Monday, September 13, 2004
CASH FROM CHAOS
A Tribute To The Legendary Man In Black, Johnny Cash
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Invisible Records, 2002
Tribute records are a hit-or-miss affair, and this low-budget effort is no exception to that well-worn rule. Going into this, my hunch was that this was all going to be the reverse of Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' which raised so many eybrows. My suspicions were confirmed with the first track, 'Orange Blossom Special' by Nine Inch Elvis. Just what you would think: an overproduced techno-rock fart filtered through one of Cash's folk song favorities.
But the whole CD does not stick to that one easy joke. The industrial version of 'Ring of Fire' by Bagman (whoever the hell they are) is very well done if barely recognizable, perhaps worth the freight alone if you find this disc for only a couple bucks. The listener can also find some rather more straight-ahead country rock takes on some of Cash's country greats, which are quite pleasant if light on innovation. There's a psychobilly feel on some of the numbers. On the down side, the version of 'Folsom Pison Blues' by Kill Switch Kick sounds like the lounge band at the Trent Reznor theme restaurant fronted by a James Hetfield impersonator. For the extremely adventurous or John Cash fanatics only. Rating: Bargain Bin Buy
A Tribute To The Legendary Man In Black, Johnny Cash
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Invisible Records, 2002
Tribute records are a hit-or-miss affair, and this low-budget effort is no exception to that well-worn rule. Going into this, my hunch was that this was all going to be the reverse of Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' which raised so many eybrows. My suspicions were confirmed with the first track, 'Orange Blossom Special' by Nine Inch Elvis. Just what you would think: an overproduced techno-rock fart filtered through one of Cash's folk song favorities.
But the whole CD does not stick to that one easy joke. The industrial version of 'Ring of Fire' by Bagman (whoever the hell they are) is very well done if barely recognizable, perhaps worth the freight alone if you find this disc for only a couple bucks. The listener can also find some rather more straight-ahead country rock takes on some of Cash's country greats, which are quite pleasant if light on innovation. There's a psychobilly feel on some of the numbers. On the down side, the version of 'Folsom Pison Blues' by Kill Switch Kick sounds like the lounge band at the Trent Reznor theme restaurant fronted by a James Hetfield impersonator. For the extremely adventurous or John Cash fanatics only. Rating: Bargain Bin Buy
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