American Recordings (album)
Encyclopedia
American Recordings is a Grammy Award
-winning album by the country
singer Johnny Cash
. It was released in April 1994 (see 1994 in music
), the first album issued by American Recordings after its name change from Def American. (The album was named after the label.) In 2003, the album was ranked number 364 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
Cash was approached by producer Rick Rubin and offered a contract with Rubin's American Recordings label, better known for rap
and heavy metal
than for country music
. Under Rubin's supervision, he recorded the album in his living room, accompanied only by his guitar. For years Cash was often at odds with his producers after he had discovered with his first producer, Sam Phillips
, that his voice was better suited to a stripped-down musical style. Most famously he disagreed with Jack Clement
over his sound, Clement having tried to give Cash's songs a "twangy" feel and to add strings and barbershop-quartet-style singers. His successful collaboration with Rick Rubin was in part due to Rubin seeking a minimalist sound for his songs.
The songs "Tennessee Stud" and "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" were recorded live at the Viper Room
, a Sunset Strip
, Los Angeles
nightclub owned at the time by Johnny Depp
. "The Beast in Me
" was written and originally recorded by Cash's former stepson-in-law Nick Lowe
.
The video for the first single, the traditional song "Delia's Gone," (directed by Anton Corbijn
and featuring Kate Moss
) was put into rotation on MTV, and even appeared on Beavis and Butt-head (Beavis asking if Cash was Captain Kangaroo
). The album was hailed by critics and many declared it to be Cash's finest album since the late 1960s, while his versions of songs by more modern artists such as Tom Waits
and Glenn Danzig
(who penned a song called "Thirteen" specifically for Cash, in just twenty minutes) helped to bring him a new audience. American Recordings received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album of the Year at the 1994 Grammy Awards. The album cover was photographed whilst Cash was visiting Australia, at Werribee near Melbourne
.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning album by the country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. It was released in April 1994 (see 1994 in music
1994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
), the first album issued by American Recordings after its name change from Def American. (The album was named after the label.) In 2003, the album was ranked number 364 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Cash was approached by producer Rick Rubin and offered a contract with Rubin's American Recordings label, better known for rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
than for country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. Under Rubin's supervision, he recorded the album in his living room, accompanied only by his guitar. For years Cash was often at odds with his producers after he had discovered with his first producer, Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
, that his voice was better suited to a stripped-down musical style. Most famously he disagreed with Jack Clement
Jack Clement
Jack Henderson Clement is an American singer, songwriter, and a record and film producer.Raised and educated in Memphis, Jack Clement was performing at an early age...
over his sound, Clement having tried to give Cash's songs a "twangy" feel and to add strings and barbershop-quartet-style singers. His successful collaboration with Rick Rubin was in part due to Rubin seeking a minimalist sound for his songs.
The songs "Tennessee Stud" and "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" were recorded live at the Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
, a Sunset Strip
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
nightclub owned at the time by Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
. "The Beast in Me
The Beast in Me
"The Beast in Me" is a song from Nick Lowe's 1994 album The Impossible Bird. The song was originally recorded by Lowe's former father-in-law Johnny Cash on his American Recordings album.-Appearances in other media:...
" was written and originally recorded by Cash's former stepson-in-law Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
.
The video for the first single, the traditional song "Delia's Gone," (directed by Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
and featuring Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
) was put into rotation on MTV, and even appeared on Beavis and Butt-head (Beavis asking if Cash was Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
). The album was hailed by critics and many declared it to be Cash's finest album since the late 1960s, while his versions of songs by more modern artists such as Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
and Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
(who penned a song called "Thirteen" specifically for Cash, in just twenty minutes) helped to bring him a new audience. American Recordings received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album of the Year at the 1994 Grammy Awards. The album cover was photographed whilst Cash was visiting Australia, at Werribee near Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Track listing
- "Delia's Gone" (Karl Silbersdorf, Dick Toops) – 2:18
- Originally recorded by Cash for The Sound of Johnny CashThe Sound of Johnny CashThe Sound of Johnny Cash is the thirteenth album by country singer Johnny Cash, released in 1962 . Among other songs, it contains "In the Jailhouse Now", a Jimmie Rodgers cover which reached No. 8 on the Country charts, and "Delia's Gone", which Cash would re-record years later, on American...
(1962)
- Originally recorded by Cash for The Sound of Johnny Cash
- "Let the Train Blow the Whistle" (Cash) – 2:15
- "The Beast in MeThe Beast in Me"The Beast in Me" is a song from Nick Lowe's 1994 album The Impossible Bird. The song was originally recorded by Lowe's former father-in-law Johnny Cash on his American Recordings album.-Appearances in other media:...
" (Nick LoweNick LoweNicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
) – 2:45- Originally recorded by Lowe for The Impossible BirdThe Impossible BirdThe Impossible Bird is an album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Produced by Lowe and Neil Brockbank, it was released in the UK in 1994 on Demon Records and elsewhere by Upstart Records.-Tracks listing:#"Soulful Wind" - 3:01...
(1994)
- Originally recorded by Lowe for The Impossible Bird
- "Drive On" (Cash) – 2:23
- "Why Me LordWhy Me (Kris Kristofferson song)"Why Me" is an American country and gospel song written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson.-Song history:Kristofferson had become the toast of Nashville in the early 1970s, with the massive success of compositions including "For the Good Times," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Sunday Morning Coming Down,"...
" (Kris KristoffersonKris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
) – 2:20- Originally recorded by Kristofferson for Jesus Was a CapricornJesus Was a CapricornJesus Was a Capricorn is the fourth album by Kris Kristofferson, released in 1972 on Monument Records. The album cover pictures Kristofferson and his soon-to-be wife Rita Coolidge...
(1972)
- Originally recorded by Kristofferson for Jesus Was a Capricorn
- "Thirteen" (edit) (Glenn DanzigGlenn DanzigGlenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
) – 2:29- Full-length version appears on Disc 5 of the Unearthed Box Set. Written by Glenn Danzig for Cash. Later recorded by DanzigDanzig (band)Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
for Danzig 6:66 Satan's Child6:66 Satan's Child6:66 Satan's Child is the sixth studio album from Danzig. It was released in 1999 on E-Magine Records.-Music and recording:6:66 Satan's Child has a mostly industrial metal sound. It was the first Danzig album to be produced using digital recording methods...
(1999)
- Full-length version appears on Disc 5 of the Unearthed Box Set. Written by Glenn Danzig for Cash. Later recorded by Danzig
- "Oh, Bury Me Not (Introduction: A Cowboy's Prayer)" (John LomaxJohn LomaxJohn Avery Lomax was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist and folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk songs...
, Alan LomaxAlan LomaxAlan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
, Roy RogersRoy RogersRoy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
, Tim Spencer) – 3:52- Originally recorded by Cash for Sings the Ballads of the True WestSings the Ballads of the True WestSings the Ballads of the True West is a conceptual double album and the twenty-first album released by country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1965 . Covering twenty individual songs, the album, as its title suggests, contains various ballads and other songs on topics related to...
(1965)
- Originally recorded by Cash for Sings the Ballads of the True West
- "Bird on a WireBird on the Wire"Bird on the Wire" is one of Leonard Cohen's signature songs. It was recorded 26 September 1968 in Nashville and included on his 1969 album Songs from a Room. A May 1968 recording produced by David Crosby, entitled "Like a Bird", was added to the 2007 remastered CD...
" (Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
) – 4:01- Originally recorded by Cohen for Songs from a RoomSongs from a RoomSongs from a Room is the second album of Canadian musician Leonard Cohen, released in 1969. It reached #63 on the Billboard list and #2 at UK charts....
(1969)
- Originally recorded by Cohen for Songs from a Room
- "Tennessee Stud" (live) (Jimmy DriftwoodJimmy DriftwoodJames Corbitt Morris , known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was a prolific American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud"...
) – 2:54- Originally a hit single for Eddy ArnoldEddy ArnoldRichard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
(1959)
- Originally a hit single for Eddy Arnold
- "Down There by the Train" (Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
) – 5:34- Written by Waits for Cash. Later released by Waits on his Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & BastardsOrphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & BastardsOrphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards is a limited edition three CD set by Tom Waits, released by the ANTI- label on November 17, 2006 in Europe and on November 21, 2006 in the United States.The set is a collection of 24 rare and 30 brand new songs...
rarities collection.
- Written by Waits for Cash. Later released by Waits on his Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
- "Redemption" (Cash) – 3:03
- "Like a Soldier" (Cash) – 2:50
- "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" (live) (Loudon WainwrightLoudon Wainwright IIILoudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
) – 5:03- Originally recorded by Wainwright for Attempted MustacheAttempted MustacheAttempted Mustache is the fourth album from Loudon Wainwright III. It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Johnston and was released in 1973 on Columbia Records....
(1973)
- Originally recorded by Wainwright for Attempted Mustache
Personnel
- Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
- producer - Johnny Cash - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals, main performer, liner notes - Jim Scott - mixing
- David Ferguson - sound recordist
- Stephen Marcussen - mastering
- Christine Cano - design
- Martyn Atkins - art director, photographer
Chart performance
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 110 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums | 9 |
| Canadian RPM Top Albums | 72 |