Aquarium Drunkard Presents: The American
Johnny Cash. While the name has always been powerful, in 2014 it rings out as almost mythic. In the eleven years since his death, at the age of 71 in 2003, Cash's legend has only grown. And not just among the Americana set. Thanks in part to the Joaquin Phoenix driven smash, Walk The Line (2005), Johnny Cash literally became larger than life appearing on movie screens globally, grossin $186,438,883 worldwide. But it almost didn't turn out this way. In the early 90s, Cash was performing to quarter capacity shows in sleepy Branson, MO.
And then he met producer Rick Rubin. The pair's first collaboration turns twenty this year -- 1994's American Recordings. They went on to release another six volumes, proving, amongst other things, that F. Scott Fitzgerald's oft-quoted bit, "there are no second acts in American lives," is a bunch of hogwash. But then again, Fitzgerald was no Johnny Cash.
This week's playlist highlights twenty favorites from the American Recordings series.
ABOUT AQUARIUM DRUNKARD
Based in Los Angeles, Justin Gage is the founder of the long-running, eclectic music blog Aquarium Drunkard. In addition to the blog you can catch his weekly radio show, Fridays, on SIRIUS XMU satellite radio -- noon-2pm EST.
Gage is also the founder of Autumn Tone Records and works as a music consultant and supervisor.