To say that Johnny Cash was a productive musical legend is undervaluing his music and influence throughout his own lifetime. This was the last major album release before he died in late 2003 and his 67th release overall, which says a lot about how productive Johnny Cash was during his lifetime in the world of music. This album also was a big seller, going both gold and platinum likely so in the aftermath of his passing, the first album of his to do so in decades. Still, this album although being mostly other artists’ covers and re-recordings of his own songs, cemented Johnny Cash as a brilliant musical legend who wrote great songs and who harnessed an unforgettable sound. Although he is no longer with us, this is a great way to remember Johnny Cash and the music that he made. Let’s take a listen to his official Swan song, and we can hope that it is as good (or even better) as his earlier efforts.

The Man Comes Around is a Johnny Cash original. It begins with some sampled speech at the beginning of the song, which is different. Johnny Cash quickly gets into singing and playing his acoustic guitar, and he still sounds very good, despite the fact he did not have much time left in the physical world. A simple, enjoyable and fantastic tune with Biblical references lyrically, this is an awesome listening experience. 12-string acoustic guitar and piano join in the mix, and this tune sounds fantastic overall. A simple yet enjoyable and moving piece of music, Johnny Cash sounds like he still had a musical vision at this point late in life. Nonetheless, a great start to this album and something that is quite a musical gem on its own. A fresh and inspiring piece of music, this is Country Folk Music for all to listen to and hear. This song is about making it to heaven and other Christian imagery is present throughout this song. A great start to the final official Johnny Cash album. The music ends with some more sampled speech with references to the devil himself. Nonetheless, a great song.

Hurt is a Johnny Cash cover of the legendary Nine Inch Nails song. It begins with some acoustic guitar riffing of the original melody and Johnny Cash sings in a sad and mournful way. This is a simple yet very sad song which is a lot shorter than the Nine Inch Nails original. This is a fantastic listen, and is a very big tearjerker of a song, especially as Johnny Cash was approaching his last days on this album. Even so, this is a magical song to listen to. It sounds simple, beautiful and fantastic throughout. A very emotional and moving tune, this does sound incredibly wonderful and saddening to listen to. Nonetheless, this is best heard sober, this is not a happy tune lyrically, musically or emotionally. You can hear the pent-up emotion of this song from Johnny Cash, front and centre. It finishes up very nicely and ends after three and a half minutes. Very sad indeed.

Give My Love To Rose is another Johnny Cash original. It begins with some good acoustic guitar playing and other supporting instrumentation to match it. This is another sad and broken-hearted Country Music tune that is very deep and emotional throughout. Another phenomenally great song, this is a tale of a dying man who wants to send his deepest love to his wife and child. Musically, the simplicity present in this song matches this heartbreaking tale and Johnny Cash could easily pull off such a great musical method. A very sad listen, once again, this is an album full of sadness and regret. Johnny Cash puts in an exceptionally great performance musically and he delivers the goods throughout. A winner of a song. Very passionate throughout.

Bridge Over Troubled Water is a Simon & Garfunkel original, featuring Fiona Apple. It begins with dual-tracked acoustic guitars and a Mellotron-styled keyboard to match. Johnny Cash sings nicely over the top of it all, and he does not sound very happy throughout. Nonetheless, this is a pleasant sort of romantic balladry by Johnny Cash, and he sounds in fine form, even with his physical health issues at the time. Fortunately, Johnny Cash pulled it all together for this final album, with professional expertise. Fiona Apple’s vocals are a nice match for this song, evoking the original spirit of the classic song. Another sensationally beautiful, great and brilliant tune. There is a piano part throughout that makes this tune extra lovely, as does the string section. A great way to do a cover song as an artist, Johnny Cash sounds very awesome on this song. Nonetheless, a winner of a tune, yet again. Johnny Cash does well here and deserves credit for breathing life into these older songs. Mint.

I Hung My Head is a Sting cover. It begins with strummed acoustic guitar and piano mashed up together. Johnny Cash sings wonderfully and deeply, singing about firearms and murder by said weaponry. This is not a very upbeat or positive listening experience, but it articulates the depression and despair that life can bring one at times. A sad and melancholy-styled ballad that sounds really sweet, although this is about the regret of shooting someone dead. A very messed up song throughout lyrically. In the USA, tens of thousands of people die from gun usage every year. If you are from the USA, this song makes a ton of sense. This song is very much a story, and it has a rather sad and (for some) close-to-the-bone meaning as a song. Still, this is a great listen, for all its lyrical negativity. Another solid gold piece by Johnny Cash.

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is another cover song. It begins with some moody acoustic guitar playing that is stereo-panned and double-tracked. This is very much like a Frank Sinatra-style Country Music ballad. A very sad, deep and emotional listen delivered by Johnny Cash, this is a lovely listening experience about being deeply in love with a lady of one’s fancy. A sad listening experience. Some organ becomes prominent near the midsection of this song. This is not upbeat Pop/Rock Music that is designed to dance to. Instead, Johnny Cash articulates the misery, sadness and despair that life can bring to someone. A really fantastic song, it is a moving ballad that is about falling in love at first sight (which can and does happen). Johnny Cash succeeds well here in moving the listener emotionally.

Personal Jesus is another famous song that is covered on this album by Johnny Cash. It begins with some catchy acoustic guitar work that is dual-tracked, pianos and Johnny Cash sings in a sweet way. Johnny Cash sings nicely here, and he delivers a very cool and upbeat musical statement throughout. He sings about Christian evangelism and calling up a hotline to discuss personal problems and such over the telephone to a Christian. In any case, this is a very amazing-sounding and catchy piece of music that works wonders for the listener. The musicianship and singing by Johnny Cash and company is second-to-none and although Johnny Cash was in his final days, he knew how to make songs sound his own, even if they were not. A good three-minute plus listening experience. Another solid listen.

In My Life is a cover of the famous song by The Beatles earlier on in their career. It begins with a 12-string acoustic guitar and sounds very pretty and beautiful. This version by Johnny Cash sounds really top-notch and different. The combination of Beatlesque themes and Johnny Cash musicianship is unforgettably good. This is the way a cover song should be done: professionally and naturally. All in all, a killer and interesting piece of music, with a pleasant piano and chord progression in the second half. Johnny Cash did his best to put his emotions and music onto such an album. Great, great music is here. A sweet and romantic tune from start to finish. Excellent.

Sam Hall is another cover song. It sounds noticeably upbeat from the start, and Johnny Cash sings very well on this tune. This is about a guy who is accused of murder, not exactly a light topic to sing about. Regardless, the simplicity and power of this music is definitely worth your time. The dual-tracked acoustic guitars and piano make this song sound very tasty indeed. A magical and lovely tune to listen to, this is a pleasant and awesome listening experience musically that sounds wonderfully awesome about difficult circumstances. Great listening.

Danny Boy is another cover song by Johnny Cash. It begins with some organ playing and sounds traditional in its musical approach. Johnny Cash sings nicely over the top of the organ, and he articulates with his singing a sad and mournful tune throughout. In any case, this music is ridiculously good and it sounds very touching emotionally. No guitars or other music other than the organ and singing are here. A sad yet listenable tune throughout, Johnny Cash knew that he was running out of time to be alive, in a sad footnote of context. This simple music is very enjoyable and listenable throughout, for all its melancholy mood. This is another solid gold tune. It ends with the organ playing along nicely. Good effort.

Desperado is a cover of the famous Eagles song, with contributions from one of their singers, Don Henley. It begins with some sweet acoustic guitars that are played incredibly well. Soon enough, this song launches into action and sounds pretty, interesting and totally listenable throughout. A really fresh approach musically, Johnny Cash breathes life into these older songs at hand. Every single song on this album is a winner. A great, great listening experience from start to finish, and something incredibly amazing to listen to. Don Henley’s backing vocals add light to the usual melancholy of this album. Still, this is a fantastic piece of music that is a must-listen from this album. Very awe-inspiring and inspirational from a listening perspective. A great listen, through and through.

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry is a song originally by Hank Williams which features Nick Cave dueting with Johnny Cash. It begins with some clear and crisp acoustic guitar. This moves nicely into a sad and melancholy tune that reminds one of the problems one can have in life. Nick Cave’s performance fits nicely with this tune, and he delivers very nicely a good listen alongside Johnny Cash. Both men do justice to this style of music. Although this is rather downtempo, this is still a fantastic listening experience. A sad but enjoyable song. The second half has some acoustic guitars soloing away nicely, and this music will last forever. There is a dual vocal performance towards the end with both Johnny Cash and Nick Cave singing very well to wrap up this great cover tune. Brilliant.

Tear Stained Letter is a redo of a Johnny Cash original. It begins with breezy piano and upbeat acoustic guitars strumming away, with Johnny Cash singing about sending a letter to a lover far away. This is a fantastic listen that is definitely worth your ears. This is a driven listen for those of you who are frequently away from your partner, with a sense of sadness and regret throughout. Johnny Cash still sounds excellent at this point in time, and his musical presence is sorely missed by many in the world today. A piano solo is present in the second half, which sounds impressive and dynamic throughout. This is a deeply romantic tune that has Johnny Cash putting his heart on his sleeve. Great, great music is present on this album, and this song is another excellent piece of songcraft. A good reflection on love and missing a lady. Fantastic tune.

Streets Of Laredo is a traditional number. It begins with some nicely strummed acoustic guitar and Johnny Cash sings a fantastic song throughout. This is a very heavily Country and Western tune, complete with references to cowboys and their attire throughout. There are some moving lyrics and singing from Johnny Cash in this song, and he keeps the spirit of Country Music alive. Nonetheless, this works incredibly well as a piece of music and singing about death itself, Johnny Cash delivers another storytelling tale that has some sadness about it. The music matches it all nicely, and the playing and singing are very pleasant. Indeed, Johnny Cash is often overlooked in the history of music, but he needn’t be. This is a really great rendition of a sad story that has an emotional impact.

We’ll Meet Again is the final song on this album release, and is another cover to finish off the album. It has some super catchy acoustic guitar riffing and has Johnny Cash putting in his final musical word on a major album release with this song. He knew his time was coming to a close, yet he sounded upbeat throughout this particular song. The backing band for Johnny Cash is present, on slide guitar and clarinet throughout. A simple, enjoyable and joyous listening experience. There is a fiddle present as well, softly playing in the background. A really great choice of song to conclude this album with. This album is an awesome release, and this song finishes off this great album to a magical close. Some chanted vocals that are layered by guest musicians are here to finish this off. The album ends there.

Words do not do this album justice. This is a very fantastic listening experience by one of the most legendary Country musicians out there, Johnny Cash. It reveals the fact that Johnny Cash himself was making great music all throughout his lifetime, even as his time was drawing to a close. Not a bad song is present on this album, which is exactly how Johnny Cash should be remembered. Should you listen to this album? Definitely do, this is a historical moment in music that deserves to be heard.

R.I.P. Johnny Cash.

9/10