Disco de Johnny Cash: “The Gospel Collection”

This CD came out in 1992. It is a compilation of the entire first and second Gospel albums by Johnny Cash: HYMNS BY JOHNNY CASH and HYMNS FROM THE HEART!

This album is very quiet, easy listening. I like it for quiet Sunday afternoons. These are standard musical arrangements in a mid-1950's style, but the songs are very mellow, calm, and filled with great lyrics about the Christian life, as well as many references to Bible verses and stories!

Don't expect the groundbreaking style of the Johnny Cash smash hits that he is most famous for, though! These songs are pretty much in the conventional, standard music industry sound before the birth of rock-n-roll. This is a bit of a throwback in musical styling, but it is also a sincere, heartfelt presentation of songs and Christian values that Johnny Cash loved and respected since his childhood, and through his entire life.

The CD booklet is b/w and pretty barebones. There is a short essay about the albums, which is interesting, but very little photography, only one photo on the cover and one other photo inside.

This is great to listen to because it is two albums on one CD, so you get nearly one hour of laid back Gospel tunes, which I really enjoy!

The first dozen songs, the entire HYMNS BY JOHNNY CASH album, has been re-mastered and re-released in 2002, tens years after THE GOSPEL COLLECTION came out. This re-mastered HYMNS BY JOHNNY CASH sounds cleaner, clearer and louder than the 1992 release, and it comes with a nice CD booklet full of many b/w photos and lots of text about the recording sessions. This is a great purchase, too, but if I had to pick only one, I would get THE GOSPEL COLLECTION first, since you get TWO albums, (and the HYMNS FROM THE HEART album songs are only available on this CD, as far as I know).

Cash always gave me the impression as someone who believed in "Carpe diem"...his autobiography gives me the sense that he "seized the day" indulging in sin and claiming salvation in equally desperate, passionate measure. I think that's what gave him greatness when he sings gospel.

He's BEEN to the bottom..he's not a "hand-me-down" Christian who sees Christianity as something he believes because "my daddy did and so did grand-daddy and GREAT-granddaddy" etc etc etc. It's because he's known the tremors of withdrawal after battling drug addiction..and called out to Christ from the pits of despair. He prays and seeks Christ because he HAS to...not because he "ought" to and he sings these gospel songs because he wants you to know the Christ that HE does.

These songs were recorded by Cash between 1959-1961. Because the best of Cash's material in general has been the most personal, most of the best songs here are ones that Cash has written himself or that have special meaning for him. Unfortunately, too many of these are washed over in pipe organ and vocal chorus when a more stripped back arrangement would have been better.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Cash's arrangement of the old standard "The Old Account (Was Settled Long Ago)" is a good one and a standout here. He also sings the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" with utter conviction..as though he could PHYSICALLY see the chariots of heaven waiting to come and collect him someday just as they did Elijah. Knowing the poverty of Cash's childhood lends extra poignancy to "I Call Him" (My clothes may be ragged and my shoes may be worn/But I've been a wealthy boy since I've been born/Because I call Him when I'm troubled and I call Him when I'm weak/And He always pulls me through my troubles someway/And I believe He'll be there..like He always is to answer when I call Him"). I'm certain he was thinking back to those days as he sang. "I Got Shoes" builds from its accappella open into a fingerpopping arrangement with a nice lilt. Shimmering vibes accompany "If We Never Meet Again". "Taller than Trees" is a "mama" song from L. Forbee that works well for Johnny. "My God is Real" in Cash's hands becomes defiant ("Some folks may doubt/Some folks may scorn/Well, they can all go on and leave me alone"), nearly daring you to doubt Johnny's God. "These Hands" is a nicely understated lyric of purpose for a family man looking to God's family now as his place to belong.

LOWS:

A couple of the songs here tend to be just a bit maudlin. "Are All the Children In?" is one of these: a recitation recalling Cash's mother checking post-playtime that all of the kids had returned before nightfall which becomes an all-too obvious metaphor for Heaven. "He'll Understand and Say Well Done"'s arrangement is just grating to my ears. Cash doesn't seem comfortable in its range, the "Mormon Tabernacle"ish choir is irritating, and the "old Western saloon" rinky-tink piano is jarring as well. This one's a junker to me. "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning" is full of phony drama from all the production bells and whistles.

BOTTOM LINE:

If you ONLY like Cash's late 50s-early 60s material, this is probably the gospel set for you. But I believe that Cash did a lot of his most vital recording at the END of his career (with the American Records label and producer Rick Rubin) and the CD "God" (ASIN B00004TB8B) includes several of those and is an overview of a wider spectrum of years (and styles) of his gospel material and as such represents a better set for those just getting into Cash's gospel material. I'd still recommend this one, but get "God" first.

3 1/2 stars

Johnny sings with conviction on this recording. There's some great songs here, a few maudlin tunes and arrangements, but if you like Country Gospel, this is definitely worth a listen. Nobody but Johnny Cash could sing these songs and deliver their essential truth. I play this old gem when life seems dark, and it helps.

An excellent gospel song/hymn book. One I would throughly recommend to anyone who likes this type of music. Would be good for church groups and singing groups