The full title (or at least, the full text on the cover) is "Artists, Songs & Recordings That Inspired the Legend of
Johnny Cash: Roots & Branches," and while there are no performances by
Cash himself on the album, there are plenty of tracks that will evoke him for listeners, as compiler/annotator Rich Kienzle finds the original versions of songs
Cash recorded and even a couple of
Cash compositions that were recorded by his Sun Records contemporaries. Perhaps the most striking selection is the one that may seem the most unlikely inclusion based on the artist who wrote and performed it, "Crescent City Blues," by bandleader
Gordon Jenkins. A listen to the song, however, as Beverly Mahr sings the lyrics, will confirm to the amazement of many
Cash fans that
Jenkins wrote not only the melody, but some of the words to what became
Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." (When
Jenkins belatedly found out that
Cash had appropriated his song,
Cash was forced to share royalties and credit.)
Cash fans will also find revelatory versions of "Ring of Fire" (
Anita Carter), "Jackson" (
the Kingston Trio), and "Cocaine Blues" (Roy Hogsed) that preceded
Cash's more famous cover recordings. And then there are the
Cash originals, "Rock & Roll Ruby," performed by Warren Smith, and "You're My Baby," by
Roy Orbison, that help seal
Cash's place in the Sun Records pantheon as both a writer and a recording artist. These obscurities are the gems on the album, which also includes more familiar material, such as
Kris Kristofferson's original recording of "Sunday Morning Comin' Down" and
Tim Hardin's of "If I Were a Carpenter," as well as tracks by artists who influenced
Cash, such as
Hank Williams and
Jimmie Rodgers. Most
Cash fans will gain greater insight into their hero by listening to this fascinating disc. ~ William Ruhlmann