Amazon.com Country and rock 'n' roll legend Johnny Cash hosted his own variety television series from the summer of 1969 to spring 1971, and by all accounts the weekly program was destination TV. The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971 is an 83-minute summary of everything Cash tried to do in his hourlong format, from presenting an eclectic and even-handed overview of popular music to promoting a humanitarian perspective on issues that mattered most to him: drug use, poverty, reliance on faith, compassion for criminals.
This DVD documentary is largely comprised of musical performances by Cash and some of the many guests who appeared on his show. But there are also snippets of interviews with behind-the-camera talent involved with the program as well as such old friends as Kris Kristofferson and Hank Williams Jr. Everyone speaks highly of Cash's warm, on-camera persona, and selected footage proves them right: Cash is ever the gentleman with an expansive spirit and down-to-earth grit. Musical highlights include Cash's own "I Walk the Line" and "Man In Black," Bob Dylan's straightforward "I Threw It All Away," Loretta Lynn's "I Know How," and a delightful George Jones medley. Ray Charles takes a bluesy spin on "Ring of Fire," Cash's fellow Sun Records artists Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison take turns in the spotlight, Neil Young brings the crowd to its feet with an amazing "The Needle and the Damage Done," and Eric Clapton (fronting Derek and the Dominos) turns in a passionate "It's Too Late." --Tom Keogh
Product Description Studio: Sony Music Release Date: 09/18/2007
As seen on PBS?July 30, 2010 Bruce L Suttle There is no indication until you buy it, that this is one of those PBS specials that you can watch (and record) for free on PBS. Once you buy it you see a sticker on the shrink-wrap, "As seen on PBS." Deceptive advertising in my opinion. This is NOT just the Johnny Cash TV Show. It is a documentary about the 60's - anti-war protests, hippies, etc. So if you're looking for Country Music, well, yes, it's there, but you also get a lot of propaganda. Oh well, caveat emptor I guess.The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971
Johnny Cash for husbandMay 29, 2010 Rita Conchita(California, USA) The Johnny Cash Show is just what my huband wanted for his birthday and he's very happy. Great show!
Amazing Performances by Music LegendsMay 27, 2010 G. Frisby(Yorktown VA) I bought this as a gift for my husband, and we were amazed by the number and quality of the performances. Johnny Cash's connection with the live studio audience was remarkable, and is a reminder of why this TV series was so popular. Performances by Kris Kristofferson (who narrates), Waylon Jennings, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton were among the most memorable. Duets with Johnny and June Carter Cash are touching, especially since both of them have passed away. For all of us who were glued to the TV from the moment we heard "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" at the start of every show, this is a must-have collection.
Cash NostalgiaApril 11, 2010 M. C. Malek(KS) Watching the Johnny Cash Show video brought back so many memories of him and his performances in the late '60's and early '70's. I grew up watching Johnny on Hootenanny, Jimmy Dean's show and later his own TV show. There is no one who compares with Cash. I enjoyed the variety of guests he had on his program and it showed a wide range of talent during that time period. I'm so glad to add this DVD to my collection of Cash music and videos.
Great but incompleteMarch 31, 2010 D. Johnson This is a great, but incomplete, companion to the terrific DVD of the Johnny Cash TV Show. All the performances are enjoyable and some are absolute gems. Ray Charles' killer take on Ring of Fire is worth the price of the disk all on its own (when I saw the performance on the DVD it was the one that made me wish there was also a DVD). The Derek and the Dominos track, Kristoferson singing his own "Loving Her Was Easier" and Johnny, June, the Tennessee Three, Statler Bros and Carl Perkins on Belshazzar also stand out. That said, you have to wonder why so many other great performances available on the DVD are left off the CD (Johnny and Bob Dylan on Girl from the North Country, Neil Young & Needle & the Damage Done,Johnny singing Sunday Morning Coming Down - which Kris K. says on the DVD made him, etc). Maybe there are other disks in the future? The other shortcoming are the fairly short and uninformative liner notes, which are a consistent shortfall of the posthumous JC releases. Given that this disk and the American Recordings are co-produced by John Carter Cash it would seem reasonable to expect liner notes with some insights - in this case about the making of the Johnny Cash show, how Johnny got the great artists to appear on the show, his impressions of singing with them, how the tracks were selected, etc. All of that said, as written in the liner notes, Johnny was groundbreaking in recording these live performances to 8-track and had the foresight to preserve them so we are lucky to have them at all - why nit-pick. The liner notes also provide a disclaimer that the sound quality of the disk reflects the relatively poor source material but, knowing the source, the sound is quite good and more than satisfactory. This is a treat for Johnny Cash fans and a time capsule from a unique era. NOTE: Many of the other reviews are for the DVD of the Johnny Cash Show, not this CD.
