JOHNNY CASH
Bootleg Vol. III: Live Around the World
Columbia/Legacy 88697 930032

JOHNNY CASH
Bootleg Vol. IV: The Soul of Truth
Columbia/Legacy 88697 985382

www.legacyrecordings.com
www.johnnycash.com
 

The tapping of the vast Johnny Cash tape archive continues with these two collections: concerts (drawn from 1956-79) and gospel (drawn from 1975-82). Consisting of mostly previously unissued material, the live release (Volume III: Live Around the World) includes his eight-song 1964 Newport Folk Festival set (with an introduction by Pete Seeger), prison and Vietnam shows and his entire 1970 White House performance (with a verbose intro by Richard Nixon). No surprise, the sound quality fluctuates as Cash (sometimes with wife June Carter Cash) delivers his customary amalgam of hits, American history, populism and religion.

The 51-song Gospel collection (Volume IV: The Soul of Truth) presents three minimally distributed gospel albums (including some unissued performances), whose arrangements variously feature New Orleans jubilation, country/pop schmaltz or his trademark train rhythms. Religion was a cornerstone of his musical origins in Depression-era Arkansas. Cash’s humility before God is clear. “What on Earth Will You Do (for Heaven’s Sake)” reflects his “judge not” philosophy. He’d sing for anyone: left-leaning folkies, convicted felons in prison, and President Nixon. — Bruce Sylvester