Rewind: 2006 - American V: A Hundred Highways Released

American V: A Hundred Highways

American and Lost Highway

4th July 2006

Produced by Rick Rubin

US Chart #1

UK Chart #9

 Musicians
    Johnny Cash – vocal, guitar
    Laura Cash – fiddle
    Dennis Crouch – bass guitar
    Smokey Hormel – guitar
    Pat McLaughlin – guitar
    Larry Perkins – guitar
    Jonny Polonsky – guitar
    Randy Scruggs – guitar
    Marty Stuart – guitar
    Benmont Tench – organ, piano, harpsichord
    Pete Wade – guitar
    Mac Wiseman – guitar

*****

There is nothing that says Happy 4th of July more than a spot of Country Music and the voice of one Johnny Cash!

The fifth in the series of American Recordings produced under the watchful eye of Rick Rubin. It was also the 93rd album released in his name! This was actually the very first Johnny Cash album to top the Billboard Album Charts since 1969's At San Quentin! Can you believe that? Yes, he had #1's on the Country Charts (again not that many really - 8 in total!).

It is said that during the sessions for this album that more than 50 songs were recorded prior to Johnny's death on 12th September 2003 and to date only one more album under the American Series has been released (American VI: Ain't No Grave - which was released in February 2010).

     Track listing
    1. "Help Me" (Larry Gatlin) – 2:51
        Previously recorded by Kris Kristofferson for Jesus Was a Capricorn (1972) Originally recorded by Johnny Cash for "The Gospel Road" (1973) on which it was titled "Help".

   2.  "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (Traditional) – 2:38
        Previously recorded by Odetta for Sings Ballads and Blues (1956), by Elvis Presley for How Great Thou Art (1967) (as "Run On"), and by The Blind Boys of Alabama (as "Run On for a Long Time") for Spirit of the Century (2001)

   3.  "Like the 309" (Johnny Cash) – 4:35 

This was the last song he wrote that before his passing. The last song that he actually recorded was for a Tribute to The Carter Family produced by John Carter Cash - Engine 143.

   4.  "If You Could Read My Mind" (Gordon Lightfoot) – 4:30
        Originally recorded by Lightfoot for Sit Down Young Stranger (1970)

    5. "Further On Up the Road" (Bobby Bland) – 3:25
        Originally recorded by Springsteen for The Rising (2002)

    6. "On the Evening Train" (Hank Williams) – 4:17
    

7. "I Came to Believe" (Johnny Cash) – 3:44
        Cash originally wrote this song prior to the sessions for this album

    8. "Love's Been Good to Me" (Rod McKuen) – 3:18
        Recorded by Frank Sinatra for A Man Alone and Other Songs of Rod McKuen(1969) and many others

  9. "A Legend in My Time" (Don Gibson) – 2:37
        Originally recorded by Gibson for Sweet Dreams (1960) and Roy Orbison for Lonely and Blue (1961)

    10. "Rose of My Heart" (Hugh Moffatt) – 3:18
        Written in 1981 or 1982 and recorded by many artists, including Moffat for Troubadour (1989)

    11. "Four Strong Winds" (Ian Tyson) – 4:34
        Previously recorded by Ian and Sylvia, John Denver, Neil Young, and many others

    12. "I'm Free from the Chain Gang Now" (Lou Herscher, Saul Klein) – 3:00
        Originally recorded by Cash for The Sound of Johnny Cash (1962)

The Final Live Performance of Johnny Cash - 5th July 2003.