Saturday, November 22, 2008

Man In Black + Unwashed Phenomenon = One Fine Session

How about some GREAT American music?

On Aquarium Drunkard, mp3s of a Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan session from 1969. Dylan sings in his "Nashville Skyline" voice and Cash sings in, well, his incomparable voice. (Just listen to him sing on "Girl from the North Country". Wow. Thanks to Wildflower Seed for the tip about the video!)

Several classics are covered: a swinging, rocking version of "Matchbox", "That's all right, mama", "I walk the line" (sounding more like a cool, pleasant stroll through a park), "Ring of Fire", "You are my sunshine" etc.

This recording settles all past, present and future debates about whether Dylan can sing harmony.

Now I am going to try hard to keep my mind from getting blown completely just thinking about Dylan and Cash occupying the same room.

9 comments:

wildflower seed said...

Hey, there's video of these sessions.

"The Man, His World, His Music" - from the same year.

This is a *classic* doc, IMO. Cash talking about his music with June looking on, Cash checking out a fawning rookie backstage before putting him onto his record producer.

And then the Dylan bits.....

What debate?! Please dispatch dissenters to "Idiot Wind" and "Wallflower" in Bootleg "CDs". :D

km said...

WFS: Oh yeah, I should link to the vids. (The Johnny Cash Show has so many outstanding performances on it.)

Funny, I've always enjoyed Dylan's singing but there are those who insist he can't sing at all :)

Tabula Rasa said...

was it joan baez who called him the best singer she knew? people who say he can't sing are essentially making judgment calls on the sound of his voice. in terms of voice modulation and control, he's ace.

km said...

TR: or, as my wife said to me during a Dylan concert, "what did he just say?" :)

Tabula Rasa said...

:-D

MockTurtle said...

I've heard it said that Ring of Fire was originally a lament about his persistent battle with hemorrhoids (it burns burns burns... this ring of fire).
Any truth to that?

km said...

MT: LOL, but you have the story wrong. JC's estate was approached by Preparation-H maker to license the song to them. Thankfully, the estate refused to sell.

km said...

MT: I should have added: "or so I have read on the web" :)

Also, the other urban legend about this song's origin involves JC setting a forest on fire. I like that story a lot better.

MockTurtle said...

Really? Wow, I just made that up. I guess prurient minds think alike, eh?