Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar

About: Johnny Cash debut album, released in 1957.

Listen: http://open.spotify.com/album/4449MfWtDgtRQBYZvbPqV6 (spotify)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoM3BBDBXwaHoSD3jBBBhvMcsu6Jm4PxX (Youtube)

Tracklist:
"Rock Island Line" - 2:11
"(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" - 2:25
"Country Boy" - 1:49
"If the Good Lord's Willing" - 1:44
"Cry! Cry! Cry!" - 2:29
"Remember Me" - 2:01
"So Doggone Lonesome" - 2:39
"I Was There When It Happened" - 2:17
"I Walk the Line" - 2:46
"Wreck of the Old '97" - 1:48
"Folsom Prison Blues" - 2:51
"Doin' My Time" - 2:40

My Review:

I've never listened much to Johnny Cash before. If it weren't for my friends, and the movie "Walk the line", I don't know if I would have started listen to his songs. But I'm really glad that I did, because like a lot of music from the 50's, Johnnys music really has soul and something more to it. It's not just some tune with worthless lyrics that you listen to (like a lot of music is), it's songs with truly amazing quality, and lyrics that makes you love the songs even more.

Anyways, the album. First of all, the thing that I react to, is Johnnys voice. It's not a voice you hear everyday, and there's just something really cosy about it. It's unique, definitely in a good way! There is a lot of emotion in his voice as well, and I love artists like Johnny when you can truly hear that he means every word that he sings.

The instrumentals are really good as well. I love the fact that it's so simple. There aren't to many different instruments involved in the songs, and personally, I don't feel like it has to be. Sometimes, less is more. Even if some songs can sound very alike because of it, it doesn't disturb me. A lot of that is because of the lyrics.

The thing I probably like most about the album, is the contrast between the lyrics and the music. If I just listen to the instrumentals, I caught myself feeling happy most of the time, that's the feeling that the instrumentals give me. But when I listen carefully to the lyrics to some songs, they make me feel a lot of mixed feelings, and a lot of the time, it ain't hapiness.
When you put this happiness and the other feelings together, it actually becomes an interesting mix, and that makes it even more interesting to listen to the music.

Although, some lyrics make me feel real happy inside, and are truly beautiful. "Remember me" and "I walk the line" are two examples of it.

Speaking of the lyrics; they was a line that really got stuck in my head, that I really liked, which was: "Well I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free, But those people keep a movin', And that's what tortures me...", from "Folsom prison blues".

So, my rating to this album would be 9/10. This, and a lot of other of his albums, has made me fall in love with Johnny Cashs music, and country/rock/rockabilly music in general, which I'm really happy about. I would like to finish this review with saying that I truly recommend the album, and that I truly recommend the movie "Walk the line", that is a movie about Johnnys life (with Joaquin phoenix as Johnny Cash). It's a amazing movie, and a future review for me Wink

And yes, this is my first album review ever, so yeah... It's pretty short and probably not the best but oh well.. Practice makes perfect!

i'll make a proper reply to this rev tomorrow, but gotta tell ya - it's a superb one! cheers

Aaaw, Thank you RR! Very Happy

Radioactive, your review is just great! You've conveyed your opinion brilliantly and now you've done made me want to go listen to the Johnny Cash album Wink

Aaaw Thank you Cheavy! Makes me really happy to hear, hope I can make you want to watch the movie about Johnny aswell, with a future review of the movie Wink

^ Hehe, possibly..I haven't seen it, so I'll look forward to reading that movie review Smile

Hehe great, then I'll Try to write it soon ^^

What interest me the most about this album after having read this rev is the lyrics. I know how he sounds like and I've known the lyrics isn't all that merry all the time, but it'd be interesting to actually listen to what he had on his mind. Ive known about the movie for years and haven been close watching it several times, even saw a bit of it on tv a few years ago but never finished it, this time I will.. I actually have a a vinyl with JC and I guess it's time for me to give that one the attention it deserves. Ironically though, the first song i come to think of when JC is mentioned is Hurt, and that isn't even his song... I feel ashamed of that and will try to connect him with a song that made him what he is today.

Eloge to Nine Inch Nails for This beauty though...

Well, I can say that the movie gives you a small look into what he might have had on His mind when he wrote the songs. The movie actually gives you a really good look into His life, Altough I'm not sure about how much they have "glamourised" the movie, so I'm not sure how much of it that isn't true...
Sounds good Smile

I actually did the exact same thing at first, before I started listening more to His songs. Little ashamed yes, Altough it did took me a while to realize that it actually wasn't His song...
I think that Johnnys version of "Hurt" is absolutely amazing, but I also love the original. It's simply a really good song Smile

^Indeed. Hurt was JC's last song recorded before he passed, which makes it even more special doesn't it..