There's a lot of uncertainty out in the world today. Who knows exactly what is going to happen or when it's going to happen or who exactly it's going to happen to?One thing's for sure, though. If Johnny Cash has recommended a list of essential songs, you sit down, you shut up and you start listening to those songs.
Back in 1973, the Man In Black gave his daughter, Rosanne Cash, a list of 100 songs that he thought she needed to know. Being a smart cookie, Rosanne listened to those songs and studied them over the years.
Now, Rosanne, a fine singer-songwriter in her own right, has whittled that list down to 12 songs and put out what is easily one of the best albums of 2009 -- The List. In her Rhapsody review, Linda Ryan, our country editor, writes, "It's difficult not to fall hard for the Springsteen-featured 'Sea of Heartbreak,' the gentle honky-tonk of 'Miss the Mississippi and You' and the Elvis Costello duet 'Heartaches by the Numbers.'"
One of the great things about Rhapsody is the depth of our catalog -- over 8 million songs strong -- that allows you to not only listen to the latest music, but also virtually any music from every period. Once you sign up for Rhapsody, it is at your fingertips.
And while you should definitely check out Rosanne's album, I went ahead and searched out 12 earlier versions of the songs on Rhapsody. These are tough, timeless songs with a sentimental streak, full of heartbreak, humor and resilience. The list includes rough, raw recordings as well as more polished, radio-ready hits of the past.
Listen in, take notes and either get reacquainted with some old friends or make some new ones. Johnny Cash was right: these are songs that you'll need at some point in your life. Rosanne Cash does the songs -- and her father -- proud.
1. Jimmie Rodgers: "Miss the Mississippi and You"
Rodgers was one of the architects of country music in general and of the country music singing style in particular. He combined elements of old folk, the blues, mountain music and cowboy songs in a new popular idiom. "Mississippi" seamlessly unites heartfelt sentiment and professional craft.
2. Son House: "Motherless Children"
This pain-soaked spiritual is a constant in American music. Son House's reading points to its origins as a slave song that spoke of families torn apart and never reunited. That pain and confusion is a big part of American pop, and Johnny Cash never sidestepped painful issues in his own music.
3. Don Gibson: "Sea of Heartbreak"
Gibson was dubbed the Sad Poet, and this wonderful tune shows that he was downbeat even when he sounded upbeat. Though Gibson penned a slew of classic hits, which were often covered by others, this number was written by Hal David, who had a long partnership with Mr. Burt Bacharach. This one earned Gibson decades of radio spins on the rock 'n' roll oldies format. Cash was embraced by both the country and rock worlds.
4. Don Gibson: "Take These Chains from My Heart"
The great Ray Charles' version of this song is now heard the most, but Gibson's voice has us transfixed. This is one of those numbers that shows how popular music could take a gospel theme and move it over to romance. (Rhapsody has 65 different versions of this immortal number -- one of them in German!)
5. Hank Snow: "I'm Moving On"
America is so vast that songs about rambling men leaving town when a woman does them wrong is a songwriting genre unto itself. Canada's first gift to country music, Hank Snow racked up over 70 chart hits during his long career, with this one going all the way to the No. 1 spot. Snow was also one of the first stars to be open about the abuse he suffered as a child.
6. Ray Price: "Heartaches by the Number"
A protege of the great Hank Williams, Ray Price shows that heartache can be humorous in this classic -- his voice goes one way while the witty lyrics go another. Cash seemed to like equal doses of horror and (gallows) humor in his songs. Price brought the Williams style to Texas, the Western state that has as much to do with the formation of country music as Appalachia or the rest of the South. Then again, Hank Snow was from Canada.
7. Peter, Paul & Mary: "500 Miles"
Like "Motherless Children," this yearning ode to the pain of separation doesn't seem like it was ever written -- it must have always existed. This version is the one that spread the tune far and wide, though Cash probably already knew it well. The Beatles and the British Invasion took away PP&M's hipness quotient, but this version is pure and beautiful. Rosanne's version is even more heartbreaking.
8. Johnny Cash: "The Long Black Veil"
This wonder sounds like an ancient folk "murder ballad," but it was actually written in 1959 to sound like one. Since murder ballads were a Johnny Cash specialty, we've chosen his live reading of the song, which ends with his famed prison water rant. Cash wrings every ounce of stoic heartbreak, irony and black humor out of the song.
9. Patsy Cline: "She's Got You"
This sublime song was written specifically for Cline, and it -- and not "I Fall to Pieces" or "Sweat Dreams" -- is what turned her into a crossover pop star. The outward appearances and sounds of Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash couldn't have been more different, but this number shows that the best songs communicate emotion, not fashion, directly.
10. Bob Dylan: "Girl from the North Country"
The first time Johnny Cash met Bob Dylan, he gave Dylan his guitar as the ultimate symbol of respect. Dylan was blown away to have one of his idols consider his songs at all. For all of Dylan's personality quirks and eccentricities, this song shows that he is also a deft student of folk and popular music. It sounds as though instead of writing it, he just plucked it right out of the air.
11. Merle Haggard: "Silver Wings"
Like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard was a precursor to the "outlaw" country artists. An all-around talent -- songwriter, bandleader and singer (listen to that voice!) -- Haggard shows how to turn a song into a scene from the saddest movie ever made.
12. Maybelle Carter: "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow"
Johnny Cash loved the Carter family so much, he married one of them. This is one of the earliest country hits ever and shows how popular music used to be tied to nature instead of shopping malls. Rosanne Cash's new version is just as pure and beautiful. Maybe that sense of authenticity (whether "real" or created by crafty professionals) is what ties all of these songs together. These 12 tunes just feel right.
Rhapsody subscribers can listen to the entire list here., or sign up for your free Rhapsody trial right now.
Rodgers was one of the architects of country music in general and of the country music singing style in particular. He combined elements of old folk, the blues, mountain music and cowboy songs in a new popular idiom. "Mississippi" seamlessly unites heartfelt sentiment and professional craft.
2. Son House: "Motherless Children" This pain-soaked spiritual is a constant in American music. Son House's reading points to its origins as a slave song that spoke of families torn apart and never reunited. That pain and confusion is a big part of American pop, and Johnny Cash never sidestepped painful issues in his own music.
3. Don Gibson: "Sea of Heartbreak"
Gibson was dubbed the Sad Poet, and this wonderful tune shows that he was downbeat even when he sounded upbeat. Though Gibson penned a slew of classic hits, which were often covered by others, this number was written by Hal David, who had a long partnership with Mr. Burt Bacharach. This one earned Gibson decades of radio spins on the rock 'n' roll oldies format. Cash was embraced by both the country and rock worlds.
4. Don Gibson: "Take These Chains from My Heart"
The great Ray Charles' version of this song is now heard the most, but Gibson's voice has us transfixed. This is one of those numbers that shows how popular music could take a gospel theme and move it over to romance. (Rhapsody has 65 different versions of this immortal number -- one of them in German!)
5. Hank Snow: "I'm Moving On"
America is so vast that songs about rambling men leaving town when a woman does them wrong is a songwriting genre unto itself. Canada's first gift to country music, Hank Snow racked up over 70 chart hits during his long career, with this one going all the way to the No. 1 spot. Snow was also one of the first stars to be open about the abuse he suffered as a child.
6. Ray Price: "Heartaches by the Number"
A protege of the great Hank Williams, Ray Price shows that heartache can be humorous in this classic -- his voice goes one way while the witty lyrics go another. Cash seemed to like equal doses of horror and (gallows) humor in his songs. Price brought the Williams style to Texas, the Western state that has as much to do with the formation of country music as Appalachia or the rest of the South. Then again, Hank Snow was from Canada.
7. Peter, Paul & Mary: "500 Miles"
Like "Motherless Children," this yearning ode to the pain of separation doesn't seem like it was ever written -- it must have always existed. This version is the one that spread the tune far and wide, though Cash probably already knew it well. The Beatles and the British Invasion took away PP&M's hipness quotient, but this version is pure and beautiful. Rosanne's version is even more heartbreaking.
8. Johnny Cash: "The Long Black Veil"
This wonder sounds like an ancient folk "murder ballad," but it was actually written in 1959 to sound like one. Since murder ballads were a Johnny Cash specialty, we've chosen his live reading of the song, which ends with his famed prison water rant. Cash wrings every ounce of stoic heartbreak, irony and black humor out of the song.
9. Patsy Cline: "She's Got You"
This sublime song was written specifically for Cline, and it -- and not "I Fall to Pieces" or "Sweat Dreams" -- is what turned her into a crossover pop star. The outward appearances and sounds of Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash couldn't have been more different, but this number shows that the best songs communicate emotion, not fashion, directly.
10. Bob Dylan: "Girl from the North Country"
The first time Johnny Cash met Bob Dylan, he gave Dylan his guitar as the ultimate symbol of respect. Dylan was blown away to have one of his idols consider his songs at all. For all of Dylan's personality quirks and eccentricities, this song shows that he is also a deft student of folk and popular music. It sounds as though instead of writing it, he just plucked it right out of the air.
11. Merle Haggard: "Silver Wings"
Like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard was a precursor to the "outlaw" country artists. An all-around talent -- songwriter, bandleader and singer (listen to that voice!) -- Haggard shows how to turn a song into a scene from the saddest movie ever made.
12. Maybelle Carter: "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow"
Johnny Cash loved the Carter family so much, he married one of them. This is one of the earliest country hits ever and shows how popular music used to be tied to nature instead of shopping malls. Rosanne Cash's new version is just as pure and beautiful. Maybe that sense of authenticity (whether "real" or created by crafty professionals) is what ties all of these songs together. These 12 tunes just feel right.
Rhapsody subscribers can listen to the entire list here., or sign up for your free Rhapsody trial right now.
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
Thank u for your blog on Johnny Cash. He is always in my memory. U brought tears to my eyes to know his work n luv is in his dauhter. Again thank u
This is a perfect cover version of an an album as you can find. I thought John Fogerty's new album was perfect until I heard Rosanna Cash's album. The soul She puts in "500 Miles" is simply spectacular. She simple steals guy Mitchell's number one version of Ra Price;s "Heartaches by The Number" and makes it her own. She just steels her dad's song "Long Black Veil" and she adds new meaning and heart to the Carter family classic "Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow". This is a classic album and a Diamond in the Rough. Enjoy. Michael Jay.