Johnny Cash: The World of Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash: The World of Johnny Cash

1970

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: Record 1: 1. I Still Miss Someone  2. Pickin' Time  3. My Shoes keep Walking Back to You  4. I Want to Go Home  5. I Feel Better All Over  6. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry  7. Suppertime  8. In Them Old Cottonfields Back Home   9. Delia's Gone  10. One More Ride

Record 2: 1. Accidentally on Purpose  2. In the Jailhouse Now  3. I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know  4. Casey Jones  5. Frankie's Man Johnny  6. The Legend of John Henry's Hammer  7. When Papa Played the Dobro  8. Busted  9. Sing It Pretty, Sue  10. Waiting for a Train



Like most kids, I spent an absurd amount of my childhood parked in front of a television set, nerves fried with Coca-Cola, and a big ol' bowl of Cap'n Crunch in hand...

Sure, I probably should have been outside, playing with other kids, developing social skills or something, but I honestly wouldn't trade those marathon early 80's TV watching sessions for the world...And one of the most indelible television images was watching Johnny Cash yukking it up with Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street...

I don't know why that moment stuck with me so much...For decades afterwards I still called him "Johnny Trash."

The other television performance of his that always sticks out to me was his appearance on an episode of Columbo they used to always air on Sunday mornings...I usually complained the entire two hours Columbo was on, but on this particular Sunday, I sat riveted watching the Johnny Cash episode...Something about him was so compelling...It felt like an event...Who could forget this performance of "I Saw the Light" in that episode?

But in addition to his TV presence, I also can remember hearing him on country radio from time...He sounded so strange next to the slick dance-pop country that he was often situated next to...The modern country songs seemed like they had all their rough edges buffed out to an iridescent sheen...Homogenous voices, bumper-sticker lyrics...Then suddenly they would play a Johnny Cash song and it sounded so strange and skeletal...It sounded so real...

Look at the cover of this 2-record set...I can't tell if he's supposed to be a stone-faced pilgrim, a fire-and -brimstone preacher or an outlaw on the lam...My guess is all three...

"The World of Johnny Cash" is a two record "greatest hits" album from 1970, but it's cool because it features only minor hits and album cuts...As someone who pretty much only knew Johnny's big hits this was great for me...Turns out his second tier material is just as good as the top shelf stuff...Who knew that he did a version of "Sloop John B'" called "I Want to Go Home"...Hell, according to the song writing credits he wrote it!  

I also had never come across "The Legend of John Henry's Hammer." This song is the man! So ambitious! Eight and a half minutes with music that constantly shifts to match the lyrics...Prog Country?!?!

Well, it's about time for me to go before I turn into a pumpkin...But yea. there's

so many hidden treasures here...I bought this for  two bucks at Revolver Records in Tempe and was totally worth every penny! All 200 of 'em...

Let's check out "Pickin' TIme" by Johnny Cash. Enjoy...