American IV: The Man Comes Around

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.

Thought I would like this more than I did. This version of Hurt is iconic. I can remember how impactful it was when it came out. A great version the song. But others didn’t work for me. I thought Personal Jesus stripped out a lot of what makes that song great. Desperado was…fine. Just not sure I can go super high for an album of covers. 2.75

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.

Grandes artistas não necessariamente fazem grandes álbuns

ehh i like johnny cash all of these songs are just a little simple for me

Five stars just for Hurt

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.

Slow album, mainly storytelling. A lot of classics.

I was not excited for this :( but here I am - very dedicated to this project! I know Johnny Cash and to be honest I need to lock in! Fucking hell very grim, to release this before he died and to have such acceptance of death, the lyrics are phenomenal, he really poured his heart into this one! Glad I had the opportunity to hear it. 3.5 if I could but also didn't find it to be 4 stars for me personally.

Love some J.C. great covers, distinct voice.

Loved, loved, loved.

Boooring, patiko tik perdainuotos dainos kurias jau žinojau, bet ir taip originalo geriau klasyčiausi. O raspy balsas netampa automatiškai gražus.

EXCELLENT album i cried johnny cash my goat

Some great hits. Very melancholy with songs about death.

I’m not really a fan of country. Plus it’s an album of covers. Not a fan of Johnny Cash either and the songs here are boring and repetitive. Next!

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

Johnny Cash is cool, so you'd like to give a good review. However, many of these covers do not work. The best tracks are the unknown (to me) country songs.

The covers on this album range from sublime and iconic (Hurt); radio 1 live long quality (Personal Jesus); and faintly ridiculous (Danny Boy). I’d have limited these to the best and then folded in some of the old favourites from his back catalogue, brought to life with his seasoned older voice. Having said that - how sensational is The Man Comes Around? A Cash original and the best song on American IV by yonks. This song alone justifies the collection.

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.

bunch of standard covers. Idk why this is on this list I mean its interesting to see that its four in a row, proves an interesting range.

Grandpa music. The lyrics seem to tell a great story tho.

What is this? I do not like that unfortunately.

Melancholy. If he was aiming for us to feel beside him in his final hours, then he succeeded.

i get why it exists

Very emo

This album is worth it just for the cover of Hurt. The rest is a mixed bag with some that work well and others that are just interesting or OK.

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

Cash’s Rick Rubin phase was incredible. I really loved them all. This one has tons of great tracks, and Cash’s delivery is so weighted with experience that it gets me thinking of my own life. I also love the spare simplicity of these albums.

Beautiful way to go out. A tribute to Americana and his significant role in it

Utter respect for the guy, though musically not in the same frequency. 7/10

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.

i honestly prefer Bob Dylan over Cash ;)

3 excellent songs. Really touched my heart. Favorite was hung my head.

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

Hurt is one of the most powerful and moving recordings of all time, but does that constitute a 5 star album? Even though every song doesn't land, great concept. Excellent album.

Felt the solemn presence

this is something new i have never tried listening to before, but it's so touching and beautifully crashing , it has the potential of being one of my favourite albums, truly great

Fine, not really for me. I get it.

Beste Lieder: Tear Stained Leather Lieder Playlist:0

I prefer the sparse nature of the first album in this series. I think the magic slipped a bit more with each album following that first American release. Too much instrumentation here and the song selection is weaker. I still bought though, haha.

nicee, smooth groove

A great collection of reflective songs on a life lived. The covers invoked deeper emotions than the originals. 1st time listen to the full album, but I've heard more than half of the songs previously.

This is an amazing album. Yes his version of Hurt is probably better than Trent's, but this album is more that that. You can feel his age with every song, yet it works. It's not like he falters or sounds bad. He uses it to add another layer and damn it works. I think this is the first time I listened to the whole album since it came out and damn I'm gonna be listening to it for the next week.

One of my favorite albums of all time. The only cover I don't love is the Beatles' In My Life, and even that one is pretty good, I just much prefer the original. Everything else, I love the interpretation and emotional resonance Johnny brings. Feels to me like he's performing songs from a hymnal of American music.

I really enjoyed this album and each song had a very deep and unique rendition that felt such a cash way from his deep vocals to the instrumental backing. Everything felt wonderfully composed and meaningful. Truly felt so serenaded by the end. I really enjoyed Bridge of Troubled Water It was beautifully crafted and the tones were atmospheric and encapsulating. We’ll meet again had a very similar feel and makes such a difference to the Vera Lynn version in all the right ways.

found a song i want played at my wedding

Enjoying it 🤠

Is he okay

☆☆ Just not really my thing.

Boring

I had this one in the background while I was starting to make my new journal. This album really put my struggles into perspective when I was listening to it. This was his last album and I believe this was his goodbye to everyone, because he knew he was going to die. I felt like I have been engulfed in my struggles to really appreciate what I have. Like my struggles are not as bad as I make them sound to myself. Of course this album is really sad but I really did enjoy listening to this album.

"American IV: The Man Comes Around" is the fourth volume in the "American" series, a celebrated collaboration between Johnny Cash and producer Rick Rubin. This highly regarded series includes six main albums and the comprehensive five-disc outtakes collection, "Unearthed". While the 1994 debut, American Recordings, remains my preferred album from the series for its consistent selection of contemporary covers and Cash's original songs, "American IV" is still a significant release. The album features a track list where the quality ranges from good to excellent. The arrangements are deliberately sparse and stripped-back, a style that complements Cash's mature, low voice effectively. The most notable tracks on the album include: - Cash's Originals: The title track, "The Man Comes Around", is an important, Cash-penned song. His performance of "Give My Love to Rose" is also strong. - The Covers: The album features compelling reinterpretations of modern songs. Cash's widely noted version of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" is emotionally direct, and his take on Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" is an interesting contrast to the original. Other highlights include a duet with Nick Cave on Hank Williams’ "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and his cover of Sting's "I Hung My Head". American IV: The Man Comes Around is a very good listen and warrants a four-star rating. It stands as a powerful demonstration of Cash’s ability to interpret material late in his career. My main critique concerns the album's length. With fifteen tracks, the sequencing could be tighter. Trimming the track list back to ten or twelve songs would have likely focused the listening experience, eliminating a few three-star performances and resulting in an even stronger, five-star album. Interestingly, there are several better tracks on the "Unearthed" collection that might have served as more compelling substitutions for the 'weaker' tracks on this volume. "We'll Meet Again" is the poignant last track. It shouldn't work but it does. This was Cash's last studio album before he died. No. Title Writer(s) 1 "The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash - (5/5) 2 "Hurt" - Trent Reznor - (5/5) 3 "Give My Love to Rose" - Johnny Cash - (5/5) 4 "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (with Fiona Apple) - Paul Simon - (3/5) 5 "I Hung My Head" - Sting - (5/5) 6 "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" - Ewan MacColl - (4/5) 7 "Personal Jesus" - Martin Gore - (5/5) 8 "In My Life" - Lennon–McCartney - (3/5) 9 "Sam Hall" - Tex Ritter - (4/5) 10 "Danny Boy" - Frederic Weatherly - (3/5) 11 "Desperado" (with Don Henley) - Glenn Frey/Don Henley - (5/5) 12 "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (duet with Nick Cave) - Hank Williams - (5/5) 13 "Tear Stained Letter" - Johnny Cash - (4/5) 14 "Streets of Laredo" - Traditional - (4/5) 15 "We'll Meet Again" (with The Whole Cash Gang) - Hughie Charles/Ross Parker - (4/5) Total - 64 Average - 4.27 188/1001 103/188 albums reviewed were new to me.

fucking cracker of an album. forgot all about this one

The start is great. Love his voice. But further in the album it becomes too country for my taste.

I've listened to this a lot and there's a reason it's on this list. A lot of stuff that on paper is not my thing, but the voice and emotion captured here makes it worth a listen for pretty much anyone regardless of their musical interest.

Album Rate: 6,7/10 The Man Comes Around: 9 Hurt: 8,5 Give My Love To Rose: 8,5 Bridge Over Troubled Water: 7 I Hung My Head: 8 First Time I Saw Your Face: 7 Personal Jesus: 7 In My Life: 7 Sam Hall: 7 Danny Boy: 5 Desperado: 5 I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry: 4 Tear Stained Letter: 6 Streets Of Laredo: 6 We’ll Meet Again: 5,5

Already a fan of this one. I had this CD as a kid. Wonderful to revisit.

All of the Johnny Cash American recordings are pretty great. This is one of the best.

Yep

Is it a coincidence that all 3 of the top rated Country albums on the website are all performed by Johnny Cash?? Absolutely, emphatically, no. There is Country music, and then there is Johnny Cash. They’re 2 completely different things. Listen, as someone who openly doesn’t particularly like or enjoy Country music, even I have to give it up to the all time great here. No one else even stands on this man’s plane of existence in the Country space, before or after. One of the greatest musicians of all time. How great is he? Well, I was today years old when I found out that “Hurt” wasn’t a Johnny Cash original, and Nine Inch Nails did not cover it. Instead, it was the other way around. And this is coming from a huge Nine Inch Nails fan. I’ve been listening to both versions for a long time, and only just now realized that this was the cover. Admittedly, I didn’t even realize Johnny Cash made it to the 2000’s, so to hear this was his last album didn’t surprise me all that much. Man, he sounds so old here. Despite that, he still gives it his absolute all and knocks it out of the park. Not only is “Hurt” a cover, but the entire concept of this album appears to be Johnny Cash giving respect to some of the all time greatest artists and songs himself, putting his own unique blend of singing on every song on the album, a majority of which are covers. A few of them even feature some other prominent artists like Nick Cave and Fiona Apple. My favorites of the lot are “Hurt” (obviously), “I Hung My Head” and “Personal Jesus”. I haven’t really done a deep dive on the post production of this album yet, but having the intro start with a passage from the book of Revelations (The last book in the Bible), and having the closer be “We’ll Meet Again”, is actually so insane that it’s almost creepy and foreboding. This is the first of 3 Johnny Cash albums I’ve rolled for this project, and I’m obviously very excited to check the others out.

Eu definitivamente não gosto de country

really amazing capstone to a career and builds on his legacy.

Generational cover of hurt

What a sad, dark, melancholic record. My first Johnny Cash album was the one recorded at Folsom Prison and it was quite joyful and funny. But these are the songs of an old, dying man having all kinds of regrets and longing - even if it’s covers. He decided to do these covers. The song Hurt is incredible. It’s so profound, beautiful and touching it made me stop in my tracks because I was surprised by this greatness. I also liked We‘ll Meet Again. A great ending for this record. However, the rest of the album was not quite as great in my honest opinion. 3 stars.

A mixture of beauty and sometimes sounded like an old man singing karaoke. Which i guess is what it is

This is a special record, of course, with some really great covers that improve on the originals. It's also too long and monotonous with very little variation, so I was kind of glad when it was over.

Its an album of covers, but what covers they are!

Very enjoyable. The highlight of course Hurt, but the album throughout is solid.

An album of covers that I enjoyed more than I thought I would

In the most ridiculous way, trying to get down a review a day can feel a bit fatiguing. No one’s making me. No one’s expecting them. And yet the experience of trying to find something to say – even in the least possible jeopardy – is a thoroughly unpleasant one. It’s not for nothing we pay good money for people who can think something from nothing; there’s a premium attached to it. Sometimes you just want to listen to things. American IV feels primarily like the sound of Johnny Cash listening. Listening to Depeche Mode, to NIN, to The Beatles. But because he’s Johnny Cash, he’s drawing up blueprints too. Reverse engineering the tricks of contemporary pop and finding the notes of continuity between them and “Danny Boy” or Vera Lynn. Interrogating the songs until they admit what about them is irreducible. Invariably, what he hears in the songs and then gives back to us is simultaneously less and more than the original. It’s sublimation rather substitution, something closer to alchemy than interpretation; “In My Life”, to choose one example, was a wonderful song when dreamed into being on Rubber Soul … but for me only becomes a fully real masterpiece here. In American IV Johnny Cash locates what it is within a song that will see it pass safely into folkish tradition. It’s a startling act of cultural sociology; a contribution to the collective memory from a true artistic genius. A reminder, too, that every opportunity to just listen is a gift.

6 songs in and i'm bored. sorry. Title track I liked. Give my love to rose was sweet. Personal Jesus is the worst song I've ever heard. I understand that this is Johnny Cash but if this was 75% more folksy I would've liked it more. I also don't think I like his voice at all.

Pleasantly surprised. I’m not big on country, but i really enjoyed a lot of parts of this album. I found the second half to be a bit boring, but overall pleasant experience.

Wow, had never fully listed to this album and that was a major oversight. Such a haunting swan song for the man in black

Johnny Cash has captured my attention for years. Listening to this album now, and even these "American" albums as a whole, it makes you step into his shoes and hear a finality in his voice. The notes that don't hit as crisp as they used to, but he still pulls you in. It's funny that I realize I am 20-25 years older since I first started listening to him. Now as I listen, I realize that some day I will feel that way, and I am not as far away from it as I used to be. Biggest Hit - Hurt Biggest Miss - (not that I can REALLY choose one) - Sam Hall Biggest Surprise - Desperado

So emotionally raw all the way through. Hard to rate much higher than a 4 for an album mostly composed of covers, but even they include some beautiful renditions that he really made his own. Favorite Tracks: Hurt, Give My Love to Rose, I Hung My Head, I'm So Lonesome, Tear Stained Letter

So I learned that I'm not that big a fan of Cash with this one, so whilst I can tell they this is a Good Album it just didn't resonate with me.

Don’t like Johnny cash, probably never will, on this album he is destroying other peoples hits. I will struggle to unhear his murder of bridge over troubled water, I had to play the original afterwards to disinfect my ears, it has scarred me for life. Absolutely depressing dirge. The rest of the album is slightly elevated to the classification of unlistenable.

beautiful album with mostly covers of songs

There are some really good songs on this but also some I liked less. Was thinking 3 but it’s definitely good enough to be a 4

It wasn't so good as I remembered, but still class.

An excellent series of albums; the highlights are particularly strong on this one ("When The Man Comes Around," "Hurt"), though I prefer I and II as albums since this one has a few clunkers ("In My Life," "Bridge Over Troubled Water") and is hampered by its unencumbered length.

Pretty hard to not consider this incredible. I couple tracks I can do without which pulls it down to a 4 for me.

I've always thought Johnny Cash was cool, but most of his life's work comes from a time before I was born. Of course, that doesn't apply to “American IV: The Man Comes Around,” and I remember being surprised by this release at the time. His cover versions of ‘Hurt’ and “Personal Jesus” were played everywhere and were considered the ultimate versions of these songs—and rightly so, by the way. The rest falls a little short in comparison, but the album has lost none of its quality over the last 20 years and is, of course, still a worthy entry on this list.

The cover of Hurt is obviously incredible, and some of the other covers/renditions are pretty solid. Falls short a couple of times though: Danny Boy without bagpipes is unfulfilling, and I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry wasn't nearly corny enough. Also, why does the linked version of this album not include Big Iron?

Great music invokes strong emotions. Sometimes, knowing background and context of an album’s production helps with this translation. Among the last recordings from a legend, with failing health, who was watching his lifetime love fade away. Listen to the album knowing that Cash knew that he was at the end of his life. The recordings were punctuated with hospital stays. If you are reading this and have not seen the video for “Hurt”, do it now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bLLVKI2JRU If this doesn’t punch you in the gut, question your humanity. When Cash first played “Hurt” to his daughters they told him it sounded like he was saying goodbye, he told them he was. We can hear Cash saying goodbye in many places on this album. His failing voice adds to the poignancy. At points, Cash was in so much pain he had to record on line at a time. The Man Comes Around is part of five albums created with Rick Ruben and collaborators. This project created a comeback for Cash that ultimately resulted in his first No. 1 pop album since 1969 when American V was released following his death. It is pretty cool that a man who produced ~130 albums >1500 songs), over almost 50 years, was able to have a fitting final chapter to his life work. We should all be so lucky. This album opens stronger than it ends. However, I mentioned the emotional impact because when I listen to this album, by the time I’m through the first several songs I’m deeply emotionally invested. There is an austere beauty to this record and it kicks me in the ass every time I listen to it. That is enough. I suspect that this record will not resonate as strongly with some of the younger people participating on this project. However, this album is a great, if not fun, listen that everyone should experience at least once before they die.

bit of a drag at the end but whatever

Haunting and beautiful. Damn near perfect

It's a stunner and no mistake.

Es íntimo, transmite, llega, conmueve. Un album del remil carajo. Tan difícil elegir una canción para la playlist. 8/10

Never really listened to Johnny Cash, but man, will I ever after this album. Bridge Over Troubled Water I had never heard but what a gorgeous song my lord. Just a great album all the way through.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: The Man Comes Around, Hurt, I Hung My Head Well, after railing against the Country music genre for the better part of a quarter of this Journey, I finally found the exception to the rule. Finally a country album that I enjoy. Its well put together, quite minimalist and has a lovely number of cover songs, including The Beatles' In My Life and Danny Boy. Plus, it has Hurt, the song Trent Reznor basically gave away to Johnny Cash after hearing it. I am still quite partial to the NIN version, but Johnny really does it justice too. And, for anyone actually following along to my Futurama references and pop-culture, Zoidberg sings Danny Boy for Bender's mock-funeral, does a somewhat decent job and just gets skewered by Bender anyways.

Bare bones record. I enjoyed the takes on non traditional cover tunes as well as the closer “We’ll meet again”. The tone of this album is generally sad, then it ends rather hopeful.

This album could just be his cover of ‘Hurt’ 14 times and I’d rate it a 4. If you search the phrase “hauntingly beautiful”, this album should be the #1 result. Cash powers up his gravelly baritone for one last ride (this would be the last album completed and released in his lifetime; he would die 10 months later, and only 4 months after his wife June), and the tracks play like a man who knows he is nearing the end. It legit feels like he’s holding a living funeral through these songs. While the album is primarily covers, he puts every ounce of emotion he has left into them, making them his own. The songs depict a man reflecting on his life, his regrets, his failings, loneliness, and reckoning with his choices, both good and bad. It’s amazing that he was able to put together one of his best albums just before his death. Listening to this album always makes me cry, and today was no different. The Man in Black truly saved his best for last, and will always be a musical legend. This album will join the top of the pyramid as my tenth 5/5

No one can cover a song quite like Johnny Cash.

Classic aber hurt von nine inch nails isz trotzdem geiler

It's a great album, with arrangements that are so uplifting. Unfortunately, the fact that a lot of the album is covers (though great covers they are) is a detriment for me. A strong 4/5

A rough listen especially knowing it was right near the end of Johnny’s life, but it’s hauntingly beautiful and I definitely enjoyed it.

it's johnny cash yall

Country.

On the face of it, I really like it. It's just pure story telling and I love the way he's able to bring the music in as a part of that story telling (very Wit IFYKYK). Also the context of this being at the end of his career and just months before his death really adds weight to it. I give it a four though because it is a specific mood, not a listen anytime anywhere kinda thing.

Dude Johnny cash is so bad ass. I give this album a 5 which I think is my second along with Judas Priest. It was his last album before he died and I felt like you could hear that in some of the songs.

This was really very beautiful. I despise the song 'Danny Boy,' but aside from that it was flawless and very poignant. A dying artist's reflection on his own death. I thought the version of 'We Meet Again' was lovely. Very moving

was drunk as fuck listening to this while smoking. incredible experience.

Not a huge fan of cover albums, sing your own songs. At least he does it well. Needs some range, gets old after 5 or 6 songs.

Wonderful voice that brings the stories to life. I felt like I was being told a bedtime story at times, other times I was being swept away in a tale.

To preface: First album of Johnny Cash I ever heard. When it comes to music I like a little bit of upbeat or swingy music way more than sad songs or ballads. However, if I am a stickler for something music-related it is when stories are woven into the music in a great lyrical way. The stories of the songs are beautiful and Cash his voice brings them over in a such a great way. Now, of course I cannot give this album the full lyrical and story-based credit because these are almost all covers. But bringing it in a way like Cash does I will still give it a 4/5. I love this voice and the way it carries the emotion of the lyrics.

5/10

Wow...I really hate the new interface on this platform. It sucks. BUT this album is a 5 for Hurt alone. I love to sing it but I can hardly get through it without tearing up, every damn time.

I really wish I was more familiar with Johnny Cash before I was assigned his "final" album American IV: The Man Comes Around. Even though I am quite inexperienced in his discography I have to say this is a very striking album full of both chilling originals and very inventive cover songs. If you aren't a fan of Johnny Cash's very minimalist Americana/Country approach to music then this surely won't be for you. As for those of you who are fans of this very authentic presentation of music, this will be right up your alley. I feel this album is incredible because it showed that even at his twilight years, Mr. Cash still could make a memorable project worth your time and effort. It may not be his best album by any means, but it is easily one of the most memorable ways an artist has gone out on along with Black Star by David Bowie. Mad respect to Johnny for putting in his all one last time for all his fans to still rave about all these years later.

What is it that makes someone near death produce such poignant music? This is at least the third album I have listened to on this list recorded by a great musician soon before his death, and they have tended to be excellent. And what other artist can say that their sixty-seventh album is among their best? There's a few folk and country songs here that are readily associated with Johnny Cash, but what really makes this album special are the covers of tracks like "Personal Jesus" and "We'll Meet Again." (Even with Cash's voice, I still picture the bombs going off when I hear that track - another enduring image, thanks to Stanley Kubrick.) These meditations on life and death are soulful, devastating, human. Well done, Mr. Cash. Favorite Track: "Hurt"

Já nasceu clássico

Solid album. “Hurt” is incredible. I enjoyed this listen a lot.

Heartfelt and nostalgic, loved it

It was nice to listen to the whole album after hearing a select few songs all the time over the years. Great songs about outlaws, wrong people, paying the price, truly a great album.

Hadn't heard the full album before!!! A couple duds but for the most part Cash OWNS those covers

Some beautiful versions of other artist's songs on this album, all delivered in Cash's gruff, gravelly, and spare style. While I don't necessarily love all the tracks, the album overall surely belongs in my collection, and deserves five stars.

3.5

Walks the line (pun intended) between fitting swansong for a legend and Elder abuse....almost.

This was great! I already lved Johnny Cash from his live prison albums, but this was a great combination of covers that he just knocks out of the park.

I've heard 'Hurt' plenty of times, but I’d never sat down with the rest of this record. I think I enjoyed it so much simply because I know the songs; hearing Johnny Cash’s version of them is interesting to a point. It feels like a bit of a shortcut to a good album, but his voice adds a weight to the lyrics that justifies the praise. 'Personal Jesus' and 'In My Life' are standouts, there are some songs I would never picture him singing, but once you hear it, it just works. I will certainly be coming back to this one

Vaikka biisit ovatkin toisten lauluja, ne on valittu tälle levylle siitä syystä että konseptiin sopii. On kova levy.

Yeah this was solid. I’m already a Johnny fan though so this wasn’t a surprise.

Non amante del country, un po' ripetitivo

Initially, I was not fond of the idea of listening to Johnny Cash. After listening to Bridge Over Troubled Water my opinion started to change with the smoothness of his voice. Not something I'd usually listen to, but it was a warm sentiment while it lasted. I can feel the pain of his life in his voice as he sings with heart and soul. At the midpoint of the album, it takes a happier tone compared to the first 4 songs. When 'Danny Boy' comes around, you can feel the album coming to a close. This feels extremely melancholic, as it's the last of Johnny's published work while he was alive. I enjoyed my listening experience, especially with the ending of We'll Meet Again a perfect ending to Johnny's music career and life.

A wonderfully fantastic album. All the American albums are great, but this one is my favorite.

I was absolutely blown away by this album. I’ve long admired his haunting version of Hurt, but hearing it in the context of the full record makes it even more powerful. The rest of the album is mesmerising—raw, intimate, and deeply human. Cash’s voice carries a weight of experience that turns every track into a reflection on life, mortality, and redemption. It’s not just music; it feels like a final conversation with an old friend. A masterpiece

Beautiful

“Hurt” is probably the most painful song to sit through. The ache in it, the nostalgia, the entire story around it, all of it comes together as one of the clearest expressions of human misery and sadness. Cash delivered something that cuts straight to the bone. He proved you can take a covers album and make it feel alive, raw and completely your own. “Personal Jesus”, “Bridge over Troubled Water” and “Hurt” show exactly how he did it. The first part of the record hits harder than the rest. Beginning with the two strongest tracks sets a level the rest cannot quite reach. In the end this album works as a final gift from Johnny Cash, a man many had written off long before this moment. Rest in peace Mister Cash. 8.5 out of 10.

Has a solid case for the best album of (mostly) covers of all time. The title track is excellent, too.

Iconic

Difficult one to review, given that Mr Cash was close to his end. Some well-done covers (Hurt, I Hung My Head, In My Life, Personal Jesus) but some that were quite painful to listen to (Bridge Over Troubled Water, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face). Ending on 'We'll Meet Again' very poignant. 3/5.

Some really stunning songs here. Perhaps not enough light and shade, could have done with a few songs being cut.

I want to thank Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin for making this album. I feel that my life is a lot richer after hearing this. Liked Songs Added: Hurt Personal Jesus Sam Hall We'll Meet Again

His last album before he died. Lots of covers and a few re-recordings of his own songs. Very melancholic album. Pitchfork: 6.9 Rolling Stone: Best Songs The Man Comes Around Hurt In My Life Danny Boy Desperado I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Streets Of Loredo We'll Meet Again

Great album. Love Cash's voice and the emotion behind these songs. 9/10

I had only listed to his Folsom prison album. This was way different in a good way. Looking forward to listening to more of his albums.

An Absolutely Beautiful Sound to my Heart and Soul by way of my ears The Man, The Legend Himself Johnny Cash 🙏🏻

A great collections of covers and originals (?)(they may all be covers) that is given all the gravitates and important of a great man looking back on his life

cant say that i liked any of these renditions more than the ogs

Oh man, I’m conflicted. I do love me some Johnny cash and have more and more respect for him as I hear and read about more of his prison stewardship work. And I remember these American albums fondly and n real time, which kind of make them ‘my’ Johnny Cash albums, earning their ‘second golden age’ tag. I think ‘when the man comes around’ is my favorite song from this era, ‘Hurt’ is an all-time great song, ‘Sam Hall’ epitomizes Johnny cash’s ‘thing’ and his emotion on the vocals is awesome. However, a lot of the other songs have the feel of ‘let’s try this’ that just doesn’t hit the mark - ‘Personal Jesus’, ‘Danny Boy’ and even ‘Desperado’, which you might expect him to elevate, suffer at his vocal hand with bland arrangements (curious given JC’s and RR’s abilities in this regard), all are less than pedestrian, maybe not living up to expectations, maybe just being badly done. I expect they threw a lot at the wall for these sessions and subsequent albums, and understand the idea of making as many albums as possible form the accumulated tracks, but maybe they could’ve reduced yes the number and increased the quality of the albums.

I love these albums. His voice at the forefront and the sparse arrangements make each of these songs memorable. And hurt is one of my favourite cash recordings which says a lot.

Theyre all covers, yes. And there’s different life in all of them. An older, fuller life conveyed heavily with each grizzled croon. There is very obviously a focus towards the future for Cash, thought not the future we tend to want to focus on. Because truly, when you have already done and lived a full life, a focus towards the future has to have death play no small part. Kingdom Come, Salvation and Damnation abound When the Man Comes Around. RIP, senõr. 4.3/5 5 for the vibes

It’s good, I just got bored and tired. Hurt is a 5/5. This album feels front-loaded. Either that or I just got worn out and later songs melded.

Let's see what ole boy Johnny has on his way out. "The Man Comes Around" is so good. Johnny's a legend, a great singer and the age in his voice carries so much weight, especially in a song like this. Such raw music. The first time the full guitar backing comes in on this one feels so good. "Hurt" is one of the songs that everyone has heard from this album. Like Joel said, one of the best covers of any song ever. It's just beautiful. It feels like Nine Inch Nails wrote these lyrics for Johnny. This album is Johnny's final farewell, and that's captured very well in "Give My Love to Rose". He died the year after this was released, and it feels like a man confronting his end. Making peace with it. Getting his affairs in order. It's really beautiful and heartbreaking. The whole album feels really personal. It feels like you're sitting alone in a room with Johnny as he sings the rest of the life out of his body. Like he's giving his last performance right in front of you. I really love the range of artists he covers in this album. You've got Nine Inch Nails with "Hurt". You've got Depeche Mode with "Personal Jesus". Sting with "I Hung My Head". What's really crazy is how's he able to make all of these completely his own, to the point where a lot of people would point to Johnny's version as the one they know the best. And now we're at a Beatles cover with "In My Life", and, while I do tend to slander the Beatles, I'm going to continue because Johnny's version washes them so hard. Just another example of the his version becoming THE version. Why would I listen to the Beatles sing this song when I could listen to this instead. This whole album is just really gorgeous, not that I'm saying anything groundbreaking. Sitting down and listening to it in it's entirety really makes you reflect on life, on death, and on the beauty that comes with both. Such an important piece of art. There's no point in continuing to go song by song, the rest of this album continues to be so endearing, and sad, and happy, and beautiful. Each song in it's own way. I loved this.

To cover Nine Inch Nails and The Beatles on the same album and do them justice... 5/5

There is an undeniable magic on these recordings. All the arrangements compliment and make Cash's voice shine through on all the tracks. Though its mostly covers, this is an awesome collection. Rubins been chasing the magic of this since it released. Brought a tear to my eye, I love Johnny Cash so much.

4.5 Idk man it just gave me peace. I loved it and was cool listening without looking at the track list to see which covers would pop in. Read after this was his final album, which makes the final track fitting

Not typically the vibe I’d go for but this fricken slapped. Best album we’ve had in awhile. 4.7/5

Fantastic covers. Emotionally unmatched

This was the turning point where Cash went from Legend to Icon. Nit a bad song on it, nit a dry eye in the house. Great covers, great guests. Just a monster of an album.

Love me some Cash..

I find some of the songs very moving, but so many of them are also either uninteresting or feel like iterations on his older music that I much prefer. I am also not really interested in most of the covers

Very good and tragic album which has the feel of being recorded under tragic circumstances which lends it a bit of an odd feeling and makes listening to it kinda meta in a way Fav song: Bridge Over Troubled Water (!!!)

Great album

An album of covers but the voice is so iconic, and hits that bit harder knowing he was close to the end.

Hurt, and its accompanying video, is a spectacular piece of work, amplified by the subsequent death of June. The other covers on the album do well to reframe the originals, though some of them are stylistically too close to their original. The album is too long - it would have been better cutting off the last five tracks. As much I enjoyed the majority of the album, I am loathed to give it more than 3 as it is mostly a covers album so I can’t give credit for songwriting.

Found this disappointing. Some of the covers are a poor choice as don’t translate well to Cash’s voice and the choice of instrumentation to accompany it - ‘first time I ever saw your face’ in particular. Hurt is quite obviously the standout here, with Reznor saying that the song “doesn’t belong to me any more” but one great song does not a good album make.

5/5

I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated I would. I'd listen again.

I didn't have any expectations for this album. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it though. The covers were surprisingly good. Obviously, Hurt is outstanding, but so is Personal Jesus. I laughed out loud when I realized Cash was doing a Roberta Flack cover. Overall, a really good listen.

This was great. I like that accompaniment is stripped back so that Cash’s vocals are very much front and center. It felt very raw and intimate, especially on the cover of Hurt. I also liked the organ backing throughout, which gave it a cool gospel feel. He has such an iconic voice and this is a beautiful album highlighting that.

Hurt is arguably the greatest swan song of all time and it’s one of the best cover songs ever done, crazy to think he was dead within the year of shooting the music video. Hadn’t really listened to the rest of the album before, you can really hear the emotion throughout. However I don’t feel the rest of the album really stood out as much as Hurt

ok

It's a five star for Hurt alone, never mind the balance. Iconic.

I have a lot of respect for Johnny Cash, but for him to cover The Beatles, Eagles, Simon & Garfunkel, etc., is a stretch.

RIP Johnny Cash you damn legend. A Musical savant till the damn day you died. Hurt gets the most credit, and deservedly so, one of the most transformative covers of all time. But man, I love the Personal Jesus cover as well. Eagles and Fiona Apple also helping with this album? What is there not to love about this. 5/5

Johnny Cash doing a bunch of covers of popular songs is kind of cool. I do like and respect his version of "Hurt", but sorry, it's nowhere close to as good as the original by NIN. Overall, I liked the album, but don't need to hear it again. Am I glad I heard it before I die? Yes. 3.25 / 5 stars

IMMEDIATELY a ten out of ten album from the very first note. It's just so damn beautiful. His voice, the guitar... I'm guessing some people might be opposed to the covers, but in my opinion, they are truly remarkable. He adds a whole new perspective to those songs. The whole album feels very sad and somber, yet there are undertones of hopefulness as well. I don't think I ever truly appreciated Cash before listening to this album (as well as San Quentin). But wow. Wow wow wow. This whole album makes me feel like I'm sitting on a horse in the middle of a desert with my cowgirl hat dipped over one eye as I watch the sunset dip into the clouds. So. Freakin. Beautiful.

This is a good album and some of the choices for covers are truly inspired. Cash was an amazing artist.

1. The Man Comes Around - 8 Solid track. The way the guitars come in and out in intensity is brilliant. Lyrically it's a little all over the place and a little over-the-top in its metaphoric nature but still very enjoyable. Intro and outro talking points are also quite nice and well done. 2. Hurt - 10 Lyrically it's brilliant. It builds perfectly into the choruses and comes down suddenly but excellently back into the verses after. Superb track. 3. Give My Love To Rose - 7 Pretty grim song in its message but excellently written. It's so sombre in tone and it needs to be given the message. Amazing track. 4. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 5 It's a good song but and it builds well but it's not as striking as the opening three tracks. 5. I Hung My Head - 10 Absolutely fantastic track. Lyrically brilliant, it's just such a well composed track. Best track on the album so far. 6. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - 5 It's a good love song but it's just a bit too slow for my personal liking. 7. Personal Jesus - 11 Love the fact that Johnny Cash has done a cover of Depeche Mode. It's absolutely excellent as well. The piano's small additions are excellent. The guitar is loud but simple and does a great job of complimenting the cover in Cash's distinct style. Fantastic track. 8. In My Life - 3 It's a bit of a pass over track. Slow but nothing phenomenal and the track is lost quite a bit compared to what else is on the album. 9. Sam Hall - 5 The song is a return to Johnny Cash's absolutely classic style of music. Fun, upbeat, and lyrically pleasing enough. 10. Danny Boy - 10 I was never a fan of this song but it's sung so well and beautifully by Cash on this album it's absolutely breathtaking. The choice of the organ as the sold instrument here is fantastic. 11. Desperado - 8 Solid track with some great lyrics. I'm not sure if there was a need for a supporting singer on this track but it's nothing that detracts from the quality Cash lays over the track. 12. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - 4 It's another pass over track. It's just a bit dull lyrically and the pace and pitch make it sound like nursery rhyme. 13. Tear Stained Letter - 8 Good track with a classic Cash sound and tempo. I feel like Cash loses the vocals a little bit in the second verse. The piano is superb on the track. 14. Streets of Laredo - 6 It's not a bad track. It's reminiscent of what would have been a slower track on any Cash album from any album of his. Lyrically it's very good and the messaging is very clear on what the track is a metaphor of. 15. We'll Meet Again - 5 It's not a bad track and it cannot be underestimated on the importance and imagry of it. Having said that the choice of supporting instruments I'm not a big fan of. Makes the track feel like some random coffee shop background track instead of what it is meant to be. Average Rating: 7.00 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 3.50 Rounded Up: 4 Stars

This album doesn't need much explanation. The best of Johnny Cash's latter works with the untouchable cover of NIN's - Hurt. It is mostly covers and great reworkings at that. Another stand out being Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. The raw emotion of the Man in Black nearing the end or his life is somewhat overwhelming. Could be argued that although Cash didn't write much on this album it's some of his best works.

Loooove. Mir ist aufgefallen dass es eine Liebesgeschichte erzählt vom ersten Sehen bis zur Trennung aber der Überzeugung sich wieder zu sehen

Eher en Roadblock. Nid so spass gmacht zum lose

How many cover albums are on The List? This is my fourth album full of covers as I haven't even cracked a hundred yet. I know that this ain't Johnny's first rodeo when it comes to cover albums as this is the fourth in the American series. It is his last recording & it feels that way. Like He Knew. I had stop listening half way through Bridge Over Troubled Water at work because I felt like I was gonna start bawling at any moment. That's how hard this hits. There is a reason why Trent Reznor says Cash owns Hurt now because you can feel that he has lived through all those things even though they are not his words. The legend of Johnny Cash carries that song through emotion & performance. Haunting & also woefully depressing. They aren't are all winners but he still kills it. The stripped down music & well worn voice just adds to the layers of all of it. 4.5

Better than expected. The title track is genuinely brilliant

The strength of this album is the first half. In fact if it were just like the first eight songs I might actually go ahead and give it five stars. Man Comes Around, Hurt, Give My Love to Rose (which sounds more harrowing with his aged voice), I Hung My Head and Personal Jesus al give me all the feels. The rest of the album is good, buif I just based it on thar it'd be a solid 3½.... I'm going to say strong 4 overall. 8.8 ★★★★

Starts really strong and dips abit towards the end. Still, the title track, "Hurt" and "Personal Jesus" are all top tier performances. 4.5 stars

On the first few American Recordings albums, the covers were used sort of sparingly, mixed in with Cash originals. Even the covers that were used, were often deeper cuts, like Beck's "Rowboat". By the fourth installment, you kind of get the feeling Rick Rubin just gave Cash a list of songs he heard on the radio on the drive to the studio. I think Cash does the best he can with all of these, and nothing is bad, but I kind of wish the track list was a little more interesting. I didn't really need Johnny to cover already iconic songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "In My Life", or "Desperado". That being said, there's some great stuff here. The two Cash originals are great, his version of "Hurt" probably makes most people forget it was originally a Nine Inch Nails song, and his cover of Sting's "I Hung My Head" is far superior to Sting's. And though it's not the most exciting Hank Williams song they could've picked, Johnny Cash dueting with Nick Cave is a thing of beauty. 4 stars.

Justifiably an ex-1001 album. Tramp the dirt down. Maybe it would have been more essential if he did another grave NIN cover like Closer to go alongside Hurt instead of corny dross like Danny Boy and We’ll Meet Again.

Wonderful albun

Great covers by Johnny cash. hurt…. What can I say. The songs I knew I liked a lot

Some great covers including nice duets with Nick Cave and others. Highlights for me are the title track, Hurt, and I Hung My Head. Some of the songs chosen I think are a little bland but they obviously meant something to Mr. Cash.

Not first time listening. 5 This is such a good album and one that I really love. The way that Cash makes the cover songs his own is incredible, and the storytelling in the songs is so powerful. One of the only albums I can think of that gives me chills when I listen to it. The album has a very intimate feel to it, and you can really sense the emotion is Cash's voice.

Incredible that we were able to get these late era johnny cash recordings and such a good idea to go so covers heavy. Hurt obviously steals the show here but bridge over troubled water, I hung my head ,and personal Jesus are also great covers. And the whole album and while series is great and really cement Johnny Cash as one of the great American voices in music.

Love Johnny Cash forever

Masterpiece

Gostei dos duetos com a Fiona Apple e o Nick Cave. E também da música que dá título ao álbum; mas não do estilo, a espiritualidade parece-me também opaca. Pá, pode ser um tesouro nacional americano mas não me diz nada, menos ainda nuns estados desunidos da américa de 2025. 2,5/5

I really liked this. Never heard the personal jesus cover that and another i hadnt heard really stuck out. Not a big fan of cowboy songs but they were good

We hebben via deze lijst al twee keer de enigszins lollige Johnny Cash gehad, waarbij hij opgenaaid werd door rowdy inmates. Nu krijgen we z'n zwanenzang. Ome Johnny heeft een haffel liedjes uitgezocht en heeft ze, en dit bedoel ik op een positieve manier, toegeëigend. Hij gaat met al die liedjes volledig aan de haal en doet er z'n eigen enigzins saaie maar toch fascinerende ding mee. Z'n stem en ogen willen niet meer en volgens de Wiki z'n hart ook nog maar amper, maar hij doet nog één keer z'n trucje. Eigenlijk zouden alle artiesten met één been in de kist zoiets moeten doen als laatste afzwaaier. 'Beste Zangers' maar dan met artiesten van wie het lichamen het eerstvolgende nachtvorstje de pijp aan Maarten gaan geven. Dan hoeven we ons meteen niet meer af te vragen of die tranen die er steevast vloeien oprecht zijn of een stukje aanstellerige marketing. Ik vind niet elk nummer even geweldig en de nummers die het verst van country afstaan zijn eigenlijk het leukst, maar door de manier van zingen zit het wel allemaal tegen het iconische aan natuurlijk. Er valt vanalles weg op dit album en daardoor blijft er een soort pure muziek over, ook al hapert, piept en kraakt ome Johnny waar we bij staan. Ik geef hem 5 sterren. Een essentieel album in deze lijst.

it sounds like funeral music to me

Wow. I think the track listing is incredibly interesting. Pop & grunge rehashed in a folk ballad style and country outlaw music about death and youth sang by a man who started the genre, a man so close to the end of not only his career, but his life.This is probably country black star. Each song so haunting and darkly alluring. The age of Johnny cash seemingly changes the meaning of the music, especially through use of seemingly raw vocals that are enhanced by their weathered nature. Nearly cried the entirety of tracks 1-6.

Great last album of a legend. Mostly covers and unreleased tracks. He made “Hurt” completely his own. What a reflection of a truly impactful voice on American country / folk

Oh Johnny. This is a bit painful. There are some covers I really rate because they provide something interesting and worthwhile (Hurt, Personal Jesus, maybe Streets of Laredo is alright too) but so much of this is unnecessary and a difficult listen.

Manages to start with some pretty gruff atmospheric leathery vocals which surprised me with a level of enjoyment.  There were even some Nick Cave style parts which took me back with reasonable enjoyment (I mean it literally sounded like him which I liked).  Then it either dive bombed or I got tired of the soft melodramatic ramblings. OK he can add his Gruffalo power and emotion to pretty much anything it seems but in the end the intensity and delivery killed it. I could have given this a 3 had it not been for some terrible songs amongst better and this style for the most part not resonating with me.  I kind of want to be a Cash convert but I am yet to find my calling.

I started this album full of my usual scepticism about old men's swan song albums. My concerns rose further when I saw the words "sixty seventh studio album" in the description. Surely we can't expect that Cash suddenly pulled it out of the bag and released the best of his career on attempt sixty seven? I was surprised to find that the first two tracks were pretty good. The music production is excellent and Cash's vocals hold up admirably. 'Hurt' is a definite high point and had me wondering whether my preconceptions were about to be proven incorrect. Unfortunately, as the covers continued to role in, there were some absolute clangers. 'Bridge over troubled water' was a particularly embarrassing moment and by the time I got to 'Danny Boy' it was getting beyond a joke. Despite the odd decent cover, this is an album we could do without.

One of my favourite albums of all time. All the American recordings are incredible but this tops them all. Majority of the covers better than the originals. Hurt and man who comes around are up there as top Cash. Stripped back it’s so emotive, probably best pre imminent death recording I can think of

I love this album! I own (digitally) all of the American albums and this one is not my favorite but it’s still a solid 5 stars for me.

It's 4 stars just for "Personal Jesus" - the rest of the album is pretty good too! Obviously, "Hurt" gets the most attention, but there's a good mix of songs here. Cash's world weary voice fits so well on these albums. Be sure to listen to "Rusty Cage" (on American II) after this.

It is really hard to dislike a Johnny Cash album, this one is pretty good -- his voice fits so many of these songs so well. I wasn't as enamored with some of them as others but still "Hurt" gets top billing for hits but anything can make a Simon and Garfunkel song tolerable is aces is my book!

Amazing album beginning to end. Listened to it 4 times in a row.

I remember the Johnny Cash resurrection and how big these albums were when they came out. This was the best of them and Hurt made me rethink Cash & NIN. Love the raw delivery and vulnerability you heard in an artist who was so much bravado for so long. A solid listen even though I would never think to listen to this.

Emotional, peaceful, and heartbreaking at times — but always perfectly on brand. Cash turns every song into scripture, whether it’s his own words or someone else’s. The sound of a man making peace with the world.

I never tire of listening to the Man In Black. One of life's good guys. Had a little weep along to some of the songs on this album.

This album contains one of the most beautiful songs I know. For years I even considered it the most beautiful — a position I no longer defend quite so fiercely, especially since another Cash track from the same series is now a strong contender. But let’s be clear: one transcendent song does not make for a great album. And this is not a great album. A step back. This is the only entry in the book from Cash’s ‘American’ series, the career-reviving collaboration with Rick Rubin that began in 1994. Cash, 62 and recovering from drug addiction, had drifted far out of view. Rubin — the man who had launched everyone from LL Cool J to Slayer — asked him to record for his newly renamed Def American label. The pairing was unlikely, the success extraordinary. Cash suddenly found an entirely new audience, especially among the culturally left-leaning Americana adopters I mentioned before. And as these things go, one successful album became four, then five, then six; this one was the last released during his lifetime. Which makes it all the more puzzling that this part of the series is the one included in the list. For what it’s worth, every other entry in the American cycle is rated higher by allmusic.com — and I tend to agree with them. The only plausible explanation is that this album contains that astonishing high point. The whole concept of the series was simple: give Cash stark, minimally arranged songs — sometimes classics, often not — and let that impossibly deep, weathered baritone do the rest. In this case, Nine Inch Nails’ rather unremarkable “Hurt” becomes, in Cash’s hands, something genuinely overwhelming. The video, with its foreshadowing of June Carter’s death, only heightens the effect. It’s a masterpiece. The album, unfortunately, isn’t. It starts well: a punchy “The Man Comes Around,” then Hurt, then “Give My Love to Rose,” which adds little to earlier versions but does no harm. And then the record veers off a cliff. Covering “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is already risky, but Cash’s version — a duet with Fiona Apple — is catastrophic. I’d listened to some of her much-praised debut out of curiosity, and it seemed fine. But here? To borrow my partner’s reaction when I played it for her: she insisted she could record duets with Johnny Cash, because she could not possibly sing any worse. And trust me, the bar in our household is low. Things recover briefly: Sting’s “I Hung My Head” works, and so does “Personal Jesus.” But much of the rest suffers from the same fatal flaw: the tempos drag, and Cash seems unable to find the right phrasing. He is one of the greatest singers modern music has produced, yet on this record even he repeatedly misses the mark. “In My Life” — that simple, beautiful Beatles classic — is a complete misfire. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” is lifeless. And then come the real duds: a plodding “Danny Boy,” a strangely inert take on Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” (even Nick Cave can’t salvage it), and finally a closing “We’ll Meet Again” that sounds like the forced sing-along on a school trip bus. So yes: “Hurt” is absolutely extraordinary, one of the most moving recordings I have ever known. But an album is more than one perfect song, and this album simply isn’t good. Why not include the first American record instead — fresh, revelatory, and far better executed?

This was the first Johnny Cash album I ever heard. Largely because "Hurt" was incredibly popular, my 16-year-old self was curious about this album, and even back then, knowing it was the last work he released in his lifetime, the whole album sounds like a beautiful and sad epitaph. All the versions performed by Cash carry an extra emotional weight, highlighting Rick Rubin's exceptional work in production. 5 absolute stars.

-1 star as its all covers +1 star as some of those covers are better than the originals

Must admit that on a day when I’m in Prog Rock ecstasy following the release of two new albums by Lunatic Soul and Gazpacho today I had little time to listen to this album. Fortunate that I knew most of the songs and as I skipped through it sounded like Mr Cash had made a decent job in his interpretation of them. A world away from these two new releases of course and where my true music allegiances lie but I always tip my hat to Johnny Cash for what he contributed to music if not always to my liking. 3/5 31/10/25

Beautiful beautiful album

This was quite enjoyable. I knew some of the Cash “revival” recordings but never listened to a full album before. I especially liked his versions of “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Danny Boy.” I’m having trouble giving this a rating. I think the whole album is solid, but I don’t think I’ll be returning to all this material. This is right on the line, 3.5. I know some might feel it’s sacrilege to give this less than 4 stars, but today I’m rounding down.

It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.... This album is comparable to hearing your grandfather pick out his 70 years of experience on Earth. Singing of his youth, songs that he himself wrote, and songs that were passed to him over the many decades of trials and tribulations. I understand American IV: The Man Comes Around to be a meditation on 20th century American music. The American spirit is palatable here...one of suffering, grit and entitlement. Personally I didn't care for "Personal Jesus". But when listening to it, one is reminded of the story told of Mother Maybelle Carter after first hearing "One Toke Over The Line". She thought it was a great song, mainly because of the "Sweet Jesus" bit and knowing nothing of the fact that it was a song about smoking too much weed. Cash covering Depech Mode is weird. But I'd like to think he wouldn't care what I thought (Damn your eyes!!!). I'd like to think he covered these tracks because he liked them regardless of what popular opinion was at the time, just like Mother Maybelle before him.

gfallt mer kli besser als at folsom prison aber trozdem ned 100% mis

This one was a whole journey.

Not every song works to the same extent. But when a song hits, it really hits. Chills.

Preferred the earlier American Recordings

It's good. I mean it's the man in black. I love the production of his vocals in particular. They're raw, vulnerable. It's an old man whose warble is apparent. He's not long for this world and he knows it. There are some really fantastic covers here. Unfortunately there are some that just don't do much on it as well. It's so close to that 4 star rating for me, but doesn't meet that "will I reach for this album again" threshold. 3.8

So completely forgot I listened to the album haha, but the constant reminder of death and how it comes for us all is quite dark. This might make my list of "Songs to Play at My Funeral".

His voice may waver a bit with age, but somehow that just makes these songs better. His life experience and conviction shine through at every point and songs like Hurt and Personal Jesus are completely transformed in his voice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No molesta, está bien, pero a mi esto no me va mucho.

Great cover album

while it's true that almost every song is a cover song, the entire album is permeated with feelings that probably only a man, aware of his impending death, can feel and it's expressed in such a wonderful way

Some great covers on here. It was a moment of genius to arrange these songs in this way.

Some solid enough songs but I can’t rate an album of covers all sang in the same style higher than 3

I was so over country albums on this list. Dwight Yoakam yesterday was the final straw. So you can imagine how the first track on this album hit me like a ton on bricks...in a good way. It perfectly tees up his Hurt cover, which although played to death on the radio still gives me the feels. It deserves it's reputation as one of THE great cover versions. That's not to say the other covers on this album are all successes, for me. I don't think we needed am even more morose version of Bridge Over Troubled Water (what a waste of a Fiona Apple cameo), or Danny Boy. Just as I was getting a bit bored I see In My Life come up. Great, someone else who thinks they can improve on the Beatles; that's not just lazy, that's arrogant. Well fuck me what a cover version that is. I nearly had to pull over. Sure it's not as left field as covering Nine Inch Nails and completely changing how that song is seen/heard, but it's the highlight of this album and his legacy cover version for me.

eek

Best album of all time

Exceptional

Gives me a nostalgic feeling even though I've never heard this before - ohhhhhh because it's all covers

When I saw a Johnny Cash album, this was the last thing I expected. Cash is one of the few American folk/country singers who I've ever liked, and this album is incredible. Such a dark album, full of raw emotion. My eyes got watery a couple times. Starting off with the darkest themes of the Christian Bible, the album is led with themes of the second coming, where everyone is either brought up to heaven or decimated. It's like a mass genocide of all the non-Christians. WWII? I can't say that too loud, otherwise ICE will probably have me in a Salvadorian prison sharing a cell with 50 other guys in minutes. (also no offense to anyone who practices Christianity, I was once very religious myself. I get it.) The album further goes to themes of pain and death from there. From there, after realizing that Jesus exists, it takes a violent turn, but the violence seems to be shameless. After this, we go into more somber music once again. There was a lot to like in this album. The lyrics about the Queen of diamonds and the Queen of hearts was one of the best country lyrics I've ever heard, although that is a low bar to clear. Cash knew that this would be the his that would be released during his lifetime. He wrote about the things that mattered to him. He seems to have been grieving himself and his own death through it. What an album to end on.

How do I begin? That works. Johnny Cash might not have had the best vocals at this point in his life, but that just makes this album hurt more. He definitely had some gas left in the tank and used it to put out one more amazing album before his death. All covers were chosen perfectly. Desperado, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and We'll Meet Again are heartbreaking in the originals, but just get elevated by Johnny Cash. His original songs are also amazing, especially Give My Love to Rose. I am a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, so seeing John Frusciante on Personal Jesus as well as a voice in We'll Meet Again in amazing. This whole album is just Johnny Cash saying goodbye and it could not be any more sad, but I like to feel emotions when listening to music. Usually that emotion is anger or happiness, but the sad ones hit the hardest. Words really just cannot describe just how amazing this album is.

This album is maybe a few songs too many, but I've never heard an album from such a big-time artist facing death. The raw emotion throughout is unbelievable. It's not perfect, but the highs are so incredibly high that it doesn't even matter. I want to listen to this album on repeat for the rest of my life. Someone who really understands what it means to be human. - 2002 Cash? Odd. Apparently the last album before he died - He's not really singing, but it's mesmerizing anyway. Almost like if Morgan Freeman was talking over instrumentals - Such emotionally charged songs. Sounds like a man facing his mortality - In My Life is so hauntingly beautiful - Beetles cover but hit it with the wisdom of a 70-year-old - I'm just so enchanted by his voice!!!

Entspannend. Gute entspannte Mukke. Ozzy schockt mehr, aber nicht ganz so ruhig.

Much like Johnny Cash's career, this album was marked by the highs and lows. As the fourth installment of his Rick Rubin-produced series of American Recordings, this album stuck to a familiar formula: Cash in his living room, accompanied by his guitar, playing the songs that were meaningful to him. By the time this album was released, this approach was tried, true and, some would say, a bit tired. The key difference here is that this collection of songs was recorded in the years directly before Cash’s death. This fact pervades every song on the album via Cash’s wearied voice, a stark contrast to the energetic baritone of his prime or even the first American Recordings album released 9 years prior. Cash’s vocals are the defining feature of this album, and its songs live and die by the effect they create. At the same time, Rubin adds slightly more extensive production elements in backing instrumentation and vocals. When these elements combine with the right song, the results are near perfect. It is cliché to mention at this point, but Hurt is one of the highlights of Cash’s storied career, and may be one of the most greatest songs of the 21st century. Trent Reznor’s already-powerful lyrics are injected with new life when joined with Cash’s haunting voice and personal history. If this album was included in the list of 1001 due to this song alone, I would understand perfectly. Similarly, Cash is at his best on this album on songs that juxtapose the outlaw image he cultivated throughout his career with his deep faith. The Man Comes Around, complete with Cash’s readings of Revelation, begins the album by stating the stakes of his life’s deeds in no uncertain terms. He wonderfully conveys his anticipation of the Final Day, and you can feel the confidence of his belief that, whatever will come to him, righteousness will be done. I Hung My Head also finds Cash meditating on guilt and accountability, with Sting’s classic Western story full of ambiguity. Not all songs achieve the desired effect. While the increased production was effective in some songs, it detracted from others. Bridge Over Troubled Water, for example, could have done without the strings and backing choir, which obscured the interplay between the primary vocals from Cash and Fiona Apple. However, on the whole the high points of this album far, far outweigh the misses.

Third album by Cash in my first 50 albums here. I was not a fan of the artist and genre in general, however, these three albums made sure my opinion of him has improved. This album was the best of the three. Fragile, honest and some great cover songs on this album. 5/5

I mean... this was a bop. Fun that it was mostly/all covers!

Some good covers here and some not so good, mainly because they are crap songs. Hurt is the obvious standout, but a few others are good as well. Personal Jesus is pretty good.

A great album. Stripped back versions of great songs in Cash’s very obviously unique style. I enjoyed it a lot

Look I really like Johnny Cash, I think he’s one of the most underrated song writers, and there is a very famous cover of hurt on this album, but in saying that there are only 2 originals and one of them was originally recorded 50 years previous to this album. My usual feelings are that albums featuring mainly covers are not as groundbreaking as majority original material. I do like most of the renditions though to be fair.

Some really good covers... and it's Johnny Cash.

Country I can get behind.

Cool.

A bunch of good covers. Appreciate that Cash was able to produce some great music in his late age free from the young drugged and famous career.

Simple and classic

Is Johnny Cash the greatest country artist of all time? I don't know. I'm not an expert on the genre, but I know he's up there. He is easily in the uppermost echelon of country artists in terms of acclaim, and it's only fitting that he got to go out in such a beautiful way. This, of course, is the final album released in his lifetime, American IV: The Man Comes Around. The fact that Johnny was even able to succeed at the very end of his life in a way like this is immensely respectable. Think about it. By 1994, Johnny Cash had effectively "fallen off." He was a washed-up has-been in the people's eyes. But then, Rick Rubin shows up and starts helping Johnny do cover albums. They go pretty well, but it's with this final one in 2002 where the fruits of their labors are finally enjoyed by everyone. This has got to be one of the best musical swan songs of all time. I can't call it the best. It's not better than Blackstar, I'll say that. But I have got to give huge props to Johnny Cash, Rick Rubin, and everyone else involved for making this. Most of the songs here are covers, but Johnny does an excellent job with them and kind of makes some of them feel like his own song. "Hurt" is the obvious example here. I can't definitively call it better than the original Nine Inch Nails version. I think both versions are perfect for the artists in question. However, I think I do prefer Johnny's version myself. The others are quite good as well. "Personal Jesus" and "In My Life" are especially great to me, but that could just be because of how much I adore the original songs as well. I do prefer the originals in those cases, but when you make a Beatles cover that's almost as good as the original, you know you've got talent. There's even a few Johnny Cash originals that are nice to hear, like the title track. I think Johnny Cash's voice aged pretty well. It sounds nice here and it fits the themes. Speaking of themes, boy can this album be sad. There's a reason why many talk about death in regards to this album. It's mostly because this was Cash's last album before passing away in 2003, but the songs chosen here fit that as well. This feels like a soundtrack to Johnny Cash's life. Everything from his family, to his faith, to his death feel represented here. Some have compared this album to Johnny Cash singing at his own funeral, which I feel is a really good comparison. It's that idea behind the album that makes American IV such a special listen. The emotions in Johnny's voice and the music at large work together to express the life of a man in just 50 minutes or so. It's kind of beautiful. The collaborations help bridge Johnny Cash's life to the history of music, with help from people like Fiona Apple, Don Henley, and Nick Cave in some wonderful duets. I don't think I could call this album perfect, but for what it's trying to be, it's pretty close. Even the production is great! This has got to be one of Rick Rubin's better production jobs. American IV is wonderful. Low 5/5.

This was a difficult one for me in a few different ways. First: this would be my first time ever listening to a full Cash album, which is a very awkward point to start within his discography (list didn't even give me At Folsom Prison first? Not even At San Quentin?? C'mon list!). I just feel very weird starting on this record despite being very familiar with the concept of the record and as well as a few of the songs contained within it (which actually leads me to my second point). Second: The Nine Inch Nails cover is impossible for me to take seriously. I think it's one of the funniest things ever. Like look, it's objectively a GREAT cover, to the point where I'm convinced many people who aren't into music would think it's an original. That being said, this song is the basis of an incredibly juvenile ytp video that I've loved for many many years. I cannot hear this song and not laugh about it. Every time I hear this song I have "and you could have it all/my empire of dick, everyone I fuck cums in my ass yeah, I focus on the asshole/the only thing that's real" stuck in my head for the rest of the day. This cover being track 2 really set the mood for the rest of the listening experience. Third: I don't know many of the covers on here! While I might recognize many of the artists featured to help record these songs (John Frusciante, Fiona Apple, Nick Cave, etc.), the only real covers I instantly recognized while looking at the tracklist were the Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Hank Williams, and The Beatles covers. None of these covers necessarily had any deep impact on me (other than the Hurt cover for purely comedic reasons), which sucks because In My Life is an incredibly emotional song for me, and for reasons that are somewhat similar to the circumstances leading to this record! (a dying old person). The covers just do nothing for me. Maybe it's because I wasn't raised on country music. I have no deep connection with Cash. The only country artist I can say I actually truly enjoy is Hank Williams, and Cash's cover didn't necessarily impress me. That being said, I didn't hate it. I'm completely broke and drank my final two beers while listening to this, so I kinda felt it harder than I would have otherwise. RIP

I'm mostly familiar with Cash's classic albums of the 60s/70s/etc. Never really cared for cover albums, even with the Hurt cover being a focal part of it. The last album an artist ever releases (while they are still alive) can often leave the biggest impact for their presence not just on earth, but as a musician's final will and testament. Think of Bowie's Black Star or Tom Waits last album (as of time of review writing): it's hard to admit you're giving your final word and the approach of it, which explains that these are all songs (aside from the intro, which Cash wrote) are all covers. Johnny doesn't have much else to add, but will like to make various shoutouts to musicians many wouldn't think he would have time to listen to or otherwise appreciate at the end of life: covering stuff like Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode, along with the covers of songwriters and folk/country musicians of his time. For me, it's amazing how much his cover of NiN's Hurt is one of the biggest songs Johnny Cash has ever recorded. We're talking about a man with a whole line of country standards: Ring of Fire, Boy Named Sue (a cover, though the Folsom performance is just that iconic), I Walk The Line, The Man In Black, among many others. You can hear throughout the album that Cash doesn't have a lot of time left on this planet, his voice more gravelly than it ordinarily is. Cash would pass away a year later, recently widowed with the loss of the love of his life, June Carter Cash. For my own personal tastes, this record is so slow (naturally, but I like stuff a little more faster than my resting heart rate). Impactful, yes. Not denying the legacy of this record or its appearance in the 1001+ albums (could be a bubble pick but ultimately does have enough of a lasting impact). Of course the slowness makes sense, a settling down atmosphere for a music legend. It works for something like In My Life. Not much else to add after that. Good record.

I saw a documentary that talked about this collaboration between Rick Rubin and Johnny Cash, but never actually heard the album. What they accomplished is incredible. The song choices and the way Cash chose to perform them is amazing. He really made them his own. Rubin also helped Cash shine from a production standpoint. Great album!

Banger

This was so close to being fantastic. The tempo on some of these was so slowed down that it took away the enjoyment. It waws still a really good album, just not quite top tier.

These Rick Rubin albums were a big deal when they came out but I never really checked them out at the time so am glad to have the chance to hear this one now. Funny to get served this just a couple days after San Quentin, where I noticed some reviews complained about his shitty voice, because he sounds so much worse here and yet no one seems to mind. Time and age change expectations, I suppose. Listening to this encourages me to cynically imagine Rick Rubin pimping out Johnny Cash to all his musician friends having their own superstar fantasy camp opportunity to sing a song with him or hear him run through one of their tunes. Even when I'm not feeling so cynical I have a funny feeling that we're hearing here everything they recorded and that pretty much everything was done in one take....still, it's The Man In Black, and that's worth something. Sounds like a fun project to be a part of but didn't do a lot for me as a listener, certainly not approaching the altitude of his 1960s work.

This is by far my favorite Johnny Cash album, although I'm sure admitting this only reveals my rank amateur status as a Cash acolyte. Regardless, when I first heard this album I was floored with the first two songs that set the feel of the entire album, painful and raw and full of hard experience. I was also incredibly impressed that he covered such a wide range of songs, especially Trent Reznor's "Hurt" (even more so now that I've seen the painfully intimate video) and Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". Other standouts are Sting's "I hung my head", The Beatles' "In my life", Tex Ritter's "Sam Hall" (which reminds me of Sam Shepard's version in the excellent movie "Blackthorn"), the Eagles' "Desperado", and Hank Williams' "I'm so lonesome I could cry", plus the fantastic version of Marty Robbins' "Big Iron" (sadly only on the LP version of this album, but fun to have heard the original and Cash's version in this project). I also loved all the contributions from John Frusciante, Nick Cave, Don Henley and Fiona Apple. A while back I saw "Lucky", a film with a very aged and ornery and cranky and endearing Harry Dean Staton (and I'm not really sure he was exactly acting all that much). That movie has stuck with me for many years as at least one way I hope all of us can near the end of our days. This album had the same effect on me, and while it's similar in some ways to a few other albums in this collection by artists towards the end of their careers/lives (especially Billie Holiday's "Lady in Satin" and David Bowie's "Blackstar", and maybe even Leonard Cohen's "You Want it Darker"), Cash is setting his own terms and seems at peace with the highs and lows and in-betweens of his life (to borrow from the title of an album by a fellow hard-living country singer, Townes Van Zandt (why isn't he in this collection????)).

Album equivalent to Philip Larkin's poem "Aubade": great work by a great artist facing his final years "Being brave / lets no one off the grave. / Death is no different whined at than withstood."

Great album of covers by the Man. Favorites are Hurt, The Man Comes Around and Personal Jesus.

Nice album, very talky

I really didn’t enjoy it

Danny boy changed my life and made me cry. Its actually a 4.5.

This entire quadrilogy is great. Perfect choice of stripped down covers and excellent choices for backing vocals with Fiona Apple and Nick Cave.

I listened to the original LP release (17 tracks). Just like the Leonard Cohen albums we heard earlier, young Johnny Cash sings much better than old Johnny Cash. Johnny had lots of health issues when he recorded this, so I’ll give him a break on his voice. My biggest problem is that although Johnny selected very good songs to cover, the original versions were better. But I’ll give him credit for the concept.

Well well well. This may have been Johnny's last album, but he certainly lives on as my enemy. Compared to Leonard Cohen's last album, I feel nothing (except annoyance about 'Hurt', as detailed previously and probably a little bit forthcomingly). However, I never knew this was an album of mostly covers. That makes me feel a bit better. And 'The Man Comes Around' reminds me of GenKill, so that's alright. It's still hard for me to get through this version of 'Hurt', though. I gotta listen to the original a few times after this as a palate cleanser. If it weren't a cover, I'd think "sure, this is a good song". But I can't disentangle! It's too precious to me! (The only other time I felt such a deep sense of musical wrongness is Nas's 'I Can', also from 2002 (rough year), which samples Beethoven's Für Elise. Luckily that song is nowhere near as acclaimed). Apparently Trent Rezzie himself is a fan (now), but if everyone can death-of-the-author this song then I can death-of-the-author the author's take on this cover >:( After track 2 it's like the birds are singing sweetly in the trees, where the birds are Old Johnny Cash. The relief of not hearing 'Hurt' anymore is making all the songs better. Is this album good?? It's better than the live prison one. But I'm also annoyed about 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', although inherently less so because I like the song less. I like Fiona Apple but whatever they're doing here is not for me. Luckily I don't know the Sting song so I don't have any big feelings about that one. (Sting and Bono seem like a natural class to me. I also had to look up again that Sting=Police. It's so hard to internalize!!) I also didn't know 'First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', but I read with delight on Wiki that the writer "MacColl made no secret of the fact that he disliked all of the cover versions of the song"... until I saw MacColl died in 1989. Nevertheless I have faith he would be a fellow Cash-cover-hater. This version of the song is a real snoozer, anyway. All these songs are kinda the same vibe, which I guess is the point, and that's fine, but I actually hate it. OK, there's some variation: 'Personal Jesus' made me lol a little because it was done in such earnest, and it's not one of my favorite Depeche Modes (having already been somewhat ruined by Marilyn Manson), so I didn't mind the Cashification. And at least the keyboards added something. But I do really like the OG 'In My Life', so I hate this version!!!!! If this was just a personal project he did for himself, it's great, it's beautiful, but don't make me listen to it. 'Sam Hall' is new to me, basically a folk song, and fits a classic Cash ethos, so I'm fine with that one. Same for 'Danny Boy', which I do know, but as a sad classic, I'm fine with it being here. 'Desperado' is already a hated song, so that's a perfect choice to cover! JC should have done all Eagles songs; the only way is up. This cover is fine, possibly better than the original. Like 'Danny Boy', 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' fits very well. What is Nick Cave doing here!? Everyone's endorsing this album...! Fine song though, thanks Nick. 'Streets of Laredo' (alas, "going gay" not enough to win over this listener) is a good fit, although I'm starting to feel the length of the album. The back 4 are also fine, though uninteresting. Can't believe I made it 36 years never hearing 'Big Iron' and now I'm hearing it twice in one year. Still prefer the trail songs. This whole project is like one giant memory challenge, and I fear I'm failing. 'Tear Stained Letter' is fine, and it's not a cover! See what could have been!! I could make a 10-track version of this album that would be totally acceptable, actually. Here it is: /The Man Comes Around, Give My Love to Rose, Sam Hall, Danny Boy, Desperado, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Streets of Laredo, Wichita Lineman, Tear Stained Letter, We'll Meet Again/ Nice 'n tight, poignant, evocative, no covers that fill you with passionate rage... what could have been!!! Whew, I worked myself into quite a lather. Anyway, glad to have gotten this one over with. 'We'll Meet Again' is a nice finale. Sorry to the Cashheads; this is a 2 because I hate 'Hurt' more than any other song, but my 10-track cut would have been a respectable high 3. Highlights: 'The Man Comes Around', 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry', 'We'll Meet Again' (to the tune of 'Personal Jesus') My Own, Personal, Lowlight (of the entire 1001+ albums): 'Hurt'.

This album was my first real introduction to Johnny Cash. I’d always known who he was growing up, but I wasn’t interested in country music back then. This album, though, is far more than just country. It’s the work of a man who knew he was nearing the final off-ramp of his life and chose to bare his soul one last time through a collection of hauntingly powerful covers. It’s so emotionally raw and beautiful that it often brings me to tears.

This was fine. It didn't elicit any feels for me like it seems to for others. I enjoyed the minimal instrumentation on most of the tracks. That really put the focus on Cash's vocals and those seemed more strained with age.

I accidentally rated Isaac Hayes with the review I meant for this one

6,33

Another Johnny Cash album and another 5 stars! Never knew I was such a fan! His old man voice is so poignant and some of the covers to me now seem to be the quintessential versions. Touching and powerful. Tasteful use of Fiona Apple too!

I’ll be honest I’m a bit disappointed in this. Obviously “Hurt” is a masterpiece, genuinely one of the greatest covers ever, but the rest of this (long) album is kind of trying to do “Hurt” over and over, with varying degrees of success. The songs feel less like songs suited to Cash, and more songs chosen for the sort of meta story they’re building relating to his life. Some songs (especially story songs) he still excels at and seems to be having a great time. “Personal Jesus” and “My Life” sound like someone stuck the lyrics in front of him approximately two minutes before hitting “record.” Also, I know he was very old and his voice was never great, but man, the autotune done on him here is bad. And 2002 autotune so it’s especially noticeable. High notes are suuuuper robotic. Also that Don Henley duet is awful. Clearly they were never in the room together, their voices don’t mesh. Rubin has mixed them so terribly it just sounds like fuzzy noise. Embarrassing job for a professional! Also lol the guy who made this list managed to sneak another appearance from Nick Cave onto the list with his duet with Cash here! Sneaky sneaky!

Words fail me.

Johnny Cash, at the end of his life, sat with an eclectic mix of cover songs and turned them into a powerful meditation on life and death. A poignant and sometimes haunting death bed serenade. 10/10

One of the best covers of all the time, a coupla other good tracks and a lotta dull stuff.

This is one of the first albums I ever bought and some of the first songs I ever learned to play. I did not know Johnny cash farther than a cartoonish character of country music that was more fable than man. It wasn’t until a decade later I really started to see cash a a real person after reading Cash by Johnny Cash (because I was High Fidelity). Now 20 years later with more insight and understanding more of the songs chosen for this anthology, I can give it no less than an 5/5

On the cusp of his own demise, Cash creates this album with the skills of his years of artistry to make these songs his own. This is a heartfelt album and even if some of the songs he has chosen are lyrically burdened with sentimentality, he delivers them in his own way giving them all a simple sincerity that only someone looking back at his own life really can. An excellent album.

Neat collection of covers by a legend of country and music in general

Cash really makes a lot of these songs his own (especially Hurt). It's fascinating listening to such a famous artist dealing with his own mortality, which really pushes this album beyond just a collection of Johnny Cash blues songs. Favorite Songs: Hurt, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Streets of Laredo

Pleasant to listen to. Great voice. Great songs.

Amazing album, although a bit of a cash grab. Hurt, first song whatever it is are the best

10

Although I love Johnny Cash I think the other album in this series, which has a cover of Loudon Wainwright's The Man Who Couldn't Cry, is far superior. Of course everyone knows the incredible cover of Hurt from this album but other covers fall flat for me. Always a timeless voice but the material he is doing doesn't really do him justice on this record.

There's a rawness and vulnerability in this late album from Cash. At 15 tracks it's also overly long. Not all the covers work, but damn, does Hurt hit just as hard as it did the first time I saw the video air on MTV at 4 am all those years ago. Also, administrators getting cheeky scheduling this the day after I received The Downward Spiral as my album of the day.

Solid stuff. A few too many songs diminishes the power somewhat but he adds a lot of power to some covers like hurt and personal jesus. And I actually really like the original opener. It is hard for thee to kick against the prick...

Great album. Mostly covers which i wasn’t expecting but realistically should’ve seen given the album titles. Yet each one of these songs, while not Johnny Cash’s originally, do have a unique charm that he brings. Soulful, contemplative, and a little hopeful. Johnny Cash made a great album. 4/5

6/10 - I'm a big fan of Johnny Cash but this came across as very depressing, Hurt is a great song though

It is ok- I like other albums from him better

Admittedly, the only Johnny Cash song I’ve ever sat down and listened to in full is A Boy Named Sue. I’ve listened to snippets of Hurt when it’s been used in a programme or film, so i was looking forward to just being able to focus on it. I’m torn on this album. It starts off incredibly, The Man Comes Around and Hurt are just fantastic and I could listen to them over and over. But then we get to halfway through the record, and First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Danny Boy had me wanting to turn it off. Maybe 15 tracks at 52 minutes is too long. After track 5, I’m struggling to get through the rest of the songs. It could have been cut down by a third. But… then I’m back at the first two tracks of the album. Those two songs on their own would be enough for five stars. The rest of the album, however, I’m going to have to go for three. Standout tracks - The Man Comes Around and Hurt

Beautiful, what a way to go out. I love this album, it wanes around the mid section which for me pops it to a 4. Some of his best in his later years

Poignant with some great tunes

kingof pain

It's a really long album full of Johnny Cash covering other songs. Some are strikingly beautiful, others are Johnny Cash covering a song. A few songs stuck out here (I liked the Hurt cover especially) but overall it didn't really move me.

5/5

84/100. Beautifully themed, this album carries a sad, melancholy feel, with reflections on life, aging and morality throughout. It’s haunting and intimate, with Cash’s weathered voice adding weight to every word. As a cover album, it’s incredible, each track feels fully reinterpreted.

I'm hurt, you're hurt, we're all hurt.

I was not prepared to be sobbing over a tuna melt in the middle of the afternoon.

This is a really interesting album. Some songs worked better than others and a lot of it sounds the same after a bit. I could have also been edited down a bit. The Cash originals are better than the covers. It's emotional, haunting, and melancholy. This is as much a Rick Rubin album as it is a Johnny Cash album.