 |
AMERICA
Johnny Cash
(Columbia)
Enter the New Patriotism. You know its symbol, the bold American flag. It's everywhere you look, magazine covers, restaurants downtown and, of course, for a while, stapled to our music. Ryan Adams just put it on his album cover, upside down, mind you (printed before September). The Strokes removed a song about New York City cops being dumb, a very un-American thing to push in these times of being "careful what you say."
And maybe you've noticed the score of tribute albums splashed in red, white and blue. This is probably just the beginning, at least for a while, of turning up American iconography on the world, so get used to it, especially in country music, its roots and HQ dug deep into the South.
You can't accuse Johnny Cash of anything with this re-release, however. America is a great album, dealing with some very American concepts. Indeed, pretty much every song has some reference to the blazing gun as he slowly goes through the nation's history. Here's Lincoln getting shot, now a song about the Alamo. Mind you, Cash also makes mention of the natives who had his country before the cowboy came along with his own weapons.
Before each sung history, Cash gives a spoken preamble, his quavering take on the events since 1776. Mister Garfield is an excellent tune, full of fire, and while Cash's stab at The Battle of New Orleans isn't quite as heavy-metal as Johnny Horton's, it fits in well. As much poetry as music, this has the feel of something lodged right in between a clever kid's social studies essay and an A&E documentary, not too full of propaganda.
If nothing else, it illustrates the rise of a country that even though the most powerful on the planet, nonetheless claims a certain victim status when justifying its massive need for defence, ever since Paul Revere rode through town with his bullhorn. (More on: Johnny Cash).
Track Listing
1. Opening Dialogue
2. Paul Revere
3. Begin West Movement
4. The Road To Kaintuck
5. To The Shining Mountains
6. The Battle Of New Orleans
7. Southwestward
8. Remember The Alamo
9. Opening The West Webster
10. Lorena
11. The Gettysburg Address
12. The West
13. Big Foot
14. Like A Young Colt
15. Mister Garfield
16. A Proud Land
17. The Big Battle
18. On Wheels And Wings
19. Come Take A Trip In My Airship
20. Reaching For The Stars
21. These Are My People