American VI: Ain't No Grave
Encyclopedia
Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 78, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Critics praised Cash's ability to record at his age and to communicate the album's content through minimalist, emotional arrangements. The Times
writer Pete Paphides gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that Cash's "most soulful performances on American VI are invested in Nashville standards". However, some critics remarked that the song selection was weaker than some of the previous installments and that after five earlier collections, this particular installment somewhat fell into a formula employed by earlier albums. Slant Magazine
writer Jesse Cataldo gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and wrote that "the angle imposed here is a double-edged sword, granting a too-strict formula for these songs to occupy, but also granting a greater measure of artistic freedom". Pitchfork Media
's Stephen M. Deusner expressed a mixed response towards Rick Rubin's production, stating "Ain't No Grave isn't really Cash's farewell as much as it is Rubin's memorial mixtape".
Giving it 4 out of 5 stars, Andy Gill of The Independent
declared the album less strong than American V: A Hundred Highways
, but maintains that this installment, "comes so close to those heights [that it] is cause for rejoicing." Jerry Shriver of USA Today
gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and stated "Though some of the others in the series have stronger songs and performances, this one still is indispensible". The Washington Post
s Bill Friskics-Warren wrote that the album presents Cash as "an unwavering man of faith" and noted a "spiritual, even biblical quality to the record". Los Angeles Times
writer Ann Powers
called it "Cash's hospice
record" and lauded his musicianship. In his consumer guide for MSN Music
, critic Robert Christgau
gave American VI: Ain't No Grave an A rating and called it "both the grimmest and the most hopeful" of "those nearness-of-death albums". The Daily Telegraph
s Andrew Perry gave it 5 out of 5 stars and called it "Cash’s final, life-affirming masterpiece".
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 78, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Critics praised Cash's ability to record at his age and to communicate the album's content through minimalist, emotional arrangements. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
writer Pete Paphides gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that Cash's "most soulful performances on American VI are invested in Nashville standards". However, some critics remarked that the song selection was weaker than some of the previous installments and that after five earlier collections, this particular installment somewhat fell into a formula employed by earlier albums. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
writer Jesse Cataldo gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and wrote that "the angle imposed here is a double-edged sword, granting a too-strict formula for these songs to occupy, but also granting a greater measure of artistic freedom". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Stephen M. Deusner expressed a mixed response towards Rick Rubin's production, stating "Ain't No Grave isn't really Cash's farewell as much as it is Rubin's memorial mixtape".
Giving it 4 out of 5 stars, Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
declared the album less strong than American V: A Hundred Highways
American V: A Hundred Highways
-Track listing:#"Help Me" – 2:51#:Previously recorded by Kris Kristofferson for Jesus Was a Capricorn #"God's Gonna Cut You Down" – 2:38...
, but maintains that this installment, "comes so close to those heights [that it] is cause for rejoicing." Jerry Shriver of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and stated "Though some of the others in the series have stronger songs and performances, this one still is indispensible". The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
s Bill Friskics-Warren wrote that the album presents Cash as "an unwavering man of faith" and noted a "spiritual, even biblical quality to the record". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Ann Powers
Ann Powers
Ann Powers is an American writer and pop music critic.Powers has been writing about popular music and society since the early 1980s...
called it "Cash's hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
record" and lauded his musicianship. In his consumer guide for MSN Music
MSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave American VI: Ain't No Grave an A rating and called it "both the grimmest and the most hopeful" of "those nearness-of-death albums". The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
s Andrew Perry gave it 5 out of 5 stars and called it "Cash’s final, life-affirming masterpiece".
Track listing
- "Ain't No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down)" (Claude ElyClaude Ely"Brother" Claude Ely was a religious singer-songwriter and a Pentecostal Holiness preacher.Brother Claude Daniel Ely, coined as the King Recording Label’s “Gospel Ranger” of the Appalachian Mountains, was born in Pucketts Creek, Virginia...
; credited as Traditional) – 2:53- Originally recorded by Bozie Sturdivant in 1941; Ely's version recorded in 1953
- "Redemption Day" (Sheryl CrowSheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
) – 4:22- Originally recorded by Crow for the album Sheryl CrowSheryl Crow (album)Sheryl Crow is the second album by American singer Sheryl Crow, released in 1996. Reaching #6 on the Billboard 200, Sheryl Crow sold 2.9 million units in the United States as of January 2008 and is certified 3× platinum. On the UK Album Chart, Sheryl Crow reached #5...
(1996)
- Originally recorded by Crow for the album Sheryl Crow
- "For the Good TimesFor the Good Times (song)"For the Good Times" is a 1970 song penned by Kris Kristofferson that appeared on his debut album Kristofferson.Later that year, Ray Price recorded a version of the song which topped the U.S. country music charts and was awarded "Song of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music...
" (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"...
) – 3:22- Originally recorded by Kristofferson for the album KristoffersonKristofferson (album)Kristofferson is the first album by Kris Kristofferson, released in 1970 on Monument Records.Many of the songs on the album were already hits when covered by other artists...
(1970)
- Originally recorded by Kristofferson for the album Kristofferson
- "I Corinthians 15:55" (Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn 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...
) – 3:38- Based on 1 Corinthians 15:551 Corinthians 151 Corinthians: 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians by Paul the Apostle. The first eleven verses are the earliest account of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus in the New Testament. The rest of the chapter stresses the primacy of the resurrection for Christianity...
: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
- Based on 1 Corinthians 15:55
- "Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound" (Tom PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
) – 3:26- Originally recorded by Paxton for the album Ramblin' BoyRamblin' BoyRamblin' Boy is the debut album by American folk singer-songwriter Tom Paxton, released in 1964.Three songs from Ramblin' Boy were frequently covered by other artists – the title song, "I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound" and "The Last Thing on My Mind"...
(1964)
- Originally recorded by Paxton for the album Ramblin' Boy
- "A Satisfied MindA Satisfied MindA Satisfied Mind is a compilation of 9 of the 12 songs from the 1962 Capitol album Big Bluegrass Special plus "A Satisfied Mind" which was previously released as flipside of Glen Campbell's 1966 Capitol single "Can’t You See I’m Trying"....
" (Red Hayes, Jack RhodesJack RhodesAndrew Jackson Rhodes was an American country music producer and songwriter, penning such hits as "A Satisfied Mind", "Silver Threads and Golden Needles", "Conscience I'm Guilty", "The Waltz of the Angels", "Beautiful Lies", and "Till the Last Leaf Shall Fall"...
) – 2:48- Originally recorded by Porter WagonerPorter WagonerPorter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
in 1955
- Originally recorded by Porter Wagoner
- "I Don't Hurt AnymoreI Don't Hurt Anymore"I Don't Hurt Anymore" is a 1954 song by Hank Snow. It was written by Don Robertson and Jack Rollins. The song was Hank Snow's fourth number one on the country chart where it spent twenty weeks at the top spot and a total of forty-one weeks on the chart....
" (Don Robertson, Walter E. Rollins) – 2:45- Originally recorded by Hank SnowHank SnowClarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...
in 1954 and also an R&B hit for Dinah WashingtonDinah WashingtonDinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
the same year
- Originally recorded by Hank Snow
- "Cool WaterCool Water"Cool Water" is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a man and his mule, Dan, and a mirage in the desert.-Original version:The best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948. The recording was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number...
" (Bob NolanBob NolanBob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...
) – 2:53- Originally written by Nolan in 1936; most famous version by The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948
- "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (Ed McCurdyEd McCurdyEd McCurdy was an American folk singer, songwriter, and television actor. His anti-war classic, "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" , inspired and gave hope to those in the peace movement.-Career:...
) – 3:14- Originally recorded by McCurdy in 1950
- "Aloha Oe" (Queen Lili'uokalani) – 3:00
- Originally written by Lili'uokalani in 1877; recorded by Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
in 1961 for Blue HawaiiBlue HawaiiBlue Hawaii is a 1961 musical film set in the state of Hawaii and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written American Musical. The movie opened at no...
- Originally written by Lili'uokalani in 1877; recorded by Elvis Presley
Personnel
- Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn 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...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, 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... - Scott AvettScott AvettScott Yancey Avett is one of the lead singers and founding members of the folk-rock band, The Avett Brothers. Avett primarily plays the banjo but also plays harmonica, drums, piano, acoustic guitar and electric guitar for the band based out of Concord, North Carolina...
– banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
on "Ain't No Grave" - Seth AvettSeth AvettTimothy Seth Avett is one of the lead singers and founding members of the folk-rock band The Avett Brothers. Avett sings and plays guitar drums and piano for the band based out of Concord, North Carolina...
– footsteps & chains on "Ain't No Grave" - Mike Campbell – guitar
- Smokey Hormel – guitar
- Jonny Polonsky – guitar
- Matt SweeneyMatt SweeneyMatt Sweeney is a guitarist, vocalist, and producer who has worked with various musicians and groups.-Biography:Sweeney's high school band Skunk released two albums on Twin/Tone records...
– guitar - Benmont TenchBenmont TenchBenjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
22 |
| Australian ARIA Top Country Albums | 2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
4 |
| Danish Album Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
2 |
| German Album Chart | 3 |
| Netherlands MegaCharts MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
2 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 12 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
3 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
6 |
| Swiss Music Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
10 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
9 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 2 |
End of year charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Danish Albums Chart | 39 |
| US Billboard Top Country Albums | 37 |
External links
- American VI: Ain't No Grave at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- American VI: Ain't No Grave at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...