Yesterday while at a rather trendy store in the mall I glanced at a rack of CD's and saw a simple black jewel case with a small black and white photo of a somewhat gnarled old man and in white bold letters across the top "CASH". It was American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash. I snatched it up and popped it into my player as soon as I sat down in my car. American IV is a far cry from the Johnny Cash I once new. Comprised mostly of somber cover songs who’s collective theme seems to revolve around death and depression. Which is not surprising on account of his recent decline in health and although the songs are not as upbeat as
A Boy Named Sue or Cocaine Blues, his particular style still shines through. It shines through the way an ominous storm cloud shines depression through my bedroom window. The low point of the album comes in the form of an atrocious version of
Desperado that leaves the listener wondering just how far past his prime Johnny Cash really is. It is true that his voice has definitely deteriorated from the days of
Wanted Man. However the obvious effort he put into the content of the album and the inclusion of a few choice songs such as
Hurt more than make up for his failing vocal chords. It should be mentioned that the Johnny Cash of old does appear once on American IV in the form of,
Sam Hall, which is a song about a defiant outlaw about to be hanged. If you like Johnny Cash pick it up but don't expect what you are used to. If you don't like him pass it by.
