Johnny Cash - Suggestions please

Unchained and At Folsom Prison for me are his best works also The American Recordings you have already mentioned.

on the river for about £23. Some is cheesy and some is essential. For that cost you should be able to test the range!

+1 on the above box set, though there are some throwaways. Also agree the two prison albums (they are included in the box set) are quite frankly Cash at  his best.. You can feel the interplay with the prisoner audience.

Simon

I'm gaining a new appreciation for Johnny in my fifties. I recently bought his "Out Among The Stars" on vinyl and highly recommend it.

Before that, my exposure to Johnny was from my older brother playing his LPs when we were kids. One favorite I remember was the original "At San Quentin" with a rousing version of "A Boy Named Sue". That album was censored and has quite a few bleeps. Being about eight years old at the time I asked my brother "why all the beeps?" He told me that was just someone stepping on the microphone cord, which of course, I fully accepted at the time .

+1 I'm not a great fan of most live recordings but these are superb. The atmosphere is just electric.

Early Cash and late Cash to me is the best. The Rubin produced American series are some of my favorites, especially the later ones. I downloaded all my Cash albums to my Walkman the other night so i know what i'll be listening to today 

+1 on the 'Prison' albums. Cash certainly knew how to work an audience. On some live albums, I think the banter and noise from the crowd can intrude too much on the music, but here, especially on St. Quentin, it makes it into something special.

Just trying to work out if this box set is worth it to fill the gaps in my Cash collection.

This is a good 3 CD box set of his early recordings and is only £4.99 on Amazon ATM.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walkin...rdings/dp/B000B9G6R6

Cheers Steve - just ordered 

My pleasure James. I bought the box set last year but I thought I'd check it was still available. Nice price.

This is a good compilation including a selection from Sun and Columbia - £20 at the moment on Amazon so not quite the bargain that some of the others are, but possibly less overwhelming. I keep meaning to get the prison concerts to go with this and the American recordings.

Clive

+1 Thanks Steve

I have this three CD box set of the complete Sun Masters. (£9.99 on Amazon).. Many good early Cash tracks, but after a while they do all sound a bit similar.. Best to dip in and out of I find.

Simon

Also don't forget some of the duets with his wife June Carter Cash.. often sung in great C&W tradition..

For me Darlin Companion (from one of the prison albums) and Jackson are great tracks

 and 'What'd I Say' has got to be one of the worst Cash tracks ever...

I first heard his music as a kid in the seventies, the more famous tracks such a Jackson or Five Feet High and Risiin.

in later life I have come to re-appreciate his virtues and to my mind, much like Elvis and Sinartra, nearly all his songs have some merit.

Ray

Johnny 99

My father took me to see him at Belle Vue in Manchester when I was young. They were on a revolving stage and for the first half of the concert they had their backs to us. An odd arrangement.

Thanks for your suggestions! Obviously a good taste in gear comes with an equally good taste in music .

This album is very good indeed. 

I'll second Tony's reco on Folsom Prison as well...and add this to it:

DrMark nailed it, The two prison albums for me. You can get a twofer with both albums :

Indeed, near the start of the thread the two prison albums were recommended, and this value box set contains them both, plus a loft other great Cash albums

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...08#47887284515405808