|
NOVEMBER 2005 ISSUE #77 
How do you stress and/or classify the importance of Johnny Cash's earliest hit recordings for Sun Records? To call them mere classics is certainly doing them no justice, for here we have tracks like Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk The Line, and Big River---songs that have become part of the proverbial American fabric, much less music history. As these hit songs have grown in stature over the years, and have filled many a Cash compilation, many other songs from that era have suffered neglect in turn. Thankfully, Time Life has rectified the situation
by releasing The Complete Sun Recordings 19555-1958. Not only
do we get the songs that made him famous, we also get an overall
look at the beginnings of the legend, warts and all. The recordings
from that era are all culled together here on three discs, with
about 20 tracks on each one. The result is a collection that is comprehensive, yet not overwhelming. Since this covers only the first three years of his career, it doesn't get bogged down too quickly, even with the false starts and outtakes which are scattered throughout the set. So in that respect, it is a good starting place for new fans who are curious about Johnny Cash---everything you need to know about his beginnings (musically, at least) is right here. From this set it is easy to springboard into the Columbia Records years, where Cash was able to crossover from country singer to international superstar in the coming decades. Perhaps most notable about the Sun recordings is that it shows Cash was an outsider at the very beginning, an artist who didn't sound like anyone else in music. Part rock, part country, and part gospel, Cash carved out a niche which was all his own, possibly only rivaled by Elvis in that regard. The difference being that Cash remained the outsider to the end, eschewing popular trends and fashion statements throughout his storied career. Add to that an air of mystery, revolving around a conflicting image which was a combination of angel and devil all rolled up into one. Johnny Cash was not just a musical icon, he was an American one. This release shows us the foundation that idea was built upon. His style and substance was there at the very start, and the Sun recordings are a document of that fact. MISH MASH Mandate: I Hear The Train A'Comin'
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
HEY BANDS! OPEN YOUR OWN ONLINE T-SHIRT SHOP FOR FREE!
|
New Music Reviews |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mr. Gnome
They don't sound much like the aforementioned Stripes, as they embrace the trippiness of Portishead and the quirky vocal-style of Bjork in conjunction with the noisy guitar noodling. After the brash opening of Drunky Stoney, the duo settles into a mix of abstract dynamics, bringing in offbeat rhythms and dissonant guitars which evoke The Sugarcubes more than Jack White. With only two instruments, the disc has a very open feel, and as they aren't weighted down with sound, the five songs pass by way too quickly. Here's hoping they have a few more tunes up their sleeve, and that there's more to come. MISH MASH Mandate: Of A Different Stripe Echo Is Your Love Paper Cut Eye If Society / Stickfigure 12 song CD
Hailing from Scandinavia, Echo Is Your Love merges a wealth of
cacophonous European influences into one mean package. Part punk,
part industrial, part gothic, with lots of indie rock dissonance
thrown in for good measure. At first you are struck by the amount
of noise and conflicting sounds, but then the melody comes shining
through in spite of itself---deftly avoiding the usual pop traps.
With that having been said, it's hard to point to any particular songs and call them highlights, as this album is best taken as a whole. The more you listen, the more the music comes alive---aggressively hitting you from every side. MISH MASH Mandate: Echo Chamber Mother Blues With Gerald McClendon Sleeping While The River Runs Sleeping Dog Records 17 song CD
The problem that usually plagues contemporary blues is the past---what I mean is, it seems that all the good blues happened at least 25 years ago. Thankfully, Mother Blues has avoided this trap of "remember when"---not only do they emulate the great blues of yesteryear, they do it with a freshness that I haven't heard in a long, long time. There are two reasons for that: the dirty and emotive blues guitar of Steve Bramer and the classic r&b vocals of Gerald McClendon. They are a perfect match, as Bramer rips out the licks like Albert King, and McClendon serenades with a soulful strut that brings back the nostalgic sounds of old Stax. This combination proves to be a powerful mix, turning an otherwise standard blues record into an unforgettable experience. MISH MASH Mandate: Blues Brothers Sleeping Dog Records Ten Songs Self-Released 10 song CD
MISH MASH Mandate: Teen Steam Teenage Prayers Website Round Mountain Round Mountain Self-Released 13 Song CD
You can hear elements of American folk mixed in with celtic sounds and African rhythms---or is it Eastern sounds and South American rhythms? It doesn't matter, because they're all in there somewhere. The remarkable thing is that it works perfectly. They embrace every culture to the point where it's hard to determine where one begins and the other ends, all the while maintaining a song structure and melody which makes you want to sing along. Round Mountain Website
Shawn Prescott Haussler Taking The Air Self-Released 14 song CD
MISH MASH Mandate: Breathing It In Shawn Prescott Haussler Website Various Artists Oxford American Magazine Oxford American Issue 50 29 song CD
Oxford American Magazine Website © 2005 Mish Mash Music Reviews, All Rights Reserved
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
