| Kindred Spirits - A Tribute To The Songs Of Johnny Cash - Various Artists | |
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Reviewed by Jennifer Webb
Big names such as Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Sheryl Crow, Charlie Robison, Travis Tritt, and others lend their great voices to one of the best tributes there is to Johnny Cash. Acoustic guitars, fiddles, harmonica, and slide guitars are prominent throughout, which makes for the best kind of country music there is.
What better way to start an album than with Dwight Yoakam singing "Understand Your Man," an upbeat tune about not wanting to hang around long after he left a girl in the dust. Hearing cussing and griping from the girl's family is not going to make matters any better, and he says just that, as he struggles to untangle his mind. He does not know where he is headed, but this man sure is not going to take anything that would weigh him down, so whatever is left can go to the Salvation Army as far as he is concerned.
Quiet, yet effectively, singing her dad's song, "I Still Miss Someone," along with Vince Gill as backup, Roseanne Cash wraps her voice around the reflective lyrics of a tale of heartache. Not only is she feeling broken-hearted, she is still longing for the relationship that once was as she wanders around town looking to have some fun, though all she finds is darkness and despair.
Getting Little Richard to sing "Get Rhythm" was a genius move, because I certainly cannot think of anyone that could do the song justice - especially energy wise. According to the song, whenever you are feeling pretty down just get up and dance around to lift your spirits as the beat keeps your mind off the other stuff. To help prove a point, the uplifting beat of the song makes you want to move all around the room before it abruptly stops and Richard says "Thank you" as a conclusion.
Adding some soul to the mix of the album, Keb' Mo sings one of the best Cash songs ever - "Folsom Prison Blues." The tempo is slower than the original and emphasizes the slide guitar and harmonica, almost as if the recording was taped from a jail time jam session. If he is ever lucky enough to be released, the man vows to take a train to the place that is the farthest away so he can "let that lonesome whistle blow [his] blues away."
Expect the unexpected when Travis Tritt sings "I Walk The Line" with a melody so slow that it sounds more like ballad than the original version's rather upbeat fervor. In this beautiful version, keeping his girl on his mind all the time helps him stay out of the trouble that he was so used to being in throughout the years because he wants to do no wrong by her - staying on the straight and narrow path is what will make them both happy.
Bocephus, also known as Hank Williams, Jr. pumps the album back up with his version of the wonderful song, "Big River," in which a listener has to love the way he hits all of those low notes. Singing about being torn up every time he hears a girl's southern accent and how he loves to move on down the line to another town the next day, this version has a great classic feel and sound to it which makes it one of the standout songs from Kindred Spirits.
"Don't Take Your Guns To Town" is a pretty spectacular song by its own accord, but I cannot help but get excited about Charlie Robison singing it - and boy does he do it well. It is easy to hear how the song is a perfect fit for Robison as his voice and acoustic guitar playing also stands out amongst the melody and lyrics telling the tale of Billy Joe, who left his mom's house a boy - and quickly turned into a dead man as he encountered a quick-drawing man that laughed in his face before pulling the trigger.
Not wanting to have some part in his own tribute, Johnny Cash and Janette Cash sing a sweet song about part of a sweet song about wanting to meet there once they are both gone because they love each other so much in "Meet Me In Heaven." Also joining in on background vocals are Marty Stuart and Connie Smith while Mr. Earl Scruggs puts down his banjo to play the acoustic guitar.
With the man in black himself participating in the album you can tell that he is honored to have such big name artists sing his praises. In the liner notes he even mentions the artists as he says: "An interesting collection of some of the best people in our business paying tribute to me. Boy, does this make me feel good!" It is a wonderfully done album and is not full of only the more popular songs, but has the other ones as well. Whether you are a Cash fan, or just have a few favorite artists appearing on the release, you will be pleased with Kindred Spirits.
Song List:
Album cover courtesy of Sony Nashville
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