save for the piano on “Hurt”) – just pure, stripped down music, left to the barebones machinations of a guitar, whatever else was lying around, and Johnny Cash’s voice. In this gravelly, withered state, it arguably sounds more impactful here than at any other point in his life. It’s the core instrument, and it’s on full, vulnerable display. It gives each and every track a gravitas that has only ever been matched, to my ears, by Leonard Cohen on “You Want It Darker”, and even then, Johnny’s vocals still have a musicality and a natural charisma to them that elevates them higher. If there is a God, which Johnny Cash so desperately prays to throughout this album, then let him bless Rick Rubin for making sure Johnny Cash still had a voice throughout the final 7 to 8 years of his life, & bless Johnny Cash for just laying it all out on what he knew would likely be his final album in his lifetime. It’s a gift, a treasure, and a privilege to listen to this, truly. Easy, easy 10.

I would go so far and say, this is one of the best albums since the year 2000. Of course only "old" songs, but sung and played with such a virtuosity and in such a dignified way, that you must bow your head and shout out a big "thank you".

it's over... довольно грустный альбом, мне нравки

stunning.

Johnny Cash is one of the best there ever was and ever will be. He's a consistent performer and great storyteller who makes you feel. This album delivers the goods.

Hurt osv.

Pretty good album.

a dash of Johnny Cash rarely comes amiss, even if it is mostly covers

5 Stars for Hurt. There’s actually a few songs I wasn’t familiar with. A great final album for a great man! Rest in Peace Mr Cash

шедевр

Johnny Cash doesn’t cover songs, he sings them and re-shapes them until you could never imagine them as anything but his.

I don't love Johnny Cash's singing, but this album is absolutely incredible, and the covers really feel like they become Cash's songs. I can't completely explain why, but this is one of the most beautiful, emotional albums I know.

great album

Favorite Track: We'll Meet Again

I love this album. I love what Rick Rubin did to draw this out of him. I live the theme of end of life and imminent death for this giant of American music at the end of his life. Easy 5 stars

Outstanding

Fantastic Album. Had always like Johnny Cash, but hadn't heard any new stuff for years. Then Johnny released this album and it was like listening to something familiar but new all at the same time. For what is essentially a covers album to be included in this chart shows how good Cash and Rubins work on this album is.

Thanks, I didn't *want* to cry today...

Oh man Johnny Cash is always welcome - and I’m not new to this album - but really listening to it again it’s gorgeous - Cash elevates every song he sings and makes it his own and at times better than the original. Of course the standouts are Hurt, Personal Jesus, the Man Comes around - but I’d be hard pressed to find a song that is less than brilliant.

5 stars

Wow! I am literally sitting the office trying not to cry. This album gets 10 stars ...

Will listen again

Interesting cover album with cash own twist and clear religious focus. The deep and melodic voice has a unique appeal and magnifies the spirtirual component of popular songs

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘺. 𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘞𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺, 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘥 𝘰'𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Stand Out Songs: 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙢, particularly 𝟔. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐒𝐚𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝟓. 𝐈 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝟕. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬, 𝟗. 𝐒𝐚𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝟏𝟒. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐨, 𝟏𝟓. 𝐖𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 This is the work of a man who knew he was dying, through all of the songs of end-of-life lamentations, lyrics both welcoming and damning death on his white horse. You can feel the treble and gravity of his voice as he worked through hospital stints and declining health to finish an album that might literally be the embodiment of the true American Spirit. Johnny Cash, I love you.

There's such a profundity to this entire exercise - a legend in the twilight of his life choosing a catalog of classic and modern songs to cover that gives them such a new & intensely personal spin. 'Hurt' alone would catapult this to legendary status, but there's *so* much to digest here...if not 100% enjoy because I'm not sure I necessarily enjoy music that makes me contemplate my own mortality.

PRE-LISTENING NOTES: It's now New Year's Eve in 2024. This is the final album that this generator gave me in 2024. 2025 ought to be a big year for me. In 2025, I will come of age, and likely begin university. It's a year that I've been to which I've looking forward for many years, and it's now only a few hours away. From New Year's Day this year to Christmas Eve, I've listened to every single album from the 2016 edition of "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". However, I haven't listened to all albums from all editions of the series. This is one of the albums to which I haven't yet listened. I plan on listening to it tomorrow, or next year! :) POST-LISTENING NOTES: Happy New Year! It's now 2025. I had a good time this new year's day. I spent it with my Mama. I watched The Office for the first time (2 episodes), and I found it really funny!!! Wait...this is not a diary, this is a music review...*ahem*...HOLY SHIT!!!!! This album is stunning!!! What an incredible farewell album. Johnny Cash's interpretations of other songs sheds an entirely new light on them, and I'm amazed!!! The cover of Hurt is definitely a stand-out here. The Downward Spiral is my favourite album in the generator, so I'm somewhat biased, but still. This is a heartbreaking farewell album from the man who may just be the single most important country musician to ever live. Even I, a non-country-fan, love it, and so should you. What an utter shame that this album was removed from later editions of the 1,001 Albums in lieu of that Kid Rock album, or that LTJ Bukem (who the hell even is that?) album.

Simply great. Not a bad cover in the bunch.

poignant

Epic

Fantastiskt! Fem!

Brutally honest and hauntingly beautiful portrayal of a legends final days. Really remarkable work of art. While not every cover was my favorite, it is very interesting to consider why Cash selected each of them. Hurt is such a deeply moving song, the kind that I will always slow down to listen to closely. The deepest theme is clearly death here, but not necessarily despair. I think the album ultimately portrays a man who knows that he is not long for the world, and while he may have some regrets, is at peace with his fate. Given the context and just how beautiful much of the album is, this is a pretty easy 5 for me.

This is a great album. The lyrics are wonderful. And I love its country feel. It also has deep meaning as the artist who made it was at the end of his life. overall a great album to listen to.

I have to give Johnny Cash a lot of credit for this album. When it came out, it really gave him a resurgence and helped him connect with a younger audience. In the early 2000s, it seemed like every bar with a jukebox had this album on rotation. He brought in some cool guest musicians like Billy Preston and Fiona Apple, which added a nice touch. His cover of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” was good, but it’s his version of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” that stood out and grabbed everyone’s attention. I’m sure Rick Rubin played a big role in shaping this album, and working with him was a smart move. As for “Hurt,” I personally like Nine Inch Nails’ version a little more for the music, but Cash’s version definitely has more emotional weight, especially knowing the life he lived.

Extremely good. What an album! And those covers are unique and perfect.

The man .

Wow! Fucking awesome! I'm not a Johnny Cash fan at all, but this album absolutely deserves to be on a 'must listen to list'. An old man, knowing he is close to the end, sings songs full of pathos, regret, sorrow, and wistful memories.....but boy can this old man sing! The emotion is so strong in this. (Caveat... except for Bridge Over Troubled Water, that one really didn't work for me). 6 out of 5 stars.

how can anyone vote a johnny cash album lower than 5 let alone 4

Loved.

I know they are mostly covers or rerecorded...but dang he is good. His voice envokes such emotions. I know Hurt isn't his song but his version is better hands down and makes me cry every time. Knowing his life and they way he carried himself when he aged just brings so much more depth to his music. Nothing was pretentious or overdone, it was just him and the way he does music, which is beauty in sadness and pain.

Usually an album of mostly covers gets a little extra scrutiny in the context of this project, but this is pretty incredible. It’s just so good and he really makes these songs his own while feeling like he’s honoring and celebrating each one. The collaborations with other singers is super special too. Love it so much.

I know that many of these songs are covers, but Johnny Cash is such a distinct singer that he makes them his own. There was not a song I disliked on this album, and while I thought of knocking him for doing covers. I find that unfair as he performs all the songs incredibly. Definitely an Album I'll be coming back to.

One of the best to ever do it. Some really amazing cover songs here, he really made the songs his own.

One of the best albums ever

I wasn’t a fan if Cash when he was young, nir of country music but I’d give this album a 6 if I could, compared to most of the garbage on this list. Cash has a quality in his voice at this age that young ones just can’t produce: suffered experience. All the shouting and wailing just can’t match what Cash brings to other people’s songs that transcends the original artist. I’d give it 5 for Hurt alone but Bridge Over Troubled Waters outdoes S&G and that’s saying something. Even Danny Boy sounds okay.

I hate to be predictable, but this really is a 5 star album.