The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971
by Michael B Borofsky
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Johnny CashDirector: Michael B Borofsky
Brand: Sony
Host: Kris Kristofferson
Producer: Lou Robbin
Producer: John Carter Cash
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: DVD, NTSC
Running Time: 230 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 40269
Studio: Sony Columbia Legacy / Reverse Angle Productions
Product features:
- From the summer of 1969 to the final show in March of 1971 (58 episodes in all), The Johnny Cash TV Show not only exposed an American audience to an eclectic array of musical talent, but also helped establish Johnny Cash as a true artist, humanitarian and a larger-than-life legend. The 66 performances contained on this new Best-Of DVD showcase the spectrum of incredible performers that Johnny hand
Movie Reviews of The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971
Movie Review: Treasure trove of great musical performances
Summary: 5 Stars
Johnny Cash's 58 episodes of prime time television, stretching from late 1969 into early 1971 were broadcast, musical and social landmarks all in one. In a society roiled by the Vietnam War, a generation gap, racism, and numerous other divisions, Cash parlayed his artistry, broad musical vision, experienced opinions, faith and personal integrity into a television series that crisscrossed the American landscape. This two-DVD set excerpts four hours of material from the series, providing a good sense of the show's overall breadth and depth. Both discs intersperse short interview segments (with Kris Kristofferson, John Carter Cash and original show staff) to explain just how radical were many of the show's elements.
Cash brought his ease as a stage performer to the improvised studio of Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. He played easily to both the cameras and the live audience, making this a hybrid of a concert being taped and a television show with an audience to generate applause. The shows offer the energy and edginess of live performance with the polish of a studio program. The production, audio, video and staging teams all did superb jobs. The sets vary between large abstract shapes (ala Hullabaloo) and cozy suburban living rooms; the lighting is colorful and flattering to the performers and the sound is captured surprisingly well. Columbia/Legacy's engineers have done a terrific job of remixing from the multi-track master tapes. The video shows a few artifacts in the margins but is generally quite good, and the color is fine.
The guest list reached forward to the cutting edge, but also backward with segments highlighting the contributions of acts like Bill Monroe, Homer & Jethro, The Carter Family and Cash's Sun labelmates, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. The list of contemporary acts from country, folk, soul and rock is astounding. Starting with Bob Dylan on show #1, Cash gathered what he thought to be important and interesting talents to present to both his Nashville audience in the Ryman, and to those tuning in nationwide. He challenged his audience with the controversial and defiantly anti-war Pete Seeger, bringing him on to play banjo and sing "Cripple Creek" before moving him to the front of the stage to lead a sing-a-long of "Worried Man Blues." By the time Cash rejoins him, Seeger has the crowd nervously singing along.
Another fascinating guest is Louis Armstrong, featured less than a year before his passing. Cash and Armstrong recreate a 1930's session on which the latter backed the father of country music, Jimmie Rodgers. For those who only remember Armstrong's grin and "Hello Dolly," his trumpet playing here will quickly inform you of his seminal role in the history of American music. Merle Haggard provides another tribute to Jimmie Rodgers with a version of "No Hard Times," before sitting down with Cash to sing his own "Sing Me Back Home." Hank Williams Jr., clean-cut and in a western suit (that is, before the sunglasses and hat), provides a moving tribute to his father.
Established country stars George Jones, Marty Robbins and Tammy Wynette show just why they were stars. Jones voice is in stellar form - it's almost hard to believe he's singing live - as he swings through a medley of three classic songs. Robbins was a Ryman favorite, and you can hear the audience hooting and hollering as he sings a medley of his western hits that culminates with an abridged version of "El Paso." Wynette's performance gains the most from its video dimension. The close-ups of her face reveal an emotional connection to "Stand By Your Man" that goes well beyond the vocal. The stark staging of singers with the accompanying band off-stage will make you long for a time when vocalists were sufficiently fetching performers to hold your attention without dancers and other razzle-dazzle.
Cash's selection of mavericks is similarly spot-on. Kris Kristofferson appears young, long-haired, and clear-eyed as he sings "Loving Her Was Easy." It's a stark contrast to the grizzled veteran interviewed in the documentary segments. Waylon Jennings, clean shaven and with his hair still slicked back, was well on his way to presenting country music with the fire of a rock band. His bassist sports a flower-power sticker on his Fender axe, Jessi Colter hots things up playing organ, and his cover of Chuck Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" shows how fluidly he created music out of multiple genres. Cash offered a surprisingly honest and potent introduction to Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done" by discussingg his own drug use on location with college students.
Among the happiest-to-be-there guests is Creedence Clearwater's John Fogerty. He seems to be having a religious experience singing "Bad Moon Rising" at the Ryman, and was probably thinking about Carl Perkins (who was backstage as a member of Cash's troupe) as he picked the break. Another guitarist who had Perkins on his mind was Eric Clapton. After playing a tune with Derek and the Dominos, Clapton and Perkins happily swap licks on the latter's Sun era hit, "Matchbox," with Cash strumming and singing along. Cash was perfect at slipping in and out of his guest's sets, sitting with Ray Charles on the piano bench as he growls out an amazing gospel arrangement of "I Walk the Line," then slipping away as Charles swings into a slow, soulful version of "Ring of Fire."
Cash's entourage of Carl Perkins, The Tennessee Three, Mother Maybelle Carter and her daughters (June, Anita and Helen) and the Statler Brothers also got their share of stage time. The Tennessee Three could flatten you with the powerful, locomotive rhythm of "Big River," and June Carter Cash is featured singing the terrific original, "A Good Man," filled with the questions of day (the war, the environment, the generation gap) and an appeal to faith for solutions. Mother Maybelle can be spied playing her autoharp and picking her beloved Gibson, and of course, Cash's own musical segments find him at one of his performing peaks.
It's hard to imagine anyone else with the talent, range and personal gravitas to hold this show together from the center. Hosts like Ed Sullivan could arrange and produce shows, but only Cash could have been the performing ringmaster who worked with the musicians at their own level. It was the context of his personal endorsements that bound these disparate artists into a fluid, entertaining, educational and ultimately impactful whole. Whether or not the entire series is ever remastered and released, these two DVDs are both a solidly entertaining four hours of treasures, and a wonderfully selected overview of the series. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]
Summary of The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971
DISC 1 Johnny Cash - Ring Of FireBob Dylan - I Threw It All Away
Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash - Girl From The North Country
Kris Kristofferson - Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash - Blue Yodel #9
Stevie Wonder - Heaven Help Us All
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Cash - I Will Never Marry
George Jones - Medley (White Lightning with Johnny Cash, She Thinks I Still Care, Love Bug, The Race Is On)
Johnny Cash - Hey Porter
Waylon Jennings - Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line
Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash - The Singing Star's Queen
Waylon Jennings - Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man
Marty Robbins - Medley (Big Iron, Running Gun, El Paso)
Johnny Cash - Come Along And Ride This Train
Johnny Cash - As Long As The Grass Shall Grow
Johnny Cash - Man In Black
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash - Cripple Creek, Worried Man Blues
Johnny Cash - Sunday Morning Coming Down
Johnny Cash - Old Time Religion
Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins and The TennesseeThree - Daddy Sang Bass
Mother Maybelle and The Carter Sisters - Wildwood Flower
Neil Young - The Needle And The Damage Done
Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three - Tennessee Flat Top Box
Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash - The Long Black Veil
Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three with Carl Perkins - Big River
DISC 2 Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line
June Carter Cash - A Good Man
Derek And The Dominos - It's Too Late Derek And The Dominos with Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins - Matchbox
Charley Pride - Able Bodied Man
Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Boys - Blue Moon Of Kentucky
Loretta Lynn - I Know How
Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Johnny Cash - Ride This Train (America The Beautiful, This Land Is Your Land)
The Everly Brothers with Ike Everly and Johnny and Tommy Cash - That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
Ray Charles - Ring Of Fire
Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue
Conway Twitty - Hello Darlin'
Mother Maybelle Carter - Black Mountain Rag
Tony Joe White and Johnny Cash - Polk Salad Annie
Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
Neil Diamond - Cracklin' Rosie
Ray Price - For The Good Times
Roy Orbison - Crying
Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash - Oh, Pretty Woman
Johnny Cash - Wanted Man
Chet Atkins and Johnny Cash - Recuerdo De La Alhambra
Chet Atkins - Medley (Country Gentleman, Mister Sandman, Wildwood Flower, Freight Train)
June Carter Cash with Homer And Jethro - Baby, It's Cold Outside
Merle Haggard - No Hard Times
Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash - Sing Me Back Home
Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes
Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, The Carter Family and The Statler Brothers - The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago
Roy Clark - Medley (In The Summertime, 12th Street Rag)
The Statler Brothers - Flowers On The Wall
Johnny Cash - Working Man Blues
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash - Jackson, Turn Around, I Love You Because
Hank Williams Jr. - Medley (You Win Again, Cold Cold Heart, I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You, Half As Much)
Johnny Cash - A Wonderful Time Up There
Country and rock 'n' roll legend Johnny Cash hosted his own variety television series from the summer of 1969 to spring 1971, and by all accounts the weekly program was destination TV. The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971 is an 83-minute summary of everything Cash tried to do in his hourlong format, from presenting an eclectic and even-handed overview of popular music to promoting a humanitarian perspective on issues that mattered most to him: drug use, poverty, reliance on faith, compassion for criminals.
This DVD documentary is largely comprised of musical performances by Cash and some of the many guests who appeared on his show. But there are also snippets of interviews with behind-the-camera talent involved with the program as well as such old friends as Kris Kristofferson and Hank Williams Jr. Everyone speaks highly of Cash?s warm, on-camera persona, and selected footage proves them right: Cash is ever the gentleman with an expansive spirit and down-to-earth grit. Musical highlights include Cash?s own "I Walk the Line" and "Man In Black," Bob Dylan?s straightforward "I Threw It All Away," Loretta Lynn?s "I Know How," and a delightful George Jones medley. Ray Charles takes a bluesy spin on "Ring of Fire," Cash?s fellow Sun Records artists Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison take turns in the spotlight, Neil Young brings the crowd to its feet with an amazing "The Needle and the Damage Done," and Eric Clapton (fronting Derek and the Dominos) turns in a passionate "It?s Too Late." --Tom Keogh
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