American IV: The Man Comes Around

*Sad cowboy noises*

All Cash’s late life American Recordings are fantastic, not sure this is the best but it’s the most universal one.

One of the reviews on here describes this as “Americana Easy Listening”. I’m not really sure that this counts as country, the close production and song choice feels more rock, but it’s certainly not an easy listening. Mortality pondered by a man at the end of his life, murder, self-harm, questioning faith does makes for very uneasy listening.

Johnny Cash (and ABBA) was one of the few concessions made by the Goths I grew up with to wider music world of the people around us. And Rick Rubin must have tapped into the same thing when he put Nick Cave and Nine I nch Nails song in front of him.

What emerges is evidence that Johnny Cash is a Sinatra level interpreter of songs. He adds the weight of years lived to Hurt and Personal Jesus. Adding the perspective of age to what were previously adolescent songs.

On In My Life Johnny makes me think of the time I was living in “mainland” Britain but returned to my island and was pondering a return. And riding the bus listening to a tape of mid period Beatles. Then it reminded me of feeling detached from home, Johnny makes me think of people I’ve lost touch with due to my decision to return home. And those I’ve lost to death since. Cos death is never far away on this lp.

The album ends with We’ll Meet Again. This is a poignant song in the British Isles. It was a big hit during the war and became a symbol of the separation from loved ones in the services. My Nan who died in the 80’s and Mum who’s 90 love it. So for Johnny to make me listen to this song with fresh ears is an achievement and here the perspective is of someone about to be separated from loved ones through death and gaining comfort in their belief in the afterlife. And that was the last song on his last album.

really beautiful renditions of some classic songs, i think his version of hurt is better than NiNs and im pretty on the fence of his vs the beatles of in my life

second half of the album does fall off a little bit though

4

Final albums by major artists, especially released in such proximity to death (Bowie's Blackstar for example), are hard to hear as something other than auto-mourning - and this one especially leans hard into the dark - glacial pacing and sparse arrangements mean JC's has nowhere to hide, the whole thing hangs on his voice and we hear it's fragility and its force in equal measure - a final, tender, intimate, parting gift, he's bearing his soul, offering it up, waiting for a higher power to take it in its hands.

Can see why this is on the list, but it doesn't do much for me. Apart from a couple of standouts (Hurt and Personal Jesus mainly), I don't find the covers very compelling, and the originals are just OK.

This is a super powerful album that I had only heard once before. This is an easy 5/5 despite the fact that I wasn’t crazy about any of the guest vocalists.

Oh man, the covers that he made entirely his own here are fantastic.

EXCELLENT album i cried johnny cash my goat

The covers on this album range from sublime and iconic (Hurt); radio 1 live long quality (Personal Jesus); and faintly ridiculous (Danny Boy). I’d have limited these to the best and then folded in some of the old favourites from his back catalogue, brought to life with his seasoned older voice.

Having said that - how sensational is The Man Comes Around? A Cash original and the best song on American IV by yonks. This song alone justifies the collection.

An excellent series of albums; the highlights are particularly strong on this one ("When The Man Comes Around," "Hurt"), though I prefer I and II as albums since this one has a few clunkers ("In My Life," "Bridge Over Troubled Water") and is hampered by its unencumbered length.

I've always thought Johnny Cash was cool, but most of his life's work comes from a time before I was born. Of course, that doesn't apply to “American IV: The Man Comes Around,” and I remember being surprised by this release at the time. His cover versions of ‘Hurt’ and “Personal Jesus” were played everywhere and were considered the ultimate versions of these songs—and rightly so, by the way. The rest falls a little short in comparison, but the album has lost none of its quality over the last 20 years and is, of course, still a worthy entry on this list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

How do I begin? That works. Johnny Cash might not have had the best vocals at this point in his life, but that just makes this album hurt more. He definitely had some gas left in the tank and used it to put out one more amazing album before his death. All covers were chosen perfectly. Desperado, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and We'll Meet Again are heartbreaking in the originals, but just get elevated by Johnny Cash. His original songs are also amazing, especially Give My Love to Rose.

I am a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, so seeing John Frusciante on Personal Jesus as well as a voice in We'll Meet Again in amazing.

This whole album is just Johnny Cash saying goodbye and it could not be any more sad, but I like to feel emotions when listening to music. Usually that emotion is anger or happiness, but the sad ones hit the hardest.

Words really just cannot describe just how amazing this album is.

Well well well. This may have been Johnny's last album, but he certainly lives on as my enemy. Compared to Leonard Cohen's last album, I feel nothing (except annoyance about 'Hurt', as detailed previously and probably a little bit forthcomingly).

However, I never knew this was an album of mostly covers. That makes me feel a bit better. And 'The Man Comes Around' reminds me of GenKill, so that's alright. It's still hard for me to get through this version of 'Hurt', though. I gotta listen to the original a few times after this as a palate cleanser. If it weren't a cover, I'd think "sure, this is a good song". But I can't disentangle! It's too precious to me! (The only other time I felt such a deep sense of musical wrongness is Nas's 'I Can', also from 2002 (rough year), which samples Beethoven's Für Elise. Luckily that song is nowhere near as acclaimed). Apparently Trent Rezzie himself is a fan (now), but if everyone can death-of-the-author this song then I can death-of-the-author the author's take on this cover >:(

After track 2 it's like the birds are singing sweetly in the trees, where the birds are Old Johnny Cash. The relief of not hearing 'Hurt' anymore is making all the songs better. Is this album good?? It's better than the live prison one. But I'm also annoyed about 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', although inherently less so because I like the song less. I like Fiona Apple but whatever they're doing here is not for me. Luckily I don't know the Sting song so I don't have any big feelings about that one. (Sting and Bono seem like a natural class to me. I also had to look up again that Sting=Police. It's so hard to internalize!!) I also didn't know 'First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', but I read with delight on Wiki that the writer "MacColl made no secret of the fact that he disliked all of the cover versions of the song"... until I saw MacColl died in 1989. Nevertheless I have faith he would be a fellow Cash-cover-hater. This version of the song is a real snoozer, anyway. All these songs are kinda the same vibe, which I guess is the point, and that's fine, but I actually hate it. OK, there's some variation: 'Personal Jesus' made me lol a little because it was done in such earnest, and it's not one of my favorite Depeche Modes (having already been somewhat ruined by Marilyn Manson), so I didn't mind the Cashification. And at least the keyboards added something. But I do really like the OG 'In My Life', so I hate this version!!!!! If this was just a personal project he did for himself, it's great, it's beautiful, but don't make me listen to it. 'Sam Hall' is new to me, basically a folk song, and fits a classic Cash ethos, so I'm fine with that one. Same for 'Danny Boy', which I do know, but as a sad classic, I'm fine with it being here. 'Desperado' is already a hated song, so that's a perfect choice to cover! JC should have done all Eagles songs; the only way is up. This cover is fine, possibly better than the original. Like 'Danny Boy', 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' fits very well. What is Nick Cave doing here!? Everyone's endorsing this album...! Fine song though, thanks Nick. 'Streets of Laredo' (alas, "going gay" not enough to win over this listener) is a good fit, although I'm starting to feel the length of the album. The back 4 are also fine, though uninteresting. Can't believe I made it 36 years never hearing 'Big Iron' and now I'm hearing it twice in one year. Still prefer the trail songs. This whole project is like one giant memory challenge, and I fear I'm failing. 'Tear Stained Letter' is fine, and it's not a cover! See what could have been!! I could make a 10-track version of this album that would be totally acceptable, actually. Here it is:

/The Man Comes Around, Give My Love to Rose, Sam Hall, Danny Boy, Desperado, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Streets of Laredo, Wichita Lineman, Tear Stained Letter, We'll Meet Again/

Nice 'n tight, poignant, evocative, no covers that fill you with passionate rage... what could have been!!! Whew, I worked myself into quite a lather. Anyway, glad to have gotten this one over with. 'We'll Meet Again' is a nice finale. Sorry to the Cashheads; this is a 2 because I hate 'Hurt' more than any other song, but my 10-track cut would have been a respectable high 3.

Highlights: 'The Man Comes Around', 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry', 'We'll Meet Again'

(to the tune of 'Personal Jesus') My Own, Personal, Lowlight (of the entire 1001+ albums): 'Hurt'.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.