Johnny Cash "The Essential Johnny Cash (2 CDs)" [Sony MHCP-154〜5]
昨年初め，プログタイトルに "+ c" を付ける少し前から Country Music に目覚め始め，とりあえず有名なミュージシャンを一通り聴いてみたいと考えたときにありがたかったのが，"The Essential 〜" というシリーズ。
この Johnny Cash のアルバムは，Sun 時代の曲 から始まって，最後は１９９３年に U2 のアルバム "Zooropa" にゲスト参加した際の曲で締めくくられている。
I probably first heard one of his records around 1957, or somewhere around there. "Lonesome Whistle Blow" I think it was, a Hank Williams song. From where I was at my age, Johnny Cash was just great, so original. He had real, real stuff. He reminded me of Jimmy Reed; his music had that same stark reality about it. What he had going on in the early days was what other guys like Muddy Waters were doing. It was really roots music, but they conveyed it through electricity and the judicial use of it. The music was so true to the roots and at the same time so modern. Another attraction for me was the way he slung his guitar so very low.
Johnny Cash の音楽を表現するのに Jimmy Reed や Muddy Waters の名前を持ち出すあたりは，いかにもキースらしい。
