Those familiar with Johnny Cash's story know that, if one were to collect all of the material the singer released in just one year at the height of his career and released it, the results would be a staggering, multi-disc tome. Particularly in the '60s and '70s, Cash's schedule of appearances was enormous and the records which came from that period (Live In San Quentin and Live At Folsom Prison among them) went on to become not just cornerstone releases, but albums that summed up an image and an ethic and were a psychological blueprint for the Man In Black. Truly, those records are a genuine extension of their maker, and it is on that period (1968 – 1972) upon which Johnny Cash's Setlist compilation takes its' focus.
Compiling tracks from Folsom Prison and San Quentin as well as the singer's performances at Madison Square Garden, 1969 and The White House, 1970 and others from around the same period, what listeners get from Setlist is (of course) just a taste of the wealth of material Johnny Cash recorded in that time period, but what really shines through on this comp is the fact that the singer never tailored a set to any particular crowd; it didn't matter if he was playing for a bunch of respectable socialites and politicians at the American capital or a bunch of convicts in California and Sweden or on a stage erected in one of the most famous arenas in the world, Johnny Cash gave the same caliber performance for them all and offered each audience the same level of respect. That fact shows through on the singer's Setlist entry because it isn't presented in chronological order, but has an incredibly good flow as it passes from Folsom Prison in California to Osteraker Prison Sweden to the White House between “I Got A Woman,” “Life Of A Prisoner” and “What Is Truth” in this run-time and does so smoothly, with no obvious gaffes along the way. That sort of consistency holds true throughout the set as it delivers timeless songs both in classic takes (“I Walk The Line,” ”Folsom Prison Blues,” “Man In Black”) as well as lesser-known versions (there's no small number of renditions of “A Boy Named Sue” out there, but the one from Osteraker Prison included here is arguably the least well-known) that hold up well stacked next to their gold and platinum-coated counterparts. In this case, the mix works incredibly well and even manages to sound like one show rather than a sampling of several; and that has everything to do with the consistent manner in which Cash performed.
Now, of course, a case could be made for Setlist: Johnny Cash being bait to fuel an increase in the sales of other Johnny Cash live albums (this is a pretty good sampler) but, to be honest, this single disc does live up to the title of “greatest hits live” – there are plenty more out there, but this is a good sampler for those that don't have the money to spend but want a little taste.
Artist:
www.johnnycash.com/
Album:
Setlist: The Very Best Of Johnny Cash Live is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
