Johnny Cash

INCLUDES 2 BONUS TRACKS

This quintessential collector’s edition includes Johnny Cash’s sensational LP, Songs of Our Soil, originally released on the Columbia label in September 1959, and long unavailable in vinyl. It contains a dozen songs that generally are on the folkier and more Americana-centered side of Johnny’s repertoire.

Recorded in Nashville, between July 1958 and March 1959, the album captures the country legend as he hits an artistic stride that would last throughout much of the following decade. In those days, Cash kept the backing music simple, but his style was very effective. This particular set was inspired by the folk revival, including as it did, several traditional numbers as well as original songs written by himself, mainly based on experiences of growing up in a farming community. Songs of Our Soil is something of a curiosity in that a majority of the tracks involve dying. Death concludes “The Man on the Hill”, “Hank andJoe and Me”, “The Caretaker”, “Clementine”, and “My Grandfather’s Clock”. The song “Five Feet High and Rising” was written about some floods in 1937 when Johnny, only five then, was too young to appreciate the gravity of the situation, but old enough to retain a deep and lasting impression of wonderment. Being compassionate to others is the great message found in “It Could Be You (Instead of Him)”. The aforementioned “Clementine”, while based loosely on the traditional song “My Darling Clementine”, is given new lyrics and sounds like a completely different composition. “I Want to Go Home” is a cover of a song better known these ays as “The Wreck of the John B”. It was previously recorded by The Weavers and Jimmie Rodgers, and years later it would be adapted and popularized by The Beach Boys. “Old Apache Squaw” is one of many songs that Cash recorded about the people who inhabited America before Columbus “discovered it” (Cash had Native American antecedents, which partly explains his fascination with that culture).

In addition to the original masterpiece, this WaxTime edition includes 2 bonus tracks from the same period: “Remember the Alamo” and the great “I’ll Remember You”. These splendid recordings feature a virtual who’s who of great sidemen from the Nashville music scene, including impressive guitar legend Luther Perkins, bassist Marshall Grant, drummer Morris Palmer, and Elvis’ original backing group, The Jordanaires, among others.

PERSONNEL:

JOHNNY CASH, lead vocals & guitar, plus:

LUTHER PERKINS,electric guitar
MARSHALL GRANT, bass
MARVIN HUGHES, JAMES CARTER WILSON, piano
MORRIS PALMER, BUDDY HARMAN Jr, MICHAEL KAZAK, drums

The Jordanaires, The Anita Kerr Singers (backing vocals).
Original recordings produced by Don Law.
Recorded by Seth Foster at Bradley Film & Recording Studio,
Nashville, Tennessee, between July 24, 1958 and August 14, 1959.

SIDE 1

01. DRINK TO ME
02. FIVE FEET HIGH AND RISING
03. THE MAN ON THE HILL
04. HANK AND JOE AND ME
05. CLEMENTINE
06. THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD
07. REMEMBER THE ALAMO (*)

SIDE 2

01. I WANT TO GO HOME
02. THE CARETAKER
03. OLD APACHE SQUAW
04. DON’T STEP ON MOTHER’S ROSES
05. MY GRANDFATHER’S CLOCK
06. IT COULD BE YOU (INSTEAD OF HIM)
07. I’LL REMEMBER YOU (*)

(*) BONUS TRACKS