Johnny Cash "Sings Folsom Prison Blues" (Sun Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "The Blue Train" (Sun Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash "Jackson" (Columbia Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "The Legend" (1970)

Johnny Cash "The Walls Of A Prison" (Columbia-Harmony, 1970)

Johnny Cash "Sunday Down South" (Sun Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "Showtime" (Sun Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" (Columbia Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "The Singing Storyteller" (Sun Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "The World Of Johnny Cash" (Columbia Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "Sings I Walk The Line" (Sun Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "The Rough Cut King Of Country Music" (Sun Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "The Johnny Cash Show" (Columbia Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "I Walk The Line" (Soundtrack) (Columbia Records, 1970)

Johnny Cash "Little Fauss And Big Halsy" (Soundtrack) (1970)

Johnny Cash "Man In Black" (Columbia Records, 1971)

Johnny Cash "The Man, His World, His Music" (Columbia Records, 1971)

Johnny Cash "Understand Your Man" (Columbia Records, 1971)

Johnny Cash "A Thing Called Love" (Columbia Records, 1972)

Johnny Cash "Give My Love To Rose" (Columbia Records, 1972)

Johnny Cash "America" (Columbia Records, 1972)
Balancing out his affinity for the political counterculture, Johnny recorded this concept album of patriotic and historical recitations and story-songs. Great for history buffs and kitsch collectors, but not one of his best efforts musically speaking. Still, there is a song for every battle, from the War Of Independence on down through, 1812, the Alamo, etc., as well as songs that reflect the growing American culture and spirit of exploration and pioneering, from settling the colonial West (Kentucky and Ohio), to the moon launches of the '60s. True, Cash adds a certain gravitas to the proceedings, but he also sounds like he's running on autopilot during many of the sessions. His version of the moving Civil War weeper, "Lorena," is pretty darn nice, though.

Johnny Cash "The Johnny Cash Songbook" (1972)

Johnny Cash "Christmas: The Johnny Cash Family" (Columbia Records, 1972)

Johnny Cash "The Gospel Road" (Columbia Records, 1973)

Johnny Cash "Any Old Wind That Blows" (Columbia Records, 1973)

Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash "Johnny Cash And His Woman" (Columbia Records, 1973)
Ah, Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug must have loved this album title...!

Johnny Cash "Sunday Morning Coming Down" (Columbia Records, 1973)

Johnny Cash "Ballads Of The American Indian" (Columbia, 1973)

Johnny Cash "Good Earth" (Standard Oil Company (Indiana), 1973)
Certainly one of Johnny Cash's odder records, an "industrial" album done as a side gig for a paying client, in this case a midwestern ag company advertising in several large regional markets. Side One features audio of several radio and television spots on various farm-related topics -- hard work, getting up at sunrise -- with Johnny introduced by studio producer Jim Anderson, as he "joins the farm sales team." Equally entertaining are the fulsome liner notes on the back cover, with comments that had to have been ghostwritten for Cash -- but hey, a cotton farmer's son has as much right to sell his good name as anyone else. The rest of this record is a compilation of older Columbia material seemingly hand-picked for the project, with a couple of big hits rounding off Side One after the ads, and Side Two all music, five songs more or less about farm life, ending with the ever-popular prison ballad, "Green, Green Grass Of Home." The seems to have been a promotional album given to Standard Oil employees with the liner notes written for them, rather than towards broadcasters or publicists. Doubtless the spots also went out on 7" to the stations, and video for the TV folks. (Note: Standard Oil Company of Indiana eventually switched its name to Amoco, and later still sold all its assets to British Petroleum... But Johnny Cash will always be Johnny Cash!)

Johnny Cash "Ragged Old Flag" (Columbia Records, 1974)
Ol' Johnny really had a few bones to pick on this issue-oriented album, which reflects the disillusionment and disaffection of Middle America in the post-Watergate era. Environmental collapse, unemployment, homelessness, substance abuse and patriotism are all addressed, with Cash adopting a somewhat aggrieved tone, an exasperated insistence that us folks could probably all pull together and make things a lot better than they've been. A good album, although a bit more "message-y" than his work tends to be. The title track is a classic country recitation, while the rest of the record has plenty of solid music to back it up... and plenty of powerful lyrics, many with real emotional punch.

Johnny Cash "The Junkie And The Juicehead Minus Me" (Columbia Records, 1973)

Johnny Cash "Johnny Cash Sings Precious Memories" (Columbia Records, 1975)

Johnny Cash "The Children's Album" (Columbia Records, 1975)

Johnny Cash "John R. Cash" (Columbia Records, 1975)

Johnny Cash "Johnny Cash At Osteraker Prison" (Columbia Records, 1975)
Good lord... how many prisons are there in this country? And did Johnny Cash sing at each and every one of them?? Oh, wait: this one is in Sweden... what a weird venue. Actually, it's another solid set from the Man In Black, with an understandably appreciative audience. (Note: several of these tracks were reissued on the 2010 Setlist CD... worth tracking down if you like his live stuff.

Johnny Cash "Look At Them Beans" (Columbia Records, 1975)

Johnny Cash "Strawberry Cake" (Columbia Records, 1975)

Johnny Cash "One Piece At A Time" (Columbia Records, 1976)

Johnny Cash "Destination Victoria Station" (Columbia Records, 1976)

Johnny Cash "The Last Gunfighter Ballad" (Columbia Records, 1977)
(Produced by Johnny Cash & Charlie Bragg)
The title track's a little-known Guy Clark tune (and sounds pretty good here in Cash's hands...) While it's easy to discount this as another one of his down-period albums, with Johnny and Co. coasting again, this disc actually has some nice, moving performances, notably gospel numbers like "Give It Away" and "Far Side Banks Of Jordan," a nice duet with Jan Howard with additional backing by the remnants of the Carter Family. Johnny's brother Tommy also puts in an appearance on a version of "That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine," which closes the album. Worth checking out!

Johnny Cash "The Rambler" (Columbia Records, 1977)

Johnny Cash "I Would Like To See You Again" (Columbia Records, 1978)

Johnny Cash "Gone Girl" (Columbia Records, 1978)

Johnny Cash "Silver" (Columbia Records, 1979)
(Produced by Brian Ahern)
Riding high off several years of sculpting delicious Emmylou Harris hits, producer Brian Ahern was brought in to twiddle the knobs on this late-'70s Cash effort. It's not a complete stylistic mismatch; I'm generally in favor of hearing Johnny try something different, although his low-key delivery isn't well suited to reap the benefits of Ahern's ornate "Happy Sack" production style, and Ahern wisely doesn't try to lay it on too thick. This album is sleepy, but it has its moments; and they did manage to get a big hit out of a cover version of "Ghost Riders In The Sky..." A few re-recordings, several new tunes, a bunch of guest performers -- including George Jones, a late '70s edition of the Carter Family, and bluegrasser Ricky Skaggs, brought in as a studio player on several songs. There's also a Rodney Crowell song on here, "Bullfighter," which was never one of Rodney's finest efforts, but it's still worth noting the introduction of material by Johnny's new son-in-law... Not Johnny's best, but it's a decent entry in his ouvre. (The CD reissue includes two previously unreleased duets with George Jones... both pretty rough, but "I Got Stripes" is kinda fun...)

Johnny Cash "A Believer Sings The Truth" (Columbia Records, 1979)

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Hick Music Index

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