Cash's Columbia Debut Has a Few Fab Moments


Johnny Cash's third album and his major label debut  recorded in 1958 and issued in early 1959 doesn't mess much with the Sun era shuffle-and-twang musical formula. Luther Perkins does the twanging as he did as a member of The Tennessee Three, Cash's backing group but the overall sound is somewhat watered down.

Johnny Cash's third album and his major label debut  recorded in 1958 and issued in early 1959 doesn't mess much with the Sun era shuffle-and-twang musical formula. Luther Perkins does the twanging as he did as a member of The Tennessee Three, Cash's backing group but the overall sound is somewhat watered down.

The arrangements here are spare with background singers The Jordanaires only occaisonally intruding into the open spaces. On those tracks the production closely resembles Bill Porter's at RCA's Nashville Studio B: background singers closely miked on one channel, lead vocals centered  along with some percussion and guitars panned hard to the opposite track. Unlike Elvis and Roy though, Cash's voice is not bathed in heavy echo—just  a kiss of fast reverb time echo imparting the lonely feeling that's part of his persona.

The songs have definitely lost some of the hard, raw Sun edge though, taking on a folkie/poppy "sing along" feel. The intent was definitely to make Cash more acceptable to a larger, mainstream audience. As a result the impact of Cash's power is softened somewhat, but the voice, well recorded in its prime, still carries weight and emotional impact. 

None of the songs save one, have become classics or even well-connected to Cash's legacy and that one would be the gunslinger epic "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," which hit 1 on the country charts and an unlikely Top 40 hit. "Frankie's Man Johnny"—a reworking of the familiar classic was also a country charter.

But while this short album is not exactly packed with Cash classics, the passage of time enhances its power especially with Cash's vocals  being so well recorded and his ability to communicate a depth of  feeling that transcends even the most mundane, formulaic lyrics. 

This IMPEX reissue absolutely crushes the original "6 Eye" edition—at least the copy I have. It's far more cleanly rendered, with less watery echo, probably added during the original mastering and not on the actual tape, though of course the fast reverb echo heard here obviously is part of the tape.

Overall, while the sonics don't compare to Bill Porter's Studio B work for RCA, they come enough to rate this a "near" sonic spectacular in terms of transparency.

Cash's voice is "in the room" and that's enough!

Music Direct Buy It Now

COMMENTS
limong123's picture

I have listened to some of Johnny Cash songs and have the impression that this guy is something else, they should have given him the stellar of the limelight during his years. - Scott Safadi

X