Saturday, August 4, 2007

If Anyone Asks What I Want For Christmas



From Pitchfork Media:

"On September 18, CMV/Columbia/Legacy will release The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show, a 2xDVD compiling 64 live performances from the 58 episodes of Johnny Cash's 1969-1971 "The Johnny Cash Show".

Kris Kristofferson hosts the DVD, which features performances from Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Louis Armstrong, Loretta Lynn, Neil Diamond, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones, Derek and the Dominoes, Roy Orbison, the Carter Family (inluding June Carter Cash), and Johnny Cash himself, among many others."

Jesus H. Cash, people, look at this lineup:

01 Johnny Cash: "Ring of Fire"
02 Bob Dylan: "I Threw It All Away"
03 Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan: "Girl From the North Country"
04 Kris Kristofferson: "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)"
05 Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash: "Blue Yodel #9"
06 Stevie Wonder: "Heaven Help Us All"
07 Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Bad Moon Rising"
08 Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Cash: "I Will Never Marry"
09 George Jones and Johnny Cash: "White Lightning"
10 George Jones: "Medley: She Thinks I Still Care / The Love Bug / The Race Is On"
11 Johnny Cash: "Hey Porter"
12 Waylon Jennings: "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line"
13 Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash: "The Singing Star's Queen"
14 Waylon Jennings: "Brown Eyed Handsome Man"
15 Tammy Wynette: "Stand by Your Man"
16 Marty Robbins: "Medley: Big Iron / Running Gun / El Paso"
17 Johnny Cash: "Ride This Train"
18 Johnny Cash: "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow"
19 Johnny Cash: "Man in Black"
20 James Taylor: "Sweet Baby James"
21 Pete Seeger: "Cripple Creek"
22 Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash: "Worried Man Blues"
23 Johnny Cash: "Sunday Morning Coming Down"
24 Johnny Cash: "Old Time Religion"
25 Johnny Cash: "A Wonderful Time Up There"
26 Johnny Cash, the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three: "Daddy Sang Bass"
27 Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters: "Wildwood Flower"
28 Neil Young: "The Needle and the Damage Done"
29 Johnny Cash: "Tennessee Flat Top Box"
30 Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash: "Long Black Veil"
31 Johnny Cash: "Big River"
32 Johnny Cash: "I Walk the Line"
33 June Carter Cash: "A Good Man"
34 Derek and the Dominoes: "It's Too Late"
35 Derek and the Dominoes With Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins: "Matchbox"
36 Charley Pride: "Able Bodied Man"
37 Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys: "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
38 Loretta Lynn: "I Know How"
39 Jerry Lee Lewis: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
40 Johnny Cash: "Ride This Train (America the Beautiful, This Land Is Your Land)"
41 The Everly Brothers With Ike Everly and Johnny Cash: "Silver Haired Daddy of Mine"
42 Ray Charles: "Ring of Fire"
43 Johnny Cash: "A Boy Named Sue"
44 Conway Twitty: "Hello Darlin'"
45 Mother Maybelle Carter: "Black Mountain Rag"
46 Neil Diamond: "Cracklin' Rosie"
47 Ray Price: "For the Good Times"
48 Roy Orbison: "Crying"
49 Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash: "Oh, Pretty Woman"
50 Johnny Cash: "Wanted Man"
51 Chet Atkins: "Medley: Country Gentleman / Mister Sandman / Wildwood Flower / Freight Train"
52 June Carter Cash With Homer and Jethro: "Baby It's Cold Outside"
53 Merle Haggard: "No Hard Time Blues"
54 Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash: "Sing Me Back Home"
55 Carl Perkins: "Blue Suede Shoes"
56 Johnny Cash, the Carter Family and Carl Perkins: "The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago"
57 The Statler Brothers: "Flowers on the Wall"
58 Roy Clark: "Medley: In the Summertime / 12th Street Rag"
59 Johnny Cash: "Working Man Blues"
60 Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: "Jackson"
61 Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: "Turn Around"
62 Johnny Cash: "I Love You Because"
63 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"
64 Johnny Cash: "Folsom Prison Blues"

CCR doing "Bad Moon Rising"? Neil Young doing "The Needle and the Damage Done"? Derek and the Dominos doing "Matchbox" with Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins? Stevie Wonder doing "Heaven Help Us All"? Joni Mitchell doing "The Long Black Veil"? Dylan doing "I Threw It All Away"? Neil Diamond doing "Cracklin' Rosie"? No other video package will do, folks - not even the Midnight Special.

But the true wealth of this collection can only be appreciated by a hardcore pre-80s country music fan such as myself. George Jones does a medley of "She Thinks I Still Care/The Love Bug/The Race Is On"? Awesome. Conway Twitty does "Hello Darlin"? Couldn't get any better. The only thing missing is some Buck Owens. If I ever get my hands on this thing, I'll have died and gone to tacky checkered drape heaven.

3 comments:

  1. I think I'll get myself this DVD for Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  2. have to admit, i am more interested in trance mixes these days, but i wouldn't mind owning this also. very much the root of a lot of the music I enjoy, founded by this gent.

    ReplyDelete