Search - Johnny Cash :: Great Lost Performances

CASH IN HIS PRIME AND AT HIS BEST

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 09/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own a lot of Johnny Cash music, and before you read on, you should know that I'd be wary to recommend anything new unless it was truly excellent. There are already too many re-packagings and compilations of Cash songs, and a fan could drown in the cheap compilations that relentlessly pop up. From time to time, though, a disk appears that really is special, and "The Great Lost Performance" is one of them. Recorded in the Summer of 1990 in Asbury Park New Jersey just before he began his collaboration with Rick Rubin for the "American Recordings" series, the show featured on this CD captures Johnny Cash in excellent form, with a classic lineup of musicians who know they are supporting a master. June Carter Cash is on hand, as is W.S. Holland, Cash's drummer of three decades. From start to end, he is relaxed and in a fine mood, telling stories of his family, sharing his personal beliefs (as a Christian and as an American) and bits of his own legacy with a relaxed grace that befits a legend.

I have heard many CD's of Johnny Cash performances, but this is easily among the best. Of course, nothing will rival the classic intensity of "Live at Folsom Prison" but even that show has a few ragged moments, and a few songs that fall short of being true classics (unless you think "Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart" is classic Cash). On "The Great Lost Performance," the song selection is stellar, veering from the obvious ("Folsom Prison Blues," "Five Feet High and Rising") to the sublimely beautiful ("I Walk the Line," "Tennessee Flat Top Box," plus an intense version of "Hey Porter"), and even a few surprises ("What Is Man," "Come Along and Ride This Train," and "The Wreck of the Old `97"). His choice of covers couldn't be improved on, either, featuring stellar versions of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down," and "Ghost Riders in the Sky." Track for track, "The Great Lost Performances" is the most consistently great Johnny Cash concert I have heard. If you're a lifelong fan, you must buy this immediately. If you aren't, then you should buy it, too. A Tom Ryan"

Deflationary Cash?

C. C. Black | Princeton, NJ USA | 10/04/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you've been to the mountain-tops "At Folsom Prison" and "At San Quentin," this "lost" performance (taped on 28 July 1990 at Asbury Park [New Jersey]'s Paramount Theatre) may come somewhat as a let-down. The audience is predictably appreciative but not "wired"; JRC's performance is professional but lacking the kind of inspiration that live audiences usually sparked in him. It's a rather brief concert--just over 53 minutes--and the audio quality seems muddier to my ears than many records 20-30 years older than this. On the other hand, the song-selection is interesting, with a mix of oldest ("Hey Porter") and for that time newest ("What Is Man") and in between a good mix of standbys and unexepecteds ("Sunday Morning Coming Down"; "A Beautiful Life"). Also on hand are June Carter and sisters Anita and Helen, Lucy Clark, Fluke Holland, and, wicked on piano, Earl Poole Ball. The liner notes are spare and basic.



Bottom line: Except for when in the clutches of his demons, Cash was incapable of not entertaining. This performance, however long lost, is hardly "The Great." Compleatists like myself will still buy and enjoy it."

Wonderful ! Powerful!-Exuberant!

Janie Austenlover | Connecticut | 08/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Songs written years before [Johnny is 58 at this performance]some of them from the 50's and original Sun recordings are richly realized here and thrilling to listen to. The Sun recordings [also available from Amazon] are a must to really appreciate Cash, but this recording adds another dimension to enjoying his work. A few songs were new to me, maybe the first time on CD. And the patter adds fun."