Disco de Johnny Cash: “Murder”

"Here is my personal selection of my recordings of songs of robbers, liars and murderers. These songs are just for listening and singing. Don't go out and do it." So end the liner notes of Johnny Cash's MURDER--an album filled with songs that will haunt you just as much as they entertain you.

How haunting, how entertaining, are they? Let's take a look. "Delia's Gone" is about as dark as a country song can get. The Sun Records version of "Folsom Prison Blues" (recorded prior to the mold-breaking live album) shows a feistiness missing from a lot of fifties country (but would be much more prevalent once Johnny Cash became a legend). "Cocaine Blues" is as raucousy as ever. His rendition of "When It's Springtime In Alaska (It's Forty Below)", featuring June Carter, is even better than Johnny Horton's hit version. He even gives Bruce Springteen's "Highway Patrolman" a vitality the Boss's acoustic version lacked.

The songwriting on this album, as always, is above-par. Cash himself wrote several of these songs, proving that he has always been one of country's premier songwriters. But he also relies on material from other well-established songwriters, namely: Bruce Springsteen, Marijohn Wilkins, and the incomparable Harlan Howard. But it doesn't really matter who wrote the song--because if Johnny Cash sang it, then Johnny Cash OWNED it.

MURDER is one of the best records out there for two major reasons: one, it explores the darker side of country music that is mostly overlooked today; and two, it's THE MAN IN BLACK!!!!! 'Nuff said.

This is my favorite CD in Johnny Cash's Love, God, Murder trilogy. The linking theme between all the songs here is murder, of course, but that doesn't mean that it gets repetitive. The songs tackle the subject from many different perspectives. Sometimes he sings from the point of view of the killer, and sometimes he sings from the point of view of the victim. Some songs take a serious look at the subject, and some songs take a humorous look at the subject. It's a nice mix of well known and obscure songs that should appeal to most Johnny Cash fans.

The Man in Black delivers the goods with this compilation of songs all dealing with the theme of murder. This is one of three or four with other themes. Cash has a style all his own that transcends being labeled "country" or "blues". The recordings are crisp and first rate and the liner notes fun to read.

MURDER is a compilation of hand picked songs by THE MAN himself. Every song on this album deals with the dark side of the human persona. Since I picked up this disc, I have been listening to it for a week non-stop. A few of the songs I have heard before, but that didnt keep me from buying it. FOLSOM PRISON BLUES, COCAINE BLUES, DELIA'S GONE, MISTER GARFIELD, DONT TAKE YOUR GUNS TO TOWN, are just a few of the great tunes that are on this album. JOE BEAN is in my opinion the darkest on the album. Its about a man being hanged for a murder he didnt commit, he was robbing a train at the time. As he is being hanged, the gov. is one the phone singing happy birthday to him as he is about to die. Life cant always be pleasent, and this songs show us that. I highly suggest buying this and adding to your collection.

I have not listen to Johnny Cash since I was a child. After listening to Mike Ness "Cheating at Solitaire" I decided to listen to one of Ness's Idols The Man in Black. I bought this Cd because I knew the songs Long Black Vail,and Folsom Prison Blues. Ater playing the CD 3 times I was still wanted to here it again. I highly Recomend this Cd to all music fans.