Johnny Cash

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:42 pm

Hi All,

I wouldn't say that I was a fan of Johnny Cash but I do like some of his earlier recordings. The man's a legend and one of the all time Country greats.

Have any of you heard his last CD? He recorded it shortly before he died.
Maybe it is just me that thinks like this but I have heard 2 tracks from this CD. When you listen to the songs, you can tell that Johnny is VERY ill and to my mind, he is struggling to speak let along sing the songs.

I find this very painful to listen too and I would prefer to hear Johnny singing his earlier songs when you knew that he was a well man.

I know that he recorded this last CD because he wanted to pay tribute to his wife. I can also understand too that if you were a fan of Johnny's you would want to have this CD in your collection.

Bob Harris said that he was moved to tears after he had played one track on his Radio 2 show. Unfortunately I don't share Bob's view on his one.
Listening to a man sing who is clearly VERY ill, is not really what I would want to listen too.

It's not just Johnny Cash but I wouldn't want to hear any artist unless they were singing well and enjoying good health.
As I said earlier in my posting, it's probably just me that thinks like this but I do find the last Johnny Cash songs very sad to listen too.

Does anyone else think like me or is it just me being unkind about his last recordings?!

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:05 pm

I agree with you Hilary 100%. This was Radio 2's album of the week a few months ago and Ken Bruce played several selections. They were painful to listen to.

I also prefer Johnny Cash's early recordings, with my favourites being I Walk The Line, Ring Of Fire, (Ghost) Riders In The Sky, and Jackson (with June Carter).

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:46 am

Hi Paul,

Thanks for this! I too like "ring of fire." Such a good song and Johnny was in GOOD voice then.
His daughter is also a good singer - must be in the blood I think!

jon · Post by **jon** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:28 pm

Johnny Cash isn't really my kind of singer, though "Ring of Fire" is quite a pleasant song. I tend to think of him in the same vein as other "non-singing singers" like Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, who seem to have a devoted following for reasons which I can't really appreciate.

I'd also include Van Morrison in this group; the only song of his I like is "Moondance". I once bought the original album from which this song was taken, thinking I might like the other tracks, but try as I might - and I really did - no matter how many times I listened to it I just couldn't make myself like it, so I took it back to the shop.

The singer Uta Lemper has sung some reasonable versions of some of Tom Waits' songs; she makes them sound more "musical", as she is more of a singer than him.

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:37 pm

I think Rosanne Cash is actually a better singer than her father. Her Blue Moon With Heartache is one of the most emotional songs I've ever heard. I like to play it late at night, and just listen to how she puts the sad emotion in every word. It's transforming.

Rosanne also sings country swing great. And who doesn't love her Seven Year Ache.

(P.S. I think I agree with you on almost everything, Hilary, except for Sir Terry Wogan; I just don't get him!)

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:37 am

Hi Jon and Paul,

Jon - Like you I don't really like Van Morrison all that much.
The song I do like is "Have I told you lately that I love you."
Such a lovely song and I don't think anyone could sing this any better than Van the man!

Paul - I think that maybe Sir Terry doesn't always appeal to everyone.
His humour is well, how shall we say, different. I do think that you either like or loathe him really!

I was brought up, [if that's the word I am searching for] with Sir Terry right from an early age. My mum and dad always listen too him as do my grandparents. Yes I am a Tog now just like everyone else!

Terry's humour is great and the e-mails from the listeners are very funny.
It is difficult to put into words why we like the man - maybe it's because like a lot of us, he can't understand the world and why this and that is going on - He takes the lighter side of life view on most things and tries to keep the banter light but he will never put someone down and make a personal comment......unless it is about him. Terry can laugh at himself!

jon · Post by **jon** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:31 am

Hi Hilary and everyone

I don't really listen to Sir Terry Wogan on the radio but I like that advert on TV for Children in Need where he appears as a wrestler - have you seen it? Very funny. I think last year they did one of him breakdancing; presumably wasn't really him but a double, but it was cleverly done. This time, with the wrestler sketch, they've clearly made use of computer graphics to make him look so formidable.

I was wondering what forumites think of Mick Hucknall. I know he is often referred to as one of the most annoying men in the world but I have always quite liked his voice; it's just that I don't think he uses it to the full. I always end up feeling slightly short-changed by him; it's as if he has the capacity to make more of his vocals but deliberately holds back.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:46 am

HI Jon--Mick Hucknall was mentioned fairly recently on the forum--he had just been on TV but I cannot remember which programme--it was in the last month or 2.

We were commenting on the difference in his appearance--he seemed to have put on some weight, and looked older. But on saying that, I love his voice--and some of his songs are great-"Holding back the years" is my top one,plus "Fairground" "All around the world", plus lots of others.

Marian

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 4:46 pm

Mick Hucknall has a real soulful type voice, but he usually just sings pop songs. Some of those songs though, especially the slower ones are excellent and really show off his tremendous voice to the full

But this is really the Johnny Cash page jon

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:11 pm

I'm not a real good judge of Sir Terry Wogan, because I've only listened a few times. I don't like when he talks over songs or cuts them off. As Robert knows, I'm very serious about music. However, I love song parodies and enjoy Chris Moyles' song parodies, especially I Predict A Diet for Kaiser Chiefs' I Predict A Riot. So when I'm in the UK, I'll listen to Chris Moyles in the morning and then switch back and forth between Jo Whiley and Ken Bruce.

My favourite Simply Red song is definitely Stars. What a great groove this song has. I also love the understated For Your Babies, which a very interesting melody and structure. And he certainly did improve on Hall & Oates' I Can't Go For That when he used the sample for Sunrise a couple years ago.

jon · Post by **jon** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:58 am

I saw Chris Moyles yesterday signing copies of his new book in the arcade at Canary Wharf, where I work. I don't listen to his show though. Simply Red did a good new album not so long ago featuring some cover songs: "You Make Me Feel brand New" (formerly by the Stylisitics) and a Bob Dylan song, whose title I can't remember - something "...42nd Street". Rather good, I thought.