After Johnny Cash’s sad passing back in 2003, there was a huge resurgence in the popularity of his back catalogue of music. Understandably, there was more material in his back catalogue than what people had guessed. This album, produced by longtime collaborator Rick Rubin, was posthumously released back in 2006, and gave Johnny Cash a #1 on the Billboard 200 album charts, the first to do so in many years. Obviously, he was hugely missed in the world of music. This album is a mixture of covers and originals, and runs for 42 minutes, being released on 4 July 2006. Let’s jump in and listen to the music of Johnny Cash from beyond the grave.

1. Help Me begins with some crisp and clear acoustic guitar playing, and Johnny Cash’s deep, throaty baritone throughout. He sings about the Christian concept of God, and this music is a real winner throughout. A moody string section enters, and Johnny Cash truly sounds like he is in despair. For this song that was released after his passing, it makes perfect sense to hear it all. A great and mournful tune with a great deal of regret and emotion throughout. Johnny Cash deserves praise for this music, and he is truly singing from the heart of this song. Nonetheless, a wonderful listen that sounds very raw and direct. Not bad for a song less than three minutes long. Excellent start to the album.

2. God’s Gonna Cut You Down begins with beats, handclaps and acoustic guitars. Johnny Cash enters the scene and he sings in a descriptive way. If Bob Dylan was a Folk Music poet, then Johnny Cash is your Country Music storyteller. He sings and plays very nicely about his experiences with the Christian concept of God, and he is very brutal about life’s ills here. Regardless of whether you believe in Jesus or not, this is an awesome and powerful message from start to finish. Very catchy, especially in the chorus. Very, very good.

3. Like The 309 begins with some clean acoustic guitar and Johnny Cash speak singing over the top of it all. He sings of being near death and delivers a great musical statement about what needs to be done in certain circumstances here. This has slide guitar as well, adding a definite Country Music vibe throughout. Simple, enjoyable and very catchy, Johnny Cash speaks from the grave on these songs. He is a brilliant storyteller and although Johnny Cash sounds very sad on this set of recordings, he still created fantastic music right up to his last days. The slide guitar solo is really cool, and for any Country Music or slide guitar lover, this is for you. All in all, Johnny Cash does an amazing job on this album. Simple, emotional and effective, Johnny Cash articulates exactly what approaching death is like. If you need some music to hear when you are terminally ill, just look to Johnny Cash for guidance. The extended outro is very welcome. Great.

4. If You Could Read My Mind begins with dual-picked acoustic guitars, and a piano and launches into a very sweet song about love and romance. This sounds extremely awesome. Johnny Cash deserves more credit than what he typically gets. In any case, this song is another solid gem about being forever with a partner, even in passing. This song will make sense to those out there who genuinely believe in the afterlife. Even for those of you who do not, this is a very listenable and decent song regardless. A really dramatic and powerful-sounding tune that makes one think about what will happen when we leave this world. None of us lives eternally, but our destiny is sealed the day we pass on. Johnny Cash sings deeply on these matters. A great music legend, Johnny Cash does a fantastic job, once again. Even after his passing, one can hear the quality music he made and smile when listening. An organ is also present in the outro background. Sweet.

5. Further On Up The Road begins with some more upbeat acoustic guitars being played, and launches into another moody tune that sounds really quite good. Johnny Cash sings intelligently and deeply about being on the road and some of the experiences related to that. A really awesome and cool song, this is surprisingly more upbeat on an album that is designed for Johnny Cash fans to remember this music legend. A solidly awesome tune with descriptive lyrics. Even though this is a cover of an original Bruce Springsteen song, it is Johnny Cash doing his thing very well. A great listen, showcasing the misery and despair that loneliness and life can bring. All in all, Johnny Cash delivers an emotional statement, and it is a winner. It ends just after three minutes in length and makes one smile in appreciation of what we have. Decent.

6. On The Evening Train is another acoustic guitar and piano piece that sounds impressive from the start. There is a cello section as well, which sounds really cool. Johnny Cash sings deeply and sadly about being torn apart whilst travelling. Again, this gorgeous tune is a solid gold winner, and our main man is an awesome poet throughout. A really fantastic and enjoyable song to hear, the acoustic guitar soloing throughout is super gentle and sweet to hear. This is moody, emotional and above all, excellent. Johnny Cash is best described as a Country Music poet with acoustic guitars. He pleads to God for forgiveness throughout, and Johnny Cash is in deep regret on the matter of a loved one in this song. Gorgeously beautiful song, Johnny Cash makes one feel exactly how they should on this song, full of sadness and regret. Nonetheless, another solidly great song. A good tune indeed. The instrumentation at the end of the song is awesome.

7. I Came To Believe begins with some acoustic guitars and launches straight into a song with Johnny Cash singing about his life and troubles throughout. Again, this music is awesome, simple and effective throughout. This album is fantastic from start to finish, and Johnny Cash sings sweetly about having faith in God. To be fair, not everyone will appreciate the references to Christianity throughout this album, but this is easily forgivable. A great solo section with a bunch of acoustic guitar-based instrumentation and excellent playing is present. Still, Johnny Cash is a legend. A really awesome and enjoyable tune, one can sympathize with Johnny Cash and his situation as he sounds very aged on these recordings. Beautiful, melodic and sweet, Johnny Cash delivers exactly where one needs it in a musical sense. A really good song, worth hearing. Great music statement.

8. Love’s Been Good To Me begins with strummed acoustic guitars and launches into a fantastic cover that has beauty, power and purpose in a musical way. Johnny Cash sings from the heart and reflects on the love that he had earlier in life. This is a fantastic listen from this album that sounds impressive and enjoyable from start to finish. Johnny Cash has a deep and somewhat wobbly baritone singing voice, but he delivers a fantastic sounding music listening experience that counts. Johnny Cash deserves a lot of respect for delivering music right up until his passing, he was never lazy about making new music. Credit goes to the man himself. Great job.

9. A Legend In My Time is a short and sweet tune less than three minutes in length. This sounds a bit more upbeat and pleasant than some of the earlier tracks, although Johnny Cash sings deeply about some of his regrets emotionally. He may have recorded this song towards the end of his life, but Johnny Cash is a legend, true to this song. A sweet piano, organ and set of acoustic guitars throughout sound extremely cool to listen to, and Johnny Cash is a bright star in the world of music. This is another genuinely great listening experience that sounds really fresh and inspired. It wraps up fairly quickly, sounding sweet.

10. Rose Of My Heart begins with some fresh-sounding acoustic guitar strumming and launches into a fantastic love song that sounds absolutely awesome to hear. This is a brilliant song to listen to about pure romance and being eternally in love and grateful for one’s company in life. Nonetheless, this music is a sweet and lovely listen and this song shows that, yes, you can make powerful music that does not need loud amplified guitars or drum machine beats to make an impression. Absolutely awesome to hear, Johnny Cash makes a positive statement of love and emotion throughout. A great listen, this is the better side of love. Enjoyable and fantastic throughout, this is a winner from this album. Genuinely fine to hear, from start to finish.

11. Four Strong Winds begins with some fresh acoustic guitars and sounds deep and emotional from the go. Johnny Cash sings deeply and powerfully about the changes in life, going from happiness to despair, and he delivers another pure, stripped down and heartfelt music statement. Johnny Cash was an absolute legend, and although his life had many ups and downs, he speaks from the grave on this album, reminding one of how truly important he was in the world of music. There is a sweet acoustic guitar, piano and string section soloing away in the middle of this song. This sounds very enjoyable. One can smile sweetly whilst hearing this music. The second half of the song continues the story at hand, and Johnny Cash does incredibly well on this song. The lyrics and music are a brilliant match for each other, and Johnny Cash delivers what one needs to hear, provided you like acoustic Country Music. Nonetheless, a very very good listen and definitely worth hearing. Fantastic, as per usual.

12. I’m Free From The Chain Gang Now is the final track on this album. It enters with some melodic acoustic guitars that sound really cool. Johnny Cash sings about being freed from one’s entrapment by the man in charge of the law and being able to taste the outside world. This sounds wonderful and beautiful throughout. Guilty until proven innocent on this song, Johnny Cash delivers a fantastic music statement that is rewarding and valuable. The organ is a nice touch as well in this song. A very bittersweet statement, this music makes sense to those of you who have been unnecessarily put through hardship in life. Nonetheless, a really great conclusion from a wonderful collection of songs. Great.

This is another thoroughly consistent, beautiful and enjoyable album release by Johnny Cash. Although this is a posthumous release, no doubt that Johnny Cash would have green-lighted this release if he were alive in 2006. Yes, this is mostly non-original covers and yes, the lyrics are often negative in approach. Still, there is not a bad track on this album and it is something to be celebrated. Should you listen to this album? Give it a spin, especially if you like Country Folk Music that is raw, stripped down and emotional. Fans of EDM and other similar genres may not like this release, however.

R.I.P. Johnny Cash.

9/10