Search - Johnny Cash :: Blood Sweat & Tears

Call it 4.7

Bryan Byrd | Earth | 11/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been around this album for most of my life, so I'm sure that I'm biased when it comes to this review. I bought this re-issue quite some time back, probably about the time it first came out, and what a rush of feeling! I used to listen to it on vinyl with my dad as just a little tyke, and with Cash's stories as my guide, I would sit and imagine the lives he was singing about.



The high points on this album are 'John Henry's Hammer', and 'Casey Jones', each of which are worth the nice price advertised alone. No, not every song on this disc is a classic, but Cash brings to all of them his signiture style and swagger. If you don't have this album, and you are a fan of the early Johnny, then you can't go wrong here.



This is Cash when he still had the clout to do what he wanted to do, and not the shell he became before teaming up with Rick Rubin. He was riding high on his Sun success and had become a major name. I think this is what he enjoyed the most - telling stories with his songs. It shows in this collection. 'The Legend of John Henry's Hammer' proves it to me.



Of this time period, I'd only rate Now, There Was a Song! as a better album, and this one rates far above "Ride that Train", and Bitter Tears (Ballads of the American Indian), in my opinion."