On NPR today I heard an interview with Rosanne Cash about her new album The List. Let me just say, Johnny Cash is sacred to me. The man moves me. Of course I've always known of him from his early years. In about 1997 I got this album called Unchained. It was one of the ones produced by Rick Rubin. I have no idea what goes into producing a record, but everything I've known to be produced by him is excellent. It's one of those records on which every song rocks. He actually actually covered a Sound Garden song called Rusty Cage. He also wrote (his second, I believe) autobiography around that time, which I read. I was in love. The man is just heart stirring. His songs...ethereal to me.
Anyhow, this interview with Rosanne Cash was the bomb. She was so eloquent; just her speaking was art. It sounded like poetry. The List was inspired by a list of songs her Dad wrote down for her when she was about 18. She described being into The Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, etc., and he was shocked she had never heard the song by Don Gibson called Sea of Heartbreak, and some others. Well, I hadn't either when I was 18, but it's one of my favorites now. Anyhow, he wrote down a list of about 100 songs that she needed to know. This album includes songs from the list he wrote for her so many years ago. And, she sings Sea of Heartbreak on the album with Bruce Springsteen. She also gets a little help from some pretty solid folks like Rufus Wainwright, Elvis Costello and others.
My favorite (at least one of my favorites-how can I choose?) song by Johnny Cash was actually written by Kris Kristofferson. It's called Sunday Morning Coming Down. It's pretty melancholy, but it has always spoken to me. He recorded that a long time ago. "Well I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt. And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so I had one more for dessert...." It talks about the things that, as a Southerner, you would have done as a kid on Sundays-sing in church, eat fried chicken for Sunday lunch, etc.
Okay, there's a little girl named Elsie who wants one last walk, and I need to get myself to bed. Here's a picture of Elsie, by the way. She's my baby.
I am excited to check out this new music being a Johnny and Roseanne Cash fan as well. One of my all time favorite Roseanne Cash albums was Black Cadillac...it had so much depth and spirituality and was loaded with interesting metaphors. She wrote it at the time of her Dad and stepmom's death and it helped me through the loss of my own father.
ReplyDeleteJulie, you really captured Belhaven and I especially liked the memories of your grandmothers. I have fond memories of our trip there. Your father was such a good sport to put up with us for that long drive...and remember 15 miles to Emporium!
How could I ever forget EmPORia?!! I'll be writing more about Belhaven & the grandmo's. I'm going to check out Black Cadillac also. Thanks for reading, my Precious!
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