(c/o: eil.com)
Feel free to disagree with me, but I think no one has come close to replicating the correlation made by Johnny Cash in his 2000 concept album called, “Love, God, Murder.” These were the themes that dominated Cash’s lifetime works.
Each theme has a line of 16 tracks from 1955 to 1988. While most were his songs, he added hits by other artists like “Why Me, Lord” by Kris Kristofferson and “The Great Speckled Bird” by Roy Acuff.
According to AllMusic review, this set is for those ‘in-between’ and sort of fans of Cash. The compilation will give them a balanced overview of Cash’s complexities in his music. Rollingstone affirmed it by stating that Cash communicated life’s realities.
The truth about Man as seen in Cash’s album
Putting the “Love” theme first on the set can testify that there’s no life to Cash without his wife, June Carter. It made sense then that she wrote the liner notes for it.
As for “God” and “Murder,” they’re testaments to the truth that as long as the man breathes, he’ll contain ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ in him. Another way to put it is that though a believer, one remains both a ‘sinner’ and a ‘saint.’
Most singers could not sing about cold-blood killings and God’s goodness in one breath. Perhaps they can, but not with equal conviction and fervor like Cash’s. All that to say that other than versatility, Johnny Cash in “Love, God, Murder” exhibited man’s imperfections, even after becoming a devout, Christian.
Here are sample songs from “Love, God, Murder”. One for each theme. While they were not the videos from the actual album, songs used were included in it.
“Cause I Love You” for the “Love” Theme
“It Was Jesus” for the “God” Theme
“Jacob Green” for the “Murder” Theme
Feel free to add your thoughts and commentaries below about your interpretation of Johnny Cash’s concept album.
Tags
gospel, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Life