Chrystabell This Train

It's a statement of Johnny Cash's longevity that the eight albums collected here – each one a concept collection devoted to American historical themes – were considered worthy and viable commercial releases back when, and that most were very successful. This four-CD set assembles Ride This Train, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Bitter Tears, Ballads of the True West, Mean as Hell! (Johnny Cash Sings Ballads from the True West), America: A 200 Year Salute in Story and Song, From Sea to Shining Sea, and The Rambler, all in one place. They fit together as a body of work, and he put a lot of heart into all of these songs individually…

Ride This Train was the first explicit Americana concept album that Johnny Cash recorded. As the title implies, the album is about railroads, how they developed, and how they changed the land. Apart from a couple of songs, Ride This Train isn't comprised of traditional folk ballads - they are songs that tell the history of trains and rails, offering an educational lesson. Cash expounds on the songs with brief spoken narratives. Though it is hard to fault Cash's intentions, the songs aren't very good (although "The Shifting Whispering Sands" is a standout) and the history is a bit simplistic and silly. On the whole, Ride This Train sounds as if it were of a piece with the Walt Disney educational features produced at the same time, and like those films, it is more interesting as an historical artifact than a piece of art.

After three "world" albums since her arrival in France, Sia Tolno wanted to make a more international album, which crosses languages, styles and eras, in the image of her plural self, at the crossroads of civilizations and continents, without ceasing to let us hear his African roots.

R.L. Burnside is one of the greatest blues artists of our time. R.L. has been performing since the 1950s, although he didn't garner much recognition until recording for Fat Possum Records in the 1990's. Along with his label mate Junior Kimbrough, R.L. has produced some of the most unique and passionate blues out there.
9/2/2005: I'm very sad to report the news that R.L. Burnside has died at the age of 78. He will be greatly missed.
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