Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Fantastic album, The Man Comes Around, Hurt, and Sam Hall are standouts.
Was already very familiar with this one. It's beautiful and sad. And his covers of hurt, personal Jesus, and desperado are better than the originals. Amazing voice.
Comforting and cozy.
Johnny has such a raw, emotional voice. He has covered and made his own some really good songs. I don't like all the songs on this album so not quite 5 stars
I think it would have been a 5 but I didn't like some of the songs on second half, so 4.5 stars from me. His voice has a resonance and pathos that comes with age and experience much like David Bowie's in later years.
Got to love a bit of Jonny Cash, and some of his covers are so good u can mistake them for the original songs
Album 210. American IV: The Man Comes Around (https://open.spotify.com/album/17k01Y7uKSVOrnyEZPOqKR?si=WKJzbYrAR0aCjV01owk2sg) — Johnny Cash (2002) Well, it was actually hard to write anything about this album. This album feels like a Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker (https://t.me/falton1001/316). And like a lot of pre-death albums. It's not the last Cash album, but the last one that was released during his lifetime. It's dark, old and with the weight of a life. It feels like a really old cigar with a history. I don't know: like the cigar itself or the vibe of sitting with it and listening to these outrageously great covers (majority of songs) on a vinyl. Both. The voice of Johnny Cash is ultimately unique and authentic. And the album is great. Looking forward to listening to his earlier works from the 60s. 4/5 Liked: — Hurt — Bridge Over Troubled Water — In My Life — Tear Stained Letter — Streets Of Laredo — We'll Meet Again
Talk about gravitas—this album exudes it, with a pun on heading toward the grave (I think Johnny Cash would embrace this pun). Rarely do you hear a piece of mainstream music that confronts mortality so viscerally, but there is joy and humor to be had here too. Not every song hits, but almost all are worth the listen.
Johnny es un artista único, logra transmitir con una gran facilidad el sentimiento que va por medio de la canción que esté tocando Este álbum tiene Hurt, que es un cover bien sentido, el elemento de la voz que tiene para este momento de su carrera, hace que sea una nota altísima en el álbum A la vez hay otras canciones que no son tan llamativas o memorables, pero siempre con mensaje o historia que entretiene Honestamente es bastante difícil de calificar, porque me parece que tiene de todo un poco, siempre manteniendo su voz como la parte más característica de sus canciones Lo que reitero es que el logra hacerte empatizar con la emoción que está transmitiendo por medio de su canto y eso es mucho por si solo 3.7
Let's be honest, if you had no idea who Cash was and didn't know his music or history would you give this album such high praise? More than a few would just call these bad covers. Still a 4 for me.
Fantastic late career album from the Man in Black. The choice of covers is great and arrangements and production by Rick Rubin is perfect. I could have done without "Desperado" and a couple of others but his aged and weary voice conveys all kinds of emotions. And that opening 1-2 punch of "The Man Comes Around" and "Hurt" is stellar.
A lovely swan song from a singular American artist, perhaps the greatest country singer to ever do it. People always talk about how he made hurt his own, and he definitely did, but I also feel that way about his cover of Sting's I Hung My Head, or Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus. Definitely the best of the American recordings, and the stark nature of Rubin's production makes it feel like Cash's Nebraska sometimes. Big fan of this one
Despite being mostly covers, Johnny Cash owns most of these songs (ok well not Personal Jesus). A pretty great final album
Really great cover album. Many of the tracks I either didn’t realize were covers or thought were the original. Cashes voice is so classic, can’t be beat for the vibe he goes for.
Fantastic listen, very enjoyable covers and always worth a listen
I absolutely love this album. Pure, raw vocals from old Johnny Cash. I really want to give it 5 stars, but I can't completely overlook its limiting factors. First, they're covers. Incredible covers that redefine the song ("Hurt") but still covers. Also, there are a few "meh" songs here, and "Danny Boy" is... not very good. Personal highlight: "Streets of Laredo"
Mixture of tracks. Very heart felt and can hear the reconciliation of his life in his voice and music.
*Vulnerable cash Hurt Personal jesus Desperado
🖤
More sad songs and less songs about running from a sheriff, but his style always brings out just the right emotion for the song
I love old country music, back when it seemed like actual country music and not hip-hop or dance music like today. I was really into Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., and to a certain extent, Johnny Cash. Cash, though, seemed to be an older generation, but by the end of his life, he was kind of the David Bowie of country music. He somehow was able to make it through all the decades by changing his style, or if not changing his style, at least updating it. Even at the very end of his life, he was still garnering love and support for his American recordings with producer guru Rick Rubin. In fact, I’d imagine more people under the age of 30 probably know Johnny Cash more for his rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt than Ring of Fire or Folsom Prison Blues. I never got into the American recordings because I just wasn’t interested in watching Johnny Cash like that, you know? He seemed old and frail, and it was like watching your childhood die before your eyes. I wasn’t ready to face that, seemingly. I wanted to keep the Johnny Cash form 1965, and before, in my mind, I guess. Truthfully, I also got a bit weirded out seeing a frail Cash singing and recording. It made me wonder if maybe his people pushed him to record songs right up until the end, rather than allowing a legend to live out his days as he wanted to. I assume it wasn’t like that because I never heard even a whisper about it. Today, I’m going to dive into at least volume IV of his American recordings. This was the 67th and last album released by Cash, and it came out in late November 2002. It was the fourth volume of his American recordings, and many believe it to be the finest work of his later years. This album has quite a few “celebrity” guests on it, including Nick Cave, Don Henley, Fiona Apple, John Frusciante, and others. The original album is 15 tracks and around 51 minutes long. I’m sure we’ll get a super deluxe edition at some point with songs recorded from the grave. Track 1 is The Man Comes Around and it starts out with Cash reading from Revelation. The song is an acoustic guitar playing a very Johnny Cash-type rhythm with Cash sort of singing/talking. Cash’s vocal style was about half singing/talking. When we get to the chorus, Cash does some singing. For a song about the man coming around, it’s a pretty peppy-sounding song, but very good. Track 2 is the big song off the album, Hurt. Trent Reznor, who wrote the song, said he was flattered they chose Hurt as a song for the album, but was worried how it might come out. After he heard the final version, he said the song was Cash’s now. This song is one of the saddest songs ever written. It’s about pain, regret, addiction, and death, including the singer’s. The video makes the song even sadder. It’s an all-timer. Track 3 is Give My Love to Rose and Cash won a Grammy for this song. Unlike most of the songs on the album, this was written by Cash and had already been recorded by him in 1960. It’s a true Cash song as it has his signature musical rhythm, and it’s quite macabre as the singer listens to a dying man’s last words. Of course, the man had just gotten out of prison and was going to see his wife and son. It’s a beautiful song. So far, this album is worth the hype. Track 4 is Bridge Over Troubled Water with Fiona Apple. I can’t imagine this improves upon the Simon and Garfunkel original, as that’s truly an all-time great song. But I’m interested in hearing the interplay between Cash and Apple’s voices. Cash sings the first couple of verses, and Apple comes in softly at the end of the first verse. Oooh, I got chills hearing them sing the chorus together. I don’t know if it’s just that the song is so beautiful just on its own, or that I’m really getting into this, but I’m feeling that swell that usually comes on before I start tearing up. I love this arrangement. Great song and probably the best cover version I've heard...well, besides the Sweeney Sisters version on SNL. Track 5 is I Hung My Head and it’s a sad song about an accidental killing that leads to the hanging of a regretful man. It’s Cash, a guitar, a piano, and maybe some strings, but it could be a keyboard. It’s a beautifully written song lyrically. It feels like Cash is speeding through it, but you get so tied up in the story that you hang on his every word. Oh, Sting wrote this song. The Policeman, not the wrestler. Track 6 is First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, which is a beautiful love song and performed at its best by Roberta Flack, who won a Grammy for her performance. It’s so soft and slow with a couple of acoustic guitars and, later, a beautiful organ creeping in. I’m actually shocked at how great Cash sounds. I half expected his voice to sound as frail and old as it did on Hurt, but I think he was doing that on purpose to fit the song. He sounds very strong on this song. I think I had heard that there were times Cash was so weak they had to sometimes go line by line with some of the songs to record them. This song was beautiful. My favorite on the album thus far. Track 7 is Personal Jesus originally by Depeche Mode. I love this song. Rubin has arranged the music like a little rock song in a juke joint. The piano is taking the lead…Holy crap! Billy Preston is playing the piano on this song. No wonder it sounds so great. There are also a couple of acoustic guitars, with one being a slide guitar, it seems. This song rocks. In addition to John Frusciante from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mike Campbell from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Randy Scruggs also played guitar on the album. Marly Stuart, too, played acoustic guitar on this album. Those are some fine pickers. As an aside, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives have put out some of the best music of his career and of the last 20 years or so. It's music that takes you back, but sounds fresh and new. Track 8 is In My Life. I assume Rubin picked these songs for this album, and he certainly wasn’t afraid to pick all-time greats. Cash so far is knocking everything out of the park. Just an acoustic guitar, piano, and Cash’s voice. Each song is so sparse, but so beautiful. This was a great rendition. Track 9 is Sam Hall, written by Tex Ritter, and this is one of those songs Cash sings with some bite, but also a twinkle in his eye, especially when he yells out, “Damn your eyes!” It’s a fun song, which is needed on an album full of sad and slower songs. It’s a great song to allow the listener to take a breath. Track 10 is Danny Boy and it’s the Danny Boy you all know. They have a pipe organ to accompany Cash on this song. This is the first song in which Cash’s voice doesn’t quite seem up to the challenge. Though he does have his moments. Not my favorite on the album. Track 11 is Deperado, and yes, it’s that Deserado. In fact, Don Henley plays drums and keyboards and sings on the track. After listening to the song, I just didn’t think it was as good as what’s been on here so far. It was just okay. Track 12 is I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, the legendary Hank Williams song. I assume Cash will be back to form for this song. Oh, and Nick Cave is on this track with Cash. Hmmm, Cave is putting a bit of a Southern affectation on his voice. I don’t much care for that. He’s Australian. If he were Irish or Scottish, I might let it pass because I think a Southern accent isn’t that far off from an Irish or Scottish accent. Much of Appalachia was settled by the Scots-Irish. The song was fine, but it didn’t stir anything inside me. Track 13 is Tear-Stained Letter and we’re back. It’s a more upbeat-sounding song, and Cash is really singing well. It’s no wonder, it’s a Cash original. He originally recorded it in 1972. Again, Preston is playing the piano on this song, and his playing really levels up the song. Now they let him get a solo in, perfect. Great song. Track 14 is Streets of Laredo, which doesn’t have a writer attached as it's one of those songs passed down and changed through generations. The song is reminiscent of Give My Love To Rose as the singer comes across a dying cowboy and listens to his final words. “Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin, Get six pretty maidens to bear up my pall. Put bunches of roses all over my coffin, Roses to deaden the clods as they fall." Wow, what great lyrics. The song isn’t very special musically, but the lyrics tell a beautiful story. Track 15 is We’ll Meet Again and the Whole Cash Gang is on this track. I’m not sure what that means, right away. Ahhh, yes, I’ve heard this song. I think I’ve heard David Lee Roth sing this, maybe? “We'll meet again Don't know where, don't know when But I know we'll meet again some sunny day" I love this song. It’s very old-timey and has a clarinet playing. It does remind me of the Van Halen song “Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now). I know some Van Halen purists dislike that hokey DLR nonsense, but I love it. This song was a great way to end a record and to end an incredible life. , I stand corrected, this album was really great and I should have gotten into it back in the day. I think any country music fan, especially Johnny Cash fans, should hear this album. Younger country music fans should listen to this and just more Johnny Cash altogether. I’m sure there are better albums from him in his prime, but you can’t go wrong beginning at the end with this one.
The man comes around - 4 Hurt - 5 Give my love to rose - 3 Bridge over troubled water - 4 I hung my head - 3 First time ever i saw your face - 3 Personal jesus - 5 In my life - 4 Sam hall - 3 Danny boy - 3 Desperado - 4 I'm so lonesome i could cry - 5 Tear stained letter - 3 Streets of laredo - 3 We'll meet again - 3
A little hit or miss but the highs (Man Comes Around, I Hung My Head, Personal Jesus cover) really great
Fantastisk och så himla sorglig! Hans röst är så märkt av livet, vilket är fint. Gillar att han gör covers och blandar med sina egna låtar. Det blir ett djup som blir så bra. Hans version av Hurt är ju det bästa jag hört! Temat på albumet är det sorgliga, ett avsked av livet.
i’ve never been a fan of country music but this is so good favorite song: give my love to rose / bridge over troubled water least favorite. desperado
Johnny Cash - American IV Rating: 4/5 Favorite Song: Tear-Stained Letter Least Favorite Song: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Awesome cover album by the legend!!
This is an album that I've been meaning to get around to listening to for a very long time, so I'm happy that this project forced me to do it. Of course I was familiar with the masterful cover of "Hurt," as well as the cover of "Personal Jesus," which is butchered with inexplicable regularity at my local karaoke bar. The emotion given to each song by Cash at the end of his life is so powerful. All the covers just make sense, and after "Hurt," my favorite is "I Hung My Head." I was very much looking forward to hearing this version of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," but unfortunately the addition of Nick Cave nearly ruined it (something I wouldn't have believed were possible).
I tried listening to this in the past but I was in a dark place and it was difficult to get through. It's easier now. I'm a fan of JC and this is a good collection of songs that he made. I wouldn't want to listen to it again, as its poignancy outweighs its entertainment value.
I'll be honest, I am not a true believer on the “Hurt” discourse. I think Cash does an interesting cover. I think it frames the song in a vastly different way, as a recording by a man a year from death. I don't think it's better. To me, the biggest intrigue is simply the idea that a man so separate from the culture and distant in age would connect. It is a big thumbed nose to the yuppies and boomers freaking out about youth culture in decline. That's a huge bit of Cash. Imagine a modern country boy confronted with What is Truth for the first time. They'd be ripping shit over the audacity. Cash was never really an outlaw for the sake of it, but he was always in opposition to the worst bits of “western” culture. It's another small protest at the very end. Damn their eyes. But Cash is at his best when he is at his more Cash. The opening track (and album namesake) is a perfect storm of this. Cash as dark preacher, Cash as divine arbiter of justice, Cash as exuberant strummer and inveterate storyteller. His energy here, even in his speaksinging, is just as interesting a contrast as the tiredness of “Hurt”. While Cash's choices in covering the extended terrain of an American songbook (and the British, i guess, given the Depeche Mode song), he feels more tentative in most of these than when that aging but robust voice reverberates on his own compositions. Not in a bad way, just a different one. Something like “We'll Meet Again,” of course, feels right in that wheelhouse. Is this really the first recordings of him doing it? And having Fiona Apple rippling through what is already a strong Bridge Over Troubled Water is a nice touch. But the real standout of those songs is I Hung My Head, to me. Probably the big surprise on the album, and double surprise that it was written not by Johnny, but by Sting. All in all tho, this is probably the genesis of the Critically Acclaimed Twilight Album. It's a few years before Genius Loves Company, the Ray Charles album that really ushered in dozens of Old Dudes With Modern Duets albums. It is long long before the mindful and nearly prophetic Blackstar and You Want it Darker. And if I think it is a little overblown in praise, and if I think that there is no ethical reason to subject someone to Desperado, it doesn't make this any less than 4* and an eventual addition to the collection
Truly beautiful covers on this album. Cash aged like fine wine before his time had come. What an American master.
Amazing raw and gritty album. Johnny Cash really stripped everything back on this album. You can hear his age, melancholy, and complexity of emotions of a life lived in this album. I had heard Hurt before which is better than the NiN version and his version of In My Life is hauntingly beautiful. The Man Comes Around, the album and song is classic Cash near the end of his life.
Very slow. Relaxing, but boring at some parts. Beautiful all together, though. Most captivating part of the music is the guitar.
Prefer early Johnny Cash personally but he's great
Cash comes out swinging with a devastating cover. I heard this version before the original, as a teenager, and Johnny pouring out the wine of his life has stayed with me ever since. The emotional hits just keep coming after that. Mostly covers, but deeply felt. An elder statesman of music, of highs and lows, invites us to his funeral. Simple arrangements and a voice that resonates to the end. What makes this album work is the emotional, thematic End. "If I could start again a million miles away, I would keep myself, I would find a way."
I liked it. Confident and consistent sound.
first listen it really is an instant classic
incredible. gonna need to spend some more time with this one...
Good covers by the legend
An excellent encore of an album, after a phenomenal career. I loved the Cash classics and the covers. So entertaining. 8/10
I'm glad he got to sign off with a great record
One of my favourite stories in musical history and an outstanding testament to a graceful final bow. as a heavy admirer of the works of Rick Rubin, what himself and Cash achieved with the American series is breathtaking. The album represents what it means to be the last one standing in the end, where all you’ve ever gathered or earned is decaying around you - you look back on you life with heavy regret, a slight sense of glory and the grace and dignity that comes in the end of an imperfect but legendary legacy. Also wherever figured out Fiona Apple would sound good with Johnny Cash deserves a special medal.
Come back to this one. Didn't finish it. He's got a great voice. Really smooth,,, it works well with the music itself.
I liked the song "Bridge over Troubled Water", although I don't really like his old voice if that makes sense. The songs are more of a slower pace even though i'm ok with that just not my type of genre but I will finish listening. Ok I REALLY like "I Hung My Head" I feel like this fits me and my pace it's got some soul to it which I like. "Personal Jesus" I like its catchy I really like the line where he says "Reach Out and Touch faith". "In My Life"Is like a sweet but bitter song I like that one like reflecting on life and everyone you've met and won't see anymore. I like the tune and the guitar on this one I think this one is my favorite from the album so far. I like "Danny Boy" he reminds me of a grandpa's calm voice sending me to sleep I'm starting to like it and get used to it makes me feel somewhat safe. Lastly to end it off "We'll Meet Again" is a melancholy ending quite sad but I think this is the top 3 in the whole album. Truly I never thought I would listen to this as I was ready to skip but im glad I did'nt this album is not that bad.
Notable Textzeile: Voices callin', voices cryin' Some are born and some are dyin' It's Alpha and Omega's kingdom come And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree So viel Leben und Sterben in so einer einnehmenden Stimme. Alles ist darum gruppiert und produziert. Das geht mir jedes Mal unter die Haut. Trotzdem ist es für mich nur das zweitbeste aus der American Recordings Reihe. Es fügt sich für mich nicht unbedingt zusammen, die Auswahl der Songs ist dann doch etwas zu dick auf Vanitas hin ausgerichtet. Aber das ist defintiv meckern auf sehr hohem Niveau. #cd #gekauft
Ich werde den komplett verwirrten Gesichtsausdruck meiner Mutter nie vergessen, als sie in mein Jugendzimmer kommt und fragt ob ich da gerade Johnny Cash höre. Ja Mum, das ist jetzt wieder cool weil der Alben mit dem Produzenten der Red Hot Chili Peppers aufnimmt. Ja ich weiß dass das ein schlimmes Simon und Garfunkel Cover ist. Lass mich in Ruhe, ich bin jetzt ein Millennial. Die definitive American Recording Reihenfolge, nur für den Fall dass nur eins kommt, ist übrigens 3-1-4-2. Der Rest ist Leichenfledderei. Hier: ganz ganz starke und ganz ganz schlimme Songs. Gibt eigentlich 3,aber ich habe Angst dass es das einzige der Reihe ist:
ich wusste nicht dass ich es so gerne mögen würde, auch schöne cover und seine stimme gibt mir irgendwas
Great album. Loved hearing him cover some fantastic songs. When the Man Comes Around and Desperado among the best.
in general not a big fan of covers. but this album contains a cover that i think is better than the original.
A little bit of unnecessary filler here and there ("Bridge Over Troubled Water", "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Danny Boy"), but overall a fantastic album by a legend contemplating his mortality.
3,5
A collection of depressing songs by a dying miserable old man. Pretty enjoyable overall! “Sam Hall” was a delight! And then to have the balls to end with “We’ll meet again” was very funny. The mixing on Hurt makes it down right uncomfortable to listen to by the end and I’m probably good with never hearing it again
22-Apr-2026 4/5 I liked this album, although I prefer some of his original work better. Some of the covers were decent and I remember them from when he released these versions. But I think that the original versions of his covers are better. Overall, a good album that I enjoyed, but not a stand-out for me.
Interesting mix. Some songs were amazing, Cash totally reinvented them with his passion. Others were almost cringy.
I knew a couple of songs off this but I've never listen to the whole thing. man there was some pain in voice that added to the songs I think.
It does sound pretty mythic. Must-listen #332.
I really enjoyed this one. And a nice surprise with the Depeche Mode cover!
Was feeling neutral about it then Bridge Over Troubled Water came on and holy cow Fiona Apple is just so peak idk. 4/5
Probably the most cool country album I have ever listened to. Every word spoken has this slickness and a roughness that can not be replicated making these songs feel like Johnny cash originals rather than covers. I feel like this is an album that only has room to grow in my heart it is performed so well and produced to a perfection. Fav tracks: Hurt, Give my love to rose, I hung my head, Personal Jesus, In my life, Desparado, and We'll meet again
This isn't my favorite of the American recordings, but this is the one with "Hurt" on it so it makes the list, I guess.
I came into this album not expecting to like it. I don’t listen to country and I don’t like slow music or singer-songwriter stuff generally. I’m too ADHD for that so I just get bored and unengaged. This album does not suffer that fate. I am simply too engaged with both what Johnny says and how he says it. Shit is beautiful. It’s as plain as that. Fav Song: Steets of Laredo
It’s hard to judge this objectively having a strong affection for J.C. Listening end to end this is an album of frequent highs with a couple of glaring lows, it would have benefited greatly from a little more consideration of the songs to be covered, Bridge Over Troubled Water is a weak effort against the original, there are plenty of better renditions of Danny Boy and In My Life doesn’t gain anything by the composition and JC vocal style. Johnny’s voice remains a powerhouse even shortly before death, Personal Jesus, Hurt, I Hung My Heart and I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry are inspired cover choices, The Man Comes Around is a great JC song. Often brilliant but occasionally flawed. 4.1
Loved it never felt sadder tho
#336/1001. At the beginning I was thinking about the fine line between a genius and a random bloke strumming his guitar in the street corner unnoticed. I don't think J.R Cash never crossed that line too far, but it was a clear win to the genius side in the end.
Had a long review that got lost. This is the 3rd Johnny cash album that I’ve got. Looks like this is the last he released before he died which is interesting. First two were live, interested to see if studio is any better or worse. Overall I really enjoyed this album as I have with the other 2. He has a great voice, and it works on songs you’d never expect it to (like hurt, what a cover). It’s a fun but also emotional listen. I will be listening to some of these songs again. There’s a couple forgettable songs but no bad songs. Very enjoyable. 4.0 stars.
artista que tenía pendiente hace mucho de escuchar con detenimiento, histórico.
covers. eloquent. gravitas.
Mete saxofón sorete, todo el álbum con el mismo arpegio
This is a pretty great album. Cash’s dark, soulful voice just adds a different element to these songs. I won’t listen to this album often, but I will listen to it again.
great covers, bonus for fiona apple
Toward the beginning I was considering 5 stars on this, but it did overstay its welcome a bit and some of the later songs aren't quite a strong. That all said, I just adore this era of Johnny Cash and what he was able to do with music spanning so many different genres, making it his own but also celebrating great lyrics, great songwriting, from throughout American history.
One of the most soul-crushing albums ever. Very rarely do you see fantastic projects from aging artists, but this project is an exception.
Very sad but good nonetheless
I had an interesting reaction to this album, almost immediately as a started listening to it. I instantly started thinking about Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker album which I had earlier in this countdown, maybe because there was a bit of a deeper tone to this than I anticipated. Turns out, like it was for Cohen with his Darker album, this was the last one for Johnny Cash, so there are definitely some parallels. Certainly, Cash has always been a superb storyteller in his music and that comes through here, even if many of these songs are remakes (some of which he had done before). Take a song like Hurt, which is a Nine Inch Nails classic. The NIN is undeniably better, but there is something that Cash brings even to this track that makes it uniquely his own. More pointedly, he just sings in a way that is relatable and forces you to really listen to the lyrics, which makes him so much more effective than others at weaving a given song's tale. There are a series of highlights on this, including Hurt, In My Life, The Man Comes Around, and Personal Jesus. I also loved how he was able to get artists like Fiona Apple, John Frusciante, and Don Henley, which are really across the spectrum of rock. Speaks to how large a figure he was in music that such a diverse group of people would be willing to work with him, even at this stage of his career. I've already had the two other albums from Johnny Cash on this countdown, both of which are live prison performances. It's unfair to compare this to those records, as those two are just incredibly unique in the music landscape. That said, despite this being full of covers, it has a nice place in his discography, serving as a nice epilogue to his career. 4 stars. Far from unbelievable, but an excellent listen all the same.
Objectively good. I liked it. 3 for good. 0.5 for the first song. 0.5 for the last song (Gravity Falls). -1 for creative differences.
Es un disco que no creo que hubiera escuchado si no fuera por esto Aun así no me arrepiento de haberlo escuchado, me pareció un buen álbum Me sorprendió que la mayoria de canciones fueran covers de temas conocidos, eso me gustó y están muy bien logrados. Como para decir algo malo, no es mi estilo favorito, y las canciones son muy tristes. El hecho de que sea el último disco que publicó en su vida también le suma a la "melancolía" que te produce gran parte del disco. Es simple pero profundo y suena muy bien. Me gustaron todos los temas por igual.
Cover albums can be tricky, but Cash pulls it off well. I had of course heard his Personal Jesus and Hurt before, but the rest was new to me. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was another high point, and it’s interesting to note that even Johnny Cash can’t do a good Beatles cover
Es la primera vez, que escucho un álbum de entero de Johny Cash, y verdaderamente me voy con una sensación satisfactoria. Este álbum es una carta de despedida de Johny al mundo, dejando como legado no solo sus canciones sino también sus experiencias, dejando en claro que, después de un día oscuro llega la luz, la redención. Los covers que llevo a cabo en este álbum, me resultaron muy satisfactorios, dejando su estilo, su toque en cada verso.
Listened to this in the office, I enjoyed a fresh take on all these songs. Obviously hurt the most famous. But I can see why people like it. What's not to love about a superstar covering very famous songs. Would listen again.
This album is so good, for being his last released album while he was alive, Cash really made such a good album.
This is what aging gracefully sounds like.
A really good album, I liked The Man Comes Around, Hurt and In My Life the most.
I really like these American albums that Cash did at the end of his career. The songs are great on their own, but it's also very cool to hear someone so influential across many genres cover songs by bands he likely inspired in some way. 4/5
I adore this album. Cash's voice was never better than when it was barely holding together. The arrangements are mostly perfect and gave new life to songs from other artists that would otherwise be forgettable.
Buen álbum!
Great album. Couple duds but most of it is really good. 4.5.
Sad album. He even makes the more upbeat songs sad.
I liked this. This was mainly covers with a couple of his own songs. His cover of Hurt is my favorite Johnny Cash song and one of my favorite songs of all time. One of my only exceptions to hating country music is that I do like Johnny Cash.
Johnny Cash covering a selection of songs ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Simon and Garfunkel. The covers generally don't surpass the originals, but it's still an enjoyable and memorable album even if it can't beat Art Garfunkel at "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The song choices are pretty good, the stripped-down style works well, and there's at least one 5-star track ("Hurt").
Good cash album. Some of my fave songs of his.
He bears his sole and pours himself into his music. This album is powerul while also being heartbreaking. Cash was king.
Hät paar gueti Covers aber In my life isch wück keis devo.
Johnny Cash einzige countryartist wo ich lose chan glaube
Johnny's beautiful swan song. It's like hearing an old friend reflecting on the long life they've had. This is made relevant with his sparse arrangements of covers, which adds to the introspective mood. "We'll Meet Again", for example, is kinda haunting, knowing that this would be Cash's last album. Personally, I enjoyed the popular covers and the simplistic production here, it really fits the mood well. Thanks for sharing your last piece of work with us, Johnny! (3.5-4)
Verrrry close to 5 for me
So fun to hear Johnny's legendary voice breath new life into classic tunes. Favorite track: When the Man Comes Around
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. I’m partial to a bit of Johnny Cash, I grew up listening to him, but I never had any thoughts about him. The Man Comes Around was absolutely brilliant. The guitar was great, and the vocals had just enough melody to be very listenable but in a way that you could focus on the lyrics. Hurt is just such a gorgeous song, no matter who sings it. The NIN one will always be the original, but Johnny gives it such a great voice. Whenever the chorus kicks in I can’t help but pause and just listen. Give my love to rose is awesome. It’s a lovely love song (and I sure do adore a good one of those). We then go in to Bridge over Troubled Water. Just amazing. No words. Love love loved the guitar in I Hung my Head. First time I saw your face was great! Wasn’t a huge fan of personal Jesus. In my life was just so sweet. It’s such a great retrospective piece. Sam Hall brings the pace back up again. Danny boy wasn’t really my thing, but I LOVED tear stained letter. It really spoke to me. Desperado was great too. Streets of Laredo was nice and narrative. Closing it with We’ll meet again was alright. I felt it didn’t fully match the vibe of the album as a closer. I would’ve liked a more somber feel to close it out on. 4/5 ⭐️ though! There was so much I enjoyed about it. 84/1089
Very emotional, and sad. Good.
Album très axé sur l’acoustique, donne envie d’être cow-boy 🤠 Avec d’excellentes chansons écrites par Cash et des reprises qui ne laissent pas indifférent. J’aime beaucoup le style
Pas eu un grand contact avec Johnny Cash et j’avais un peu peur que ça soit trop accès Américain Mais très bonne surprise, je me suis senti transporté par les musiques qui ont un petit côté road trop dans le désert Je n’étais pas dans un mood pour écouter ce genre de musiques, deux trois ont semblé très longue Mais pour le reste, c’est abouti, et c’est fort
Relisten Hard to listen to this without ruminating on the fact that this was Cash's last album before he died. There's a frailty to his voice and persistent themes of love, death and regret, all of which are well traveled territories for him, but take on a different meaning when released so close to his death. There's some covers in here that take on a solemn, depressive tone. In My Life is a very beautiful, albeit a bit melancholic song when played by the Beatles, but when played by Cash it leans far more into the melancholy. Same goes for Personal Jesus and a lot of people's personal favorite; his cover of Nine Inch Nails "Hurt". I don't count myself among the people who think his cover eclipses the original song, but Johnny takes it and makes it his own, making small changes to the lyrics that make it fit with his style a lot more. It's a testament to his skill as an artist that he can transform so many famous, well known songs into something that fits perfectly in his own discography. I do think the production leans on a little corny sometimes though, as though the audio engineers really wanted you to remember how old and grey Johnny has gotten - some echoing effects and a vocal effect on the first song seem a little tacky, but when it's just Johnny and his guitar, it's fantastic. Favorite Tracks: Give My Love to Rose, In My Life, Danny Boy, We'll Meet a Again Least favorite: First Time I Saw Your Face 4/5
Nunca cheguei perto dessa era do cash por birra contra os fãs dele dizendo que a versão do Hurt era melhor que o original do Nine inch nails. Ela é boa mesmo, mas melhor é difícil. O resto do álbum é bem legal também. Surpreso com a produção atmosférica em algumas faixas.
The album says Cash, but the experience is as much Rubin. I was working in a record shop when this series and particularly this album came out and not one person, in a building of opinionated critics and cynics didn't have an affection for it. It opened doors to new music and remained in rotation for years. It's a real treat to go back to it and give it some time. Possibly the greatest swan song in music, beautiful, poignant, sad and uplifting. As an end to end listen not every song hits, but it's not far off.
The American series is what turned me on to Johnny Cash, and this was probably the best of them. The Hurt cover is iconic, but also love 'Hung my Head', 'The Man Comes Around', the depressed mode cover, Desperado...just a really great album.
There might be a miss or two here (“Danny Boy?”), but, as a whole, these are stellar covers. He *transformed* these songs. For the better. “Hurt” is deservedly well loved, but I’d take “Personal Jesus” with me to the desert island.
4,3/5
Incredible album with some really good songs you wouldn't expect Johnny Cash to cover. I don't listen to this album enough.
I had no idea he did a whole album of covers! I had only heard Hurt, which I love.
I was excited to see this pop up. I enjoyed listening to it and the style, but it wasn't quite dynamic enough to get all the way to 5* for me
A mixed bag of covers. Some are completely reimagined, with the weight of age and depth of maturity and level of nuance only a lifetime of making music can bring, but then there's a few that just sound like someone's grandad at karaoke.
O álbum é contínuo, é coeso, todas as músicas são lentas e tem uma pegada triste. Então se for julgar coesão nota 5, mas cansa parece que é a mesma música, tem um tom monótono, mas ele tem uma bela voz, não conheço o trabalho dele para julgar se o estilo dele é esse ou é só esse álbum. Mas, nota 4 ou 3 estaria bom pra ele
Love. Love. Love. Hot take that NIN Hurt still eclipses this version but obviously still very good. People talk about the covers obviously but the originals stand up as well and The Man Comes Around is clearly biblically epic. And to be brazen enough to have the last song released during your life to be Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again is incredible.
Hauntingly beautiful
A few true classics carried further by the gravity of an aged, but powerful voice padded by some cutting room floor stuff.
Fascinating album of covers near the end of Cash's life. We get a weird selection of Cash on here (two live albums from jails and one late era cover album) - would've liked to see some of his more normal studio albums on here. But no doubt these covers are affecting and heartfelt.
Johnny Cash originals are better than Johnny Cash covers but this still works for me. 3.5/5
cried within the first minute thanks john. this cover of Personal Jesus has always and will always fuck extremely hard.
The Johnny Cash / Rick Rubin collaborations are among the greater endorsements of the idea that less is more. These songs are stripped to their base elements in such a way as to remove all barriers between the audience and the lyrics and the manner in which the vocal manages to be monotone while still conveying so much emotion is actually pretty striking. American III was my jam for a long time but I think it’s just because it was the one I heard first. IV is probably superior (though it somehow got some of the lesser reviews of the series). I is also quite good. I don’t remember what’s on II. I also never listened to V and VI in full. Maybe I’ll do that today. Pretty much everyone, including Trent Reznor, just kinda acknowledges “Hurt” as a Johnny Cash song at this point. I would also point to “I Hung My Head” as a version that tops the original Sting song in every conceivable way (even though bro blatantly misspoke and said “sheen” instead of “stream” and called it good enough). The title track will remain a staple of the “I am a hack filmmaker and want to show a montage of the world having ended” genre for generations to come. The 2020 remake of The Stand was so bad. Not all of the covers work for me, but a swing-and-a-miss is still a swing, ya dig? The Nick Cave feature doesn’t quite do what I need it to, and I think Don Henley is a talentless Garbage Pail Kids sticker come to life. Fiona Apple’s guest spot is great though!
Nice collection of covers and his voice really contributes a unique sound to these songs. Hurt, personal Jesus, and the man comes around are the highlights to me.
Another album that I definitely should’ve listened to by now. The covers are great but I don’t think any of them beat the originals. Loved hearing Fiona Apple on “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and the “Hurt” cover is obviously great. Never cared for the “Personal Jesus” cover but that’s really the only low point on the album for me. Otherwise, this is a solid album from the GOAT of country music. I love it when musicians like David Bowie and Leonard Cohen go out with a bang and Cash is absolutely in that group. Favorite track: We’ll Meet Again
Favorite tracks: The Man Comes Around, Hurt, I Hung My Head, We'll Meet Again You almost inevitably feel a lot of dread for a man with so many flaws and bad deeds throughout his career on this record. It's a haunting and funereal experience, boasting all of Johnny Cash's most emotive performances with a strong tracklisting to boot.
Послушал, честно, думал будет не очень, но я полностью забираю свои слова назад Это очень крутой альбом, я могу заявить, что познакомился с жанром кантри, это очень хорошо Последняя песня, сейчас убивает В голосе слышно, что уже тяжело… Чувствовал как я еду по трассе 211, на старом мустанге, вид на каньон, горы, я очень доволен Так же есть песни прям для дома, посидеть, готовить, поговорить. Мне понравилось)
Its good. Hurt is amazing. The take on bridge over troubled water is interesting. Many good songs. Some great songs. Your own personal Jesus? Interesting proposition. I miss the energy of san quentin, which earned it a 5/5 last time Cash came along.
Very cool. I forgot he did some of these covers.
I really enjoyed this album despite not adding too many songs to my playlist. I love Cash’s old man voice so much it was just pleasant. All the covers were good and most of them I really enjoyed. I’m a real sucker for acoustic guitar so that probably made me enjoy the songs more. I did feel that some of the songs don’t have too much progression which I didn’t like that much. But I did love the lyrics as well just something about them was fun, sad, and interesting.
Blown away by Danny Boy and the transition to Desperado
Me encantó la versión de Personal Jesus
While Hurt is superb cover, others fell short of the originals
I have to be in the right mood to listen to this all the way through, but it's a great album.
The last album that Johnny Cash released during his life, American IV: The Man Comes Around is Cash celebrating his life, celebrating Americana, contemplating death, and embracing music he loves. Even though this is technically a covers album, Johnny Cash imbues every song here with the weight and wisdom of his old age and storied life. Each and every song feels like his own. And a lot of these songs are beautiful too: The Man Comes Around, Hurt, I Hung My Head, Danny Boy and many more are gorgeous, elegant compositions in their own right. It's tough to give a 5 here because of how American IV has to contend with being a covers album. But it is a pretty incredible farewell transmission from Johnny Cash regardless.
I had never listened to this but it was very good. A lot of covers which normally would be too much but he really made them his own.
Wow I had such a narrow minded view of country music. This was so good! Deep and beautiful themes, great voice and simple instrumental music. We'll Meet Again is my personal favourite!
Ganske bra! Lenge siden jeg har hørt dette nå.
En klassiker jeg liker veldig godt.
Would be a 5 star album if it wasn’t covers
a very pleasant swan song album, i really liked it
Top Sound
No. 128 Not every song works to the same extent. But when a song hits, it really hits. Chills.
We’ve gotten a few Johnny Cash albums on this list, but they are his early music. Now we have his final album on the list to bookend his life and show his full breadth. I hear a more modern sound, mostly due to better production in 2002, but this album is undeniably part of that Cash style. American Man IV contains almost all covers, chosen wisely by Cash. There’s much variety in the original material: metal, rock, pop, country, folk. Each cover has Johnny Cash doing exactly what I love to hear with covers: he made them his own. If you didn’t know the lyrics to “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails, then you would think the original and cover are two wildly different songs. For some covers, he’s more loyal to the original, but his voice is what makes a stamp (perfect segue into next paragraph). He lends his signature voice to these songs, even while his voice betrays his age, in a very good way. There’s something to Cash’s vocals that he couldn’t have done at age 30 to “Hurt” or “I Hung My Head.” His voice has always had a gritty aspect, because that’s what made him Johnny Cash, but his rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” allows him to sing sagely in contrast to Art Garfunkel’s earnest original sound. Hearing his tender “In My Life” makes for such an emotional listen. “First Time I Ever Saw Your Face,” with a church-like sound, has Cash sounding reverent. The last song on the album, “We’ll Meet Again,” is the perfect finale: halfway through, Cash uses spoken word to talk directly to the listener before the Whole Cash Gang joins him on the chorus. A fitting end to the album, yes, but also vocally. The personnel list of American Man IV is astounding! I love how many musicians worked with Cash on this album. I can’t pick a favorite, but Fiona Apple’s additional vocals on “Bridge” were so special to me.
Sounded good
A few too many inessential covers to give it five, but there are three absolute classics here.
Not many albums have such authentic poignancy throughout, and it has some totally brilliant / devastating covers, alongside a couple of take-or-leave ones.
Some work better than others, but I enjoyed this and it merits 4 for the strength of the high points.
a mixed bag, but the highs are essential cash
I think this is a great project. Capturing Cash's epic voice with modern production that suits his style and some cool, unexpected song choices (NIN, Depeche Mode…). When it's great, it's great. When it's not, it's still Johnny Cash singing some good songs. 7.5 Fav track: The Man Comes Around Least fav: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Really enjoyed that. The cover of 'Hurt' alone justifies the inclusion in this list.
Very good.
Album 23/1001. Listened 3/23/2026. A classic covers the classics. Some are better than others, but it's a great album.
4/8
Went into this not expecting much, but was very pleasantly surprised. The quite bare arrangements go brilliantly with Johnny’s husky voice and give the whole album a great sense of warmth. Some genuinely beautiful arrangements but sadly some rather strange choices and some songs I found rather corny held it back a bit.
A solid swan song. If Blackstar was covers.
His isolated vocals with the guitar were very soothing. It was a sad listen.
This album made me really sad sometimes. 4/5
Beautiful lyrics and music. What a storyteller this man is.
The best covers project of it's kind
the second half has a much more distinct feel to it that is so much stronger than the first half
Old Johnny Cash hits so much harder, though it does sometimes feel like you can hear him actively dying on some of the tracks (particularly Hurt) Favourite song: I hung my head.
Great album. 7.5 out of 10.
Johnny Cash's "American Recordings" revitalized his career, so its fitting that "The Man Comes Around" would be the last record he lived to put out. The same minimalism that defined the rest of the American series remains here, as does Cash's well-aged and wise voice. It's an understatement to say that this is a record of mortality; the specter of Cash's poor health lingers ominously over tracks like "In My Life," "Danny Boy," "We'll Meet Again," and of course "Hurt." Johnny Cash passed away less than a year after the release of "The Man Comes Around." How fitting that this album's last moments are his children joining along with him in singing "I know we'll meet again some sunny day."
Beautiful album by Cash at the end of his life. The songs he chose to cover reflect his musical career quite well, and are so unique to him as an artist.
Невероятно красивый и трогательный альбом. Тот случай, когда некоторые песни написаны настолько от души, что хочется как минимум за это похвалить альбом. Шикарный инструментал вместе с успокаивающим голосом Джонни сделали его последнюю пластинку невероятной!
7.5/10
good but i feel maybe a little johnny cashed out at this point.... a classic to be sure! like.... a 3.7 for me
preddy good. a well loved classic for a reason
Great covers.
Hermosa Melancolía
Songs I liked from this album: - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - In My Life First album I am rating here. Was cosy to listen to, but it didn't bring a lot of emotion.
Such a sultry voice, amazing tracks. Making me depressed lol
So melancholy yet hopeful.
An album with this many covers making it onto a list like this might seem bizarre, but I'd say it's completely justified. This album delivers gut punch after gut punch. Cash's voice has obviously seen better days, but it's exactly that broken voice that makes it so powerful. A lament for a life lived, with both love and regrets in excess. Fiona Apple coming in on Bridge over Troubled Water was one hell of a moment. Desperado, on the other hand, just really didn't work for me. Bit of a shame, since I love that song. Streets of Laredo and We'll Meet Again might be the perfect ending to this album.
jaaa heerlijk. een favoriet van mn moeder <3
Great collection of mainly covers perfectly executed by the Man in Black. Mr Cash makes every song uniquely his own -- that's the sign of a great cover. Johnny plays Paul Simon, Nine In Nails, and the best of them all -- Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus. This is a classic.
Some really good songs on this album. The only thing dragging it down for me is the duets. I liked the solo songs better.
I sincerely admire the artist who’s famous for one genre, but who can hop around other genres with ease and their own sense of musical talent.
Some incredibly good covers in here. Had heard 'Hurt' previously and possibly also "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face". Apart from that "In My Life" and "Personal Jesus" were favourites from the covers end of things. Will need to give this more listens!!
Very nice. Almost every song was a banger and the singers voice was very relaxing
The haunting and beautiful Nine Inch Nails cover of 'Hurt' elevates this album to a level where it would be difficult to hold this album in anything but high esteem. There's something very comfortable about the soundscape on this record: Cash's deep bassy voice and the sparse production, which at times opens up to something grand, feels very familiar and comforting.
Solo por Hurt ya esto es un 3 estrellas, le metes Personal Jesus y te vas a 4. El resto muy Johnny Cash de los últimos tiempos, según te guste más o menos su voz y la simpleza con la que trabaja puede ser un 5 estrellas para algunos o pasable para otros.
The Man Comes Around is flames. Buncha weird but good covers
Wow this is a fantastic album. The only reason it loses a star is because it is covers of songs. Johnny Cash really gives a great performance here right near the end of his life but the energy he brings is awesome
already listened, great album
Prachtig album. Een album waar je echt even voor moet gaan zitten. Prachtige stem
Normally roll my eyes at a covers album. But he has such a unique voice and style this is a fascinating listen. Such a diverse range of genres he’s able to cover and make into his own.
I've listened to this album soon after Cash's passing. My thoughts then are the same now. It's hit or miss. While Cash has a voice, the limitation of it's range shows on several songs (Bridge Over Troubled Water, First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, Personal Jesus, and especially, Danny Boy). His voice is a square peg in a round hole. I don't know music technical terms, but maybe a better arrangement (if that's right?) would have helped. I think the songs could have changed to fit him, not the other way around. For example, Hurt comes across completely different from Nine Inch Nails'. Cash's is sadder, slower, with a different kind of pain. It's not better than NIN, just different and still effective. That goes to the writing of the song, but also to Cash's delivery. I think this is an album that fans of Cash should listen to, not so much everyone else.
i used to think Hurt should've been the closing track. a defining, heartbreaking cover that everyone loses their goddamn minds over, which perfectly represents Johnny Cash coming to terms with his own mortality. but there are 14 other songs on this album. and We'll Meet Again has a wonderful tone of finality and a more bittersweet sentiment. also i wanna mention that the original Vera Lynn song is super ethereal and sounds crazy for 1939. this isn't a perfect album, and i do resent how it's the face of Good Country Music to so many people, but it was nice to revisit. deserves to be one of the 1001? yea
Exceptional and wonderful voice even in old age - very simple but really pleasant to listen to. "Hurt" is one of the best covers I've heard.
I'm happy to listen to this record again. T1- This has been used in EVERYTHING. T2 - What a fucking cover.
4.5/5
A late career highlight. Appropriating others songs and making them his own shows the power of johnny cash's voice. The vulnerability of his voice add to what is a very moving listen at times
Now this is journey montage music kinda sad
His voice is so good. Hurt is such a 10/10 song, you can really feel the depth of emotion. The album is a bit overlong, some of the songs don't hit as much as others.
All because of Hurt
Even after how much I loved his san quentin album, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Johnny Cash is truly an amazing artist in my eyes.
L'album du jour, c'est The Man Comes Around, de Johnny Cash. Je suis pas mécontent de l'entendre en entier. Mais ce qui me déplaît un peu, c'est que c'est un album de reprises (en majorité) et je suis jamais hyper fan du concept. Enfin bon, je reviendrai écrire mon avis dessus quand j'aurai fini de l'écouter. Je suis pas fan des albums de reprise. L'exercice a son intérêt, mais j'ai du mal à considérer ça comme des albums à proprement parler. Mais mettre moins de 4 à cet album me semblerait une insulte. Les bons albums de reprise, ça existe et Johnny Cash est très doué en la matière. C'est bien simple, à l'écoute, j'ai dû aller sur Wikipédia vérifier que c'était bien un album de reprises. Donc, cette clarification faite, je me suis dit, c'est bien dommage, parce que ça affecte un peu mon interprétation de l'album. Mais soyons sérieux 5 minutes : c'est un très bon album. Johnny Cash fait partie de ce club très fermé des chanteurs à qui le temps réussit. Sa voix est moins claire que quand il était plus jeune, mais on a l'impression à l'entendre que le gars en a vu des choses et sa voix de septuagénaire lui donne un charisme supplémentaire. C'est le genre de voix que tu imagines pour quelqu'un qui reste assis dans son coin sans rien dire, mais qui si tu lui parles, il va te parler des dingueries qu'il a vécu. Et musicalement, un a donc un album orienté country, beaucoup de guitare acoustique, mais aussi du piano discret, des instruments à corde et bref, je m'attendais à quelque chose de bien plus dépouillé et c'est pas pour me déplaire. Et quant aux chansons en elles-mêmes ? Impossible de dire lesquelles sont composées par Johnny Cash et lesquelles sont des reprises. Il se les approprie avec une maestria bluffante (j'ai quand même dû aller revérifier sur Wikipédia que c'est bien un album composé majoritairement de reprises !). Et l'exemple auquel tout le monde et sa grand-mère pense, c'est bien entendu Hurt. Il se l'est tellement approprié que je croise parfois des personnes qui tombent des nues quand je leur dis que c'est une reprise. Et quand on voit le titre original (qui est un titre incroyable en lui-même), c'est fou de voir à quel point Johnny Cash arrive à en faire sa chanson à lui, le changement de style est radical, mais les paroles à peine modifiées ("I wear this crown of shit" remplacé par "I wear this crown of thorns", sans doute pour mieux coller à l'atmosphère recherchée) et on a du mal à croire que ce n'est pas lui qui l'a écrite. Mais Hurt ne doit pas éclipser le reste de l'album, qui est riche et passionnant.
An emotional record with some great renditions of classic songs.
somber moment
See death; ending. You definitely have to mentally prepare for this one.
Classic counter music. This album contains Johnny Cash's most famous song. It's worth listening to and provides a complete overview of country music.
3.5/5
Man sieht den Namen und freut sich schon. Mal wieder ein Top Album abgeliefert der Bua
Love Cash, love these records! Curious that this is the one in the book, as I prefer the volumes that came before it. His last album, some powerful stuff on here.
This one was great! I already knew I liked Johnny Cash, so it was an easier listen. Did my first listen while I was baking. Favorites were: When the Man Comes Around, We'll Meet Again, Desperado, and Bridge Over Trouble Water I didn't really realize how much of Johnny Cash's music, on this album at least, is so emotional/intense. Lots of themes of guilt, shame, sin, darkness, death, loss, love (friendship, relationships, God). Musically it was cohesive, but not so matchy matchy that I felt bored.
Late career Cash delivered some beautiful albums and did the covers he choose a lot of justice.
Digg, men noen av coverne klarer jeg ikke å ta seriøst.
Cash synger med autoritet, men stanken av kristenmanns blod er litt for påtakelig for min smak. Plata blir kjedelig på tampen, dessverre, men høydepunktene er svimlende høye.
Great. Amazing covers.
I really wanted to give this a 5 but it does droop a bit in the second half. Hard not to when the title track and Hurt, one of the greatest covers of all time, are your first two tracks. I can see why everything was included but some of the latter songs become a little samey. Even the duets don't quite hit the top tier. But still, it's a fantastic, lovely, heartbreaking album.
Im not the biggest Cash fan, but ill admit, these tracks feel really genuine and I enjoyed it. IMO, this made way more sense than Bowies swan song album. I also didnt know Hurt was a nine inch nails songs that Cash covered. Favorites: The Man Comes Around, Personal Jesus, Hurt
Should be called 1001 albums recorded before they died. But I do like this version of Cash a lot. +1 to Bad Bunny. Muy bien.
Iliked it
Is murder so wrong? Yeah. But nonetheless appealing, at least symbolically. Sounds like he’s singing from his deathbed. Cried a few times listening.
Johnny Cash. Legend. Hurt and Personal Jesus are awesome and others are too.
Альбом 7.5/10 Мне понравился брутальний голос джонни Некоторые песни зашли Некоторые не очень 15/1 сохранённые песни в плейлист
This is a fabulous album overall. There are definitely misses here - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Personal Jesus, and In My Life was a challenging trifecta. And that's the fault with the album...it needed editing, and instead does feel a bit like throwing a bunch of songs at the wall to see what sticks. But what sticks is REALLY REALLY good. The Man Comes Around and Streets of Laredo are by far my favorites - they are absolutely sublime for me; and that in and of itself is telling, in that the first is a song written by Johnny himself and the latter is an all time great Western standard. But the touch he brings to the other songs and the sparse musicality of these pop and rock hits is often really beautiful.
Great voice great songs
Stripped back and simple but still captivating. Definitely IV stars. Might have been 5 if it hadn’t been for Danny Boy. Which shouldn’t be on any album. Ever.
What a job Johnny Cash does here. In truth, most songs here are either not my sort of thing, or not my sort of style. But every track wrings-out as much feeling as is humanly possible and it's impossible not to be moved. Johnny's dying gift to us. 4*
Zijn stem is echt een cheat code. Het zijn bijna allemaal covers en ik heb een paar originele geluisterd, hij doet ze allemaal beter
There are a couple of slow songs, but a true country masterpiece, with several covers better than the original.
*Sad cowboy noises*
Given the story around this album, it all makes a lot of sense. As if he's compiling an album so he can sing at his own funeral. Not all the covers are the best technical performances but they are all vulnerable and relatable. Two elements that a lot of country music lacks, mr Cash uses very well.
Decent cover album
Absolutely love this, however not even Johnny Cash can make me like "Danny Boy".
really beautiful renditions of some classic songs, i think his version of hurt is better than NiNs and im pretty on the fence of his vs the beatles of in my life second half of the album does fall off a little bit though 4
Крутой альбом с потрясающей атмосферой, звучание подчеркивает настроение, минималистичная гитара, клавишные Минус это каверы, они хороши, но это каверы Альбом человека, которому нечего доказывать
What a legend. Hurt and Desperado and We'll Meet Again are three of my favorites. Hauntingly beautiful stuff. 7/10
Hurt and Personal Jesus are terrific covers.
Final albums by major artists, especially released in such proximity to death (Bowie's Blackstar for example), are hard to hear as something other than auto-mourning - and this one especially leans hard into the dark - glacial pacing and sparse arrangements mean JC's has nowhere to hide, the whole thing hangs on his voice and we hear it's fragility and its force in equal measure - a final, tender, intimate, parting gift, he's bearing his soul, offering it up, waiting for a higher power to take it in its hands.
It sounds like a quite complete and coherent album. Standouts: Personal Jesus, We'll Meet Again
devastating
The fact this is mostly covers is a huge knock for me. I get the tradition of doing "standards" and can take it or leave it depending on the singer. But on this album, Cash does anything but standards. Yet it's still commendable that an artist near the end of his life can put together an album this good. There's no denying how good his cover of "Hurt" is and many others on this album are just as solid. It IS distinctly Cash, so I think you have to appreciate the Man in Black to enjoy this one. I'm not a huge fan, but I still thought this was damn good.
Kaunis album. Nagu Johnny isiklikult istuks kamina ääres ja mängiks sõpradele pilli. Tekib endalgi tahtmine mängida ja esitada ilusat muusikat. See, et Cash suutis seda 70-aastaselt nii hoolekalt teha, on muljetavaldav. 4.4/5
Americana, easy listening covers
Excellent album
Highlights: - The Man Comes Around - Hurt - Give My Love to Rose - Bridge Over Troubled Water - I Hung My Head - In My Life
Nice soothing album from a legend. Awesome final song. 8.1/10
Made me emotional. A great album. 4.5 stars
I never owned this but I have heard it before and whilst I probably wouldn’t usually agree with the inclusion on the list of an album comprised mostly of covers, I can make an exception for the legend Johnny Cash. His version of Hurt takes on a whole new meaning and emotion for the song and is a standout.
LEGEND
Morbidly, I am a big fan of art made by older people looking directly at their own mortality. I can see that most of these are covers would disappoint some, but it plays into the whole mortality thing. It is like he is reminiscing on all the music he has loved throughout his life.
A phenomenal cover album. And Cash is obviously one of the most influential artists in American music. I only knew Hurt going into this. But When the Man Comes Around, In My Life, Desperado, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Tear Stained Letter, and We'll Meet Again were all good.
A more somber cash album. Enjoyed the song about loneliness the most
This is a very good album, but I don't think all of the covers work. I feel like Rick Rubin said I like this song and then forced Johnny Cash to perform it for him (I have no idea if that is true, but that's the vibe I got from some of these). The Depeche Mode cover made no sense, and I don't think Johnny Cash should ever do anything remotely close to new wave. The Beatles cover was also a little iffy, he did a good job, but IDK, something feels wrong about it. Besides a couple of covers that felt weird this album is really good. I do wish anyone else besides Rick Rubin produced this, because the production sounds like ass. High 4.
4/5
Lots of religion. Storytelling based. Sings like he’s talking. Everything is very sad. Makes me not understand how people dislike Taylor swift if this is considered great
It’s pretty old timey sounds like dad music I like it
There are some impressive covers even beyond Hurt, like Bridge Over Troubled Water & Personal Jesus. Impressive last effort from the Man In Black.
Kinda appreciate more given that this was his last album when he was alive. Although he doesn’t have the greatest voice he sounds good to me
Album with cover songs. It had Hurt so automatic 5 but I was pretty indifferent about most of the others. So minus 1
On his final album Johnny covers lots of music some is heightened by the passing of the artist, cant beat the cover of Hurt and the last track is a nice send off too. But as a whole is it something I have to hear before I die? Maybe. Hurt is a song you should listen but as a whole, I dont think so.
It was great. Honestly every track was gas.
Very moving, emotional album. The features are amazing too.
Sparse country, memorable voice. Apparently this album was released the year before he died
Some good stuff, really enjoyed it.
I feel that context is a very important part of this album, although I agree that some songs are just another cover. His voice being more withered than his earlier work is absolutely brutal, especially closing with we'll meet again.
Forgot about this one and how good it is.
Some classics
I got all Johnny Cash albums generated over the last month, and this is definitely my favourite. Though not all of Cash’s renditions are better than the originals, I liked almost all songs better than the ones on his other albums. Maybe less country-ish.
I have made a playlist of all four of the American albums. I just listened to one and it was fantastic. I am giving this a 4 in anticipation.
Oh man, the covers that he made entirely his own here are fantastic.
another clanger from the man himself
Favorite of the American series. Iconic cover of Hurt, video is one of the all time best.
One too many songs about prison tbh but personal jesus cover is great
Some were exquisitely sung and felt, some I didnt feel suited him ir the moment
Kinda good but can i get rock pleasessss
a literal warm hug by your grandfather recommended
This was very different than I’m used to for cash - Rick Rubin really brought out the vulnerability in his voice. The rendition of hurt is just outstanding. Better than the original.
Standouts The Man Comes Around Hurt Give My Love to Rose I Hung My Head Personal Jesus Sam Hall
Apparently his last album (he passed a year later)! Voice is still incredibly strong and distinctive. Didn't know several iconic songs were on this album: Hurt, Danny Boy, etc. I noticed Streets of Laredo sounded vaguely familiar -- turns out the ballad of lucy gray (from the hunger games prequel) was set to the same melody! As my second Cash record (at this point), I really appreciate his penchant for storytelling. This album had a mix of different vibes, but was mostly fairly sad, with some expressions of romance, guilt, regret, etc. It seems like Johnny may have been aware he was reaching the end of his life, based on songs like Give My Love to Rose & We'll Meet Again. This is a really powerful album overall, but I did like the first half a bit more than the second half.
Immaculate vibes Hurt is so much better than the original NIN version. Almost every song makes me feel things, some immense covers and classic Cash vocals. Can’t go wrong
Sound 8.5/10
Good album to sit by the fire or listen with my parents.
começando pelo 4 o.O okayy FAVS (top 3): hurt, i'm so lonesome i could cry, we'll meet again mençoes honrosas: give my love to rose, i hung my head, in my life, sam hall, danny boy compraria o vinil: TALVEZ esse album me passa MUITA vibe de over the garden wall, se ele n tivesse ido de base em 2003 eu teria CERTEZA q ele faz parte da soundtrack. muito bom, acho q se eu tivesse prestado mais atençao na letra eu poderia ter gostado mais, mas oq eu prestei atençao ja foi o suficiente nota final: 4/5
Ruhig, emotional, tollen Stimme. Fand ich super! Alle Songs relativ ähnlich, nicht so besonders
Not the biggest fan of it, but it's classics
Annoyed that I hadn't given this the full listen it deserved. Heard a few of the tracks that hit the airwaves (HURT and PERSONAL JESUS) but should've sought out the album. Subtlety juxtaposed with choice panache. Feels like the perfect collection of songs to repurpose for him, especially at that moment of his life.
This album is a wild ride of is this cover going to be brilliant or insane
A very unique and specific album. You don’t listen for the vocals but for the haunting vibe. Kind of a goodbye to old country music. We had the Bowie and cohen Swan song albums and I like this significantly more. My mind also went initially to yeezus. Rick Rubin also used the stripping down to bring out more in that album.
The Man In Black's last album is a tough but beautiful listen.
Favs: The Man Comes Around Hurt In My Life Least Fav: Danny Boy
Good, but boy is it sad.
I enjoyed this for the most part. “Hurt” is obviously the best track. Some of the other covers are decent, some I could do without (looking at you Desperado). I think this is another case where a 10 point scale is needed. Giving the round up just because I think this shows his artistic ability to perform music that crosses such a broad spectrum of styles and generations. 3.5/5
I bought this when it came out almost entirely on intrigue alone. How was a producer like Rick Rubin gonna bring out the best in Cash? The result is pretty admirable. Some obvious standouts here (Hurt, Personal Jesus), but also some other decent representations. Probably all proof that good songs are good songs regardless of how stripped down or changed they are. Shave off 3-4 filler tracks and it becomes a bit tighter. Still an enjoyable listen that fits a mood.
Probably giving an extra half point here, a fair amount of filler on this but the album undoubtedly serves its purpose and features an obviously iconic song.
Really liked this album when it came out. Hurt is obvi the standout. Amazing rendition. Rest is pretty solid. Some swings and misses, but overall a compelling listen. 3.5/5
I sincerely do not care that he covered Hurt by Nine Inch Nails because he covers Bridge Over Troubled Water and Personal Jesus on the same side of the album. That being said, the vast majority of the songs on this album are covers. That's besides the point, other than the fact that I feel like a few of the covers are more for novelty than anything else (namely, Personal Jesus and Hurt). The majority of the album is really good. I've always been a fan of albums that artists write when they know they're dying, like Blackstar by David Bowie or The Wind by Warren Zevon. This album is no exception, although I think it's weaker than those two. The backing vocalists don't really add much and like I said, some of the covers are more novel than good. His version of Danny Boy is incredible and it was a good idea to cover Bridge Over Troubled Water. This is a very emotionally heavy album, that's something it does better than Blackstar. More than anything, the fact that he can still write albums this good when this was his sixty-seventh is really something to behold with him.
Album No. 0105 on my list. I was looking forward to this! Haven’t listened to this album in a while. To me, “American IV” is the best of Johnny Cash’s American Recordings albums. Possibly tied with the first one. You can really tell that Cash was nearing the end of his life here, but that only adds to the atmosphere. Not all songs completely stand out, but many of the songs to, especially the famous covers (“Hurt”) first and foremost, but also “Personal Jesus”). I’ll add “The Man Comes Around”, and “Streets of Laredo” to my playlist as well. 4/5 stars!
Really great! So good. Very touching hearing his age in his voice, not diminishing anything at all only adding to it. Really liked it.
Very poignant - full of reflection and some level of remorse - a number of excellent cover versions
His rendition of Hurt by NIN is almost better than the original. You really feel the actual Hurt of the song and the artist and who wrote it. Pretty cool to hear a legend from the country/blues genre take on these classics in his own way
Classic sounding Johnny Cash. The title track was outstanding. All the vocals are incredible and it definitely scratches the urge for deep, dark, moody country and storytelling. It stays in one lane and probably isn’t something I’d listen to often, but only because it isn’t my favorite genre.
Some great hits. Very melancholy with songs about death.
Some of the covers have rightly become classics (Personal Jesus and Hurt). Others took me by surprise (Bridge over troubled water). Sam Hall sounds like exactly the sort of song I expect from Johnny Cash. We'll meet again and Danny Boy very much seem to be his farewells. Low 4.
A tale of two halves. The first seven songs are just excellent - in particular the two original songs and hurt. Some of the covers on side 2 just don’t match that quality. It’s still Johnny Cash’s voice though. Low 4/5
And this is getting a low IV from me. Some of it is stunning, esp the first two tracks. It gets my usual covers deduction and I don’t love all of it but it’s all strong.
Very emo
Thoughts before listening: Late career resurgence album produced by Rick Rubin. I haven't spent a ton of time listening to these albums although I'm a huge Johnny Cash fan. I know there are a lot of covers (is "Hurt" on this one?) and in general more of a dark, somber theme to the music. Should be a good listen. Review: Man, I just love Johnny Cash's rich, deep baritone voice so much. I also love that these American albums matched the voice with cool production values and arrangements as opposed to the radio friendly sheen found on many of his original hits. Still though the star here is Johnny's voice which is front and center throughout the album. "Hurt" is the true standout here and 20 years later it is still often highlighted as one of the best songs of its era. Overall this was a fitting swan song to Cash's career and life as his health was in decline and he would die the next year. 4-stars
Beautiful way to go out. A tribute to Americana and his significant role in it
Me parece interesante escuchar álbumes nuevos completos sin saltarme canciones que al principio me parecen aburridas o no de mi agrado y tener la experiencia completa de principio a fin. Quiero para los próximos álbumes ser más consciente, y tener una hora dedicada para escuchar sin distracciones, donde somos solo la música mis pensamientos y yo. No es mucho mi estilo a primera escuchada algunas de las canciones, pero en algún momento quiero volver a escuchar con más atención a la letra y a la emoción. No hacer lo por obligación, si no por placer.
holy shit I didn’t expect to hear a cover of NIN’s Hurt in here that’s awesome. Cash’s voice doesn’t sound particularly good on this but it’s also very inviting and fits with the songs. also having heard some of these songs before it’s really weird hearing this type of cover (personal Jesus) but not bad necessarily. Some lend themselves to his style better than others. I wish I could give this a five but I feel like I can’t because it’s a cover album and the original song writing is a big reason why this album is good. Fav songs: in my life, danny boy, desperado