After the phenomenal success of the first in the series of American Recordings that was released in 1994, Johnny Cash decided to do something completely different than that previous project had done. Instead of relying solely on acoustic performances with singing, this album is backed by not only Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers but a bunch of other guest musicians on the songs here. This should make for a more interesting and eclectic listening experience than the first American Recordings album released two years beforehand. There is a larger focus on covers here rather than originals as well. All in all, this should be a worthy sequel to hear, so let’s dive in and hear what this sounds like.

Rowboat is a Beck cover. It begins with lush-sounding acoustic guitars and launches into an excellent cover piece by Johnny Cash and friends. It sounds really great, even for just a cover. Johnny Cash sings from a deeply emotional place and sounds excellent here, with the backing group of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers here. Slide guitars and traditional mainstream Country Music touches are here, which sound really excellent to listen to. This is about missing a lover who is far away, and it is an incredible musical statement that sounds killer. This is perfect for those who live in rural USA and who enjoy the simple life at hand. The music matches the lyrics very well, with some unique Fender Telecaster-styled soloing at hand. A really awesome listening experience, this is top-notch and really enjoyable to hear. Johnny Cash is still in fine form by this time in his career, and the combination of his deep, baritone-styled voice and the backing music complement each other. This ends after three and a half minutes. Great start to the album.

Sea Of Heartbreak is a Don Gibson cover. It begins with a quick count-in and enters into a very good and upbeat song that is typical of Country Music tragedy lyrically and sounds really fantastic throughout. Johnny Cash is in full emotional mode here, and he puts on his moody stance musically. This is another surprisingly exciting and consistent tune to match the album’s format so far. Sure, it’s about negative emotions in this song but Johnny Cash puts his heart and soul into these performances. A great tune to listen to, nonetheless. It sounds quite epic and interesting for what this is. Even for a cover song, Johnny Cash makes this song into his own. The crisp acoustic guitars and piano make for an interesting listen that ends just before three minutes in length. Awesome.

Rusty Cage is a very unusual choice of song to cover, given that it originated from Soundgarden. It begins with excellent multitracked acoustic guitars and has some excellent melodies and singing from Johnny Cash. Some deep and introspective lyrics are present in this song, and it does sound superbly excellent. This is a deep, unique and glorious-sounding tune that proves that, even when delivering covers, Johnny Cash was no doubt a masterful and excellent musician through and through. This is very awesome and influential music on many acoustic driven artists out there. Soon enough, there is a dramatic change with multitracked acoustic guitars and electric guitars in separate channels. A really interesting listening experience is present. Johnny Cash sings about the desire for freedom and all that is good about it all. A great song, and one of the most memorable and listenable songs by Johnny Cash. It ends superbly with overdriven guitars to fade out.

The One Rose (That’s Left In My Heart) is a Jimmy Rodgers cover that begins with gorgeous acoustic guitar, slide guitars and piano throughout. Johnny Cash sings sweetly about longing for a lover long gone by. Still, this is an amazing musical piece that sounds deep and incredibly lush here. A great tune, even in his elderly days, Johnny Cash certainly had musical talent throughout. He sounds like a real professional for a Country based musician and was a leader in that respect. A really tremendous tune, despite being stereotypically about heartbreak and dramas to go with it, it is matched by a sweet slide guitar solo here. Great and fine music, this is perfect for Country Music lovers who don’t mind a band backup to match acoustic-driven music. Sweet.

Country Boy is a Johnny Cash original. It begins as a fast, old school Rockabilly styled number with a variety of guitars present and is very uptempo. This is a fantastic song to listen to, and it is very much for those of you out there who dig traditional styles of music that are fun and fresh. The acoustic guitar playing, in particular, is quite magical here and the lyrics are rather humourous as well. A great and different listening experience throughout, this shows that Johnny Cash could deliver very nicely here. Fun and different listening, this sounds totally awesome. It ends quickly after two and a half minutes in length.

Memories Are Made Of This is a Dean Martin cover. It begins with sweet and crisply melodic acoustic guitar, and Johnny Cash sings about romance and courting a lover. The lyrics present are totally awesome, and this tune sounds deep and dynamic throughout. Whether dark or shade musically, Johnny Cash could certainly deliver a fantastic musical statement, time after time. This ought to bring a smile to your face, even if you are not a big fan of the sort of Country Music that Johnny Cash is famous for. A simple folk’s sort of tale, this sounds resoundingly powerful.

Spiritual is a Spain cover. It begins with a reverberated arpeggio guitar section and follows with some awesome singing by Johnny Cash about Jesus and the concept of Christian love to a man and God who lived thousands of years ago. To be fair, this song will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is emotionally powerful and moving throughout. Laying bare one’s emotions and crying out for help, this is a great listen, even if it is lyrically bleak. It is matched by moving music that sounds superbly great and is a fine piece of artistry. Christians will embrace easily these lyrical concepts, but the religious overtones of this song may shy away other listeners. Still, this five-minute-long journey through sound is a pleasant listen. A great, great cover song that can move the listener to a melancholy mood, or even tears, this is a strong statement. Great to listen to, and something dynamic and unique. Towards the end, this builds up in volume and instrumentation, before concluding more quietly. A gem of a song that ends with some slowed-down guitars. Excellent.

The Kneeling Drunkard’s Plea begins with a swirling organ, piano parts and a count-in. Johnny Cash sings a tale of understandable experience with the said drunkard who pleads for help from God in prayer. Again, this is a Christian sort of song that may not appeal to a wider audience, but it still sounds really cool and great. An electric piano solo is present here, and the song is very upbeat, pleasant and joyful. A good and understandable piece of music designed for people who fear God and believe in Christianity, this is extremely cool. A sweet tune.

Southern Accents is a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover. It begins with some more multitracked acoustic guitars that sound fantastic. This is a song about the deep south of the USA where things are simpler, rural and different. A great listen, even for a cover of this sort. A slight tambourine is added to the verses, along with an interesting organ part to follow. This music is really fantastic for what it is, and it sounds top quality. Johnny Cash will be forever remembered as a brilliant musician extraordinaire, and the music here matches his deep voice nicely. Eventually, drums enter along with some gorgeous musical layers that sound fantastic. A great and awesome listening experience, with a reference to reoccurring dreams about one’s mother, this does sound superb. A genuinely good ballad that is worth repeat listens and is soothing and enjoyable. This is a bittersweet listen emotionally but is so good that you will not forget it. A great tune with some interesting comparisons musically. It ends with chiming acoustic guitars and a gentle conclusion. Excellent.

Mean Eyed Cat is a Johnny Cash original. It is another fairly upbeat Rockabilly Country Music-styled number, and it is a quirky, comical song to listen to. A really strange lyrical story matched perfectly to traditional music that sounds absolutely brilliant. Short, sweet and awesome to listen to, this is a cool listen about chasing a blonde-haired lady throughout the wild west of the USA, this is not a million miles away from Bob Dylan musically, both lyrically and with the singing and performances. A really nice and decent listening experience, this is a strange and different listen. The cat itself is an interesting sidenote in a great Country Music song that is short. Well done.

Meet Me In Heaven is another Johnny Cash original. It begins with some chiming and heavily affected acoustic guitar playing. This quickly launches into a really sweet and fantastic listening experience about enjoying a lover’s company who is really quintessentially centre to one’s life. This sounds great and is musically matched with layers of awesome guitars, organs and Johnny Cash’s deep and emotional voice. Understandably, this is a really cool and great listening experience and adds to the already awesome nature of this fantastic album. The organ solo here is welcome, too. A great tune about meeting a lover in heaven, this is again Christianity-based, but by goodness, it works. Religious overtones aside, this is sensationally good. Worth your ears. Another great song.

I Never Picked Cotton is a Roy Clark cover. It begins with some interesting guitar work and launches into another Southern USA tale of hard work as a young man and the promise of a better life ahead instead of working on a rural farm. This has some awesome sounds, including multitracked vocals, that sound really awesome and deep. Running away from the farm and becoming a literal cowboy, this is mainly music that rednecks out there would enjoy. Others will likely like it too, however. A really great tune to listen to, this sounds just like quintessential Johnny Cash and is super sweet. Definitely worth your ears, and great to listen to. It ends with clanging guitar chords.

Unchained is a Jude Johnstone cover. It begins with shiny acoustic guitars and launches into a sub-three-minute-long piece that is really deep, moving and awesome to listen to. Johnny Cash sings about the difficulties of living out a life of his own. Again, this has religious overtones to it in the name of Christianity about it. Still, this is a really awesome and fine listening experience that has an electronic violin section that sounds top-notch. A very great listen, even the love for God here, this really sounds awesome. A moving tune, and if you need to hear some music about praying to God and to get you to become a Christian convert, this is it. A good listen.

I’ve Been Everywhere is a Lucky Starr cover and is the last song on this album. It begins with some crisp electric/acoustic guitar and some Fender Telecaster licks present. Johnny Cash sings well here, along with electrified sounds. It quickly launches into a fantastic song that is instantly recognisable and enjoyable. Once you hear this, even for the first time, this is unforgettable and very witty and humourous listening. This is a very upbeat, and relatable song if you live in the USA. The music present throughout is really top-notch, and this references more locations than your local airport could ever name in one go. Excellent, thorough and brilliant, this is quite hilarious to any listener out there. It ends with a short yet joyous musical jam to boot.

To be fair, this is a bit of a left-turn for Johnny Cash as an album. Still, it works well musically. The combination of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a bunch of talented and great musicianship proves that this music will remain immortal. Even in his latter years, Johnny Cash was a guy to keep an eye on musically. The result? This is another winner of an album release by a musician who was shunned for many years. Should you listen to this album? Yes, you should, especially if you are from Southern USA and if you dig some Christian beliefs as well.

Sweet music.

9/10