American IV: The Man Comes Around

A touching, emotional end to my 1001 journey ❤️

I don't think this album should be on this list. I think his cover of 'Personal Jesus' especially shows that there's not really much left of whatever made him a well-regarded artist over there. Let him retire. The album itself is also just boring country, slow songs, and that tired voice.

Really enjoyed the album altough it's not my genre. Het album klonk als een geheel. But every song was unique. I really enjoyed his voice and the little stories his songs told. I didn't add any song to a playlist but I did listen to the album twice. 2nd time I could actually sing along to some parts of some songs. Edit: It has come to my attention that most of the songs on this album are covers, which most are literally a copy of the original... I'll still give it a 2,5.

The greatest american voice somehow gets better with age.

Good album of cash especially since it was his last

Love it. Own it.

I found it a little heavy going and little contrived at points, but overall I enjoyed it. It struck me that under Rick Rubin this album could have been overblown in every area, and I really like the fact that it wasn't. The sound and feel is warming. I'm not sure how many times I'd return to it though, as an entire body of work at least.

It's a corker! Some incredible songs delivered in an inimitable manner by a real talent. Also Rick Rubin knew what he was up to!

"American IV: The Man Comes Around" is the 67th studio album by American country musician Johnny Cash and the last one to be released during his lifetime. The majority of songs are covers, performed in sparse style with help from producer Rick Rubin. Cash had backing vocal assistance from Fiona Apple, Nick Cave and Don Henley and numerous guest musicians including John Frusciante (guitar), Mike Campbell (guitar), Benmont Trench (keyboards) and Billy Preston (piano). The album had decent reviews and reached #22 on the US charts and #40 in the UK. Cash quoting the bible opens the album and "The Man Comes Around." Sparse, as all these songs are, with an acoustic guitar, piano and bass in a song Cash wrote. Cash with an incredible and devastating vocal performance dominate the cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." Tom Petty and Heartbreakers' Mike Campbell on guitar and Benmont Trench on an absolutely pounding piano. Cash's vocals cut the core of the songs' theme of drug addiction and its effects. Fantastic. Fiona Apple backs Cash on the vocals in his cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The song is slowed down and enhanced by the organ and gospel backing vocals giving this a spiritual vibe. Producer Rick Rubin ask the Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante to rearrange Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." And he does giving this song a bluesy-country stomp especially with the piano. Cash said this was his most evangelical performance he's ever done. Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan was tentative at first to allow the cover until he realized that the request was like Elvis asking for something. Needless to say, he was happy with the result. My favorite cover of his own catalogue is "Sam Hall." A country guitar with a rollicking piano. He originally recorded this on a 1965 album. Cash's deep, emotional vocals and interpretations are the highlights of this album. In a lot of these songs (I'll use the cliche), he takes them and makes them his own. The musical arrangements are sparse and mostly great with acoustic guitars and especially the piano and organ giving the cover songs a spirituality not heard in the original versions. One song that didn't work for me was his cover of the Beatles' "In My Life." But, the majority of this album does work to a high level and resulted in a very pleasurable and worthwhile listen.

I really like this album. Maybe it's because of coming off of three days of metal but it's simple, deep and enjoyable.

This album does what I wish more country could. Easy to listen and follow. Flawless use of simplicity and an amazing voice.

Idée géniale de Rick Rubin. Quelle belle fin de carrière pour Johnny Cash. De la dizaine d'albums qu'il a fait avec American Recordings le IV est pas mal mon préféré. Le III ne donne pas sa place aussi.

Une belle leçon pour un "snob" musical comme moi. M. Cash nous montre ici que le style de musique est secondaire et que tout est dans tout. De Vera Lynn à Nine Inch Nails en passant par Depeche Mode, on peut tout faire country si on en a envie. Ça m'inspire on dirait, dans ce milieu, on veut toujours faire meilleur, plus vite, ou encore différent/novateur et lui a l'air de dire que l'important c'est d'y aller, de jouer son instrument, d'avoir du fun et le reste est secondaire. Peut-être que je suranalyse, mais c'était les choses qui me passaient par la tête, en écoutant ces arrangements simples et épurés, pogné sur un gros bouchon devant le pont Laviolette.

Album d'autant plus puissant qu'il allait mourir un an plus tard. Vraiment le chant du cygne d'un grand artiste. Hurt est incroyable. aussi beaucoup aimé I Hung my Head. Un peu déçu de Personnal Jesus. J'était excité par le duel avec Nick Cave, mais ce dernier est plutôt subtil et laisse beaucoup la place à Johnny.

Better than I was expecting. I guess the it makes the list because it’s such an interesting idea for a legend like Cash to record these stripped down versions. But, I really like the older Cash stuff better.

Increíble. Cash hace su propia versión de muchísimos clásicos y les da una vida que creo que jamás me hubiera imaginado que tendrían. Me soprendió escuchar Personal Jesus e In my life en voz de Cash y sentir como si estuviera ante algo completamente nuevo. Pero la canción que una y otra vez me rompe el corazón y el alma es Hurt. La voz de Cash es espectacular y única. Se mete debajo de la piel y hace sentir cada nota, cada cosa que está sintiendo Cash al cantarla. Y leyendo un poco sobre el disco, me entero que fue el último publicado por Cash antes de su muerte, así que decir adiós así, es cosa de grandes. Y Johnny Cash fue de los enormes.

tracks 1-4 deeply affecting vocal performances, in spite of or maybe because of his aged/slightly more fragile-sounding voice at this point in his career. his version of hurt is one of the greatest things i have ever heard for reasons that are beyond simple human explanation - it has to be heard and sat with and you will absolutely get it. the solemnness and death hanging over this record at time of its recording contextualised by events contemporary to and immediately following its release, of course. think that is what makes "i hung my head" work so well for me in all its simplicity. the rendition of "first time ever i saw your face" stopped me in my tracks. version of "personal jesus" i could take or leave; a cool track to hear here but ultimately not one that his voice or approach could really lend any new fire or affect worth mentioning. "in my life" was perfectly fine if a bit ploddy and unremarkable. "sam hall" a welcome and jovial performance - a touch folkier, and not to harp on it, but fantastic out of his voice possibly because of his age and affect. "danny boy" - pretty, stripped-back tubular production going on here; a gorgeous song in its own right, does it justice. again, lots of death, life-lamenting etc. in these covers, hits me right in The Feels. harmony and mixing on desperado is absolutely nailed. gorgeous. come to your senses! opener is a very timely track but i didn't say that earlier. his version of "we'll meet again" here was absolutely beautiful - production leaning on two pieces of instrumentation and his vocal until you get the final lines delivered by his folks. hit me very hard. gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous album. strong. worst i could feasibly say here is one or two were unmemorable covers. most of them were good. track-listing could've shuffled slightly but it's really no biggie. he took ownership of these songs in a way only a very special few ever could, often only in singular instances. 9/10

Great song selection, minimal production and moving performances from a legendary at the end of a storied career.

A great album but I prefer the originals more in general. This album is mostly impressive due to the longevity of Cash's career (67 albums over 50 years.)

Отличный, довольно лиричный и печальный альбом. Навевает настроениями ностальгии, воспоминаний и осмысления прожитых лет. Голос Джонни Кэша здесь звучит очень лично, как будто он лично тебе рассказывает свою историю. Это, наверное, один из лучших альбомов, которые я прослушал в генераторе.

3.5

I remember how white old dudes were creaming themselves over this album when it came out. Considering I was very young at the time I'm glad to get the opportunity to listen to it now I too am middle aged. This is a very gently played, affecting album. Johnny Cash sounds wonderful, you can hear the years in his voice. Very interesting choice of songs. His version of NIN's Hurt is kinda devastating. I doubt I'll listen to this again though.

Cashes version of Hurt is brilliant.

Just an album of covers that don't sound better or even as good as the originals. Hurt isn't bad but had to skip through most of the rest

+1 as its last recording. -1 because nothin is original. +1 because he covers them so damn well. +1 because it’s Cash. I’m adding this to my personal album list. I loved it in a 4⭐️kind of way.

A wonderful Album!

First half of the album had me in tears. Such moving lyrics in Cash’s seasoned hands imbues them with a different depth and meaning.

120626 23:17 4.5

Great album, loved listening to ti9s and will be back. Although familiar his covers were something else. 4/5

AWESOME!!!

The covers get a little bit silly by the end of this album. Johnny Cash owns Hurt though, that feels more like Cash than Trent Reznor. But I could easily have gone without hearing the Johnny Cash versions of Personal Jesus or In My Life. This Rick Rubin production is interesting and I'm happy to have listened to it, but other than Hurt, I can't see myself coming back to this.

This sounds on paper very contrived but actually works out to a well put together album 4*

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would

Best track: the man come around, and personal Jesus Good album, some good song, and some to slow 3,5/5

I was wishing they'd just leave that old man alone by the time this fourth installment of forced life-support came out, but then I heard the heartbreaker that is "Hurt" and then "Personal Jesus" and thought maybe Rick Rubin really is a genius like they say. "In My Life" is almost unfair how poignant it is in his ragged voice, and they even managed to find a decent song inside "Desperado." Docking one point for all the sub-par apocalypse movie trailers the excellent title track has inspired.

Covers are best when they completely reimagine a song and bring something new and unexpected to it, rather than simply deliver a faithful rendition. Johnny Cash certainly does that here on songs like the stunning “Hurt” and his deeply personal spin on Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.” Both also win bonus points for being surprising picks by the grizzled country legend, a hallmark of this collaboration series with Rick Rubin. Other songs, like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and the Beatles cover, work less well because they hew closer to expectation. Also, the guest vocal cameos here — Fiona Apple, Don Henley and Nick Cave — mostly don’t work and highlight the challenge of pairing with Cash’s plaintive, speak-sing baritone. The album finishes relatively strong with country standards and an original, but on the whole this is an uneven effort.

Is the album good? Yes. Is it in my top three covers albums? No, that would be 1. Cat Power - The Covers Record 2. Elf Power - Nothing's Going To Happen 3. Not sure but not this.

I like this when he does unexpected songs like Hurt or Personal Jesus, but less when he does Danny Boy. Nice shout out to Nick Cave (guest vocalist on one song) that Cash uses the biblical phrase "kicking against the pricks", which is also the title of a nick cave LP.

Love Johnny Cash, letsgo! Potverdikkeme, lang geleden dat ik zo'n lekker album heb gehoord. Johnny heeft duidelijk geluisterd naar Michael Scott, Keep It Simple Stupid! Muziek heeft geen rare fratsen nodig, gewoon een mooi melodieus, enigszins gevoelig gitaar rifje, met een fantastische lage rauwe stem erbij. Meer heb je niet nodig. En dat is precies wat Johnny je geeft. Hier staan echt een hoop (nieuwe) Favo's op zeg. Hurt, I Hung My Head, In My Life, Sam Hall, Deperado (al vind ik het origineel toch net wel beter), Tear Stained Letter, Streets of Larado & We'll Meet Again. Jeetje wat heeft ie een goede stem zeg. 5 reten.

Bumping it up a star for Cash's monumental cover of Hurt, but the rest of this is just... fine?

I already knew this one, and have listened to it quite a lot. Hurt is such a huge song...impossible not to be affected by it. I had a bit of a Johnny Cash phase...I love all the outlaw country stuff. Probably goes on a little...but some inspired covers 4/5

Like a nice lolo singing. Also nice Simon & Garfunkel cover.

shit was so cash

I really liked this album but I dropped a point for that bridge over troubled water cover because it was not it.

It's okay. Would be 2.5

Very emotional, genuinely a great experience. Love the addition of covers of great songs, I usually hate that kinda thing but it feels right

3.5

4,1

Raw and sincere. His songwriting is magnificent and catchy at the same time. I enjoy his music, it gets through your veins and leaves you with a melancholy feeling.

Incredibly sad. RIP Johnny Cash

4/10 This is the album of a man coming to terms with the end of his life. Largely, the songs relate somewhat to that context and, at its best, it’s a poignant and touching piece of work. Unfortunately, it isn’t actually at its best for all that long. When the frailty of his delivery works with the style of the songs, there are moments of magic, like Hurt, I Hung My Head and First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, but there are also times when it just doesn’t connect and the weakness in his voice becomes a weakness of the song as a whole, Bridge Over Troubled Water being a fine example. There are parts of that song that just soar with the correct vocal delivery, but here it just falls flat and sounds weak. And things aren’t helped by the production. In places, things sound super sharp and crisp, but there are places where Johnny’s vocal mic is way too hot and it throws distortion over the main focus of the track while the rest of the instruments are super clean, so it just sounds off. There are also a few areas where the mix of instruments feels a little jarring to my ear. I think one issue with this album is the length. If it had been kept to a tight 35 minutes, this would have probably worked far better. Cut out some of the lulls and I might have been more engaged in some of these tracks. But the truth is, the tracks on this album that I like are almost exclusively tracks that I would choose the original to listen to over Old Johnny Cash’s rendition. I appreciate what Johnny was going for with this, but, despite a few genuinely lovely moments, as a whole it was just a bit wide of the target. The Man Comes Around - This is ok. I quite like the transition from verse to chorus, but it’s a bit too repetitive for fairly big chunks. His voice has echoes of what it once was, but it’s faltering and doesn’t convey the power that would have benefitted this song. Hurt - This was a genius track selection, taking the song of a young man struggling with life and reframing it as the song of an old man coming to the end of his. The stripped back nature of the orchestration works so well. It’s a shame about the clipped vocal recording as it would sound better clean to my ears. The dynamic growth of the track is brilliant and the way it just rings out at the end is perfect. A brilliant performance of a brilliant song. Give My Love To Rose - This is nice enough, I suppose. It’s pretty simple, but it’s just not vastly interesting. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Oof. The weakness of his voice here really doesn’t work. The instrumentation is a bit odd too. I think there’s a couple of mellotron parts in there that don’t work well with the acoustic instruments in this mix. Fiona Apple’s vocal is just weird too. This is just bad. I Hung My Head - This is better. The frailty of his voice works better with the song and the way that the dynamic of the track changes with the instrumentation is nice. It’s not over-orchestrated like the previous song was either. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Again, stylistically this works. It’s sparse and poignant. The instrumentation is subtle and mainly takes up the lower register, with only the arpeggiated guitar offering some brightness. It clips the vocal again near the end, which is annoying, but this was a really decent track. Personal Jesus - This is a bit of a mixed bag. I actually quite like the arrangement and the track itself, but the slightly lazy drawl of the vocal just takes something away from it for me. I just don’t quite believe in the delivery. In My Life - This is such a pretty song and it is quite a poignant delivery in a way, but it’s also quite a weak delivery that takes something away from the purity of the melody to my ears. I do not like the glockenspiel at all. It’s just sounds rubbish. Sam Hall - This is just an old country song. It sounds like a thousand other country songs and there’s nothing there to elevate it above that. I don’t hate it, and I quite like the bouncy rhythm of it, but it’s just nothing special and lyrically it’s just boring. Danny Boy - Oh do fuck off. It’s an overplayed song, his timing is all over the shop, and it’s boring. Desperado - Another one where the instrumental is nice. Another one where his vocal doesn’t connect and it just gets worse when Don Henley comes in for some random lines and is recorded too hot. Big old bucket of meh. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry - At least this duet actually connects a little bit better than the two previous ones. There’s just so little pace to this that it feels like it’s almost at a standstill. Tear Stained Letter - I quite like this song actually. It’s got a bit of zip to it. The piano part gives it a bit of momentum and dynamism. He actually sounds a bit invigorated in his delivery of the vocal here too. It’s not the most exciting song in the world, but it’s decent enough. Streets Of Laredo - Well this song seems longer than three and a half minutes. It’s just the same four bars round and round again. I know it’s supposed to be about the story, but it’s just relentless. We’ll Meet Again - Calm down, Uncle Albert. This is just bad. His vocal is bad, the orchestration is uninspired and it’s just a terrible way for Johnny Cash to wave goodbye to the world. Oh, and the shit gang vocals have just come in. Shit Sandwich.

Didn’t think I’d be impressed by an album of mostly covers but this was damn good.

This album was so so good.

It’s hard to say because the music here has been played and known so I can’t make a new assessment. There are classic songs here. His rendering of “hurt” by Trent Rezner is awesome but does it move the needle forward. Overall I think this is a three.

I love johnny, but this shit was depressing. I would've loved this about 10 years ago.

Starts off well, and then kind of withers out. with the exception of hurt and maybe personal Jesus, the covers are strengthened by the quality of the songwriting as opposed to what Cash has done with them. Standout Song: Hurt obviously. 3.5 Stars

Great album, great voice, liked the covers

The frailty of Johnny’s voice is terribly affecting, which is why “Hurt” works so well. Song choice is so important here- and most of them are hits. This is a great record to put on any time. THREE STARS

Some good covers, but the fact remains that I don't like Johnny Cash's music, or this style of country in general.

Cash: entering the hallowed halls of Jeff Buckley and Alien Ant Farm as 'cover artists who unequivocally surpassed an already classic original'. Musically it's good, not exceptional, but Cash's voice has been refined to the perfect, smoky edge by this point in his career and it's practically unmatched. fav tracks: Hurt, I Hung My Head

I definitely appreciate Rick Rubin bringing Johnny Cash back to relevance and the fact that this record introduced his music to a new generation but I find these American records pretty boring. Production is way too clean and just makes me want to listen to old Johnny Cash records.

2.5 - Meh

A powerful end to a legendary career. The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Personal Jesus, We'll Meet Again all added to Liked Songs.

Excellent, maybe a touch too long, but some great songs and versions of songs

The Man Comes Around - 6.5/10 Hurt - 7.5/10 Give My Love To Rose - 7/10 Bridge Over Troubled water - 7/10 I hung my head - 6.75/10 First time ever I saw your face - 7/10 Personal Jesus - 7/10 In My Life - 8/10 Sam Hall - 8 Danny Boy - 8/10 Desperado - 8 So Lonesome I Could Cry 8/10 Tear Stained Letter - 8 Streets Of Larado - 9/10 We’ll Meet Again - 10/10 74/100

me pegou num péssimo dia nunca gostei do cash, ainda não foi dessa vez

basicamente uma coletânea de covers escolhidos a dedo. não curto muito, mas acho que deu um significado interessante visto que eh o último album dele em vida. eh. bem johnny cash mesmo. vou dar 3 estrelas pelo teor sentimental bad vibes que esse aqui trás. que deus o tenha.

the idea of johnny cash listening to nine inch nails and going “i wanna do that” makes me really joyous.

Still a great album with the best version of Hurt.

I'm going to take a stand and dislike this album even though it's one of the most beloved of all time. I do like the instrumentation and the lyrics. However Johnny Cash just can't hit the notes he's supposed to be singing. Maybe other people like that, but it makes it impossible for me to enjoy listening to him.

The title song has been a favourite of late so a great reason to listen to it more. The album always struck me as being too long but it was enjoyable to immerse yesterday. The Nick Cave duet doesn't work as well as hoped unfortunately!

Me ha encantado la primera mitad del album pero despues del cover de Personal Jesus se densinfla bastante y se vuelve repetitivo aun asi me ha parecido bastante bueno. A veces me sentia en rdr 2 y otras podria ser banda sonora de the last of us.

Yesterday I went to Taco Bell and Johnny Cash started playing. One of the works yelled "OHH MY GOD I HATE JOHNNY CASH!" and went on about why and stuff and all I could think is how wrong she absolutely was, and that was before I ever heard this album all the way through. Anyway this album is a perfect ending of his life, before Bowie's Blackstar there was this, and it's absolutely fantastic. I hope that lady at Taco Bell has a good day.

Finally found a covers album that deserves this list. Until now didn’t understand why cover albums were significant enough to join this list but wow Johnny you are an icon. The way you sang I Hung My Head changed me. Some items on here don’t stack up to the OG, but that’s ok you still did the damn thing.

Most of the songs themselves and their production are very simple, but it’s Cash himself that really makes the album. So much comes through in his old and weathered voice. Hurt is such a chilling song. A haunting listen.

forestiller mig at grunden til at det er blevet en del af listen er fordi coversangene og perioden i hans eget liv giver det rigtig meget tyngde. Tror også specielt hurt har en særlig plads her, fordi den originalt er sunget af nine inch nails som et produkt af drug overuse, hvor Johnny er gammel og det er mere er refleksion over livet og alle omkring ham forsvinder (fordi han er gammel). Kan huske jeg læste at Trent razor havde sagt han synes det var lidt kedeligt, indtil han havde set musikvideoen og forstod hvordan sangens betydning ændrer sig fordi det johnny som synger den. God musikvideo. Det er americana hvor der er fokus på de akustiske instrumenter og enkelt instrumental. Countryfolk og en smule gospel inspiration. tror det er et album som kræver et revisit engang, når man kan relatere endnu mere til teksterne. vil nok sige 3,5 for mig

Iconic album. Iconic voice. What a way to go out. CD version omits Wichita Lineman and Big Iron. So I listened to these on Johnny Cash - Unearthed separately. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.

Very depressing album that I really enjoyed. You can really hear the pain that he experienced in his life in this album, which was also his last album. His coevers of Hurt and Desperado were highlights.

I like Johnny Cash but all songs on this album sound the same. Not an album I would sit done and listen from beginning to end.

Really liked this, Hurt an all time classic and really enjoyed Desperado and We'll Meet Again

Incredible album of covers that fit the context of his life so well

Anything less is diabolical

It wasn't as interesting as the pervious album. The songs in the beginning were good and the last song was great (though it was giving "you've got a friend in me").

"American IV" is a cowboy's lament of a life Ill lived and completely subverted my expectations. I knew nothing about the release of this album, and I expected to be somewhat bored coming into it. While listening, I found the tracks engaging and deeply moving. Cash's sombre tone brought a punch of feeling to the songs. Every track belonged, even the covers, and overall was a great record.

This is a hard album to rate based on pure musical analysis because the context of these songs is so much a part of how it sounds. An album put together by a man keenly aware of his coming death that is singing about all the aspects of his life worth singing. It was almost difficult to listen to all the way through because of how it makes one feel.

Man, there's just something about this album. It makes my ears feel good.

Kinda hate how he sings but this had "Hurt" on it so it was my duty to hear this

Legendary voice and a legendary send-off. Not always my cup of tea and gets a bit tedious by the end, but when he hits (Hurt, In My Life, Personal Jesus, etc.), it's really special.

Got the HB sauce flowing

Great stuff, JC often imploves on these classics

I did not think I would enjoy Cash's talking style of singing but it works really well with his style of music. The album is melancholy and emotive.

Álbum incrível! Alguns dos melhores momentos da música estão nele. Truthear Zero: Red.

Starts strong but gets pretty meh after a while. The Man Comes Around might be my favorite Johnny Cash song.

Reason I got into music

Jävlar vad bra Hurt-covern är. Skivan bra överlag också

Hurt är odödlig och albumets lore är väldigt fint, men det räcker tyvärr inte långt när resten är så trött. RIP <3

Det är mysigt att höra gamla gubbe sjunga

Väldigt bra! Nya egna toppenlåtar och fina covers av andra artister.

sätter man inte 5 på den här är man död på insidan

ICONIC.

I’m a sucker for lonely, sad tones and this fits the bill. I like his strong but at same time weak vocals, like he’s holding on. Hurt is completely re-imagined in a more visceral manner and I love how the album ends, like Cash is saying goodbye. Beautiful.

Johnny Cash revived. Great selection of songs done by a master with unbridled emotion.

2.5 stars This was a downer. Nearly every song is about death, aging, pain, or sadness. Obviously these topics were on Johnny’s mind as he was nearing the end of his life and wasn’t well. But it was pretty tough to listen to such a sombre collection of songs, even though he does a very impressive job of making the songs his own. By the time we got to Danny Boy I couldn’t take the sad songs anymore. Highlights: -The Man Comes Around - this one is an original, I think. You could have told me this was an old classic and I would’ve believed it. -Hurt - iconic. -Personal Jesus - I love the Depeche Mode original and I enjoyed Johnny’s stripped down take.

I really loved this. I'm a sucker for art that tackles death directly. I don't know what that says about me. It's powerful when someone interacting with death so directly is willing to share that experience with us. It's brave and generous. This album made me think of similar ones like A Crow Looked at Me or Blackstar. Obviously what makes this one different is that instead of original music, he tackles death mostly through covers. Each cover feels like it's Johnny tackling different emotions related to his nearing death. He even covers two of his own songs and gives new meaning. This is especially true on Give My Love To Rose. That song is literally about a dying man asking a passerby to share his final words with his wife and children. It hits way harder coming from Johnny now when he is literally dying. It's not just the song selection though that hits hard, it's the performances. You can feel the pain, the nostalgia, the joy and the fear in his voice. It's really powerful. It's 15 tracks and they're all good to great to incredible. This is a strong 4 for me... maybe a 4.5 but i'll round down. Specific song thoughts... The Man Comes Around - this is my all time favourite Johnny Cash song. It's amazing he still had a classic left in the tank in his 70s. Just a fantastic song front to back. It's catchy. It's beautiful. It's fuckin' cool. To me it feels like it's about the mixture of fear and joy of death, especially in the christian sense. The fear of the grim reaper, the man who comes around. But the elation and joy of ascending to heaven. The song just feels like this gripping biblical epic and i love every second of it. Hurt - I mean this is considered one of the greatest covers ever recorded. It's devastating. The way that Trent's lyrics are transformed by Johnny is incredible. It feels like Cash wrote it reflecting on his own life: the emptiness of his legacy, the pain he's caused people, his impending death, the death of everyone around him as he ages. Trent's lyrics fit so well into Cash's story, it's remarkable.. and the performance is just annihilating. I was quite worried this album would be down hill after starting with 2 classics, but it's great all the way through. Personal Jesus - Love the original. Love this cover. It works way better than it should as this stripped down guitar/piano track. In My Life - i swear in my review of Rubber soul I said this song would hit harder when i'm old and reflecting on my life. And here it is performed by an old man, reflecting on his life and it is really sweet. I'm not sure it's better than the original, but i like the dimension that Cash adds to it. 
Sam Hall - I really liked this one. I love him shouting “damn your eyes” over and over. It just brought a smile to my face. What a great old country song. Danny Boy - I’m a sucker for this one. My Dad would sing it occasionally as a child. Cash does a good job with it. Desperado - I actually liked this more than the original. I’m not an eagles guy… so Johnny really makes this one better. I love that chorus when he sings it. I’m So Lonely I Could Cry - it was cool hearing him do a duet with Nick Cave. I assume Johnny must have liked that murder ballads album haha. We’ll Meet Again - I loved this. It’s such a pretty song. Sure, it’s about death, but there’s this hope that someday he’ll be reunited with the people he loves… I assume in some sort of afterlife. It’s a nice thought. I love when the choir hits. It’s so big and warm.

I enjoyed a good 2/3rds of this album, the quality of the singer stood out above the others this week. Will listen to regularly.

An album of your Grandad singing his old favourites. No idea why it’s on the list. Stop press: it’s NOT on the list - it’s on the expunged list. I agree. I can see no reason why an album of covers has any worth. Particularly BAD covers. Whatever next? Lemmy Sings Carole King? Stay in your lane, Cash! I quite like some of Johnny Cash’s stuff, and his voice is still ok. The same signature sound. And he’s generally in tune (take note Dianna Ross!). But this is pretty dreadful.

There isnt anything about this that i like. First album i didnt even bother finishing. 1/5

Gammal och inte samma bärkraft i rösten, men det ger en känslighet som passar The man in black.

Back to the land of people who talk as much as sing…This was a bit disappointing. ‘Personal Jesus’ is strong, but I’d feel better about liking it if it hadn’t been used as the soundtrack for a TV commercial for, I guess, Jesus? Some of the covers are a bit weak and bland, too slow and almost depressing. Songs about bashing folks heads in and then getting hanged because of it - no thank you. I’ll stick with his earlier work, thank you very much.

I don't love this album. I love Johnny Cash and appreciate him and some of these songs are really great, but others are not very good at all. I know it was his last album but I wouldn't say this is his best work.

I have this whole series, it’s a lot. It’s superb, but has an aura of intense melancholy throughout. Maybe it’s just my retrospective viewpoint, but to me it is pretty dark overall. Like a man on his deathbed speaking to God….which maybe it sort of was. There are lots of surprise cover versions of songs you’d never expect (one of the other albums has a Soundgarden cover). But still, the Man in Black’s version of Hurt is absolutely devastating. Get the whole series and repent.

This was real easy to listen to. There's something in the way Cash delivers that I've always been a fan of. I grew up listening to A Boy Named Sue, and then the Walk The Line movie came out and a deeper appreciation followed. This feels like a more humbled project, but that could just be the aging tremble in his voice. The lyrics, as should be expected, hit really hard. There's a handful of tracks I don't find myself loving, but the good ones are SO GOOD. Hurt is on this album, hard not to give the track its own 5/5. That doesn't make up for areas where the music wasn't speaking to me, and a cultural difference might have something to do with that. 3.3/5

So Sad.

Johnny Cash is in his own league. country/rock/pop in an excellent songwriting. Very pleasable hearing. BUT not that favorite of mine.

Very sad and slow (mellow). I would definitely listen to it on a rainy day and Johnny Cash is such a legend. I loved give my love to rose, such a beautiful story Solid 3.5/5

Better than Coldplay

Pre-listening thoughts: I have a good feeling I already know what this is going to sound like. But the one thing I do hope for because this is later in Johnny Cash's career that this isn't like the Leonard Cohen album from 2016 cause that was atrociously bad. Post/during listening thoughts: this is sort of like the Willie Nelson album we got. Lots of covers done very stripped down. Although this one has Fiona Apple on backing. Something about hearing an old Johnny Cash sing is making me sad though. I'm not even like a fan of him, this is the first work I've ever heard by him. But it's like looking at the handwriting of someone you love who has passed away. I can't really explain it any more than that. Anyways, this is good. Slow, but good. I'm not sure it's the type of music I would revisit often especially because most of these songs are covers and I like the original better. But I do appreciate the covers on this album for being clear reimaginations instead of imitations. 6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: Hurt, In My Life Least fav tracks: Sam Hall

There is still something about how solemn and passionate his voice is that is incredibly impactful......and yes I know that is Johnny Cash in a nutshell. His voice just kinda affects you even though it sounds like an old man singing to himself in the corner of your living room on a lazy-e-boy. Cash lived a lot of life in his 71 years and this album does seem to be the culmination of that. Just bearing his soul here. Of course, The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Give My Love to Rose, I Hung My Head are incredibly powerful songs, especially with Cash singing. I'm not a huge fan of an album of covers and re-recordings being on this list, but after finishing, something about it feels ok. Obviously Cash's swan song before he died (let's just ignore that he's still releasing albums from beyond the grave). I think what makes this album special is the fact that it is his last album while he was still alive, the massive amount of collaboration with other artists that went into it, and the sheer emotion at which he was singing these songs knowing the end was coming.

Among the best cover albums i've ever heard.

Johnny Cash ist Johnny Cash. Seine Stimme ist der Hammer. Viele Coversongs, die eine ganz eigene Nota bekommen. Seine Version von In My Life ist wirklich was anderes als das Original. Hurt ist genial.

The man in black owns every song on this album, even if they are covers. Dark and wonderful.

Fantastic lyrics. Hurt is such a good classic. Unique beautiful style and great guitar. Nothing too hard and very introspective. Love it. First time I ever saw your face is so slow and gorgeous. Big fan. 8/10

American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash: 5/10, The most American album you'll ever hear, to the point that admiration for his music is deeply embedded in modern American culture. I have no previous connection to Cash's music, or any disposition really. What caught me so off guard about this album, even from when I heard Johnny Cash's version of Hurt a while back, is that he just doesn't sound good as a singer. I know he had a rough life but this is entirely seperate from that, the state of his voice at the time of recording these songs was not good, and it doesn't make it feel raw in a good way. The delivery of his vocals also takes away from the flow of the lyrics in the original songs that he covers, it makes it feel like he wants to make it his own but doesn't know how to. Without spending all my time talking about why I dislike Johnny Cash's vocals, I don't really have much to say about this album because it overall felt quite unremarkable

Love this album, it's had a place in my rotation for a long time

Its ok

Very distinctive voice and I enjoyed it. Feel like I can’t give more than 3 to an album of mostly covers even though he did do his own thing with them

His covers of Hurt (obviously), First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Bridge Over Troubled Waters are so damn good but second half faded into obscurity for me. Solid 3/5.

A really interesting take on a covers album - the songs that I knew took on a meaning of their own because of the interpretation and performance, and because this was the last album released before his death, there’s a poignancy to each one. It reminded me of Blackstar by Bowie which used his knowledge of his imminent death to inform the art he created. An astonishingly moving set of songs.

Rating this 4 simply because of man comes around and hurt.

I tried, I really did. In the end, I’m just not the audience for Mr. Cash. His music does nothing for me, and I find myself just bored and annoyed.

Opens really great with The Man Comes Around and Hurt. He’s at his best in the songs that fit with the grizzly-voiced rebel aesthetic he’s known for. In My Life doesn’t work for me and some of the other curve balls don’t always hit. Great arrangements and performances by Tom Petty backers Mike Campbell and Belmont Tench.

Very nice, obviously his voice isn’t what it once was, but great work nevertheless

This is the two hundred third album I’m rating. The first Fiona Apple song I get is her shitty collab with Johnny Cash. Shitty because of the writers and Johnny Cash by the way. Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. Not Adding to my Playlist - The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Give my Love to Rose, Bridge Over Troubled Water, I Hung my Head, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Personal Jesus, In my Life, Sam Hall, Danny Boy, Desperado, I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Streets of Laredo, Wichita Lineman, Big Iron, Tear Stained Letter, and We’ll Meet Again. Hurt - Johnny Cash ruining an amazing song from an amazing album. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Fiona Apple is great but Johnny Cash’s voice is really really annoying. All in all I liked 0/17 songs. His voice isn’t as bad as Lou Reed’s but it isn’t good.

> The Beatles I hate country but Johnny cash and this album are undeniable

the title track's cool, and he makes something great out of nin's pissbaby song. of the rest, the folkier numbers fare better than the pop covers. despite the sentimental production and the presence of some godawful guests (fiona apple, nick cave, john frusciante, don henley), i do have a soft spot for this. 'cause it reminds me of my dad. covers i wish he had recorded before he died: dan johnston's "speeding motorcycle" smashing pumpkins' "bullet with butterfly wings" jonathan richman's "pablo picasso" roky erickson's "i walked with a zombie" john lennon's "oh yoko"

It's Johnny Cash, innit. Surprised by the amount of covers, some of which I thought didn't quite fully suit, but not in an unpleasant way.

Джонні я особливо ніколи не слухав з двох причин: 1) біля 70 альбомів в дискографії, це дуже багато та 2) я не те щоб супер поціновувач кантрі. Цей альбом я також не чув, лише кавер на NIN та Депешей. Знову ж таки знаю про контекст з Рубіном, але хз в якому стані був Кеш до нього і що він там записував. Цей альбом мені дуже сподобався. Незважаючи на те, що Кеш тут взяв на кавера відомі або дуже відомі пісні, в нього вийшло відійти досить далеко від оригіналу та дати пісням свій стиль та характер. Я б не називав цей альбом виключно кантрі, тут скоріше збірна амерікана з відчутним блюзовим, та особливо фолковим впливом на аранжування. Дуже подобається як на альбомі звучить голос Кеша і як звучать інструменти. Все дуже чисто, з виразними акцентами, ніби зводив Dr.Dre. Дуже сподобався альбом, за нагоди ближче ознайомлюсь з доробком виконавця

Цікаво як Джонні Кеш (з допомогою Ріка Рубіна) зміг наприкінці життя оновити свою кар'єру. Колись випадково в секонд-хенді, здається гривень за 20, купив собі його автобіографію, написану доволі відверто. В цій книзі він детально розповідав про сесії для амерікани й напевно об'єктивно четвертий альбом є найкращим, у першу чергу через вдалий кавер на НІН. Десь напевно на початку десятих в нашій тусовці модним було слухати ці альбоми, але скажу відверто що я майже не повертаюсь до них. Тому і ставити високу оцінку не буду.

never listened to this wholly, but know nine inch nails' 'hurt' cover is on it. we'll see how it is! edit: it was good! a lot of covers, which i slowly put together. not necessarily my thing, but did enjoy a lot of what he sand. someone between three and four stars for me.

A good album, but overall not an outstanding album of covers. Hurt is the standout and most famous track, but overall perhaps a little uninspired.

Johnny Cash deserves his legend status, there were certainly some moments worth preserving, and I'm of course glad this album exists for posterity, but overall I really just don't understand the acclaim. The over-simplified version of Bridge over Troubled Water stood out as exemplifying the broader issues; it stripped a lot of what makes the original so compelling, and didn't offer anything particularly noteworthy in its place. I typically love and actively seek out inspired covers that expand upon and/or transform their respective originals, but for the most part that's just not what was recorded here. The whole album felt like being back in the audience at Brian Wilson's later concerts—could we maybe have just let this brilliant, talented man take a load off after so many years?

Johnny Cash, what a legend. And what a gift he keft the world just before he passed with this series of albums.

It's like listening to your grandpa singing songs by the fireplace, while the rain quietly pours outside. What's not to like?!

Shoutout to Pinja's dad for liking this. The covers are great country reinterpretations of classic songs. The other songs are also mostly great. The vocals stand out the most.

I love his voice! Don’t think I have heard anything like it before. Lots of covers (apparently), which sound amazing. My dad wanted me to learn to play Hurt on my guitar. I couldn’t.

he hurt we hurted I hert

Hurt is a great song and this is a great cover. You get two different takes, but the same beautiful pain. His interpretations of some of these songs are great. There's a group of great performers, I'm thinking mainly Cash, Nelson, Dylan, whose covers or reinterpretations have a very different feel than they would if sung by a younger artist or at a different time in their lives. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is another great take on a great song. Good lord, I can feel the tears welling up when he does In My Life. Not as big a fan of Desperado or I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry...hard to cover Hank.

Not just hurt, a wonderful record of an aged genius. Hurt would be worth 5 stars alone.

Moments of brilliance mingle with very good karaoke. As an ex-fiancé pointed out, the video to “Hurt” is awful. Superstition suggests that my throwing passing shade at Rubin’s comeback industry only yesterday summoned this record, I have to point out that this is one of the fine ones.

American III has the better songs and "Hurt" is way over-played, but this is still pretty awesome [EDIT - gotta' give Johnny props for making "I Hung My Head", an actual Sting composition, sound timeless You can hear the barrel being scraped a bit with some ropey numbers - does anyone really want to hear "Danny Boy", "Bridge Over Troubled Water" or "Desperado"? And, Mark - I take your timely point about the Rick Rubin comeback conveyor, but you could argue the '90s JC revival started with U2's "The Wanderer" (great tune) or "'Til Things Are Brighter" even earlier]

Hurt 😞

Real good slow country album. I prefer his older stuff but I like this one and really love the covers, especially Personal Jesus.

pota

Album 870 of 1089 Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002) Rating : 5 / 5 Of course, I already knew “Hurt,” but I’ll admit I never really gave the whole album a second thought until now. I’ve always enjoyed Johnny Cash, but I figured this one was just an end-of-career set of covers. What I didn’t realize was just how much of himself he poured into each of these songs. This is a remarkable listen - so much that I went through it twice. Beyond “Hurt,” standouts like “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Desperado,” and “In My Life” hit with a quiet weight that only Cash could bring, keeping the whole thing at a level 5 all the way through. It’s more than just covers; it’s an artist near the end of his journey reflecting with honesty, humility, and depth. Immediate placement on the “Best Of” list for me. I know many folks already recognized the greatness of this album long ago, but it’s always nice to finally stumble onto the nut yourself.

ok

This is a typical example of an album I like listening to, but can't give a super high rating. After all, it's only a covers album and if it wasn't for Cash's interpretation and voice (which I happen to love) it wouldn't be very special, musically.

I cheered out loud when I revealed this album today. Johnny Cash. The. Man. In. Black. This is probably as close to perfect as you can get. The Man Comes Around has been used for so many movies. He sang Hurt so well that Trent Reznor said the song was his now. Johnny Cash gives a new voice to some classic and contemporary songs. Desperado with Don Henley is a good tune too.

Hurt does a lot of heavy lifting to make this a ‘classic’ album. ‘The Man Comes Around’ is great too - the rest just feel like pretty nice covers. The Rick Rubin production gets predictable too.

This just ain't for me

Awesome but sad

You know, had it not been made months before he passed away it wouldn't have hit as strong. "In My Life" got me shivering.

I just watched a documentary video on the Nine Inch Nails cover on this album before it was selected for me, crazy coincidence

Was great, real classic. Hurt is very good. I thought JC died much later, so when I looked that up I was surprised.

5 stars for Hurt alone. I've heard it before but not the album it came from.

i looove a final album and this is no exception!

es war bisher das beste album, ich mag „the man comes around“, also das lies, ich hab es geliked. zudem erinnert mich das ganze album und der stil an meinen vater.

I love all the ‘American’ records - what a way to book-end a career. That raw, emotional production is perfect; there can’t be many artists with such a long career behind them that manage to produce some of their best work in their final few years. There’s lots to love on this record but the cover of NiN’s Hurt is the one that, reasonably enough, gets the most attention. Truly sublime.

Off the cuff remark: an enjoyable listen but with some real duds. Sorry but the version of Bridge over troubled water is particularly poor. Standout track: title track is fabulous Revisit?: welll I just might, but won't lose sleep if I don't

Love this

I needed this one, perfect for my mood today, so fuck it, 5 stars. It's also a pretty good record...

Icon for a reason. Incredible voice even towards the end. Mostly covers but all amazing.

Solid album

Powerful, emotional and a pretty good album. The rawness of its acoustic style is one of the most amazing aspects of it, as it definately gives it a specific tone and melancholy that's pretty hard to match. His version of Hurt is one of the most touching things there is musically.

Of course I knew 'Hurt' but I've never listened to the whole album. Glad I did. On the whole extremely solid. a few ups and downs ('Bridge over troubled water' just didn't do it for me) , so I'd score somewhere between 4-5 stars, if I were allowed to. However, as ' Hurt' , ' the Man Comes Around' , and ' Personal Jesus' are such Iconic tunes, I'll score a 5.

Truely touching.

I've never been country-committed, with Johnny Cash being no exception. Sure, "A Boy Named Sue" had me chuckling at its absurd brilliance, and yes, there was that brief late-90s moment when appreciating the Man in Black became the cultural equivalent of wearing vintage band tees—but I never jumped on that particular bandwagon. So here I am, fashionably late to Cash's final album, discovering what turns out to be a musical autobiography wrapped in black. This album swings between devastating highs ("Hurt," "Personal Jesus," "We'll Meet Again", "Desperado") and soul-crushing lows ("Bridge Over Troubled Water," "In My Life," "Danny Boy"), with a few forgettable covers thrown in just because - like life itself, really. Despite my chronic indifference to the genre, I find myself unexpectedly moved by this record. It's impeccably crafted and achingly intimate, as if Cash could hear the clock ticking and decided to leave us with one last, perfectly timed gut punch. The man clearly knew how to make an exit. 4/5 - turns out you don't need to be a lifelong fan to recognize a masterpiece when it's staring mortality in the face.

3.5

Knew it already, but was happy to hear it again!

Did not enjoy, very sad and slow. Voice kind of had no range.

Nick cave song is a great track.

Eh

Without any strong affection for Johnny Cash, I can't find myself all that interested in him singing covers as an old man. Bridge Over Troubled Water particularly made me cringe.

Muy lindo album, melancolico, intimo Fue como escuchar a mi abuelo, si alguna vez hubiese sido un vaquero narrando sus vivencias, pero en un contexto moderno El cover de personal jesus es malísimo lamentablemente 6/10

kendte sange sunget af Cash Lidt ligegyldig, men mange af originalerne er gode.

Very good

Very good.

Not my thing either Favourite song: I hung my head

Ganske udmærket album. "Hurt" er vokset på mig.

One of my favorite albums spanning country, gospel, and folk. Some great covers on there

I absolutely love Johnny Cash.

nunca había escuchado a johnny cash en vida y quede deslumbrada por su talento. además, ¿es "street of laredo" la inspiración para una de las canciones de lucy gray baird?

Loaded with covers and morbid as a funeral, but I made it through.

This is one I've been enjoying for 20 years. A solid collection of covers done by a legend, the only knock is that there are almost no original songs. Still, this provided my favorite version of most songs here, and my 2nd favorite of all the rest.

Those were really nice covers. We'll Meet Again gave me chills. Rest in peace.

I dont like it. not that bad tho

I know many people consider this album as a testament of some sort and it's true that it's touching to hear him sing some of those songs, but honestly I can't get behind some of the covers here. Even the ones I was most excited to hear (In My Life, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Personal Jesus) didn't do much for me. Still, there are some really beautiful moments here and his cover of Hurt has become legendary for good reason. But this is not a Cash album I'd want to go back really often.

A champion in the category of "old man who laments". Chills and teary eyes guaranteed.

A fantastic album where Johnny Cash plays his favorite songs, a beautiful composition from himself (The Man Comes Around) and an unexpected cover of Nine Inch Nails that became a strong moment of his legendary career. The more stripped down arrangements, something typical of Rick Rubin, put the emphasis on his voice, his guitar and his delivery. The only thing I can say is that this album is beautiful, truly.

Suprisingly I really liked this Story telling while singing was different pace to what I usually listen to. Easy 4 star

So dep and gravelly

A king among men and a prophet among the choir. A direct line to the source. What Casu could do with a few words and a couple guitar strings still staggers me even after 35 years of listening to him. A lot of his choices are beyond me—I just don’t get what he sees in many of these songs. I defer to the guy, of course. Of course I don’t understand. If I did, I’d be something different than I am. And also I assume they’re homages as much as anything, but the Paul Simon and Beatles covers are tough listening. Unlike Hurt, which must have made Trent’s, like, entire life. And I Hung My Head and Streets of Laredo—not just a reflection of a corner of America’s lonely heart, but its very creation.

If you ever need a reminder that pitchfork has overly cerebral, miss-the-forest-through-the-trees hipster dumbass critics, just refresh on the 6.9/10 review they gave this perfect gift of a soul-wrenching album a music legend gave the world on the eve of his death. Love this album and Johnny Cash very much.

Man this is so great! I’d only listened piecemeal before and am glad to have finally sat down for the full course.

Even at the time this came out it felt like Cash singing his own obituary, know that’s easy to say with hindsight but clearly remember having a conversation to that effect at the time with friend who is my joint Cash fan since we listened to his Dad’s old records. .Yes it’s mostly covers but it’s all Cash, the American recordings with Rick Rubin were an inspirational idea, thank you Rick. By the point of IV time is catching up, but they instead of trying to hide this they lean right it and embrace it. I am not unbiased here, I own most all of Cash’s albums ( even ropey 80s ones), but if you don’t feel the poignancy and weight here guess you look at music differently. 5 Star.

Better than I expected for a Johnny cash album from the 2000s

Best Song: Hurt I have owned this pretty much since it came out. An absolute classic of an album. 5/5.

Another country album but most are covers. It makes me feel more comfortable despite being Johnny Cash’s last album in his lifetime. So the problem is that I happen to own the downward spiral on CD so I can compare this version of Hurt and Trent’s original version. Good news? Nick Cave was featured on this so it makes this album less grim. And the problem is I just finished a transatlantic flight home and have a pretty serious cold. I’m not dying anyway. and this is unexpectedly good. my mental state is already unstable and hurt just made it worse. (because i played the original version before this.) the cover of Personal Jesus is a bit unexpected but i like the original more maybe its because non-cheesy synthpop is one of my favourite genre. I really feel that In My Life is a highlight of this album because when John Lennon wrote this it already have this "im old and i look back on my life" type feeling and Cash indeed makes the feeling stronger. Hank Williams is not a singer that im not so found of but the cover of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry make me smile a bit. because Nick Cave. and We'll Meet Again is such a perfect closing track... i didnt cry in the whole process and thasts

Kudos to Rick Rubin for helping to introduce Johnny Cash's music to the X and Millenial generations. This isn't my favorite of the American Recordings, but it's a good listen. I just wish it had more of his original songs. 3.5/5 #136

Love this album. A nice group of Cashified tunes!

Thought it would be worse for so late in the career

Good but not my thing. 2/5

very good recordings though I reject that this Hurt is better than the other Hurt

Molt bon álbum. Destaca "The Man Comes Around" i les covers que Cash fa de "Hurt" de Nine Inch Nails, "Bridge over Troubled Water" de Simon & Garfunkel, i "I Hung My Head", que m'ha sorprès saber que és de Sting. D'altres covers de cançons que coneixia, tot i sòlides, prefereixo les originals: "Personal Jesus" de Depeche Mode, "In My Life" de The Beatles, i "Desperado" de The Eagles.

A country singer singing non-country songs. I don’t like country music. It doesn’t resonate with me, both culturally or geographically. However, there are some songs I like elsewhere covered well here. I like NIN and I like Hurt. I like this cover. I like Depeche Mode and I like Personal Jesus. I like this cover. However, there are other covers that simply don’t work, with Danny Boy being a prime example. This was therefore a mixed album for me. It’s not Fulsom Prison, but it’s ok. 3 stars.

Rick Rubin making Johnny Cash relevant again! I have listened to this album a few times. I remember the stripped back sensibilities, with an aging Cash crooning over the top. The opener is a great tune, gives us an idea of what (I hope) to expect, which in my opinion is exactly what track one should be. And, great that the guy was still penning absolute bangers at his age! Unfortunately, that's all the original music we hear for a while. So, on to the covers: 'Hurt' had it's moment in the sun when I was younger, in fact, I'm not actually sure I've even heard the original. Great emotion in the performance. Cash's voice gives off a broken man vibe across a lot of these songs, and at this stage in his life (not long before his eventual passing), it is a great way to go out. But, sadly, the covers don't keep up with this consistency. I'd call the covers the 'tale of two albums', there are tunes which have been performed in a way where they stray drastically from the original recording. Or, they blend well into what I believe Johnny Cash is famous for; risky, honest country music. 'Personal Jesus', 'I Hung my head' and 'Sam Hall' are other good examples of this. The rest are just stripped back performances of famous songs. 'Desperado', 'In my Life' and 'Bridge over Troubled Water' fit into this catergory. Yes, it's the Man in Black. Yes, he performs with a lot of heart. However, at the same time, it could be anyone. Any busker on the street. He hasn't really done them the promising justice the first two songs promised. 'Tear Stained Letter' was a welcome refreshment, and I wonder what this album would have been like with a few more self penned songs on it. 'We'll Meet Again' is an ironic end to the LP. I also have a super soft spot for a clarinet (particularly on an album closer! I'm hoping another one of my favourites turns up on this list!). And having the 'gang' with him, nice way to end it. Yep, you know what? That'll be my one I'm taking away for my playlist (I know the opener quite well already, so it doesn't make the cut!). Well, it's certainly not my favourite Johnny Cash album (I'm mad about his live concert at San Quentin!), but it made its impact at the right time and I appreciate the efforts put into it. And, 2002-2006, everyone my age knew all about him (also thanks to that movie). 4 Stars (JUST!).

This album captures the vibe of you and your family having one last drink after your beloved grandfather’s funeral. After the funeral, friends and family had gathered at your uncle’s house and regaled each other with fond memories of a great man while having a few drinks. Gradually, guests depart. Before you know it, only the immediate family are left, sitting around a fireplace which houses a withering fire. While you all silently ponder whether or not to throw another log on, a quiet voice from the corner asks the room if anyone remembers the one time Grandpa raised his voice in anger - when one of his granddaughters slammed his grandson’s hand in a car door. Everyone smiles fondly as they finish their drinks. Realising that leaving the room means it is time to force themselves to move on with life, they agree to one last whiskey on the rocks.

Legend of a man. Legend of an album

Ehh it isn't for me. It feels like a 2.5.

This album is a classic. It was when it came out and even more so now. The only strike against it is that “Hurt” sets the bar way too high for the rest of the album. I feel like it’s at its best when the songs are unexpected like “Personal Jesus” and “In My Life” and the few tracks that bring this one down from a 5 to a 4 are the ones that are in the typical Johnny Cash wheelhouse.

Not my thing

Johnny cashed in his check and left me wanting more.

Not my super size American cup of Coca-Cola

It's chill but nothing wow for me

Honestly a brilliant album, I enjoyed every second. The only problem is the true brilliance came from the originality of the songs and these were covers of his previous work or other artists songs, so I couldnt rate it higher

Man. I had heard a couple of these songs before (Hurt, Personal Jesus) although it was a long time ago, but the rest of them were mostly new to me. Man, I really loved every second of this album. Johnny's grizzled voice was just so perfect in these tunes. I especially liked Bridge Over Troubled Water and Desperado, and I think that that was in no small part due to the contributions of Fiona Apple and Don Henley (whom I despise as a businessman and person, but I loved as a musician), which added two distinct but equally nice contrast to Cash's tone. Give My Love To Rose felt especially poignant. I listened to this all the way through twice and could have gone back for more. I will be listening to this again in the future. Five stars, easily.

Cool later Cash.

It's interesting. A few songs I liked, but not something I see myself listening to that often. Enjoyed it anyways.

Day563 - what a great album to end on and what a legacy to leave

It's incredible to hear his voice at the end of his life singing these songs, especially Hurt. His voice has lost it's power, he's powerless to what is happening to him, and most of these songs are a reflection of that. Very powerful.

not bad.

🕴️

Not my favorite of his, but I haven’t met a Johnny Cash original or cover I didn’t like.

I love Cash. His baritone and Country & Western influences always remind me of my grandfather, who was a farmer in rural PA his whole life and sang on the church choir for 60 years. Plus they died within months of each other. But personal association aside, he's a legend for a reason. His straightforward arrangements and vivid lyrics that often told a story made for a stellar combo that catapulted him to stardom. Here, on an album of covers, he imbues the persona of the Man In Black onto each and every one of them, to varying degrees of success, but most of them work. Of course his cover of "Hurt" stands out, as do "Personal Jesus," "In My Life" and "We'll Meet Again" but even the lesser known/not as eye-popping ones are still solid. Any album that features a cover where the original artist agrees they now own the song, as Trent Reznor did with "Hurt", is a win.

Came around on The Man Comes Around

This is pretty sick, even if not something I’m often in the mood for.

I once met a man from Sweden who claimed America has no culture. Okay Sven, show me the Swedish Johnny Cash.

some stronger than others; goosebumps throughout

good

Raw and Powerful

I am not even a huge country or Johnny Cash fan, but this album hits hard. You can feel the weight of his experience through the beautifully arranged covers in such a way that they feel like completely different songs altogether. Gave it two listen throughs, and would gladly play through it again any other time, just need to have the tissues nearby.

Nice songs, liked it for a chill afternoon

The amazing Cash songs of HURT, The Man Comes Around. In My Life was a surprisingly touching ballad. His cover of Personal Jesus is also mellow and one of the better ones. The gravelly tones of Mr Cash are fitting for the songs of this album.

Great!

intimate, powerful and heavy

Really good, direct, and affecting. I heard the other day that when Trent Reznor first heard Hurt, he realized it was no longer his song.

Pretty much what I expected. His voice is not amazing in this

Great performances, cheesy production at times, but really cool takes on some of these songs. Cash brings it home for his final release. Solid 4. 1=Crap that shouldn't be here 2=I didn't like it but get why it's here 3=I thought it was ok or even like it, get why it's here, but won't revisit 4=I like it, will revisit 5=This is some of the best music I've ever heard and will continue listening to it

Thematically - sounds like his dying album, his lonely hurrah but anticipating death

My name is Samuel, Samuelllllll 1 year and 9 days between American IV and 99 Problems. Rick Rubin a legend.

"You crazy for this one, Rick!" Listened to B4? Yes Tracks Already Saved on Spotify: 5 - The Man Comes Around, Hurt, I Hung My Head, Personal Jesus, In My Life Standout Tracks: The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Give My Love to Rose, I Hung My Head, Sam Hall, We'll Meet Again (85/100)

Great start, but eventually the latter part it gets bland for me.

Great album. Captured the rawness of Johnny’s vocals perfectly.

Que voz poderosa. Tem albuns que eu quero que acabe e outros que eu poderia passar o dia todo ouvindo. Músicas favoritas: Hurt, In my life, bridge over troubled water.

It's a 21st-century cover album by an artist from the '60s but through mystic Johnny Cash powers, it is full of beauty and worth listening

a couple of bangers on here. Love his voice.

An outstanding album, containing ‘Hurt’ - probably my favourite cover of all time - and the haunting ‘Hung My Head’. Brilliant from start to finish, but though exceptional - and an essential addition to any collection - it’s not perfect.

Highlight Song/s: The Man Comes Around, Give My Love to Rose, I Hung My Head The album where Johnny Cash reached the end of the road. Very much bittersweet.

Love u cash

9/10 Favorites: The Man Comes Around Give My Love To Rose

one of the greatest US

All of these Rubin recordings are pure gold

Mid 3 I think? Not my vibe but some nice moments

I love Johnny Cash and saw him perform many times. This was a fine album to close out his career. Some 5 star songs but a few that were slightly corny.

me gustó, nunca había escuchado algo así detenidamente. Personal jesus es de el? a

Nope. I'm done with Johnny Cash.

TOP TOP TOP TOP TOP

Favorite songs: Sam Hall, Streets of Laredo, Tear Stained Letter, Personal Jesus, Hurt, We'll Meet Again, Danny Boy, Desperado, I Hung My Head, Give My Love to Rose, In My Life, The Man Comes Around , I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Least favorite songs: First Time I Saw Your Face 5/5

3.4

Bra utvalg sanger. Sterk stemning i vokal og godt arrangert.

I think Johnny Cash's voice sounds wonderful on this album. I already knew Hurt and its incredibly affecting video. Not every song is to my taste, but the depth and emotion is never in doubt. A powerful record.

A lot of really good covers accented with the knowledge of Cash’s life ending shortly after release of this album.

Would be a 9 i liked it a lot

iconic voice, feels emotionally impactful... strangely a lot of songs about killing someone.......... lol?

Sentimentally, 5 stars, right? But really, at best, there's some good (not great) tracks, but all in all, it's an old man's voice with a song itself that's great but Johnny Cash's voice/delivery is the weak link (Hurt, Personal Jesus, In My Life, etc.). I may want to hear these tracks, but not the majority because really they aren't that enjoyable (for me).

I had only listened to hurt but I really enjoyed this album. More covers than I expected

Wow. Not sure how I havent listened to this before, but definitely enjoying it. Definitely a masterclass country musician. Great voice, great covers, nothing much more to say. And he did this whilst partially blind and constantly sick

Well hurt is here and its still a wild song. Insane to turn the industrial into one of the most simple yet effective songs of all time. This whole record was great even though its mostly covers. And thats crazy. Tons of little guests all over it. And its so damn simple. I could see a guy ar a coffee shop playing almost anything on this by himself. But it just hits so hard. Great record

Interesting covers

The soundtrack of a life lived full of love and regret. It's truly wonderful.

Great album

Johnny Cash is so cool.

What a great album. Especially in the context of it being his final of 67 albums and a return to popular music relevance. I skipped one super slow song but I’ll listen to this album again. It’s the kind of album that I would put on sitting by myself and listening to every little detail of his voice and his emotion

interesting, Johnny Cash does covers!

Very great album. However, I did find it to be quite melancholic. I would give this a 4.5, but not a 5.

Soulful af good covers prefer classic cash though

7/10 Interesting pairing with yesterday’s, Darkstar: 2 swan song albums by dying artists. I knew this one from the time it came out, listened to it a reasonable amount. It’s very frustrating to me, because it has some career highlights for Cash and some absolute duds. 5 or 6 of its songs are top end, the rest are either a bit insipid or really miss. The worst misses are some of the classics like The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Desperado, Danny Boy. Production really keeps this afloat, with Cash on autopilot. But what an autopilot to have. When he says “and I said sheriff how are **you**” it’s pure magic. Can’t believe I Hung My Head was written by Sting. Best: I Hung My Head

Banger - way better than I thought it would be

4.3 Really enjoyed this as a complete album. Fantastic story telling and an intorspective J Cash

A fitting testament to Cash's talent and the various songwriters drawn upon here. Not every track is a winner, but the highs are quite high indeed - NIN's 'Hurt' at the top of the heap, of course. Cash's own 'When the Man Comes Around' is another standout and a great opener - one of his last songs, but man he still had the juice. The album is best when it's pared back and gets a bit too fluffy with strings and all sorts at points. Fiona Apple, Don Henley and Nick Cave guest for duets too, and make very little impact. Other big winners for me are 'I Hung My Head', 'Give My Love To Rose', 'Personal Jesus' and 'In My Life'.

Hard to dislike, solid album with somber lyrics and guitar plucking

Am honestly a bit bored, it's all quite samey and while Johnny's voice is wonderfully rich, the lyrics don't really carry these songs. Apparently these are mostly covers which almost make it worse, like this is all you did?

Some brilliant tracks and some painful ones. Danny Boy actually hurt to listen to. On the other hand, The Man Comes to Town and Hurt are brilliant. And while not my favorite version of Personal Jesus, it’s pretty damn good. 4

Great album. Full of classics like bridge over troubled water, Danny boy, desperado, and we'll meet again. The album that his version of Hurt is on, my favorite Cash song.

I've always loved the cover of Hurt, but I never expected to love this whole album as much as I did.

3,7/5

it was a sad album but i liked it a lot (wanted to give it a 4.5)

Cash has always been my favourite when it comes to country, i’m not the biggest fan of the genre usually but artists like him and the other highwaymen for instance make it great. This album in particular is particularly daunting for obvious reasons (RIP Johnny Cash) but the sound of the album really makes it this way as well, it’s incredibly stripped down with a heavy emphasis on the intimacy of just Cash and his guitar for the most part, the sound of the acoustic guitar on this album is amazing by the way, it’s so shiny when he strikes a chord and i love that sound of guitar (great production as well). Cash mostly covers pretty random songs to be honest but he puts his own unique style on all of them and rivals the originals in many ways (hurt for instance but that’s been said a million times), i say random because never in a million years would people have thought he would be covering Depeche mode or even the beatles to be honest until this album came out. Nick Cave and Fiona Apple make an appearance on here as-well which is cool. Favourites: almost all to be honest, a few maybe not. Overall, 8/10.

Went into this with high expectations. As others have noted, if it'd been half the length it would've been a more powerful collection of songs. Some of these covers are shite, some are really good. So a 3 I shall be rating.

look. this was just ur average cash album lmaooooooo. nothing special

Is it Johnny Cash a legend? Still after so many years and industry? Regardless? If the album was full of covers it she still shows the greatness of him having so much meaning and thoughtfulness and such a dynamic range even into such an older age it’s just incredible great album.