Published on Sep 8, 2003
Imagine yourself riding in a convertible with the top down on a
spacious country road. It’s a hazy summer day and the scent of
fruit bearing trees and nature delicately stroke as you pass. In
your right hand is some sippin’ tea and the left is holding the
hand of a loved one. At some point, you take a mental picture that
pleasantly lasts an eternity. The sensory teases received from this
experience and listening to
VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson are
comparable.
The ‘Man in Black’ began his recording career at the now
legendary Sun Records in 1955. Since then, he became known as a
living legend who has never sold out. “A Boy Named Sue,” “One Piece
At A Time” and “Ring of Fire” are a few examples of the epic cuts
Cash has released. Over the years, he has collaborated with
numerous artists and is never afraid to put his mythos on the line
with such pairings. Cash’s groupings have included (but not limited
to) Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams Jr. and the
Highwaymen (an outlaw country supergroup with Willie Nelson, Waylon
Jennings and Kris Kistofferson).
Willie Nelson started behind the scenes as a songwriter and
background musician in the 1960s. As a relative unknown, he wrote
the country standards “Crazy,” “Nite Life,” “Hello Walls” and
“Funny How Time Slips Away” for other artist. Finally, in 1975, he
became regarded as an icon with a unique country concept album Red
Headed Stranger. Since then he has been immortalized with songs
like; “Blue Skies,” “On the Road Again,” “Angels Flying Too Close
to the Ground” and “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” (with Julio
Iglesias), among an army of others. Nelson has the uncanny ability
to work with your emotions and make you feel the story within the
song. You could feel and appreciate him without even closely
listening. This skill makes him one of my favorite songwriters.
In 1998, a ‘live’ performance featuring this duo was rendered as
a show for VH-1 with approximately 200 in the audience. After a
lifetime of creation, the pairing of Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash
showcases two living legends who miraculously lived up to their
legendary standards. The duo were seated on stage with chairs,
their guitars and mutual reverence, like two buddies relaxing on a
front porch passing time in the warm summer air. At this point, the
storytelling and performances feature each icon at his apex.
Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson split tracks and the sequence is
superb. With the exception of a breezed-through “On the Road
Again,” every selected song is ably performed, featuring great
recordings of a series of excellent second-tier hits that span
their careers. Although each song is notable, “Unchained” stands as
the sole performance that is more compelling than its original
recorded version.
VH1 Storytellers – Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson is
unquestionably desirable because of their interaction. Their
dialogue is very informative, engaging, comical and adds
considerably to the set list’s luster. Actually, this CD is
indispensable because the songs (regardless of how great they may
be) are secondary to their conversations. My favorite moment was
when Johnny and Willie described life before they became ‘The Man
in Black’ and ‘The Red Headed Stranger’.
In the future, I could see this recording being plucked from the
rubble and duly regarded as definitive. Nevertheless, at present,
VH1 Storytellers – Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson is an
underappreciated masterwork. There are minor pitch flaws by Johnny,
but they act as only barely detectable surface scratches on a
Ferrari.
Relax and replenish with
VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson.