Johnny Cash - Greatest HIts

by Dave Goodwin

published: 17 / 1 / 2018

Label: Charly Records
Format: LP

Legendary country pop singer Johnny Cash is the focal point for a revisit to legendary record label Sun Records of Memphis to rediscover his early years

Review

My mum had a fair collection herself of original vinyl which I managed to hang on to, and one of her favourite singers was Johnny Cash. So, the Arkansas legend born in 1932 is no stranger to me. Neither is the record label Sun created by Sam Phillips in Memphis in 1952 from which these songs are taken. Cash recorded all his early material on Sun from 1955 onwards, and joined a long list of recording artists that graced that particular label including Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Little Milton and the great Howlin Wolf. I am very honoured to be in the possession of a vinyl copy of Johnny Cash's 'Greatest Hits'. Not only is this copy on lovely 180g black vinyl, but it is also an official Sun album as well as being being a half speed mastered limited edition too. The first thing that hits you here is that it looks the part. The front cover sports an antique black and white photograph of the man himself, and the back has been laid out the way the original albums were set back in the day complete with a list of other Sun recordings for your listening pleasure. There were originally seven LPs recorded by Cash during the six year period he was at Sun. On the back is a short account of the Sun Records history by John A Singleton who was the president of Sun Entertainment Corporation, and it has been wrapped up and released by those charming folk at Charly. All Cash's biggest songs are on here including 'Folsom Prison Blues', 'I Walk the Line', 'Big River' and 'Come In Stranger'. Some of the tracks, however, are new to me but for the most part I know nearly all of them. What is impressive with all of this though is when you stick the black wax on the turntable and sit yourself down for this little treat that is what it is exactly. A little treat. The sound has been remastered and spread thickly like a thick layer of marmite all over this record. It sounds just wonderful. I urge you to sit down quietly and just listen to this at your leisure . The highlight for me though is the penultimate track 'I Love You Because' which just happens to be one of my mum's favourite records of all time. This is a must for all Cash fans everywhere and one for those Sun Record collectors too I would imagine. But ultimately it will be a must for country pop fans of that era because it really is brilliant.

Track Listing:-

1 Cry! Cry! Cry!
2 Folsom Prison Blues
3 So Doggone Lonesome
4 I Walk The Line
5 There You Go
6 Train of Love
7 Next in Line
8 Home of the Blues
9 Ballad of a Teenage Queen
10 Big River
11 Guess Things Happen That Way
12 Come in Stranger
13 The Ways of a Woman in Love
14 You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven
15 Thanks a Lot
16 Luther Played the Boogie
17 Katy Too
18 Straight A's in Love
19 I Love You Because
20 Oh, Lonesome Me

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/johnnycash
http://www.johnnycashonline.com/
https://twitter.com/JohnnyCash
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLwdO
https://plus.google.com/+johnnycashoff