Ballad of a Teenage Queen - Johnny Cash, Clement, J.
Guess Things Happen That Way - Johnny Cash, Clement, Jack
The Ways of a Woman in Love - Johnny Cash, Justis, B.
Don't Take Your Guns to Town - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash, Carter, J.
The Matador - Johnny Cash, Carter, J.
Understand Your Man - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
The Ballad of Ira Hayes - Johnny Cash, LaParge, P.
Orange Blossom Special - Johnny Cash, Rouse, Ervin T.
The One on the Right Is on the Left - Johnny Cash, Clement, J.
Rosanna's Going Wild - Johnny Cash, Carter, A. [1]
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash, Cash, Johnny [1]
Daddy Sang Blues - Johnny Cash, Perkins, C.
A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash, Silverstein, S.
What Is Truth - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down - Johnny Cash, Kristofferson, K.
Flesh and Blood - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Man in Black - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
A Thing Called Love - Johnny Cash, Reed, J.
Kate - Johnny Cash, Robbins, M.
Oney
Any Old Wind That Blows - Johnny Cash, Feller, D.
One Piece at a Time - Johnny Cash, Kemp, Wayne
(Ghost) Riders in the Sky - Johnny Cash, Jones, Stan [Countr
Track Listings (27) - Disc #2
Hey Porter - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Cry, Cry, Cry - Johnny Cash, Cash, Johnny [1]
Luther Played the Boogie - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Get Rhythm - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Give My Love to Rose - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
I Was There When It Happened - Johnny Cash, Davis, Jimmie
Big River - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
I Still Miss Someone - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Pickin' Time - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
The Man on the Hill - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Five Feet High and Rising - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Tennessee Flat-Top Box - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
I Got Stripes - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Troublesome Waters - Johnny Cash, Carter, E.J.
The Long Black Veil - Johnny Cash, Dill, Danny
Dark as a Dungeon - Johnny Cash, Travis, M.
The Wall - Johnny Cash, Howard, H.
25 Minutes to Go - Johnny Cash, Silverstein, S.
Cocaine Blues - Johnny Cash, Arnall, T.J.
Doin' My Time [#] - Johnny Cash, Skinner, J.
I Will Rock and Roll with You - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Without Love - Johnny Cash, Lowe, N.
The Big Light - Johnny Cash, Costello, E.
Highway Patrolman - Johnny Cash, Springsteen, B.
I'm Never Gonna Roam Again [#] - Johnny Cash, Crowell, R.
When I'm Gray [#] - Johnny Cash, Sanders, H.
Forever Young - Johnny Cash, Dylan, B.
Track Listings (26) - Disc #3
The Wreck of the Old 97 - Johnny Cash, Traditional
Rock Island Line - Johnny Cash, Ledbetter, H.
Goodnight Irene - Johnny Cash, Ledbetter, H.
Goodbye, Little Darlin' - Johnny Cash, Autry, G.
Born to Lose - Johnny Cash, Brown, F.
Walking the Blues - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Frankie's Man, Johnny - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Delia's Gone - Johnny Cash, Silbersdorf, K.
In the Jailhouse Now - Johnny Cash, Rodgers, J.
Waiting for a Train - Johnny Cash, Rodgers, J.
Casey Jones - Johnny Cash, Newton, Eddie
The Legend of John Henry's Hammer - Johnny Cash, Traditional
I've Been Working on the Railroad [#] - Johnny Cash, Traditional
Sweet Betsy from Pike - Johnny Cash, Traditional
The Streets of Laredo - Johnny Cash, Traditional
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie - Johnny Cash, Traditional
Down in the Valley [#] - Johnny Cash, Traditional
Wabash Cannonball - Johnny Cash, Carter, A.P.
The Great Speckle Bird - Johnny Cash, Smith, Rev. G.
Wildwood Flower - Johnny Cash, Carter, A.P.
Cotton Fields - Johnny Cash, Ledbetter, H.
Pick a Bale o' Cotton - Johnny Cash, Ledbetter, H.
Old Shep - Johnny Cash, Foley, R.
I'll Be All Smiles Tonight - Johnny Cash, Carter, A.P.
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Johnny Cash, Williams, Hank [1]
Time Changes Everything - Johnny Cash, Duncan, T.
Track Listings (24) - Disc #4
Keep on the Sunny Side - Johnny Cash, Carter, A.P.
Diamonds in the Rough - Johnny Cash, Carter, A.P.
(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley - Johnny Cash, Dorsey, T.
Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord) - Johnny Cash, Traditional
Another Man Done Gone - Johnny Cash, Hall, V.
Pick the Wildwood Flower - Johnny Cash, Allen, J.
Jackson - Johnny Cash, Leiber, J.
If I Were a Carpenter - Johnny Cash, Hardin, T.
Girl from the North Country - Johnny Cash, Dylan, B.
One More Ride - Johnny Cash, Nolan, B.
You Can't Beat Jesus Christ [#] - Johnny Cash, Shaver, B.J.
There Ain't No Good Chain Gang - Johnny Cash, Bynum, H.
We Oughta Be Ashamed - Johnny Cash, Jones, G.
Crazy Old Soldier - Johnny Cash, Kennerley, P.
Silver Haired Daddy of Mine - Johnny Cash, Autry, Gene
Who's Gone Autry? - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
The Night Hank Williams Came to Town - Johnny Cash, Braddock, B.
I Walk the Line (Revisited) - Johnny Cash, Cash, Johnny [1]
Highwayman - Johnny Cash, Webb, J.
The Wanderer - Johnny Cash, Bono [U2]
September When It Comes - Johnny Cash, Cash, R.
Tears in the Holston River - Johnny Cash, Cash, J.R.
Far Side Banks of Jordan - Johnny Cash, Smith, T.S.
It Takes One to Know Me [#] - Johnny Cash, Carter, C.
There are several Cash boxes available, but The Legend--spanning the years 1955-2002 but concentrating on his long tenure at Columbia and, to a lesser degree, his beginnings at Sun--probably belongs at the top of the list.... more » Cash's greatest strengths are dramatized on these four, thematically programmed discs: Win, Place and Show: The Hits; Old Favorites and New; The Great American Songbook (mostly traditional songs); and Family and Friends (collaborations). For starters, consider the staggering depth and breadth of his repertoire (perhaps matched only by those of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles), embracing ancient folk tunes ("Streets of Laredo"), teen pop ("Ballad of a Teenage Queen"), mature contemporary rock ("Highway Patrolman"), gospel ("Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"), topical fare ("Ballad of Ira Hayes"), country standards ("Time Changes Everything"), novelties ("One Piece at a Time"), and more. Then there's the way his spare, spacious sound opens up to take in horns ("Ring of Fire"), strings ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"), anything. The Legend includes seven previously unissued sides, most prominently "It Takes One to Know Me," a stirring salute to his wife June. --John Morthland NOTE: There is also a deluxe limited edition of The Legend, featuring a lithograph, a bonus disc, and a DVD, and housed in a 120-page, 12" x 16" hardcover book.« less
There are several Cash boxes available, but The Legend--spanning the years 1955-2002 but concentrating on his long tenure at Columbia and, to a lesser degree, his beginnings at Sun--probably belongs at the top of the list. Cash's greatest strengths are dramatized on these four, thematically programmed discs: Win, Place and Show: The Hits; Old Favorites and New; The Great American Songbook (mostly traditional songs); and Family and Friends (collaborations). For starters, consider the staggering depth and breadth of his repertoire (perhaps matched only by those of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles), embracing ancient folk tunes ("Streets of Laredo"), teen pop ("Ballad of a Teenage Queen"), mature contemporary rock ("Highway Patrolman"), gospel ("Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"), topical fare ("Ballad of Ira Hayes"), country standards ("Time Changes Everything"), novelties ("One Piece at a Time"), and more. Then there's the way his spare, spacious sound opens up to take in horns ("Ring of Fire"), strings ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"), anything. The Legend includes seven previously unissued sides, most prominently "It Takes One to Know Me," a stirring salute to his wife June. --John Morthland NOTE: There is also a deluxe limited edition of The Legend, featuring a lithograph, a bonus disc, and a DVD, and housed in a 120-page, 12" x 16" hardcover book.
Icon, Titan, Sinner, Saint, Legend...the Man in Black
Dr. Emil "Tom" Shuffhausen | Central Gulf Coast | 08/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It has been said that if Mt. Rushmore could sing, it would sound like Johnny Cash. He was a living legend, and his status has only grown even greater since his passing. This latest CD box set is perhaps the most definitive, at least of his Columbia years, and it's a doozy.
Spanning 4 discs is pretty much the history of American music in the 20th Century...everything from folk, country, blues, soul, rock, patriotic Americana, gospel, novelty...songs from the mountains and the plains and the factories and the fields and the rivers and all points in between.
Johnny could (and did) take any song and make it his. His voice was that of Everyman, a little battered, a little bruised, a little sad, a little mad, a little bent...but never broken, never quitting, mostly hopeful, and oftentimes smiling that crooked smile. This box set does a masterful job of encompassing all of that, and even offers seven previously unreleased gems, such as "When I'm Gray," "Doin' My Time," and the emotionally resonant and wry "It Takes One to Know Me" (an instant classic).
One hopes that Columbia will continue to release all of the albums in their Cash catalog, especially some of his missing 70s and early 80s work. This box set is a giant step in the right direction, and will be treasured by music fans of all backgrounds and ages. Couple this set with his amazing American Recordings UNEARTHED set (and even his 20th Century Masters single disc) and you have a pretty fair overview of Johnny's life in music."
A Satisfying Study of the Man in Black
Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 03/27/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The 104 tracks on this 4-disc box set goes a long way toward making the case for the impact Johnny Cash has had on music during a nearly fifty-year recording career. If there is a single criticism to be leveled against this collection, it's that there are few songs included after 1986-the year Columbia unceremoniously dropped him from the label. And of those seven songs, none of them are from the string of Rick Rubin-produced albums beginning with 1994's AMERICAN RECORDINGS.
Disc 1, Win Place and Show-The Hits (76:58)
As the title of this disc indicates, these are some of Cash's biggest hits and best known songs, beginning with perhaps his most enduring hit "I Walk the Line" from 1956. This was one of a string of hits Cash had while at Sun (1955-1958) recording with the Tennessee Two (guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant). Tracks 1-6 are Sun recordings. By late-1958, Cash was signed by Columbia and his popularity only increased. His 1963 Columbia single, "Ring of Fire," went to No. 1 on the country charts (and No. 17 on the pop charts).
Disc 2, Old Favorites and New (77:56)
The thematic groupings of some of these discs are a little puzzling. For example, "Cry, Cry, Cry" and "Tennessee Flat-Top Box" were huge hits; why weren't they on disc one? [Okay, it's a minor complaint.]
Again, there are several Sun recordings (tracks 1-7), including "Hey Porter" and "Get Rhythm."
There are also several tracks that illustrate Cash's willingness to work with material outside the country mainstream. On 1979's "Without Love," Cash returns to his rockabilly roots on the Nick Lowe-penned tune with Lowe on bass and Dave Edmunds on guitar. Cash also turns in a haunting version of Bruce Springsteen's "Highway Patrolman." Equally impressive is the raucous version of Elvis Costello's "The Big Light" (one of two tracks from the 1987 Mercury album JOHNNY CASH IS COMING TO TOWN-the other is "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town" on disc four).
In addition, there are three previously unreleased tracks: "Doin' My Time" (1981), "I'm Never Gonna Roam Again" (1980) and "When I'm Gray" (1981). [Note: in the 72-page booklet, the producer says that all the previously unreleased tracks (except "It Takes One To Know Me") were taken from the "House of Cash tapes." This cache of literally hundreds of tapes included demos and outtakes that had never been commercially released. I have read recent articles promising the release of many of these songs, but in the meantime this box set offers a small sampling. All three tracks on disc two are full band recordings.]
Disc 3, The Great American Songbook (71:59)
Like the previous discs, Disc three starts with five Sun tracks, including a couple of Leadbelly songs ("Rock Island Line" and "Goodnight Irene"). Also of note is an alternate take of "Delia's Gone." Moreover, there are two more previously unreleased tracks-"I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Down in the Valley." On these two demos Cash performs solo accompanying himself on acoustic guitar.
Disc 4, Family and Friends (79:25)
As the title suggests, these are recordings with Cash and special guests. Among the family members he performs with his wife June ("Jackson," "If I Were a Carpenter"), his mother-in-law Maybelle ("Diamonds in the Rough"), his son John Carter ("Who's Gene Autry?"), his daughter Roseanne ("September When It Comes") and his former son-in-law Rodney Crowell ("I Walk the Line (Revisited)").
Friends include Dylan ("Girl from the North Country"), Doc and Merle Watson ("One More Ride"), Ray Charles ("Crazy Old Soldier") and Elvis Costello ("We Ought To Be Ashamed").
There is also a pair of unreleased songs. The first is a toe-tapping duet with Billy Joe Shaver on "You Can't Beat Jesus Christ." The second, "It Takes One To Know Me," closes the set, a song written by Carlene Carter. An attempt was first made by John and June in 1977 to record the song. In 2005, John Carter Cash produced the overdub sessions, including adding a featured vocal turn by Carlene. It's a fitting way to conclude this box set.
There have been dozens of compilations released since Cash's death in 2003, but this is hands-down the most thorough. For longtime and casual fans alike, this is a welcome addition to your music library. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
"
Great set... but does it stand out?
Mark Adams | Redwood Estates, CA United States | 08/20/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""The Legend" box set is tremendous, especially considering its offering of seven unreleased songs and several hard to find tracks, but given other recent issues of box sets, what's the point?
Consider that "Love, God, Murder... (and now) Life" was only recently issued, covering Cash's entire career, including the American Recording years, which "The Legend" overlooks.
Also consider that American Recordings issued a five disc set called "Unearthed," offering dozens of unreleased songs, and a "best of" disc of Cash's American songs.
Then there's Columbia's "The Essential Johnny Cash" (2 discs) and "The Essential Johnny Cash, 1955-1983 (3 discs).
I could also mention Sun Records unlimited issues of the Sun years, or the classic Bear Family Records, which is truly remarkable offering two versions of "Delia's Gone" to "Legend's" one.
The market for Cash "best of" sets must be growing thin. I would have vastly preferred having four discs of unreleased Cash material (apparently there's enough unreleased material of dozens of discs).
However, among the better collections of Cash's work, "The Legend" does stand out, offering songs not typically offered in box sets, while not overlooking the classics. If you don't already own a box set or much of Cash's material, this is a good set, though you'll need to buy some American Recordings to round it out. And for avid collectors, well, it does offer some unreleased material and some never-before-issued-on-CD songs.
Still, I am critical of Columbia for issuing yet another, albeit great, collection of Cash songs. Even more appalling is the limited edition of "The Legend" which offers a fifth disc of some very rare material. However, at over $200 for that set, it's simply not worth it.
So, five stars because of the set really is that good, only remember there are several other very good sets, which begs the question, what's the point of issuing another?"
What A Bargain!
Norman R. Rick | Tinley Park, IL USA | 02/24/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like Johnny Cash, then this four disc set is a "must" for your cd library! It consists of 104 of the greatest "Man In Black" songs ever put together. Many of these songs were originally recorded by other artists, and they do a fine job, but Johnny does 'em better. I am an avid railroad aficionado, and "The Wreck Of The Old 97", "Wabash Cannonball", "Orange Blossom Special", "Casey Jones" and "Rock Island Line" make me relive my childhood train rides with my grandparents to "Everywhere, USA". These five songs alone are worth the price of the compilation.
Try getting through "The Ballad Of Ira Hayes" without crying real tears---I can't. In my opinion, this is the most powerful, tragic song that Mr. Cash ever sang. Thank goodness Johnny's version of "Old Shep" is not as sad as Elvis' recording, or my carpeting would really be soaking wet!
On a lighter note, "One Piece At A Time" has been cracking me up for years. When Johnny sneaks a new Cadillac part home every Friday in his lunchbox until he has a complete Cadillac, it always reminds me of Radar O'Reilly on M*A*S*H, sending home Jeep parts to his mom's farm in Iowa, so that he'll have a complete Army Jeep when he gets home from Korea.
Last but not least, the packaging, with the booklet inside, is just too cool. What great pictures of Johnny in his various stages of life---from a young boy to a senior citizen---so nostalgic! All in all, this collection is a "must have" for Johnny Cash fans."
Yet another great Cash box
hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 02/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The mind reels at the wealth of Johnny Cash material that has been reissued in the last few years, including multiple passes over his Sun material, expanded editions of original Columbia albums, a double-disc "Essential" set (in addition to the triple-disc "Essential" set of a few years earlier), the thematically drawn triple-disc "Love, God Murder," the quintuple-disc American Recordings "Unearthed," and now this affordable four disc set and it's pricier five-disc collectors edition. That's a lot of Cash!
Like several of the other multi-disc sets, this is a good overview of Cash's career. Organized into four thematic discs, each is a self-contained near-chronological slice of Cash's career: the hits, the deep well of album material, the Americana songbook, and the duets. Discs one through three each follow individual arcs that begin with Cash's days on Sun in the mid-50s and follow through to his work in the '70s and '80s. The duets disc catalogs his work with the revised Carter Family (Mother Maybelle and her daughters) in the early '60s on through to his 2002 memorial to his mother-in-law, "Tears in the Holston River" for the Dirt Band's third "Circle" album.