American IV: The Man Comes Around

I'm a big fan of Johnny Cash's later work and the American series in general. This is one of the best entries. People talk too much about 'Hurt' but there are so many other great tracks on this album. Check them out please!

I never cared much for Cash until his later albums. Like many in my generation, the first I heard of him was "Hurt" (a masterpiece). This album haunts you, he conveys sadness and vulnerability as I've rarely heard before or since. Every song feels raw and deeply personal, like the ghost of a voice that has lived a thousand lives.

It is a wonderful album. The American series albums always seem to me about a man who knew his final chapter was being written and who was determined to show his depth and scope. Tear Stained Letter is the low point, but it's not that bad and the rest is simply so good, that it really can't be denied a 5. Hurt is the track that amazes. I know it well from Pretty Hate Machine, an anthem from my adolescence. Personal Jesus and In My Life are also incredible. This album reads like a love song for Gen X, and I appreciated that a great deal. It's been in my rotation since it was released and I listed to it often.

It's amazing how we as humans turn off entire sections of the world based on single decisions. Never a country fan, but somehow became a Cash fan and this album only exacerbated appreciation and love for this guy. Who would've thought jumping to the American label would work to create a whole new audience for a guy that'd been making music for almost 50 years? An album of covers... should this be on this list? Should we make exceptions for the Man in Black .. ? Evidently, yes and I'm glad to have an excuse to listen to this again. Wow.

A seasoned master finds new life at the end of his career with his collection of brilliant versions of timeless classics.

Och, wat houd ik toch van Jan Centje 😍. Prachtige stem, prachtige liedjes. Dat een mens er niet zo vrolijk van wordt, neem ik op de koop toe.

Fina tolkningar

Damn it! I liked this a lot more than I thought I would.

This album deserves all the stars.

I thought it was beautiful. Johnny Cash is a treasure

This was one of the saddest albums I've ever listened to. It feels like Johnny Cash was very much expecting and accepting that he would die soon. I cried to "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" but that's mostly because I have a personal connection to high school with that song and I was clearing out games I used to play with my ex boyfriend when it came on. "Desperado" also really got me but that's a song that my mom really likes the original and I think it just hurts that it's on one of his last albums. That being said, it was really well put together. I think all the songs on this album belong there, even the covers deserved their places.

A beautiful and haunting album that caught me on a really dark day. It definitely brought me to tears at points. As much as I say I generally dislike American male-vocal country music, Johnny Cash is one such exception to that, from my limited knowledge of his work. A true swan song. Favourite: I Hung My Head

Such beauty, sadness, grace, humility. So many things that rarely come about when an artist covers a song. Johnny Cash is raw and vulnerable and his voice is cracked and full of emotion. I heard this album a lot back when it came out and naturally it means different things to me now. I cried listening (while cycling which isn’t a good look).

Genuinely one of the most crushing albums I've ever heard. Jesus Christ. Right up there, if not the peak of the greatest swan songs ever created. Each song has such an air of grief and solemnity to it, yet also each one is nostalgic in a way too. He makes every song, despite some of their recognizability, into his own. The beginning stretch of songs are some of the best collection of music I think I've ever heard. His old-age voice is perfect for the stripped back, contemplative vibe of the production, and the song selection is just perfect for the old man looking back on life thesis. Highlights include the title track, Hurt, I Hung My Head, First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, Personal Jesus, and the finale, We'll Meet Again, which might be the perfect sendoff song. Made me tear up a bit. Essential listening.

I have never heard this album and I am glad I could rectify this. I enjoyed the first half of the album more than the second half of the album, with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" being a highlight for me. "American IV" is a necessary album because it shows how well Johnny Cash can interpret and re-interpret songs to make them his own. "Hurt" is now his song and his voice adds gravitas to so many of these songs. Wonderful.

Cracking one to start with. Very bleak and sorrowful but somehow full of a quiet peace. The Nick Cave and Fiona Apple cameos were delightful. Almost like he knew it was his swan song, as it feels like a love letter to music itself.

Absolutely love the American series from Johnny Cash. Rick Rubin really brought out something special here.

This is a goodbye message. Johnny's saying sorry, goodby, thank you, and he loves you. This album was a masterpiece when released and after some time and a relisten after the loss of a loved one has left my keyboard sopping wet. Country music is underrepresented on this list and Johnny Cash isn't necessarily Country, nor is this album, but it's place here is well earned. 5/5.

There should be a separate genre for old artists who make a final swansong album and absolutely knock it out of the park, using their age and wisdom to their advantage. Think Bowie's "Blackstar" and Leonard Cohen's "You Want It Darker". But the album that really kicked it all off was Johnny Cash's "American IV: The Man Comes Around". Here Cash is completely spent. A lifetime of touring, debauchery, and drugs have finally caught up with him, and he makes no attempt to hide it. He has nothing else to give but his soul, which he thought was long since lost. But not with anything new. Every song on this album is a cover. But not a single song sounds like a cheap cop-out. Cash's deathly croon gives the songs a special kind of energy that are completely detached from the original songs. From the anti-drug anthem "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails to the melancholy "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel to the resolute "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn, Johnny Cash wheezes like an old gramophone, wearily singing over a raw production of a backing band. This is Cash at death's door. Reaching the end of the 5 stages of grief after living the lives of many men combined. And at the end of it all, he still has a story to tell. Standout Songs: "Hurt" "Bridge Over Troubled Water" "I Hang My Head" "We'll Meet Again"

Unbelievably powerful - incredible mix of songs.

Okay, covers in Cash's voice is a cheat code. This is amazing.

Pause. Long slow bow of my head. Pause again. Thank you so much.

Such an iconic album.

Rick Ruben is a genius. He did the world a favor by letting us hear Johnny Cash in such a vulnerable and open way. Thanks, Rick and Johnny.

5/5. Absolute Classic I don't give 5/5 ratings often. These, in my book, are reserved for the top 5% of the albums I've listened to. This is an exceptional work. I usually do NOT like cover songs. Johnny knows how to make them his own. You have never heard anyone else sing the Nine Inch Nails track Hurt like Johnny does. Absolute genius. I listened to the full album for the 1st time just after Johnny had passed. Before this I always thought he was good - he had a handful of great songs and most of the time his live albums were entertaining. This, on the other hand, is near perfection - start to finish. It is so amazing. This is truly an album that I feel everyone should listen to before they die. Favorite tracks: Hurt, I Hung My Head, Give My Love to Rose, The Man Comes Around, In My Life, Sam Hall, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Streets of Laredo, Big Iron, and We'll Meet Again. Least Favorite: None really, but if I HAD to pick a couple I'd go with the cover songs that he really didn't do much with, other than sing it in only the way JC could: Bridge Over Troubled Waters, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Songs like Personal Jesus is ok, I think someone probably told him that If he sang this he would reach out to a new generation of music fans. I think it's pretty good, but probably the song that I feel least fits the rest of the album.

Sometimes, an album's truly special. Sometimes, the words feel like they REALLY mean something. Like the artist knows something we don't. Like the artist knows they're going to die. And we're privy to their last hurrah. Their last call. The last songs they want to sing. Even though it's covers, this album makes me feel the weight of life and the weight of death. It's sad, like you want to weep, but the album feels kick-ass enough that you know that it's an okay kind of sad. The man uses his voice and his song choice to say more than I think he could've done with original songs. Shit, Johnny, I wish you could've lived forever. I wish we all could. But then it all wouldn't mean as much.

I had written this album off previously as an old washed up country star trying to cling on to a past life. When I actually sat down and listened to it, I could hear that I had it all wrong. He knew he was close to death and was trying to reckon with his demons, and that comes through on every song. Hurt is now his song. I loved his version of in my life.

Brutal. Versiones de canciones grabadas poco antes de morir. Vinilazo.

Versiones muy chulas.

Just an old man singing (old) songs. But what a unique, incredible voice, and a great selection of songs.

Reading a phrase like "sixty-seventh studio album" is pretty incredible. The album itself it pretty incredible. It drew a tear more than once. Cash's original recording of "Give My Love to Rose," for example, might come across as just sentimental and maybe corny. This version conveys all the emotions of a really heartbreaking song. This is true throughout the album, whether it's "Streets of Laredo" or "In My Life," or "Personal Jesus." I love this seemingly random collection of largely familiar songs that have become something entirely different and filled with meaning. "The Man Comes Around," the song Cash wrote for this album, is quite epic, and of course "Hurt" is beyond perfect. It's got to be one of my favorite albums ever.

This is a beautiful album. I had heard some tracks from it, but never as a whole. I didn't love every cover, but I loved the passion throughout.

Mathematical fact: the set of all people who dislike Johnny Cash is a subset of the set of all people who are actually monsters. This is divine.

This last recording from Johnny Cash was a real gift. It's pretty amazing to hear someone of such talent embrace their vulnerability as they near the end of their life. Such a variety of song selections! Some of these were obvious choices, but others like Hurt, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, and Personal Jesus are real surprises. They work incredibly well here making it is easy to forget what remarkable choices they are for Johnny Cash. This was incredibly moving to me when it was released and was an even more emotional listen today. This is a tear-filled journey that I am grateful to have made.

As an aspiring musician, this is how I want to go out. This album has so much finality to it, from the heartbreaking (‘Hurt’, ‘I Hung My Head’) to the bittersweet (‘Give My Love to Rose’, ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, ‘In My Life’), and it all culminates in ‘We’ll Meet Again’, which, while a cover, is a fitting send-off for one of the greatest country artists to ever do it.

All time great album

It's weird, I love Cash's albums but I never want to add them to my regular listening. They're better appreciated as a complete package, experienced in its entirety in one go, than thrown in the general shuffle.

This is going straight to my favourites. So much raw emotion of a man at the end of his life reflecting on what he's been through and what remains ahead. It made me tear up multiple times, especially at Hurt, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Danny Boy (those church organs!) and the last song. Think of it, ending the last album issued during Cash prolific life with "we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when.." is just so beautiful and sad, but at the same time hopeful, it makes me cry. 5/5 rarely do I get so emotional from listening to an album.

The cover of hurt alone gives this album five stars

Love, love these covers.

I forgot how good this album was. That voice is perfect for those songs.

This is for sure a masterpiece.

"Hurt" feels like getting hit in the chest with a baseball bat but in a good way

Great album; perfect to turn on and get lost in, Rest In Peace Mr.Cash -5/5 ⭐️

This album was really good. I don't know what the history is behind it, but I'll bet Johnny hasn't committed as many murders as he likes to sing about.

Perfect. No artist has or will have a final album like this. From The track list, to the production, to the cultural environment, it was a perfect storm. This note from the wiki sums it up: Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor admitted that he was initially "flattered" but worried that "the idea of Cash covering 'Hurt' sounded a bit gimmicky," but when he heard the song and saw the video for the first time, Reznor said he was deeply moved and found Cash's cover beautiful and meaningful, going as far as to say "that song isn't mine anymore."

I remember when Hurt came out with one of the saddest music videos shortly before Cash's death. I never listened to the full album at that time, but listening to it now it's a beautiful conclusion to his career and life. The first half of the album sounds like him coming to terms of where he's been in his life, with the second half sounding a bit more like his older catalog in a good way. Finding out that Rick Rubin produced the record was also a bit mind boggling as it's such a departure from his usual work, but still works fantastically.

even the weaker tracks are transformed by the Old Man’s depth of spirit and experience

One of the most influential albums in my musical taste. This is forever a 5-star album.

Absolutely fire

What a way to go out legend

Some absolute classics on this. Great listen

Great album, I like some of the covers more than the originals!

It took Johnny Cash an entire life and meeting Rick Rubin to find his best form. The result is stunning. The voice, the production, the harmonies, the songs that are picked. Absolute masterpiece

Love this album. I listened to enough Johnny Cash growing up to like his voice and his style, but this older version of Johnny Cash is my absolute favourite. There's so much weight to these recordings. His cover of Hurt is one of my top songs of all time.

9/10. Great, great selection of songs.

Johnny Cash’s voice may be hoarse and tremulous with old age and illness (he died just under a year after this album was released), but it is no less powerful and achingly sincere than it was in his prime. American IV’s greater moments come in Cash’s interpretations of songs like Hurt and In My Life; while staying true to the original spirit of these pieces, he adds the hindsight of the joys and trials of his own life, which results in a tremendously moving listening experience.

7/10

5 Before I even listen to it today, 5 🌟 on my love for the man, and this collection in particular. After listening, I am reminded of the fragility and power of his voice, often in the same song, and the genius of the song choices and production work by Rick Rubin. I has also forgotten Fiona Apple shows up, and fits in perfectly with the mood and tone. All in all a virtually perfect album, and one of a very small number that my dad and I would both have in our top handful of albums.

Brutal. Versiones de canciones grabadas poco antes de morir. Vinilazo.

Good covers all around. He has such a good voice

One of the most beautiful albums I've ever listened to. It's almost hard to believe that he was able to produce such a beautiful album with the myriad of health issues he had at this point. Favorite track: I Hung My Head

Redemption album

Amazing. Am already a massive Cash fan (and disagree that this is his best work, although it is amongst the best). But this series builds beautifully on his legacy. The song selection, the story and the performances all work together beautifully. And that’s before we even start on THAT voice. Uplifting and moving, this has one of the most compelling closing tracks on any album. First Time probably my favourite here, but Cash has even made Sting sound good, which takes SOME doing. Top drawer throughout.

Approaching death's door, The Man in Black showed us the beauty in finality with the fourth installment of what brought his name back to legendary status, giving us his interpretations of modern classics and having them be shown in a whole new light, thus forever changing how they'd be perceived by those who wouldn't take a second look beyond the first. A hell of a way to go out.

I bought this album it when it first came out, so it was shortly before Johnny Cash died. I listened to it a lot after he passed, so some of these songs still hit me quite hard when I hear them now. It's definitely a pretty dour album, but listening today I also hear subtle moments of brightness, sweetness, attitude, humor. It's a final album by a man who is ready to meet his maker, but it also has a retrospective feel. It's like Cash is contemplating not only his mortality, but his career and his place in country music. Much has been said and written about Johnny Cash's collaborations with Rick Rubin, and rightly so. This is some of the most vital and surprising music of the past 25 years. The songs chosen for the album are an interesting and inspired mix, mostly covers of other artists, plus remade versions of several of Cash's earlier recordings. All are fitting for a singer of Cash's particular vocal abilities and for a man considering his life and career in retrospective. The title track sets the mood for the whole album - somber and jarring, but also jubilant in its way. The covers are a masterclass in how a singer can interpret the work of other artists without losing an ounce of their own musical vision. Some of these original songs are so well-known and hard to imagine as covers. But Cash makes them his own with a stark, yet expressive style that is so compelling. I mean, can you hear even NIN's version of "Hurt" anymore without recalling Cash's version? Backing Cash is a deep and surprising bench of musical talent. I don't think anyone but Cash could have inspired such a diverse group of artists to work with him - Don Henley, Fiona Apple, Marty Stuart, Nick Cave, Billy Preston, John Frusciante, Mike Campbell... it boggles the mind. What could have become a bloated production is instead a stripped-down masterpiece. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Hurt, Personal Jesus, In My Life, The Man Comes Around, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Desperado, Sam Hall, I Hung My Head, We'll Meet Again, Danny Boy, Streets of Laredo, Give My Love to Rose, Tear Stained Letter

Such depth and nuance! This was such a marvelously deep aged feeling. Will definitely be on my playlist!

His 67th album??? And he created this piece of art while having health issues??? Simply beautiful, a masterpiece from a mastermind.

5/5 Brilliant!

Great album. The covers are well done and fit with Johnny's voice perfectly. The duets are great. Hurt is no longer a Nine Inch Nails song, its a Johnny Cash song!

This is an excellent album and it amazes me that at the age he was and with the amount of music he had already released he came out with this. 'The Man Comes Around' is one of the best album openers I've ever heard in my life. 'Hurt', a Nine Inch Nails cover is so good that the cover has pretty much become the original. 'I Hung My Head', a cover of a song I'd actually never heard before is beautiful. Johnny Cash has a way of making powerful and poignant lyrics hit even harder then they usually would. The album ends very strongly with 'We'll Meet Again'. This album is an experience man. I highly recommend it. 4.5/5

So many good tracks. Easy 5/5 for me. His cover of "Hurt" is one of the most heart-wrenching songs of all time. I also particularly love the cover of "Personal Jesus". I think he did an amazing job at taking other songs that he didn't write and elevating them in his own way. This was an album I listened to a lot with my brother as we grew up big Cash fans and knew that with every release in this time period he was getting older and closer to death. So sad that his wife June passed less than a year after this was released, and then he passed a few months after her. Two absolute American icons!

T3B 1. Hurt 2. The Man Comes Around 3. I Hung My Head Perfect album! Amazing sorry behind it involving Rick Ruben. 5!

Vihajaat sanovat että kovereita.. Cash laulaa tunteella.. Biisit omakseen.. Vanha cash.. Äänessä jotain tuttua.. mutta myös kuolemaa.. Kuunnellessa tämä tuntui viideltä tähdeltä... Katson allmusic rating.... 2 ja puol...... kerro se kahdella..... Allmusic ei olekkaan kaikkitietävämusiikki - päinvastoin - kaikkea ei hän tiedä, cash tietää ja laulaa!

Wow, I can't believe they removed this from the 1001 albums. Such a poignant album - Johnny died less than a year after its release. While you can hear the pain and age in his voice, he still sounds amazing. In fact, that's one of the reasons I love "Sam Hall" - despite his age and illness he's still got some fun energy to share. The most well known track is his amazing cover of NIN's Hurt. Trent Reznor famously said it was no longer his song after Johnny Cash covered it. The video is painful to watch - June Carter Cash looks on at Johnny in his pain and illness, yet she predeceased him - they both died within the next year. The track is powerful enough without that fact - it becomes devastating with it. Every track is fantastic, but the standouts for me are The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Bridge Over Troubled Water (Johnny's voice makes this and In My Life sound so much more powerful than the originals, both of which I love), I Hung My Head (better than Sting's original - notice a trend here?), First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, In My Life (hearing John Lennon sing it with the Beatles is nice, but he was a young man - it means much more coming from an old man near the end of his life), Sam Hall, Danny Boy (beautiful rendition), Desperado (again, better than the original), I'm So Lonely I Could Cry (I thought it was Bonnie Prince Billy singing with him - listen to "I See a Darkness" on American III - but it turned out to be Nick Cave), We'll Meet Again (what a great song to end the last album released during his lifetime. Great touch that the last song is an optimistic song that sounds free of pain). Did I just name almost all the tracks on the album? Yes, yes I did. Absolute 5.

This album is so great, not only because it's such high quality, but it's amazing to listen to his final work. One of the best albums every in our opinion.

Still such a great listen.

Westerny

I mean, what can you say? Fantastic artist, fantastic album. Beautiful swan song.

Like probably everyone else, I loved this album. Everything from the original songs to the well-chosen covers, hurt being the most famous of them, are excellent and perfectly showcase johnny cash in his twilight years. The album definitely has a more modern, melancholy theme than anything else cash ever did and knowing the condition he was in when he recorded this makes it hit even harder. He also does everything from love songs to sad songs to modern pop songs on this album and doesn't falter in any genre.

An incredible swan song

Such a powerful album, maybe it's his emotion that comes through or that he was near the end of his life but this album has an almost unexplainable weight to it. Cash is at his most vulnerable. You feel his grief, his regrets, and his passion throughout. It's a perfect album when life is it's most difficult and you need someone to share that pain with.

Premium Johnny and an excellent late career move. Rock Rubin strikes again.

Amazing. So many emotions. Great storytelling. I Hung My Head is amazing

Cover songs done by an aged Country star. But done in a powerful way. Some work, some don't. And of course then there's Hurt....

American IV is the last Johnny Cash album released while he was alive. This fact makes the album even more somber. So many of the songs like Streets of Laredo, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, We'll Meet Again, and Desperado have such a different meaning coming from a man at the end of his life. This is a fantastic album, and I hope every music fan can at least appreciate it. Best Songs: The Man Comes Around, Hurt, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, We'll Meet Again, Streets of Laredo, Desperado Worst Songs: NA

10/10

Folk/country really isn't my jam and Cash's voice usually bothers me but this album blew me away. What great storytelling and compelling musicality across all the tracks! It may be full of covers, but each is excellent; familiar yet perfectly matched to Cash's style.

Relies heavily on his voice, which is still killing it, lots of emotion in each song, some great covers.

A cover album where Johnny Cash practically made the songs his own. Unmissable.

This is one of the saddest albums I've ever listened to. It's a man, who knows he's on his way out. All the covers are phenomenal. I love We'll Meet Again, Hurt, In My Life. Jesus it is really beautiful. We'll Meet Again, such a banging way to go out. I had to deal with me being very likely to die too, so I respect how humble Cash is feeling about it (I feel way better now thanks to treatement, it was never terminal, never even close to it, but I learned how fragile life is). 5/5. Without a doubt

A huge impactful album. There are a lot of covers and in Cashs style and voice bring it to a different space.

Maybe this is not considered the best Cash's work, even the maturest one, mainly because it's a covers album. But, without any doubt, it's my favorite! All songs and lyrics are unique, and Cash's interpretation is astonished. My first Johnny Cash on this list, and I consider it lucky

This is beautiful, melancholy, sad and pure at the same time, a brilliant set of covers from a legendary musician at the end of a timeless and memorable lifetime. It's so good, it doesn't need much more justification than that. 5/5.

One of the greatest albums of all time.

10/10 what a beautiful end to his discography I especially love that the last song was a cover of We’ll Meet Again beautiful stuff

What the fuck, I never liked this type of music but it was amazing.

Haunting in retrospect

I'm normally dubious about covers, but Johnny Cash nailed it

Wonderful.

One of my favorites. The visceral energy in his voice…

Beautiful!

A number of covers, which I didn't know but Cash's haunting voice always delivers

Lovely

This album has me welling up with tears on so many tracks. I'm not sure if Well Meet Again is supposed to be a happy, hopeful song, but I know this version of it makes me tear up. So many tracks on this album are emotional. I know Hurt got a lot of deserved attention, but tracks like First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Danny Boy are equally great and emotional.

Excellent. Definitely a hidden gem!

It's Johnny so it's getting a 5. While I'm not usually one for the sadder music, this album is very beautiful and knowing that it was after the death of his wife you can feel the emotion coming through. A great epilogue, from one of the all time greats.

meikaði ekki alveg að hlusta hun er svo sorgleg

Hurt: Director's Cut is the most deserving of 5 stars.

Discazo

Beautiful covers- Jonny Cash style as well as nostalgic rendetions of his old songs. My favourite were hurt and hung my head. But the album finishes stunningly with We will meet again almost like a goodbye and a stamp on his legendary status and legacy. 🙂

Great album some of his best work

Very sad, excellent.

Oh wow, I thought I knew a bit about his music but this was just amazing.

Cried. Loved. Absolute genius.a

Cash & Rubin, an unlikely pairing that just works, like peanut butter & jam or SHACK & cable cars.

Forgot how fucking good the American albums are

I am not sure if this is controversial, but late Johnny Cash (American I - VI) is my favorite Johnny Cash. 5 stars for hurt by itself, but Blackbird is on point, too. This is one of the first albums I reviewed for the radio station I worked at in college.

Quelle voix. C'est l'album qui m'a amené à m'intéresser à Johnny Cash. La façon qu'il s'approprie les chansons est fantastique. Rick Rubin a fait tout un travail pour emballer le tout et que ça cadre bien avec l'artiste. Sa reprise de Hurt est hallucinante. Même Trent Reznor après avoir entendu la reprise et avoir vu le clip a déclaré que cette chanson ne lui appartient plus. Un gros coup de coeur pour moi.

Ég hlustaði talsvert á þessa á sínum tíma. Fannst allt tal um Cash sem mikinn spámann ósannfærandi, en platan þótti mér góð. Og hún stenst algerlega tímans tönn, þvílíkt lagaval (fyrir utan Desperado) oftast útgáfur sem eru næstum jafn góðar originallinn (First time I ever I saw your face) eða toppa hann (Hurt). Fyrirgefum honum Bridge over troubled water.

Pleasantly surprised

Simply brilliant

I enjoyed this, hadn’t heard it before but had come across a few of the songs before. A lot of covers, changed to feel and sound like he wrote them. Emotional and poignant. A bit more country than I'd normally like but still. 5/5

- "Hurt" is probably one of my favorite songs ever.

Прослушано

Lightning in a bottle

Awesome. Hurt. These American recordings albums with Rick rubin are amazing

puts perfeito

Solid.

Just don’t let the tears water my whiskey.

Manages to even makes Sting sound good. A classic. Best known for Personal Jesus but Cash’s version of Saw Your Face seals it for me.

Incredible country album. The second song is featured in the Logan movie soundtrack.

Great listening

Absolutely brilliant Album - loved every track.

The man the myth the legend. Chills the entirety of the album. Hurt is the biggie but in my life is tremendous as is desperado

Excelent album and songwriter.

Normally I am no fan of covers albums but this one might be the exception.

You gotta give it to Johnny Cash, he sang what he wanted to sing the way he wanted to sing it, and no one else sounded like him. But this really is an eclectic mix of cover songs. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and Streets of Laredo are perfect fits for him, and his gritty, bare-bones Desperado lands well. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and In My Life sound odd. What exactly inspired him to take on Sting's I Hung My Head? But this cover of Personal Jesus is a stroke of genius.

Obviously some of the covers come off better than others, but the ones that hit are phenomenal.

Very worn sounding voice but so much feeling in it. The simple backing really suits it.

My favorite memory associated with this album is when the movie Logan used Hurt in the trailers and it was such a perfect choice. Anyway, Johnny Cash rocks.

Not a big fan of country but this was great. His voice and guitar riffs are so captivating.

Nice cover band

hoooo johnny. think we could have been a tad more economical here but the emotion is just so strong regardless

It is the last record released in Johnny's lifetime... and it's a doozy. This is a really good representation of what he started out doing and had returned to with Rick Rubin's encouragement.

8/10… outlaw country / western blues / *2002

More spoken word than I would have liked on this album, but I enjoyed the numerous covers. I was blown away after researching this album a bit to find out it was Cash’s last album to be released before his passing and his 67th record overall. 67!! That is insane. When you take in the big picture, this is pretty impressive. Cash puts his own flair on each tune even though you can hear his age and the troubles he was facing in the songs.

It's a really great listen! Obviously it's just cover after cover, but they're great. Cash has so much sorrow in his voice and it's a great performance. As an album it just holds up great, because it puts you in a specific mood. A lot of the songs here I discovered because of the album, because Johnny Cash revitalized them, and I just enjoyed it a lot.

Often times a cover album by a veteran artist are Shiite. Not in this case. Stripped down and raw. Great stuff.

Such an emotional roller-coaster

Beautiful album. Cash reminds me here of the power of songwriting, and how much perspective can lie within a single song - at times more than even the writer knows. Love the production as well, and I always like when old singers embrace their age in how they sing and perform. Also great guests. At times a little too sentimental for me, but I also think that’s unavoidable, or maybe even necessary, when making some of your last music and having such a legendary career as Cash. 8.5/10

Favorite Song: Hurt Least Favorite: Personal Jesus

Brilliant but so much melancholy.

I loved listening to this. Having known that he died shortly after this album was released, it sounded like a man coming to terms with his legacy but still in love with music.

johnny cash e sua voz imaculada, não tenho muito a comentar que não seja: grande voz, grandes musicas, de arrepiar.

This album seems like what it was inspired by the cowboy in Mulholland Drive; the cover also feels Lynchian. Bridge over troubled water - a phrase? "Songwriter Paul Simon was inspired by a line in the 1959 gospel song "Oh Mary Don't You Weep" by the Swan Silvertones, where singer Claude Jeter"

This album has a some really great performances. His voice is beautiful and rich across the whole album. Some of the songs are perfect for Cash, revelatory even. The first three tracks are all fantastic, two originals and one cover. "Sam Hall" is a classic Johnny Cash performance. Not sure if he had ever recorded it before but it's just perfect for him. Some of the songs are a bit awkward though. "Streets of Loredo" is one of my favorite songs of all time. Cash's version feels a bit too rushed to capture the mournful feeling of the song. All three of the duets on the album are worse (not much worse but definitely not better) than they would have been as solo performances. And sometime the duet partner is only introduced in the last minute or so of the song. Why bother? I guess it's nice for them that they got to play with him but it's distracting at best. When I first listened to this album, I was expecting it to be totally stripped down, just Johnny Cash and his guitar. As bizarre as it sounds some of the songs are overproduced, with keyboards and piano constantly moaning or tinkling in the background. His voice is always kept front and center. Since the backing instruments are so low in the mix, why not just leave them out? On the other hand, some of the accompaniments really suit the song, like the honkey-tonk piano on "Sam Hall," the full band on "Tear Stained Letter," and the clarinet on "We'll Meet Again." I probably deserve to be called out for looking a gift horse in the mouth. It's a very good album, and an absolute masterpiece could be made from the best cuts from across the series. I think I'll go make a playlist of my favorite hits instead of crying about the misses. Essential listen: my playlist will be! Desert island disc: since I probably won't survive long as a castaway on a desert island, I think this would be nice to keep me company in my final days

Cash covering other’s songs

first country album of the list, lets do it country is one of few genres i actually sounds better as a singer ages. johnny sounds good as ever in his old age, in both his talking and singing voice. it feels like your grandpa sitting you down and telling you an old story of his youth the first of many covers on this album, and perhaps the best and most iconic example of a cover surpassing the original. it feels like this song was just meant for cash's voice. the gruff yet emotional tone of his singing just add a whole new layer to this song another original song. even though this album came out in 2002, this song (like many others on here) have such an old timey feel its hard to believe it wasnt released in the 50s. goes to show you how timeless his music is another cover, this time of the iconic simon and garfunkel song, bridge over troubled water. this song works so great in cash's style, its a very natural adaptation. fiona apple also provides some beautiful backing vocals on here the second sting cover of this album, and yet again i think this version is better than the original. cash is such a great storyteller, he just paints the picture so well you can pretty much envision the tale scene by scene great rendition of another iconic song. i appreciate the subtle minimalistic approach, really allows each line to sit with you a song that i originally wouldnt have envisioned him making a cover of, but johnny does an adequate job at making it his own. i wouldnt say it fully lives up to the original, but it doesnt do it an injustice. also cool that he got john fruscante and mike campbell (of rhcp and the heartbreakers, respectively) on guitars the classic beatles song translates pretty well into johnnys style. maybe its just not different enough from the original, but i dont feel he captured the same emotion that john and ringo did in their song sam hall is a traditional english folk tune that has had many renditions through the years, one of the most iconic actually being from johnny cash much earlier in his career. like i said earlier, im a sucker for a more seasoned voice in a country song, so i slightly prefer this rerecording another traditional folk song that has had many iconic renditions over the past century, one most notably from judy garland. cash also has a version of this song that he released in 1965. his voice sounds very nice on this, but i gotta say i enjoy the subtle old western country vibe he has going on his older version desparado is one of my favorite eagles songs of all time. for that reason, it was going to be a near impossible task to try and top it. that being said, he still does the song justice, and the fact that he actually got don henley to sing backup on part of the song is a testament to that im so lonesome i could cry is a song originally recorded by another country legend, hank williams. for this album, johnny cash teams up with the legendary frontman nick cave where they trade verses before coming together for the last verse. i love how well their voices compliment each other yet another cover where if i hadnt known better i would assume was an original. johnny cash man you sure know how to sing a cover streets of laredo was a traditional folk tune that was eventually adapted into an old western that has been covered by many a such country artist, such as marty robbins, willie nelson, and once again a younger johnny cash. although this time i think id say he did it better 40 years prior being the closing track on his final album before passing the next year, this beautiful rendition essentially acts as a capstone to the man's almost 50 years of writing and performing. and i cant think of a better farewell to one of the greatest careers in music history. rest in peace johnny cash even though this album is comprised mostly of covers, i didnt find any lack of identity from cash. even if he didnt fully rework a song, cash added his own (sometimes subtle) flare that made each song his own. when i hear someone say thatcountry music is bad, i assume they just havent heard very much johnny cash yet. great album, giving it an 8

album 250 woo!!!! throughout enjoyed, i always love to listen to johnny cash. a great time

Incredible final album. Some great covers that have become classics. Can’t really give 5 stars to an album of covers, but it’s amazing what people are capable of at the last stages of their life. To give this kind of performance is inspiring

Never been much of a cash fan, but greatly enjoyed hearing his interpretation of covers.

Yes, it's a cover album. The cover of NIN's hurt is one of my favourite covers ever. That alone is 4 ⭐ worthy. Bonus of Personal Jesus, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Desperado.. so good.

I haven't listened to the American albums in a long time, but I might have to revisit them all again. Just beautiful, sad arrangements. 4.5

There are some amazing tracks on here - I think it's probably too downbeat to score five but for me it's close

2026.09.06.

A mixed bag, but the good stuff is really good and overall outweighs the questionable covers ("Bridge Over Troubled Water", "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "In My Life" being some of the notable misfires). "The Man Comes Around" is one of Johnny's best originals, "Tear Stained Letter" is almost as good, and I love the hilarious cover of "Sam Hall." Whether he's singing originals, traditional songs or putting his take on more modern fare, what really elevates this is Johnny's voice, still strong and full of emotion, and some terrific arrangements and production (Rick Rubin isn't my favorite producer, but he knocked this one out of the park). There are a few too many skips for the full five, but the songs you'll listen to are all fantastic.

Power of a good cover

3,7 Highlights: The Man Comes Around, Hurt

A cracking cover album. Legendary voice, and great arrangements but... I struggle to like listening to it. As an album and the history of music I can see why it is included, poignant and heartfelt. 4/5

very evocative, strong storytelling

There’s some great stuff on here (hurt, own personal Jesus), and then some that’s not so great. This album is definitely responsible for some of the bad cover choices I’ve made over the years at gigs.

Never heard before (a lot of the songs were familiar). Will be definitely hearing again! Wow! I've had American Music 2 for years and love it, but that might have been even better! An incredible set of songs that Cash completely makes his own. My new favourite version of Bridge Over Troubled Water, Hurt and Personal Jesus. Not a weak moment anywhere! Great to hear Nick Cave's voice pop up again! Easily my favourite 'new' album of this project so far! Favourite track. Bridge Over Troubled Water

Johnny Cash was a good singer in the country scene,I don't know why he had personally covered Jesus that's the one thing you'll never understand

Enjoyed! Love Hurt

Johnny Cash's live albums in his prime showed that Cash is a great performer. John Cash's American albums in his latter years showed that Cash is a great musician.

Some gems here.

Country nich meins bro aber lowk tuff

Really solid,

there used to be an old guy in manchester who'd go round shouting "i'm johnny cash" at people and after listening to this i think i believe him

Johnny cash has such an insanely badass voice I like it a lot Highlights: The man comes around Hurt (fav)

Okay fine, I do like country!

I've always enjoyed these Cash American Recording series of albums. No question about it, this is the best one. Hurt became his song. His version of My Own Personal Jesus. Covering The Beatles. Cash always had that rich voice and it comes through even at the end of his life. This one was special.

Hachja, einfach schön.

Cash's voice stops you in your tracks. Songs once familiar and now stripped back and given new perspectives. Reminder of the power of an engaging voice and a simple melody

me gustó bastante más de lo que esperaba, siento que es medio tipo un country rock, muy bueno. Temas conocidos que no sabía q eran de él. 8,5/10

последний приижизненный альбом Кэша. Этакий взляд на прошедшую жизнь и эпитафия

4/5

Iconic comeback from an iconic artist. The title track, Hurt, Personal Jesus all really really great. These are the moments that made the Rock Rubin years legendary. Songs like Desperado and In My Life also help round out a long list of interesting arrangements. Always like how Johnny mixed in his own songs with new covers. It made these albums unpredictable. I do think the album is a little long and a couple of the songs drag but it’s a beautiful swan song for the man in black.

Già solo hurt vale l’album

Un album parlant de manière simple et brute, de la mort, du deuil et de l'amour. Des paroles poignantes par leur simplicité. Des thèmes qui me parlent beaucoup. Je met 4 et pas 5 car la musique est plus souvent en arrière plan et la voix du chanteur est l'élèment principal des morceaux. Ce n'est pas un défaut en soi mais j'aime quand la musique a une place à part entière dans le morceau. C'est peut-être "normal" pour du Rock Country mais ce n'est pas ce qui me parle le plus

Nice

not every song hits, but when it hits, i bawl like a little baby

Part of me regards the American Recordings with some scepticism – the cushy spectacle of ol' Johnny Cash covering surefire hits and cool songs younger people will like. But he covers them well and, damn, he got me – I do like those songs! Crossing over with younger alternative artists is a nice thing for the progenitor of "Gothic country" to have done, and the American Recordings are load-bearing pillars of that genre, which is one I really do like. So I guess the fan-servicey premise ultimately works on me, though it can be a little cloying. If you like Cash's leathery growl, you can't go too wrong here. He sounds really old and tired, but that – and knowing now that this was his last antemortem album – gives it some gravitas beyond the novelty. I'm not going to rag too hard on a guy for sounding knackered on his 67th album. I don't think the production does him any favours, though, which means it must be absolute dogshit because I rarely notice that stuff. The title track is the best on here for me. I'm maybe an outlier in that I much prefer the originals of Hurt and Personal Jesus, but I do think these are great versions for what they are – good covers with a different mood and a weighty, grizzled voice. The second half loses a bit of steam but of course I'm happy to see my bestie Nick Cave pop up.

An album that starts impossibly strong with the first two tracks, and never quite recaptures that high, but is still a great listen. 'Bridge Over Trouble Water' is the other absolute banger, the mellotron on it is gorgeous! Like Billie Holiday's 'Lady in Satin', there's something chilling and yet beautiful about hearing someone dying. Rick Rubin did a good job of getting this stuff made when he did, but also jesus h christ i wish someone had taken his hand away from the gain knob at times, and on Hurt in particular, cos that awful distortion at the end is so distracting and ruins an otherwise perfect track. I dunno what the dude was thinking. 'I Hung my Head', 'Danny Boy', 'Streets of Laredo' (and kinda everything else!) also sound like shit - dude's voice is doing enough without having to compress it into oblivion! I just read that this is apparently cos Cash was varying his delivery so much they were overloading the mics, but I'm not buying it, ride the goddamn board Rubin!!! I have docked half a star for this rubbish, I hope you're happy Rick!!!! Anyway, more than anything this record reminds me of sitting in student living rooms at 3 in the morning, feeling at once like i wanted to vanish through the floor, but also quite relaxed and happy! So that's bad/good I guess? (ps we just discovered the original vinyl release had a 'Wichita Lineman' cover on it and it's pretty good so seek that out!)

around my 2nd time being reminded johnny cash was in fact a real person and not just a cartoon character

The album was well done. I enjoyed listening to it.

Don’t know what I can say about this album that hasn’t already been said. It’s great.

I absolutely love Hurt. Its an absolute classic. Unfortunately it sets such a high watermark that the rest of the album is really in its shadow. There are some other real highlights - Personal Jesus, The Man Comes Around, Desperado - but some of the choices are a bit too ripe that they slip into naff (danny boy, We'll Meet Again). Which is such a shame as Hurt is so so good.

An album that can't be decoupled from the artist's death, this is something of a latter day flourish. The even deeper than usual timbre in his voice imbues an unmatchable gravitas to songs like 'Hurt', which far outweighs the original to become a masterpiece. He can even make later Sting solo material sound good, with 'I Hung My Head' sounding like it was written for him. And there's plenty else that feeds into the Cash legend, such as the outlaw-country of the jaunty 'Sam Hall'; or the impossibly low vocal on a nicely stripped back 'We'll Meet Again'. The other highlights are 'Personal Jesus' and 'In My Life' - the first, drawing on his religious yet dark mystique, and the latter bringing out a tender side to what is already a perfect song. The title track is also very good. There are several that I'm not so hooked on. It's down to taste which American Recordings you like best; having some superlative covers amongst less impressive ones is a typical pattern for these albums. Whether great or medicore the performances are all intimate. This isn't about song perfection, but the gnarled baritone of a man looking back on life, which gives it its solemn magic.

Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt is so so good

I loved his live albums from the list which both received 5s from me. This is undeniably great, and a wonderful farewell that is engrossing, but I'm not able to give it a 5 when it's entirely covers, I don't think. Still marvellous though.

Maybe rather controversially, I found a lot of the songs monotone and emotionless. Still a very enjoyable listen though with some interesting tracks. My favourite was I'm so Lonesome I could Cry.

Some good covers from the old time country crooning rebel.

Enjoyed this one pretty well, I already knew and like Hurt.

Really strong. I can finally see what my great uncle was talking about. Favourite Song: The Man Comes Around

Джон бабосы

His rendition of "Hurt" is absolutely perfect.

For days when i drink my coffee on the porch, looking at the sunset

I have mixed feelings about Johnny Cash. I haven't listened to him regularly or by choice in many years, but I can't deny the artistic merit of his work.

When I saw the year I knew it was gonna be the one with Hurt. Powerful stuff, you can tell he's near the end from the weariness in his voice. Interesting variety to the covers, I was surprised that there was a Johnny Cash Personal Jesus and he makes it work

Haunting

It was a joy to be able to come back to this album. So beautiful. So haunting. Hurt was obviously the highlight of the album but not a weak song to be found.

I only realized that it's a cover album when Bridge Under Troubled Water started playing. Fantastic album.

a man close to death singing will always get me

The first two tracks are all timers. And it’s always great to hear Johnny’s voice.

Man, I was so bored at first, but as it kept playing, I was noticing my nostalgic receptors flaring up. I've never heard Johnny Cash on purpose before, and I don't think I've heard him at all, period. But I recognized his influence. From cartoons like Over the Garden Wall, Courage, and even Pixar movies, I can tell that he played a major role in helping create a sound that is loved by many. The album was actually really good, as it told stories of triumph, defeat, and spirituality, while still coming off as "manly" and not in a toxic way either; it was sensitive and really captured what it feels like to be a man. In a world where I hear how often men are hated (for sometimes very valid reasons), I was touched to feel heard and seen as a man myself. Then, to cap it all off, his final song on the album, "We'll Meet Again," made me well up with emotion as if I had made a friend just by listening to this album. Yes, Mr. Cash, we will meet again.

Personally a difficult listen. Would need to revisit this album at a later date 3.5/5

Smärtan i hans röst är så jävla real. Och hans tolkning av Bridge over troubled water och desperado gav mig gåshud.

Very good, Johnny Cash makes all these covers and originals work well. You can feel the hurt in his heart and it kind of tears the listener apart. I also want to shoutout "Tear Stained Letter", a very good original song written by Cash with great lyrics to go with a haunting mood. high 3.5 turned to 4/5

Classic songs, classic voice

Class, few men can make me listen to the lyrics as Johnny Cash can

Really enjoyed all the covers on this one. Emotional and poignant.

Lindo disco. Tremendas versiones. Poco monótono

I loathe Country Music, new, and old. It's the only genre of music I dislike. Then, there was Johnny Cash. Why, Cash, why? You're the only reason I can't claim the title as the biggest Country Music hater. The album contains arguably the greatest cover song of all time, and sadly, Cash showed us with this album it would be the last thing he ever recorded. We can hear the grief in his voice on every track. I refuse to give a cover album the full five stars, but it's definitely the greatest 67th album of all time. Favorite Track: "Hurt".

I heard the singles from this back in the day, but never dove deep. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate the depth and yet the shallowness of Cash's voice.

Great album. The opening 2 tracks are hard to beat

En bra skiva, lite melankolisk. Lite för lång, kunde ha plockat bort några låtar och den hade fått högre betyg.

Beautiful gem! Johnny makes these songs his own compilations.

The Man Comes Around - 4.5/5 Hurt - 5/5 Give My Love to Rose - 4/5 Bridge Over Troubled Water - 4/5 I Hung My Head - 4/5 First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - 3.5/5 Personal Jesus - 4/5 In My Life - 4/5 Sam Hall - 4/5 Danny Boy - 3.5/5 Desperado - 4/5 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - 4/5 Tear Stained Letter - 4/5 Streets of Laredo - 4/5 We'll Meet Again - 4/5 It's surprising that an album consisting of mostly covers outside of 2 songs can still be so thematically relevant. Cash is contemplating his own mortality and his impending death, and the haunting and impending doom a lot of the songs have really make that theme work. He even covered Hurt so well Trent Reznor said Cash owns that song now. A good collection of covers that bookends a legendary career for Cash. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: The Man Comes Around, Hurt

Soaked in pathos

You can feel the emotion, though some songs seem labored. Hurt is incredible, Personal Jesus is nice, and I enjoyed I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.

A Rick Rubin project. A collection of covers by Johnny Cash Cash’s distinctive vote Hurt: a great song. One of the best ever. The Man comes around. Great song. A very good song. Four stars.

Vibes: 3 Instruments: 3 Production: 4 Emotional Value: 4 Storytelling: 5 Album Cover: +0 Stand Outs: Give My Love to Rose, Sam Hall Overall Rating: 3.8

Literally life-changing records for my kind of music. I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, but this series is genre defining, and set the stage for so much.

When I think of country music, I think of shit dancing and crap boots and hats. This does not evoke that particular vibe.The is the sound of someone coming to terms with their mortality. His voice is cracked with age and illness and it is quite a sobering listen, but also very wry amusing one. The song choices to cover were inspired, 'Hurt' is better than the original, but the same cannot be said of 'Personal Jesus'. 'I Hung My Head' and 'Sam Hall' made me chuckle and 'Danny Boy' made me cringe. I would give this a 5 stars, but it was quite a mixed bag, most landed well, but some songs did not fare so well with the Cash treatment.

Already listened - a fantastic album, posthumous iirc.

As everything else that came from pen and guitar of this man, the mentioned album is quite amazing, with Hurt being the central masterpiece of it all 🖤

Woowz de hed megaaa vill tracks vo vu öperem ultra bekanntem covered wurde isch. Johnny cash immer devo ghört, nie richtig abcheggt. Aber richtig guet. $$$$

This is Cash's final album released during his lifetime. The fourth installment of his American series. This is a very distant and solitary record. Most of the songs here are covers, and many of them are even better than it's orginal. Johnny Cash was at a very low point of his life when he had recorded this album, and he had died less than a year after it's release. He sounds very disconnected and desolate throught the entire thing, and the production by Rick Rubin ties it all together very smoothly while still keeping it's original style. It is very depressing to listen to, with songs like Hurt really representing how Cash was feeling at the time. This album is a perfect encapsulation of his thoughts and feelings at the time. There are also plenty of guest features from Fiona Apple, Don Henley, and Nick Cave which add a sense of freshness. My favorite song here is Hurt, extremely emotional and there is plenty of intensity as it builds up to it's end.

This is the last album Johnny Cash released during his lifetime, and the specter of death hangs heavy over it. It's almost entirely covers, but Cash manages to make every song here his own. His advanced age hadn't diminished his pathos as a singer, and in some way even amplified it. The strongest songs here are the ones that either engage directly with death or with some unspoken end. The most obvious one is his heartrending take on Hurt, taking the angst of the original and adding a healthy dose of quiet wisdom to it. Other songs that work in this vein include In My Life and the closing number We'll Meet Again, ending the album on an ominous note. Despite the collaborations with younger artists and the covers of newer songs, the sound is defiantly old school, sounded very in-step with the outlaw blues Cash made his name on in the 50s and 60s. It's a fitting send-off to one of modern music's most beloved and influential artists, both dark and defiant in tone.

Love it. Old Cash has some serious passion in these songs in a hauntingly good way. His younger days have a bit more variety, but I don't think that's what he was going for here. Hurt will always be incredible but not as good as the original NIN version

Incredibly poignant - his voice is starting to go but it the raw emotion makes up for it. Well worth a listen.

Good mix of song choices and interesting interpretations.

The Man in Black in excellent form. Some great recordings made in the American series. Not sure if this is the best for me but Hurt is a fantastic rendition here.

muy top

It's a special album, and hurt is a 6 star track. I don't know if I'll listen to it again, but doesn't feel right giving it three stars.

This album saw heavy rotation in my CD deck when released for the haunting version of Hurt alone. My grandfather listened to Johnny Cash when I was young and I never really fell in love with the style of singing. This is a solid album all the same. 4/5

When I was young, Johnny Cash was just about the worst thing you could imagine in music. His music was the epitome of bland American country. Anyone who listened to Johnny Cash was seen as an anti-rocker with dubious taste. His strange album with Bob Dylan did nothing to improve his reputation either. For a boy from Europe, Johnny Cash was far too American. It wasn’t until towards the end of his career that his image changed, and I plucked up the courage to listen to one of his albums. "American IV: The Man Comes Around" is the last album he released during his lifetime. It consists almost entirely of cover versions. Cash was ill and frail at the time of recording. You can hear that in the intimate interpretations. The songs about pain and grief are particularly successful, thanks in part to the subtle arrangements: "Hurt", "I Hung My Head", “Personal Jesus” and “The Man Comes Around” are the highlights; objectively speaking, the duet with Don Henley, “Desperado”, is a complete failure – poorly sung (by both of them!) – but it is impossible to escape the aura of the dying Cash on this album.

Not my fave album in the American series but it's still pretty solid. He sounds so old and frail, kinda a bummer at times

At times a 5/5, at times a 2/5. Walks a very fine line between sappy vs sincere. At the end of the day I'd probably rather my media be overly sentimental than ironic or emotionally vacant. Even still- I can't help but feel like I'm being emotionally manipulated listening to the chord progression on something like Hurt, but it works for the most part. If it were *any* other artist I would roll my eyes out of my skull.

4 stars instead of 5 because this is emotional manipulation. Beloved dying music icon sings about death, life, and love with the help of the friends and mentees he’s made throughout his life?? Like yeah it’s amazing and I’m crying but also how dare you.

Tiene versiones que son perfectas, como Hurt y In my life, la segunda no la había escuchado y es preciosa. Y vaya final con We’ll meet again ufffffff.

A lot of covers of songs I recognize, not sure if I like these versions more than the originals. Top songs: Hurt, The Man Comes Around, Give My Love to Rose, Bridge Over Troubled Water, We'll Meet Again.

Wow

What a voice.

Even though this album is mostly covers, I really liked it. Very stripped down and simple. I understand that Johnny Cash and particularly his voice, may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think that there’s some gold here. Four stars.

Can this get 4 stars? Maybe! I just think it is a bit strange with so many covers on one album. Are they all good though? Yes.

Really is a good album. Can't give it complete top marks as the country elements are a bit beyond me. These elements seem to escalate a bit, the further the album goes But then again, there is just so much emotion, experience and gentlemanly lyricism that really drives this album so far This album could potentially be the most crisp-sounding album so far on the list. The production value is completely incredible. Either a reaaaallyy strong 3 or a weaker 4. Cash gets a: 3.8

Con este álbum Johnny Cash cierra su historia musical. Minimalista: una guitarra acústica, su voz quebrada y arreglos poco existentes. El hombre se muestra frágil ante la conciencia del final. Brutalmente emotivo.

Not his original songs

A ton of bangers on here. Lags a bit through the "oh I'm a sad cowboy and I shot a guy" songs, but the covers hit with great force

Somber and stripped back but very pleasant. Some of Cash's best.

I grew up listening to Johnny Cash so there’s a lot of sentimental value and listening to this on top of the fact it’s an extremely emotional goodbye album. Her is probably my favorite Cash song. It’s just so raw. This whole album is raw and vulnerable and a legendary goodbye for a legendary country artist.

I normally am not a huge fan of cover albums, especially when they're included in a list like this, but this deserves the exception. Cash's last living album, curated by Rick Rubin, and supported by many other artists makes this an exceptionally special and heartbreaking tribute to Cash's storied life. It's funny to hear he was unhappy with how his voice was sounding, because it's specifically that which makes this album so touching and I'm glad Rubin saw through that. In my opinion, most of the covers on this album are better than the originals. Hurt, especially, when paired with the beautifully made music video, hits extremely deep when considering this really was the end of the road for the legendary Johnny Cash, now a figure of history and an era bygone. The couple of original tracks here really remind me of Leonard Cohen's 'You Want It Darker,' another end-of-life reckoning album. There's so much depth and emotion in the writing, and I think it's something I will only fully understand once I've lived as long. So this is a long-winded review just to say: this is a very special and touching "goodbye" from our favorite country legend and marks the end of an era as no other will take his place.

7.5/10 - Country is not my genre at all but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. If I was a country fan then I imagine this rating would definitely be higher but it's a solid album all the way through.

This album is just beautifully soulful and poignant. Not every song hits completely for me, but the ones that do are sublime. 4.5/5

I'm a bit conflicted on this one. I honestly prefer old Cash to new Cash. But that doesn't make this bad. It's just older Cash doesn't have that attitude that younger Cash had, which is what I think I liked. On the other hand, Hurt here is arguably one of the best covers ever. So this one of those "on a scale of 1 to 10 my score would have been different" albums. A three ranking to me is just mediocre. This isn't that, so it's a low 4.

Very interesing mostly acoustic played album. Johnny's vocal is inredible - gives pleasant country vibe. Of course 'Hurt' is a type of song you knew before. But there are hidden gems there. For me that was cover of U2's 'One'! I didn't know that this cover exist! I was very surprised because U2 is my favourite band!

I guess I'm a Johnny Cash guy now. This was a nice mix of older and newer covers, headlined by Hurt and Personal Jesus, but also the older country songs were interesting to listen to as well. His voice and tuning may be a little crackly at that age, but his gravelly vocals are what makes him so great.

American IV: The Man Comes Around was far more moving than I expected. The stripped-down sound and Johnny Cash’s effortless voice gave every song a sense of weight and fragility. My favorite track was easily Hurt, which is a genuinely beautiful reinterpretation rather than just a cover of NIN. I also loved Personal Jesus, originally by Depeche Mode, especially since the song sounds so different from Marilyn Manson’s version.

Really liked. It was good to hear the the non standard cash songs. Particularly like the covers of Bridge over Trouble Waters, Tear Stained Letter and Desperado.

I really enjoyed this. He’s at his best in familiar territory (country or country-adjacent music), with the exception of Hurt and the old standard We’ll Meet Again. I didn’t love the inclusion of back up or duet singers.

Haunting, melancholy, slightly iconic

3.8

I remember when Johnny Cash died, I argued with my friend that John Ritter's death the day before was more significant. I was bullshitting, but didn't really know much about Johnny Cash so it was easy to throw it out there. Obviously, I was wrong (sorry John Ritter). Just don't tell my friend I said this.

Rien à dire 5

Comme disait un (pas si) grand homme « Go Johnny, go... Johnny be cash » Playlist pick : Hurt

Wow, did not expect to get this album, but I’ll take it! Third country album out of the last five. Honestly, I really enjoyed this album and I thought it was different than other albums I’ve heard so far. In that it is mostly covers, which some might see as lazy, but I look at it almost as Johnny Cash’s Final Mixtape: He’s using songs that he admires or even his own work, and repurposing them and sequencing them in a way where it feels like he’s writing his own eulogy out of a scrapbook of other works. Reflecting on everything that has happened in his life. His cover of Hurt is definitely the standout track, but other songs such as his cover of Bridge Over Troubled Waters with Fiona Apple, a rendition of Streets of Laredo, and his cover of We’ll Meet Again as a fitting album closer and a punctuation mark at the end of his career. While not all the covers stack up in comparison to the original songs, their uses on this album still worm in serving a thematic purpose. Cash’s voice and acoustic guitar playing are definitely a standout, with Cash’s world-weary voice being a standout on the aforementioned Hurt cover. Overall, this album is a solid statement to end off the career of one of country’s best and brightest.

Less poignant now, sometime after Johnny passed but these versions still stand up for themselves

This album sounds so, so good. The production is incredible. That's before we even get into the music. And the music is even better. Cash interprets the hell out of songs that shouldn't work and yet. His original songs stand proud. Goosebumps all round.

IV stars - great, melancholic reimagining of songs

Honestly got me kinda emotional. Not my usual type of music, but such a beautiful set of songs.

In its execution and context, Johnny Cash's final living release is an admirable farewell lap around the field. The themes of death and the imminence of such lingers heavily throughout the track-list. It's a fact that freezes me up, but knowing that he got to write a worthy end to his story is pleasing. You always want legends to be paid their respects before they go (think about Ozzy). Plus hearing Fiona Apple on Bridge Over Troubled Water was such a treat (why isn't she on this list more). A worthy walk into the sunset for the man in black. Rick Rubin's greatest achievement as well (8/10, 4/5 on this scale)

I love a cover album

Hurt is one of the greatest cover songs that i heard

Amazing album. First Johnny Cash album and I understand the hype. Though I didn’t add many songs to my library. I enjoyed every single one I heard. Songs I liked: the man comes around, hurt, I hung my head. 4/5

Love the guitar !!! Storytelling songs <3

- So much power and emotion from a man who will die 2 months after the release of this - Thats gotta be one of the best we'll meet again covers I've ever heard

Some great covers weighed down some not so great ones, but overall definitely a legendary farewell album. Even on the songs that don't land as well as others, Cash's legendary voice still saves the day. 8/10.

8.5/10 Johnny Cash's voice is great as usual, but for some reason the duet with Fiona Apple was what really got my attention. I think it was pretty great overall.

fuck :D

a nice collection of songs here. will be returning to this album

Hurt is a Johnny Cash song now.

yo why am I crying at every song - so fucking peak

Very very slow and solemn

Really love this album, while most (if not all? I'm not sure) are covers I think his mark he puts on each song makes it more than just that. I heard when Trent Reznor heard Johnny's version he flew into an angry jealous rage and sued him straight into the poorhouse, SAD! Favorite Track: Give my Love to Rose

Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? ✅ Would buy on Vinyl? ✅

There are some amazing songs and covers on here, but some are also pretty suspect. However it's still a great album and reinvention of the great man.

Liked this, but it’s more like a nostalgic feeling than it is a groundbreaking album experience. I’m a huge NIN fan so it’s great seeing hurt get the recognition it deserved through this cover, and there’s a bunch of other great renditions here. I think the whole album is pretty moorish and fits a certain vibe I’d be happy to come back to.