Johnny Cash - Hurt

One John R. Cash is a legend is more ways than one. Countless songs and albums, books, movies, The Highwaymen, concerts in prisons, overcoming addictions and living to tell the story to the X and Y generations through the I Walk the Line movie. A hero to Kris Kristofferson, spawning the folklore of how Kristofferson supposedly landed a helicopter on his front lawn to deliver a tape of songs he had written for Cash, only to have Cash throw them in the lake.

Cash died on September 12, 2003. In 2002 he recorded his last album before going forward called American lV: The Man Comes Around. This album is a collection of covers and reworks of some of his own songs, including the Nine Inch Nails song, Hurt. Hurt is a fitting short story about parts of Cash's life and possibly some of the regrets he may have held onto when he knew the final chapter was almost written. Hurt is delivered in definitive Johnny Cash style, his voice crunching bones and stirring latent memories of love and pain. There are other interesting songs on the album including, Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters, The Beatles In My Life and how he ever imagined he could pull off Roberta Flack's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face I will never know, but he does. A special bonus on this album is the players and singers that gave their time and talents to support him. Read the sleeve liners and you'll find names like Don Henley, Nick Cave, Billy Preston and his daughter Laura Cash woven in amongst a fine list of country music royalty.


American lV went platinum as have the three albums released posthumously by his family. But Hurt remains as an epitaph for Johnny Cash and a reminder of what legends do for humanity. They are visionaries. In their unique way what they take away in their daily struggle with the limitations of the human form and mind, they ensure what they leave behind in their chosen field is a legacy that will inspire and uplift for all time.

A big plus for all of Cash's fans is the video clip of Hurt. This original recording and clip is available on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go). This intimate portrayal of Cash playing guitar and piano, is backdropped by a thumbnail sketch of his life and is a permanent reminder of the man. A man, who in many ways walked that fine line that many others have walked but had the gift to record it in such a way that those who follow him might have the opportunity to avoid the potholes, the falling downs and associated scars.

If you would like a sneak preview of the album, click on the widget at the left then follow that up by clicking on the youtube video clip.

Good listening.

Rob