As many of you know, Johnny Cash’s latest posthumous album ‘Out Among The Stars’ was found by his son John last year, tapes put into storage, airing a record that time forgot. Recorded in the early-mid 80’s, it was shelved by the record company before Johnny was dropped in 1987, due to the ‘Urban Cowboy’ trend (among others) that left him irrelevant in the commercial realm, or at least in their eyes. Fast forward to 2014, and the album is finally getting the recognition and the listeners it deserves. The lead single ‘She Used To Love Me A Lot’ was received with more-than-welcome arms around the globe, capturing what John Carter Cash calls another prime of his life, yet oft ignored. At first I was cynical when it came to his claims that Johnny sounded happy and full of energy on these tracks; his semi-monotone style is one that usually lends itself to sadder songs, but perhaps, being relatively new to the more extensive lists of Johnny’s back catalogue (I’m working on that), I was too quick in my disbelief.
For actually, ‘Out Among The Stars’ is an incredibly balanced album. Featuring two duets with his wife June (‘Baby Ride Easy’ and ‘Don’t You Think It’s Come Our Time’) and a Hank Snow cover, recorded with Waylon Jennings (a fun, rowdy rendition of ‘I’m Movin’ On’), it ranges from love to heartbreak to storytelling to faith and positions them in a fluid mix making for an album with great flow. The only thing that’s slightly disappointing is the lack of tracks penned by Johnny himself; ten out of twelve are outside cuts, and if Johnny was truly in another prime of his creative career then it would have been nice to hear more of what he wrote himself. However, that doesn’t take away from the delivery, and without looking at the songwriting credits, you perhaps wouldn’t have been aware that Johnny pulled most of these from outside himself.
This is no more evident than in the story songs on offer. ‘Tennessee’, one of the album highlights, is a sweet, chirpy letter to the narrator’s mother about his marriage and settling in an idyllic location in Tennessee. The illustrative description, down to the specific, intriguing details, are what make it such a fabulous lyric, but it’s the singalong style and even the children’s choir at the end that makes it such an enjoyable track to listen to. Another brilliant recording is ‘If I Told You Who It Was’, an amusing, conversational, silly song about meeting Minnie Pearl outside of the Opry, changing her flat tire and ending up going home with her. Endearing and charming, it even includes a cameo of Minnie’s trademark “Howdyyyy!”, placed as the reveal of who the song is about (to be honest, until that point I thought it was Dolly Parton, “her tire, unlike her body, was very flat”). That track is really the only comedic song on the album, but we are treated to other stories such as lead single ‘She Used To Love Me A Lot’. Atmospheric, almost sinister and uneasy in its production despite the several sweet, treble instruments fluttering around, it paints a very specific picture, a snapshot of life where the narrator spies an ex-lover alone in a café. Almost cocky in his actions, he goes to speak to her, perhaps to rekindle the relationship. However, she is already over him, leaving him with a metaphorical slap to the face.
Heartbreak is a recurring theme with this album. ‘Call Your Mother’, one of the two Johnny-penned tracks, takes an odd stance over the expected end to a relationship, musing on the connection he had with a woman’s family and the good times that were had. Littering the narrative with minute, throwaway details, it is this which makes his stories so compelling, so artful. The same can be said for ‘I Drove Her Out of My Mind’, a lyric which initially implies good intentions, taking a lover out on their last date driving, before she goes off with another man. However, with a expertly-articulated relish, Johnny’s character reveals that he is in fact going to drive both of them off a cliff, even fantasizing about the pun that will appear on his headstone. Fabulously creepy, it is very well-written, playing on the emotions of its listeners all through a sinisterly cheerful instrumental backing, plus a gospel choir towards the end (really!).
The subject of death and Heaven is also dealt with on the title track, discussing how those who have chosen the wrong path might just wish to start afresh in Heaven, and do things that will speed up that process such as deliberately getting caught committing crimes. ‘I Came To Believe’, the other song written by Johnny, comes across as one of the most personal and honest songs on the record. Following a real life relapse into pain pill addiction in the early 1980’s, and a recovery a year before the song was recorded, its giving up of his problems to God and belief does appear to be particularly autobiographical.
‘Out Among The Stars’ never tried to be a fantastic album, but it seemed to just happen that way. Subtle, clever, and with a truly energetic and nuanced delivery from Johnny, it is sure to evolve into a classic. What’s more, its release in 2014, among the reign of bro-country, hick hop, country pop , and generally music that has extended far beyond the reach of country’s roots, this record pulls us back down to Earth. “Remember me?” It seems to cry. “You used to love me a lot.”
