American IV: The Man Comes Around

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

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

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

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

Cash rules everything around me

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

good but always the same thing

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

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

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

this made me cry. a lot.

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

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

kinda boring - prefer johnny singing country

Boring, uninteresting covers of songs.

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

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

fav track: i hung my head

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

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

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

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

I was so excited to see this as my album of the day! An album I already knew and loved it - instant 5 star This is such a beautiful album, it had me crying. There's something so haunting about his voice Take my 5 ⭐️ Johnny Cash, well deserved 🫡

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

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"

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."

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

This album is Johnny Cash at his most powerful and vulnerable. The music is stripped down and simple, letting his voice carry the full weight of the songs. Every track feels honest and lived-in, with lyrics that cut straight to the heart. The covers are brilliant - familiar songs reimagined with such depth that they sound like they were always meant to be his. It's an album about life, faith, loss, and mortality, yet it never feels heavy-handed. Instead, it's moving, intimate, and unforgettable. Cash doesn't just sing these songs - he inhabits them. A masterpiece and one of the finest records of his remarkable career.

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

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

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

Great great album

Amazing cover album, his version of hurt is better than the original. Danny Boy and Desperado were highlights for me along with We'll Meet Again.

I recently listened to 'At Folsom Prisom', I found it alright but nothing too incredible, as such I didn't expect much from this especially with an older Johnny Cash. I was surprised though to find that I enjoyed it a lot more, his aged voice and slower singing gave the album a melancholy feel throughout that was really nice to listen to, for an album with what is in reality quite the mismatch of songs it felt truly like a concept album. The Man Comes Around was a brilliant opening song and Hurt was a heavy hitter straight afterward. Humourly the beginning of I Hung my Head sounded like Tangled's When Will my Life Begin. Didn't expect Your own personal Jesus, though all things considered it does fit Johnny Cash well. The latter half of the album did falter ever so slightly, the songs not feeling quite so strong as the earlier ones yet they were still enjoyable. Thinking about my ratings it seems that albums by artists I like usually get 4 stars, with 5 being reserved for 'Great Albums' capital G with less emphasis on how much I love them comparatively. Had this album stayed as it did at the beginning it would be a strong candidate for a 5, but with my critique it may be better at a higher 4. Another that I will rest and allow myself to dwell on for a while, who knows if it will change. 80/100

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some bright spots, but with the passing of the years feels a little mawkish in places. There are clearly lots of talented session musos playing on this, and I think that’s half of my problem; I can visualise the wrap-around shades, cowboy boots and general schtick.

This album is overrated imo. Lots of covers that Cash does not add substance to them.

Incredible, pressing, and melancholic. A masterpiece from Johnny Cash.

Its impolite to make a man cry at work, and yet this album did so anyways.

i really liked this. this shit moved me. he breathes so much life into these songs. I was so distracted by johnny and fiona apples performance on bridge over troubled water that i didn't realize it was a simon and garfunkel cover. such a beautiful and sombre album. idk what it is about that makes it stand out so much to me, I just like it a whole lot.

Instant classic

Weil Worte fehlen: 🥹 🥲 😭 😮 😔 😮‍💨 🤠 Stop Hating Coversong.

Only critique is it sounds a little over produced but otherwise this shows that Cash truly transcends genres and decades of music.

HOLY SHIT AN AWFUL DWIGHT YOAKAM ALBUM FOLLOWED BY JOHNNY CASH? Am I being repayed by the country music gods? Much ink (digital and physical) has been spilled regarding the deterioration of modern music. This is especially true on this site, full of the most annoying (boomer and gen-x) music listeners, who can't bare to acknowledge their nostalgia bias. It would be easy to look at an artist like Cash, then look at modern mainstream country music and conclude that Country music is dead, I certainly wanted to while listening to this album (especially after listening to Dwight Yoakam, whose artistry I despise), but I reject that notion. If you exam contemporary country music with any depth you'll find many artists doing the "Johnny Cash thing". And that is just it. Johnny Cash influenced everything that makes good contemporary country, good. Anyway, my ramblings about Cash aside, this album is so good. Dare I say it is Cash at his strongest. Even up to his death he was innovating while leaning on his strengths. This album has it all, its highly listenable, beautiful, and damn if it doesn't make me want to weep. 5/5

an old man's death knell. I listened to this album a lot. I remember hearing When The Man Comes Around during the intro to The Dawn of the Dead remake and it stuck with me. This album also contains everyone's favorite trivia bit by the friend who cant stop telling everyone, Hurt is actually written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and Johnny Cash did a cover! There, now you never have to hear that again. That being said, I love the song, and sure, its overplayed, its message is subtle as a bag of bricks, but man, the very end when the silence hits always makes me feel empty. I could go on, but there is a lot here that I love, and its strange to hear Johnny Cash just sing himself out, knowing he didnt have much time left. here's a little tidbit, I used to work a pizza job in Vancouver, BC. One day I was working a morning/afternoon shift by myself and put my phone on while making orders. We'll Meet Again started playing, and I forgot that by the end of it, he has a whole chorus of elderly people singing along with him, I had the music cranked and I went in back to grab something and when I came back up front, I saw that someone had come in, and they had been waiting to order for who knows how long, just hearing this cacophony of noise of old people shouting the end to this song ringing through an empty store.

One of the best albums in my collection.

10/10

Brilliant

I was obviously familiar with his cover of Hurt but this was my first time listening to the whole album in full. I love the contrast of Johnny's voice with the more contemporary songs he's chosen to cover. Really great album that I'm grateful exists.

Is this the greatest album ever? No. Is it the finest guitar playing or singing in music history, hell even in Johnny Cash's career? Also no. Is this an album that beautifully ties together the legacy and sound of an American music icon? 100% yes, and that is why this record gets a five from me. The arrangements are elegantly simple. The track selection is gorgeous, and its ordering tells a masterfully woven story. The duets seamlessly connect past to present. Overall, this album creates an atmosphere that properly celebrates one of this country's most important musical figures. Johnny knew he was towards the end of his life, and this is his parting gift. What a reflective, celebratory, and ingeniously straight-forward gift it is.

I absolutely love this album!

Fuck it, this shit is 5 stars. Idc if its got a bunch of covers and all, its got iconic shit all a year before he died. He went out and chose violence before his death that has only really been seen with Bowie's Blackstar since then. These are definitely good cover choices too before dying and its got Fiona Apple.

For those first few trembling piano bars at the beginning of Personal Jesus alone, it's a five for me. Stunning record.

Brilliant. Includes ones of the best cover versions of all time.

Bravo

This is quite a depressing album, with quite a sad background. An artist driven to work by the death of his life, almost dead himself, singing very sparse and gloomy-sounding songs. I had listened to Hurt before, and also a few of the other tracks individually, but never the whole album back to back. It was sad, I cried a little, but it was also a most excellent experience. Five stars.

Deeply intimate and sad. Cash in his truest form.

Una delicia

Really good album. Some of the covers are improvements, some just don't work here but still an incredible listen. Taking big iron out in the reissue it's criminal.

I was having some oatmeal and the Johnny started singing Bridge Over Troubled Water, and I felt a little teardrop forming. I said, damn, I’m just trying to have some oatmeal.

Me sorprendió muchísimo por que usualmente no me inclinaría a escuchar country en mi daily basis, pero Cash me ha hecho repetir 3 veces el álbum en menos de 24 horas. Honestamente, no le daba la fe, pero ahora entiendo. Hay un par de canciones como lo son "Give My Love To Rose", "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" y "Tear Stained Letter" que derrochan emoción y una narración impecable. Los covers como "In My Life", "Bridge Over Troubled Water" y "We'll Meet Again" le dan un toque de cambio a las temáticas, pero pegándose a una narrativa rica en recursos. Siendo un album casi que completamente conformado por reinterpretaciones, con la voz de cash es casi hipnótico. Ninguna canción está "de más". FIONA APPLE!!

My favourite of the American Recordings, when Mr Cash sings "Hurt" I am getting goosebumps for years. RIP Mr. Cash. Fav: Hurt

Mortality, old timey coziness, deeply personal and amazingly beautiful. A goodbye letter.

An excellent last album from an American icon who always stood up for and eased the burden of society's unfortunatem. Surprised how good his voice is considering his age and health condition. Some of my all time sad songs on here. God Bless Johnny Cash!!

At 70 years of age the Old Troubadour is still head and shoulders above so many other lesser talents. Plus 1 for making good music from things like Nine Inch Nails and Red Hot Chili Peppers and another plus 1 to cancel out some Gen Z whiner who’s going to give this a 1.

Love this album.

Hurt is *stunningly* good (and this is coming from a huge fan of Trent Reznor's original). ★★★★★

Cash's final work with some of his most famous covers (Hurt, Personal Jesus).

Devastating

If Hurt doesn't demolish your will to live for the time being, you're a sociopath

Great comeback and great album

First album I’m reviewing recorded by a Columbo guest star!