Hearing Johnny Cash sing about how no grave is able to hold him down seven years after he joined his wife, is exactly the kind of humor the man in black himself would’ve appreciated. It’s with those lines that he opens his sixth and final American Recordings album. Rick Rubin already said there was still enough excellent material left for one final album and he was right on the money.
The shadow of death looms largely over the album with titles like “Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound” and “I Don’t Hurt Anymore” and of course the title track. Keeping in mind that these songs were recorded shortly after Cash lost his wife and knowing fully well that his time was coming to an end as well, only makes it more painful to listen to the man work his way through songs by Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson and Tom Paxton. Also included is a Cash original (“1 Corinthians 15:55”) and the Hawaiian classic (“Aloha Oe”) among a couple of others. Heartbreaking yes… and also heartbreakingly beautiful. Ain’t no grave to hold him down indeed.
Score: 9.5 out of 10
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