First Listen: Johnny Cash Tribute “Bitter Tears”

I have a soft spot for Johnny Cash. The first time I heard ‘At Folsom Prison’ marked a turning point for me and made me want to be a badass guy in a black suit playing for prisoners…which obviously quickly died out, but still the man’s mark on my music and desire to create is undeniable. I also really respected Cash’s empathy for the plight of Native Americans. I found his concern bold, open minded and extremely respectable. I just never really could dig in deep to that side of his catalog and really relate or latch on sonically speaking.

This collection certainly has it moments, but it tends to be a little too slow going, even for my taste. It has a host of some of the most amazing musicians living today…but even so, I find it a bit too sluggish to engage fully. Perhaps that is the point. This is a very bleak and dismal subject matter to tackle, and I think many of the artists wanted to elicit that in their performances. The extensive “reprise” instrumentals, while impressive and pretty, kind of make me lose attention.

High points for me are The Milk Carton Kids’ take on “White Girl”. They infuse their typical energy and gorgeous warm harmonies, flawlessly and beautifully. A slow backbeat is a good anchor to this collection. Also, David Rawlings and Gillian Welch are of course a welcoming addition to anything that comes across my ears. I also enjoyed the collaborative nature of the project. Artists backing one another, singing on chorus’s and so on. I think Johnny would be proud of this.

Maybe I just need to dig a little deeper in this well and take it for what it truly is. A great tribute to one of the most influential songwriters and performers of the 20th century. I will certainly keep it in the rotation.