Cash's song selections are striking in the strength of their description of every-day events as life's core. Dinner time is remembered as a cornerstone of family life, and hard work and contentedness with one's life is seen as one's highest calling. Conversely, truly historical events, like the appearance of Hank Williams in a nearby town, are rendered not as watershed epiphanies, but as part of life's fabric. Cash sings of faith, in God and Jesus ("I Talk to Jesus Every Day" "Lead Me Gently Home"), country ("Ragged Old Flag"), and, of course, the down-trodden ("Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Man in Black").

With Cash having reached his 70th birthday shortly before passing away in 2003, the market is literally glutted with reissues and compilations of his immense recorded catalog. This one is not as all-inclusive as the two- and three-disc "Essential" titles, but it paints a self-portrait of a life well-lived that a recitation of greatest hits could never picture. If you have all the tracks, program it yourself, if you don't, it's worth some duplication to hear Cash's self-penned eulogy.


Cash's introspective celebration of his career   May 25, 2005
J. Ross (Roseburg, OR USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Playing Time - 49:40 -- Columbia Records has had many successes with Johnny Cash's concept albums over the years. Remember the history of America in train songs on Cash's "Ride This Train" (1960), and then there were albums like Bitter Tears-Ballads of the American Indian (1964), True West (1965), and From Sea to Shining Sea (1968). Jump ahead about four decades after a long and distinguished career in music, "Life" is now the fourth project in a series that also includes "Love," "God," and "Murder."

With the exception of "I Can't Go On That Way," these 18 tracks have been previously released. For the most part, the material comes from the 50s-70s, but a few tracks (The Night Hank Williams Came to Town, I'm Ragged But I'm Right, Where Did We Go Right, Wanted Man) were put out in 1983-2000. All the songs have been remastered for improved sound quality. Each song speaks to the things that were important to The Man in Black. He wore the black for the poor, the prisoners, the illiterate, sinners, the sick, the lonely, the old, and the reckless. His songs also reinforce the fact that life is transient. Every minute should be grasped. And time waits for nobody, even Johnny who always tried to tell stories or give us sage advice and wisdom in his songs. In the previously unreleased "I Can't Go On That Way," Johnny sings of booze, pills, women, and unhealthy food until "highs got low and the will said no, I can't go on that way."

Cash has had many top country hits, and his versatility allowed him to present blues, hymns, ballads, narratives, as well as songs about railroads, cowboys, and Indians. Cash personally chose well-known songs such as "Man in Black," Dylan's "Wanted Man" and "Ragged Old Flag" to be included on this compilation. Four days after giving his manager the final track list, Cash passed away in September, 2003 from complications of diabetes.

The project begins with memories of childhood, home and family ("Suppertime"). The humorous "Country Trash" is the story of a hardworking farmer with a few means and reminds us that "God's got a Heaven for country trash." Cash sings a tribute to Hank Williams, a huge inspiration to every country musician. What a great, happy, optimistic outlook on life is Tommy Duncan's western swingy "Time Changes Everything." Religion played a big part in Cash's life, and he sings "I Talk to Jesus Every Day." Songs of love, rambling, gambling, patriotism, people connected to the land, the Pima Indian Ira Hayes, and the working man. Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings sing "I Wish I Was Crazy Again," and "Where Did We Go Right?" is a song of enduring love that recorded with The Carter Family. The album closes with a song of salvation ("Lead Me Gently Home").

Johnny Cash led an amazing life during his 71 years. Always proud of his descent from a cotton farmer and his Cherokee Indian heritage, he lived life to the fullest. This release could be viewed as Cash's own introspective celebration of his career and personal existence. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)



Self-selected summation of a life's concerns...   August 7, 2004
William E. Adams (Hobbs, NM USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Johnny picked these 18 tracks covering more than 40 years of his career just before he died. Most fans will already have most of these on original albums remastered on CD. I bought this because it contains two of my favorites that I did not possess, "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" written by Peter LaFarge, which was part of his "Bitter Tears" LP, and "Man in Black." The other picks are pretty darn good as well, from "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town" and "Time Changes Everything" to "Where Did We Go Right" and "These Are My People." Few of these personal choices were hits on their own, but "Ira Hayes" was, and ought to be considered for reissue as a radio single since a big screen production of "Flags of Our Fathers" is in the works by Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood. In case you are too young to know what I'm talking about, the real Ira Hayes was one of the flag raisers on Iwo Jima toward the end of World War II, and the new movie will tell the tale of that group of Marines and Navy fighters. Another good song included here is "Wanted Man." If you like Johnny and do not already own all of these tracks, put this one on your "Wanted CD" list. You won't be sorry.


A legend selects his songs on LIFE.   August 28, 2004
DanD
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

That alone would make this album touching. What makes it especially meaningful is that Cash sings these songs, wrote many of them...and lived most of them.

This album is, of course, all about life. He sings the praises of country life on "Country Trash" and "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town"; puts Jesus before all of Hollywood's best (some people today wouldn't do that) on "I Talk to Jesus Every Day"; sings his eternal love of June on "You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven"; stands up for the downtrodden on "These Are My People," "The Ballad of Ira Hayes," and the autobiographical "Man in Black"; sings of reform and redemption on "I Wish I Was Crazy Again" (with Waylon) and "I'm Alright Now"; speaks for outlaws everywhere on "Wanted Man"; and tells one of the most touching and lasting patriotic stories on "Ragged Old Flag".

Johnny Cash was--is--a legend. LIFE is a collection of songs chosen by him, to describe not only his life, but the life of his listeners, as well. Johnny Cash was a common man singing to common men everywhere. You could think of this album as a eulogy, of sorts; but then, with a legacy as great as the one he left behind, it's safe to say that Johnny Cash will never die.


The most distinct voice of a great storyteller!   April 14, 2005
Rizzo (Denver, CO)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Over and over you will hear how "bigger than life" Johnny Cash was. And for sure he was one of the greatest singers ....ever. Everyone knows a Johnny Cash song, and there are too many we don't know.

Tthe first country song that left its impression on me was "I Walk the Line". It was that first 15-20 second-intro that did it for many who listened to the man with the voice. That song, and many of his others that followed got airtime on rock and roll stations. And it was that song that I will never tire of, but it is not on the CD.

The musical selections reflect various stages in his career. Many of these have not been played often and they provide a refreshing sound.

You will hear the music about his early home life like "Suppertime"; "Country Trash"; "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town" to the inspirational "I Talk to Jesus Everyday"; and "Nearest Thing to Heaven" and those where he stood for some cause, "Man In Black" or storytelling about an Indian man, "Ballad of Ira Hayes". A couple of songs feature his longtime colleague, Waylon Jennings while June Carter appears also.

Johnny Cash always had something to say in his music, and if he didn't write it, he sure picked them good!

There are many songs here that are new to me. And if you have just discovered the greatest country singer and storyteller with the most unique deep voice, this CD is a great start....MzRizz