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An American Trilogy

Johnny Cash had been signed to Columbia Records since 1958 and over a period of nearly thirty years had recorded a steady stream of classic albums and hit singles even outselling the Beatles in 1969. With this in mind their decision in the mid-eighties not to renew his contract came as a surprise to many in the industry and it was not long before Mercury Records snapped him up. Hopes were high for this new partnership but following an unsuccessful six-year spell during which he released five albums, and saw sales of his albums fall due to lack of any real promotion Cash found himself once again looking for a new label. It was Cash’s manager, Lou Robin, who introduced him to maverick producer Rick Rubin who had an idea for an acoustic album. This meeting would turn Cash’s career around and introduce him to a brand new audience of under-25’s who previously would never have listened to Johnny Cash.

Rubin, best known for his work with LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Black Crowes, signed Cash to his Los Angeles based Def-American label in the summer of 1993. This unlikely collaboration would see Cash join a roster that included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer and the Jayhawks and record three of his greatest albums to date. In a press statement issued after the signing Rubin said “To work with Johnny Cash will be an honour, I have respected him for years, both as a performer and as a songwriter.” Rubin’s approach to recording reminded Cash of two of his earlier producers, Sam Phillips and Cowboy Jack Clement. At the time of the signing both Cash and Rubin refused to comment on any new musical direction until recording started.

A series of recording sessions held in late 1993 at Rick Rubin’s living room in Los Angeles and Cash’s Cedar Hill Refuge in Hendersonville, Tennessee followed with just Cash and his acoustic guitar. Rubin was happy to let Cash sing and play anything he wanted and over 70 tracks were recorded, several more than once. The material ranged from Cash’s own compositions, old and new, as well as from the pen of writers like Mark Knopfler, Nick Lowe, Tom Waits and Glenn Danzig.

The outcome of these mammoth sessions, American Recordings, released in April 1994 was a stark, serious collection and one which Cash was justifiably proud of. “I’ve always wanted to do an album that was Johnny Cash alone — that’s the concept. This is what I’ve always wanted to do, and I was able to do it with Rick. I think I’m more proud of it than anything I’ve ever done in my life. This is me. Whatever I’ve got to offer as an artist, it’s here”, said Cash following the albums release.

The album featured some great new Cash originals, Like A Soldier, Drive On and Redemption along with covers of Kris Kristofferson’s Why Me Lord, Tom Waits’ Down There By The Train and Leonard Cohen’s Bird On A Wire. Cash’s ex-son-in-law, Nick Lowe, contributed Beast In Me and two tracks recorded live at the Viper Room back in 1993 were also included, Thirteen and The Man Who Couldn’t Cry penned by Glenn Danzig and Loudin Wainwright III respectively. It wasn’t only the choice of material that demonstrated Cash’s new direction. The cover artwork featured Cash with two dogs, one white and one black, summing up the sin and redemption theme of the album.

The music press had nothing but praise for American Recordings. In their review the LA Times wrote “Cash has collected 13 songs that peer into the dark corners of the American soul. A milestone work for this legendary singer”, Billboard declared “Never has the man in black produced a work of such brilliance as this one”, and Rolling Stone echoed this “His voice is the best it has sounded in more than thirty years. Cash has made what is unquestionably one of his best albums”. This critical acclaim was further highlighted when, in 1995, Cash won yet another Grammy in the ‘Best Contemporary Folk Album’ category.

American Recordings also brought Cash a new, younger following and found him playing the US club circuit with packed houses filling venues like House Of Blues in New Orleans and The Fez in New York where both Johnny Depp and Kate Moss were in the audience. He was also a surprise hit at the 1994 Glastonbury Festival.

It was Kate Moss who played Delia in the video filmed to accompany the song. The video, which was shot mainly in Nashville, included scenes of Moss tied to a chair and shot through the head while Cash is shown shovelling dirt on her face. Moss was condemned by TV bosses for the video while MTV went a stage further and ordered the scenes to be axed.

It was inevitable that, following the success of the album and the volume of material recorded, outtakes would appear. ‘I Witnessed A Crime’ written by ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and featuring him on guitar , East Virginia Blues, Banks Of The Ohio and Mark Knopfler’s The Next Time I’m In Town, a song Cash would use to end his concerts, were just some of the tracks that found an unofficial release.

The second Rubin produced album,Unchained, appeared in November 1996 and was recorded at various studios including Akademie Mathematiques of Philosophical Sound Research in California (Rubin’s own studio) and The Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa in Nashville with backing from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty had mentioned to Rubin that he would like to play bass on the sessions and when Cash, who thought that the idea sounded good, arrived at the studio he was greeted by, not only Petty, but the rest of the band. Marty Stuart, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac were also on hand to help out on the sessions.

Unchained demonstrated Cash’s willingness to combine the classic with the cutting edge and was full of astonishing surprises. Cash had appeared at LA’s House of Blues in February 1996 and as part of an encore set backed by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers had unleashed his version of Rusty Cage. A creative risk that paid off as the jam-packed crowd enthusiastically cheered. In fact it was Soundgarden’s harrowing Rusty Cage that was one of the standout tracks on the album although at first Cash had his doubts about the song. “When Rick mentioned Rusty Cage to me and I heard it, I didn’t think it was for me, although I loved the lyrics” Cash said at the time. “Then he put down an arrangement that he thought I would like, and when I heard it, I really did—the lyrics and music felt so good to me”.

Two tracks from his days at Sun Records were ressurected for the album,Country Boy and Mean Eyed Cat with the former featuring some great guitar playing from Marty Stuart. When he originally recorded Mean Eyed Cat it only had two verses and after ignoring the song for nearly forty years Cash wrote a third verse.

The diversity of the material was astounding. Besides the above mentioned tracks the album included Jimmie Rodger’s The One Rose dating back to 1932, Don Gibson’s Sea Of Heartbreak, Memories Are Made Of This, probably better known in the version by Dean Martin, and Hank Snow’s #1 I’ve Been Everywhere taken at breakneck speed. These sat alongside more recent material by Beck, whose Rowboat opens the album, Tom Petty’s deeply moving Southern Accents and the title track written by Jude Johnstone.

Before the sessions began Cash and Rubin had spent some time at Neil Young’s house near San Francisco and, with a tape running, played several of his songs. One of these, Pocahontas, was later recorded as was the Robert Palmer hit Addicted To Love, but with only 14 tracks needed for the album these and several others remained in the vaults.

Once again the album received rave reviews and repeated the success of American Recordings when it won a Grammy, although this time in the ‘Best Country Album’ category.

Despite being ready to start work on the third installment of the trilogy Rubin’s plans were put on hold after it was announced that Cash had been diagnosed with Shy Drager’s Syndrome and a long period of rest followed. Cash wasn’t about to let this halt his career though and throughout 1997-1998 he worked on several songs for the new album with his son John Carter-Cash in Nashville but as a direct result of the recent health scares things moved very slowly.

A much healthier Cash returned to the studios in January 2000 and over the following six months recorded enough tracks for his next album.

Released in October 2000 and continuing in a similar vein to its predecessors American III: Solitary Man was a mix of Cash originals along with recent material by U2, Nick Cave and even an old vaudeville number. Once again Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers formed the nucleus of the backing musicians supported by Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, Merle Haggard, Randy Scruggs, Will Oldham, Norman Blake and Laura Cash.

It was Sheryl Crow who duets with Cash on Field Of Diamonds and plays accordion on both Wayfaring Stranger and Mary Of The Wild Moor, a song Cash had always wanted to record. Field Of Diamonds was not the only track to feature additional vocal support. Tom Petty appears on his own composition, and the opening track I Won’t Back Down, while Will Oldham can be heard on I See A Darkness and Merle Haggard duets with Cash on I’m Leaving Now.

Cash digs back to his past for Country Trash, Field Of Diamonds and I’m Leaving Now and raids the Neil Diamond songbook for the title track. But it is when Cash turns to the Nick Cave songbook that the high point of the album is reached, Cash’s interpretation of The Mercy Seat. This dark tale about a prisoner’s last moments in the electric chair is a chilling masterpiece and is given an excellent reading by Cash and stands as one of the greatest songs he has recorded in a long time.

Talking about the album Cash had this to say “The song is the thing that matters, before I can record, I have to hear it, sing it, and know that I can make it feel like my own, or it won’t work. I worked on these songs until it felt like they were my own.” Rick Rubin echoed this “He has a way of singing a song you know and making it brand new.”

Once again reviews were favourable. “...another superior work that could also be a Grammy contender” and “...stripped down, vivid and pure, emotionally naked stuff from a 68-year old man who just 12 months ago was very seriously ill” was how the New York Times viewed the release.

The New York Times were spot on in their review when American III: Solitary Man picked up a Grammy Award. This time for the title track in the ‘Best Male Country Vocal Performance’ category although it was beaten by Emmylou Harris’ Red Dirt Girl for ‘Best Contemporary Folk Album’. It has also appeared on many of the years best discs list including MOJO’s Top Albums of 2000, where, despite being up against acts like Madonna and Travis, it was placed at #1. MOJO commented “A masterpiece, which easily matches up to anything from Cash’s legendary Sun days.”

Cash knows he owes his recent success to Rubin as he points out in the sleeve notes, “Thanks to Rick for continuing to believe in me. I don’t sound as good to me as he says I do, but I thank him anyway. This album has been a long time coming, and I feel another in there somewhere”.

True to his word Cash has started work on a new album and a selection of acoustic gospel material recorded over the previous few years is slated for release on My Mother’s Hymn Book later in the year.

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