The 1981 Listening Post - Johnny Cash - The Baron

 Johnny Cash - The Baron

#279

By Edward DeSantis

June 1 1981

Johnny Cash

The Baron

Genre: Johnny Cash

Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Edward’s Rating: 3.75 of 5

Highlights:

The Blues Keep Gettin’ Bluer

Hey, Hey Train

Fresh off becoming the Country Music Hall of Fame's youngest living inductee at age 48 in 1980 and before he teamed up with Waylon, Willie and Kris in the Highwaymen in 1985 Johnny Cash released The Baron. A classic set of stories from the Man in Black. He’s staying in his lane as a righteous preacher and raconteur. He’s not here to push any boundaries or make any statements a la Folsom Prison but each song is well produced and recorded. As a fan of his work it’s no surprise some of the songs contain a “trick ending”. “The Baron” being a prime example (I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s somewhat predictable).

“Hey, Hey Train” keeps up the tradition of Johnny’s to make the click clack of the train tracks push a song forward, delightfully relentlessly. I’m a big fan of such rhythmic ploys especially when done so well. “Thanks to You” is a beautiful song full of shimmery pedal steel and a country choir that lifts his voice above the altar in the steeple in my mind. Few artists can wrangle those elements as masterfully as Johnny can. “The Blues Keep Gettin’ Bluer” is a near perfect example of Johnny letting his voice get in your chest and rattle around, the ‘80s style effects on the guitar are the only taint on the otherwise classic Johnny track. Closing out the album is “The Greatest Love Affair” a slow, lullaby, love letter to America herself. Delivering the introduction spoken word style the choir returns to swell the track to an exalted peak with strings and a final “I love you America, I love you”.

The Baron keeps Johnny in the studio to help him remain in the Country Music press but his fans will have to wait a few years for him to remind them he’s a pioneer and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

https://open.spotify.com/album/76d5Nl4fSrFcnuGNpA1kbc?si=4HnjDTQFSLu1EVWRBesI6Q

The 1980 Listening Post - Johnny Cash - Rockabilly Blues

 Johnny Cash - Rockabilly Blues

#374

September 22 1980

Johnny Cash

Rockabilly Blues

Genre: Rock and Roll

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Rockabilly Blues

Ok, here goes my crit cred: 

It took me until my mid 30s to finally get around to Johnny Cash. Yeah. I know. Shut up.

And here’s what’s worse: It came through the Rick Rubin resurrection of American Recordings.

I know!!! Shut! Up!

Yes, yes, it was because of his Nine Inch Nails cover of “Closer”. 

ALL RIGHT ALREADY!

Ugh.

And then I heard the Folsom Prison live album and I really got it. 

Cash has such a paternal, don’t give a fuck persona that even when he phones it in that dirt under the fingernails stink of the auto repair shop still comes through more so than any other recording artist I can think of. 

Lemmy works there times as hard to sound like a man than Cash does. 

He is what you get if you ask an artist to sculpt the voice of Rock and Country into a mountain. 

And he takes this pedestrian collection into him black cloaked arms and lifts it up just enough for it to be more than passable. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/rockabilly-blues/280981900