Johnny Cash: Personal File (disc 1) CD Track Listing

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Johnny Cash Personal File (disc 1) (2006)
Originally Released May 23, 2006\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Usually, when an artist of stature passes, the record company (or companies, and sometimes even family, look at the sad posthumous legacy of Townes Van Zandt for example) raid the vaults and unearth loads of embarrassing garbage along with a few gems. Personal File, issued by Sony Legacy, is very different. For starters, other than Hank Williams, there are no artists who have Cash's stature (arguably not even Jimmie Rodgers). Secondly, this material was not stored in Columbia's vaults but Cash's own. He began recording these songs -- most of disc one, and four songs from disc two -- at home in 1973, for no one but himself. The rest come from the his personal file up through 1982. While closing down the studio, museum, and store, John Carter Cash -- a fierce and honorable guardian of his parents' legacies -- invited the folks from Legacy in to sort through the many reels of demos, TV appearances, the awarding of honorary degrees, and speeches, and unreleased recordings. They found some tidy white boxes marked "Personal File," and it's from these tapes alone the tunes were drawn. Many of these are old folk songs passed on through the ages, some Cash sang as a kid, or heard from his companions: "Some of those old songs that I used to sing when I was a kid I still remember every word to 'em. A lot of 'em from the radio and I learned a lot of 'em from the boys across the road, the Williams boys, there was Guy and Otis Williams and Jack Williams. They didn't play the guitar or anything but they sang a little bit and they had a Victrola..." and Cash recalls the names, records, and performers, and then says "Bradley Kincaid might have sung this song, I can't quite remember....." and then goes on to finish his intro and sing the song "There's a Mother Waiting at Home." He tells stories to introduce the tunes here. This is as close to a private concert as one could ever get. The portrait is so intimate the listener is tempted not to breathe. For example, when Cash introduces "Far Away Places," he tells a story of one of the first talent contests he entered (he got only two votes) and thinks back that it might have been his selection of material that did him in, but it was the first song he ever sang in public. You can hear the memories, painful and hopeful, float back into the singer's delivery. His reading here of "Saginaw, Michigan" contains no peremptory tale, but the song says it all, and Cash brings the intimacy of the tune's tragic narrative to life in the present. Likewise, it's followed by other Northern-themed tunes, "When It's Springtime in Alaska" and "Girl from Saskatoon," (written by Cash and Johnny Horton) before launching into a devastating read of Robert Service's poem, "Cremation of Sam McGee." "It's All Over" is an original that comes from Cash's early days and was never recorded properly in the studio. There are songs by the Louvin Brothers, John Prine ("Paradise"), Doug Kershaw ("Louisiana Man"), and many others. Disc two is a collection of devotional songs, from well-known hymns like "Lily of the Valley," "Farther Along," and "The Way Worn Traveler," to provocative tunes of unknown origin either in authorship or session detail, such as "If Jesus Ever Loved a Woman, (It was Mary Magdalene)" (and this was how many years before the Da Vinci Code?) This tune and its delivery -- as well as its recording quality -- are open to speculation as to whether it is actually an original, improvised on the spot, and uncredited because of its controversial nature. There are gorgeous original songs such as "No Earthly Good," "What Is Man?" and the track Greil Marcus' bases his liner notes on, "A Half a Mile a Day." Marcus does his usual "big-American-dream-hoped-for-via-small-gesture -- of performance" riff here, but it is poetic and moving nonetheless. In sum, this is an utterly welcome and perhaps necessary addition to the Cash catalog. This is history; it's lineage history in a sense, Cash not forgetting the songs of his childhood or those he wrote for no other reason than to write them, or playing numbers by songwriters who were important to him. Personal File is an aural autobiography from one of the nation's greatest autobiographers; it's a portrait of the artist as a man, and a humble one at that. This is not even debatable as a purchase by Cash fans, and goes a long way to explaining something so mercurial it still slips by even as these songs are grasped and internalized. The sound quality is warm, wonderful, and immediate; it's almost like having Cash in your home. -- Thom Jurek\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nThe recordings Johnny Cash started making for Rick Rubin's American label in 1993 launched a journey through the Great American Songbook--from traditional tunes to alt-rock--that continued until, literally, the end of his life. What wasn't known at the time was that Cash had anticipated the American Recordings concept 20 years earlier. A series of informal private sessions he recorded in 1973 featuring just voice and guitar--with a few numbers added between then and 1982--were left untouched at his House of Cash studio, unearthed only after his death in 2003. These 49 songs, labeled "Personal File," show him exploring 19th-century parlor tunes, Tin Pan Alley pop, gospel, little-known Cash originals, classic and contemporary country, and even a recitation of Robert Service's poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee." On many, his spoken introductions reveal personal ties to a given number. Cash reprises early country fare like Jimmie Rodgers's "My Mother Was a Lady" and "The Letter Edged in Black." He also revisits later country classics like the Louvin Brothers' "When I Stop Dreaming," close friend Johnny Horton's hit "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)," John Prine's "Paradise," and stepdaughter Carlene Carter's "It Takes One to Know Me." The second disc is a virtual hymnbook, blending traditional gospel and A.P. Carter tunes with a sacred composition by Rodney Crowell and Cash gospel originals. For those enchanted by the illness-ravaged soulfulness of Cash's later American recordings, hearing him in his prime is not only breathtaking--it underscores the depth of his still-remarkable musical vision. --Rich Kienzle \n\nAmazon.com Product Description\nDeep within the House of Cash, Johnny Cash's recording studio, office suite, and museum in Hendersonville, Tennessee, behind the studio's control room, was a small vault-like space in which many of his most prized possessions were stored. A collection of rare firearms dating back to the 18th Century, some personal effects of Jimmie Rodgers, artwork and letters from fans all over the world and much more was carefully arranged and locked away for safekeeping. Then there were the tapes. Hundreds of them. Demos from songwriters, album masters, multi-tracks of the ABC television series, and some boxes marked simply "Personal File." These are Johnny's most intimate sessions, recorded mostly in 1973 and then subsequently at his leisure. Just a lone voice and an acoustic guitar, singing songs and telling stories about them. A concept that has since come to be thought of as revelatory but, as is evident in this stunning new set, is something Johnny Cash had been doing all along--if only for his personal file. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSacred and secular, this is the real Johnny Cash, 8/22/2006\nThe hype on these long-lost home tapes is that they were unheralded precursors to the stripped-down, raw-boned "American Recordings" series that sent Johnny Cash's cool quotient through the roof in the 1990s... In a sense that's true, although I would argue that these recordings are a different sort of creature altogether... Where the "American" albums were a calculated bid to present Cash as a back-to-basics country avatar, an icon for the college rock scene to revere, these earlier tracks were, as the title implies, a much more private affair. \n\nBack in the early 1970s, when he was still at a professional peak, Cash kicked back and recorded copiously and at his leisure in his private home studios; the master tapes were apparently unearthed after his death and combed through for the best material, which has been issued for the first time as part of this 2-CD set. The first disc is secular material, with Cash singing solo over a sparse acoustic guitar, with some intriguing choices in repertoire, but a pretty subdued feel overall. The second disc is all gospel material, and this is where the real feeling comes in -- Cash recorded plenty of religious music during his career, and these recordings are among some of his best. The song selection is particularly striking, with a bunch of songs that are way off the beaten track. Country gospel tends to favor certain standards, tunes that entered the popular culture after the advent of the recording industry, but many of the songs Cash selected were way off the beaten track, and demonstrated how deep his cultural roots ran... Likewise, the secular disc has some material on it that hearkens back almost to colonial times, showing how much of a student of American song he really was. These sessions were almost certainly made just for fun, without much hope of commercial release, and they provide a great glimpse into the kind of music Cash was interested in, separate from the advice of family, friends or record execs... It's pure, it's sincere, unpretentious, and certainly a must-hear for diehard Cash fans.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAn all too rare glimpse into the person behind the legend of Johnny Cash., 8/14/2006\nReviewer: T. Ransom (Woodstock, GA USA)\nPersonal File is just that - personal. The sparse arrangements and accompanying stories breathe the true life of Johnny Cash. Too often, a man like Cash is overshadowed by the legend produced by the media, including excellent films like "Walk the Line". With Personal File, we are allowed to follow Johnny into a darkened studio. We get to hear him pull out his guitar and lead us through a musical journey that sees him come to life in the lyrics and the stories of remembrance. Most of these songs are not the kind that would sell an album. Those songs are brought to the singer by A&R experts with dollar signs in their eyes. These songs are life songs and death songs and faith songs. The listener is invited to sit quietly and let the moments sink in. And, they do sink in. If you are a fan of A Boy Named Sue and Folsum Prison, this may not be the best choice for you. If you thirst for an intimate knowledge of a man and the music deep in his soul, do not miss your chance to experience Personal File. I am blessed to have nearly all of Cash's music on CD. But, Personal File quickly became my favorite.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nJohnny Cash Comes Over for Dinner, 6/26/2006\nReviewer: Jim Newsom (Norfolk, VA)\nThe best ideas for songwriting are the true stories that happen to...especially to people. When you get into the human spirit, you get some good ideas sometimes." -Johnny Cash \n\nAs both a songwriter and an interpretive singer, Johnny Cash succeeded in getting into the human spirit as deeply as any artist. A true original, the purity of his artistry shone through most clearly when it was least adorned. \n\nAfter the deaths of Johnny and June Carter Cash in 2003, their son John Carter Cash began going through things at the House of Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Among the treasures in a room full of tapes were boxes marked "personal files." Those boxes contained recordings Johnny had made for himself of songs that he'd written and never recorded, songs that he remembered from his childhood, songs he admired that had been written by others, songs that he would later record in more fully formed arrangements. A big chunk came from sessions laid down in July, 1973, when he was 41 years old. \n\nThis new double disc set brings together 49 of those tracks. More than half are from that ten-day burst in the summer of '73. All but two are just Johnny alone with his guitar; the other two, from 1982, feature an uncredited second guitarist. The characteristic chink-chinka-chink that distinguished Cash's hits from the '50s through the '70s is nowhere to be found. \n\nDisc one is devoted to story songs, love songs, old favorites--the secular side of John R. Cash. There's the Louvin Brothers' "When I Stop Dreaming," Johnny Horton's "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)," John Prine's "Paradise," The Carter Family's "The Winding Stream," Lefty Frizzell's 1964 hit, "Saginaw, Michigan." Many of the songs are prefaced with Cash's remembrances, explaining their origins or their importance to him. It's like having Johnny Cash sitting in your living room after dinner, playing guitar, sharing songs and telling stories. Since these are recordings he apparently didn't intend for public consumption, I can't help but wonder who he was talking to. Perhaps he envisioned these tapes as some sort of aural time capsule, to be opened after his death. \n\n"Through times of loneliness and heartbreak and despair and sadness," he says in an introduction on the second disc, "I've always found that a good song of inspiration will lift me up, make me feel just a little bit better." \n\nDisc two contains 24 of those inspirational and spiritual songs, half of which are originals. One of my personal favorites is "What on Earth (Will You Do for Heaven's Sake)," a Cash composition that first appeared on 1974's Ragged Old Flag. Considering the premise of The Da Vinci Code, "If Jesus Ever Loved a Woman" takes on a connotation probably not envisioned by its author, who is unknown, or the man in black who sings it here: "If Jesus ever loved a woman, I think Mary Magdalene was the woman that he loved." \n\nThis disc contains a few oft-performed gospel chestnuts--"Life's Railway to Heaven," "In the Sweet Bye and Bye," "Farther Along," "The Lily of the Valley." But for the most part, these are new or little known folk spirituals, delivered in that distinctive bigger-than-life voice that fills each tune with both gravitas and joy. \n\nJohnny Cash was one of those performers whose persona was as big as his music. Here in his Personal File, we catch a glimpse of the man beneath the persona all alone with the music he cherished the most. --Jim Newsom \n\nOriginally published in Port Folio Weekly, 6/27/06. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nUp Close And Personal With the Man In Black, 6/24/2006\nReviewer: Robert I. Hedges (Burnsville, MN USA)\nLong before his collaborations with Rick Rubin, Johnny Cash understood the simple power of an acoustic guitar and his deep, haunting voice. This CD is comprised of tracks discovered after his death in 2003, and largely dates to 1973. Despite being over thirty years old, these songs are technically crisp for the most part, and all are prizes for Cash fans. \n\nThe set is divided by theme: the first CD is "classic Cash," secular songs of great diversity much like the rest of his catalog, the big difference being the intimacy of these recordings. These recordings are not slickly edited in a studio, and many feature spoken introductions from Johnny explaining the significance of the songs to him. In every case the look into the mind of Johnny Cash is insightful and wonderful. The first CD is full of interesting pieces, and I enjoyed hearing them all, though I wasn't especially fond of "The Cremation of Sam McGee." \n\nThe second CD is a selection of gospel tunes done simply and masterfully. Many are classics from hymnals he learned as a child, but many are his own compositions that have never before seen the light of day. I enjoyed all the songs on the second CD (although I didn't particularly care for the irregular meter on "If Jesus Ever Loved a Woman,") and a couple are standouts even by Cash standards. \n\nThe 49 songs on this set are an absolute treasure trove for a Johnny Cash fan, and demonstrate better than any other work the simple strength of his voice and an acoustic guitar. I highly recommend "Personal File."\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nRe-writing the Johnny Cash legend, 6/21/2006\nReviewer: Mr. C. A. Rollings (UK)\nJohnny Cash biographers and discographers are going to have to do some revising now that these 49 gems have been unearthed from the Man in Black's personal archive and released as a two-disc set at what everyone will agree is an absolute bargain price. This is pure unadorned Cash - just his voice and his accoustic guitar - almost two decades before Rick Rubin appeared and gave us the American Recordings (and, hey! I'm still waiting for volume 5). Sad to say, the choice of material is not as varied, or as interesting, or as good, and sometimes Cash's delivery (as in "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen") falters a bit - but who cares? When you think of some of the dreadful stuff he laid down on CBS and Mercury in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and which these labels inflicted on the public, you can only thank the stars that Johnny Cash left us these Personal Files to prove that what he was doing back then wasn't all dross. A "must" for all fans of the Man in Black and all historians of American roots music. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nbreathtaking, 6/7/2006\nReviewer: J. Johnson (Winchester, VA)\nRick Rubin got a lot of credit for recording Johnny Cash stripped down to gitar and minimal accompaniment. What he probably should get credit for is helping Cash find the courage to release the type of material he had been doing in private for years. This 2disc set is an amazing compilation of songs Cash had recorded at house of cash. Clearly these show Cash at his rawest and the selections are probably those closest to his heart-at least at the time of recording. Some sound like songs Cash was considering to record with his band-they fit so well you can hear the instruments without them being present. Others are just songs that spoke to Johnny Cash. That alone is reason enough to listen. \n\nDisc one are the type of country songs that had fallen out of style in country music by the time they were recorded. These songs will never be accused of sophistication. Songs about mothers, dying children, distant places that will never be seen by a country boy-all performed with the sparest accompaniment and raw vocals. The set also shows that Cash probably could have been a star within the early 60's folk scene had he chosen to follow that route. Highlights-the first song, The Letter Edged in Black, Far Away Places, When I Stop Dreaming, I Don't Belive You Wanted to Leave. The version of John Prine's Paradise shows that a record of just John Prine songs would have been a great Cash project. \n\nThe second disc is gospel music. Rodney Crowell's Wildwood In the Pines, the classic hymn of invitation Have Thine Own Way Lord and Cash's own Sanctified set the table for the ending run of Farther Along, Life's Railway to Heaven and In the Sweet Bye and Bye. Talk about satisfying!!! \n\nThe set is accompanied by a great essay by Griel Marcus who writes with such insight and sensitivity you come away feeling that you know Cash better than you did before. \n\nIf you are a casual fan-you know Folsom Prison Blues and A Boy Named Sue, this may not be for you. If you enjoyed the American Recordings, or like traditional folk/country and gospel music this will be one of the most satisfying records you'll listen to this year. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nUnearthed Treasures!, May 30, 2006\nReviewer: James E. Bagley (Sanatoga, PA USA)\nIn Johnny Cash's storage room were boxes of old tapes simply labeled "personal file." Thus the title of this pristing-sounding 49-song package of 1973-82 solo acoustic-guitar-and-voice obscurities (about half from a five-day July 1973 marathon for a disc no label would release - apparently, simplicity wasn't fashionable back then). \n\nAs he wanders from maudlin old parlor ballads to covers of John Prine's "Paradise" and The Lovin Brothers' "When I Stop Dreaming," he reminisces about high-school performances of pop standard "Far Away Places" (foreshadowing his career) and "Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes." Among four consecutive '73 tracks forming a Yukon theme are his buddy Johnny Horton's deadly "When It's Springtime In Alaska" and - reflecting Cash's taste for the bizarre - a narration of Robert Service's "The Cremation Of Sam McGee." \n\nReligion fills disc two, highlighted by The Carter Family "Way Worn Traveler" (which Bob Dylan revamped into "Paths Of Victory"). Another gem - still unrecorded by its author, one-time son-in-law Rodney Crowell - "Wildwood In The Pines" sounds tailor-made for The Man In Black. \n\nAs for step-daughter Carlene Carter's confessional "It Takes One To Know Me" (predating the softer version closing 2005's Cash box The Legend) that ends disc one: "It's true that I used to be crazy and harder to love than most men." One of Cash's musical strengths was his courage to shine light on his demons. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nWhen The Thunder Spoke., May 26, 2006\nReviewer: Michael F. Hopkins (Buffalo, NY USA)\n(from an extended feature, copyright 2006 Michael F. Hopkins) \n\nA voice spoke thunder, strong and low. Firm as a handshake, he reaps and sows. Playing on an old guitar, he told the tales from which he came. Soberly, the stories sang. Rolling like mountain springs on a summer's day, or thunder across the plains, the voice of Johnny Cash strikes deep and hits home as never before. This previously unreleased collection of The Man In Black spotlights the man, his guitar, and his ability to reflect the aspirations of a nation in ways to move the coldest heart. \n\nA wonderful collection of work songs, folk tales, lover's laments, limericks, spirituals and more, this is the workings of a master storyteller heeding the Call, sharing the summons with all. Chiefly from the early 1970s, we hear Cash at his finest, voice resonating with tonal conviction; delivering the ethical authority that would dominate the series from American Recordings which marked the final years of his life with some of his greatest work. Those recordings captured a Cash ravished by age and abuse who, as Billie Holiday did, turned his despair inside out into the purest expression of feeling and art. PERSONAL FILE showcases the source of this expression, presenting the legendary Country master at the height of his artistry. \n\nThis collection, straight from Cash's studio in Tennessee, was gathered by son John Carter Cash, and mastered for this Columbia/Legacy 2-CD release by master engineer Vic Anesini. Full of anecdote and ambling warmth, this is a portrait of Life, Choice, and Faith, an offering of the Highest Order. \n\nListen to vintage classics such as "Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes", "In The Sweet Bye And Bye", or "There's A Mother Always Waiting At Home" sung with feeling, instead of pomp and ceremony. Catch the sparkling wit and skill of "A Fast Song", or the devotion reflected in "It Takes One To Know Me". Any questions about the depth of this man's beliefs, and how he felt about those who heap all manner of prejudice and other hatreds in the name of religion? Listen to the magnificent testimony of "No Earthly Good", and be thoroughly enlightened. \n\nCome one, come all, and listen to the majesty of this humble call. The quiet thunders on. \n\nA man, indeed, has come around.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nWhip The Devil, May 25, 2006\nReviewer: K. H. Orton (New York, NY USA)\nFirst off, if you're merely superficially curious after the hype surrounding, "Walk The Line" this isn't for you. Many songs feature spoken word introductions that may wear on the listener in time. So this isn't something you'd throw on at a party, or are likely to bop around to while plugged into your i-pod. These recordings are best appreciated while sitting down and listening to as an entire album. The end effect is like having The Man In Black in your living room, giving you your own private concert. Much like the magic wrought on the 1st American Recordings album. \n\nThough his later recordings with Rick Rubin were compelling, the ravages of illness were apparent. In addition, some song choices ("Personal Jesus", anyone?) seemed a little "calculated". Not so here. This is sound of Cash in his prime, singing songs that deeply left their mark on him. This is a mix of now obscure covers & sepia toned traditionals. Not to mention, some unheard & truely inspired originals. In terms of sound quality, this is far from some bootleg Cash's former label dusted off in order to capitolize on a posthumous surge in popularity. Even if it were, the passion here will leave you breathless. \n\nThe 1st disc consists of so many unheard gems it's hard where to begin. If the morbid sentimentality of "Engineer's Dying Child" doesn't choke you up, there's something wrong with you. Same goes for his take on the Louvin Brothers', "When I Stop Dreaming" & C. Walker's, "Jim, I Wore A Tie Today". In less committed hands, alot of the material here would've come off as mawkish. But not here. Among the orginals, "I Wanted So" is as starkly personal as it gets. The opening line, " I wanted so to tell that old man, oh so many things" is delivered with such dignified regret it can't help but hit home. Same goes for the disc's closer, "It Takes One To Know One". A song written by his step-daughter, Carlene that he masterfully makes his own. \n\nWhere disc I is more secular in nature, disc II is dedicated to Cash's oft overlooked Gospel side. But don't let that scare you off. If anything, things get even more powerful. The weariness of "Way Worn Traveller" & "Look Unto The East" are undeniable regardless of belief. Themes of Faith & Doubt wrestle throughout but it all comes to a fore with the Cash original, "Sanctified". The way he belts out, " I'm trying to whip the devil, I'm trying to get sactified" you can just hear the demons barely kept at bay. \n\nAlong with the Unearthed boxed set, this is an all too generous & unexpected offering. But where Unearthed was released with an air of eulogy & epitaph, Personal File is the unadorned sound of Cash at his most vital & inspired. In short, essential listening for fans & detractors alike.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nHypnotizing, May 23, 2006\nReviewer: Soulboogiealex (Netherlands)\nJohnny Cash is without a doubt one of the most distinct voices in music history. Although his medium is country music, the man transcends it. Cash has throughout the years appealed to a wide audience. In the sixties he appealed to the protest nation, in the seventies he was a darling to the Punk scene; by the start of the nineties the alternative audiences embraced him when he started working with Rick Rubin for the American Recordings. On these sessions Cash was recorded naked, just the man and his guitar. Cash hadn't sound so fresh since the late sixties. Creatively his career seemed to have gone down hill during the second half of the seventies and the eighties. The release of the Personal Files show us that Cash's muse was never missing during that period of time. \n\nThe music on Personal Files are all culled from the period his career seemed slacking. Sonically they resemble the first release of his American Recordings; yet as the title promises these recordings have a far more intimate feel. Throughout these two discs you get the idea you're privy to a living room concert for your ears only. The fact that some songs have a spoken intro heighten this experience. Some of the material here is very familiar and found its way to the studio eventually, other songs are brand new to our ears, others still have been a part of the American songbook for generations. \n\nHere we get just Cash and his guitar, though bare, never boring. Cash has a hypnotizing quality that leaves you hanging on his lips, not missing a word. Like no other artist his material covers al aspects of life yet the most dominant themes are always guilt and redemption with Cash. His main strength is he capability to remind of our own humanity. We all falter, we all fail from time to time, yet most of us manage to pick ourselves up every time round and atone for out faults (or sins) in our own way. Cash confronts us with this constant duality in our lives, our desire to better ourselves despite the fact we're destined to fall at times. If you don't get Cash, you've got a hole in your soul. \n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Gregg Geller, John Carter Cash, Lou Robin \n\nAlbum Notes\nReleased less than three years after Johnny Cash's passing in 2003, Legacy's two-disc PERSONAL FILE collection presents a wealth of previously unreleased material. Although the country legend recorded some of these 49 songs (including "Tiger Whitehead" and "No Earthly Good") on other occasions, the sessions here primarily showcase the Man in Black playing for his own satisfaction in the House of Cash studio, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. While the spare tunes clearly point to Cash's lauded 1990s comeback, they were cut between '73 and '82, a time when his musical career was on the wane, but he was still well known for his television appearances and evangelical work.\nWith no record company pressure to cater to the prevailing sound of the time, Cash sounds completely assured and at ease on these bare-bones tracks, whether covering the Louvin Brothers ("When I Stop Dreaming"), taking on traditional tunes ("Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes"), or offering up rare originals ("It's All Over," "I Wanted So"), his bold, unmistakable baritone voice always at the fore. Though this intimate set is primarily geared toward devoted Cash fans, the performances on PERSONAL FILE, which often include spoken introductions, are so charming that those less familiar with the Man in Black will also find much to enjoy.
This country cd contains 25 tracks and runs 74min 42sec.
Freedb: 73118019

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