American IV: The Man Comes Around

American IV: The Man Comes Around
Studio album by Johnny Cash
Publication (s)	November 5, 2002
Label (s)	American Recordings Lost Highway Universal Music Group
Format (s)	CD , LP
Genre (s)	Alternative Country , Americana
Title (number)	15th
running time	51:55
occupation	Johnny Cash - vocals , guitar Don Henley - drums , vocals Fiona Apple - vocals Nick Cave - vocals Mike Campbell - guitar John Frusciante - guitar Randy Scruggs - guitar Thom Bresh - guitar Jeff Hanna - guitar Kerry Marx - guitar Marty Stuart - guitar Smokey Hormel - guitar Jack Clement - Dobro Joey Waronker - drums David Ferguson - ukulele Laura Cash - violin Terry Harrington - clarinet Benmont Tench - organ , piano , harmonium Roger Manning - piano Billy Preston - piano
production	Rick Rubin , John Carter Cash
Studio (s)	Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Los Angeles Cash Cabin Studio, Nashville
chronology American III: Solitary Man (2000) American IV: The Man Comes Around Unearthed (2003)

American IV: The Man Comes Around is the fourth studio album in the American Recordings series by US country singer Johnny Cash . It was released in November 2002 and peaked at number 2 on the country chart and number 22 on the Billboard 200 .

Songs and collaboration

Most of the tracks on this album are covers recorded in a Cash style. In Personal Jesus for example, asked producer Rick Rubin the Red Hot Chili Peppers- guitar-player John Frusciante an acoustic processing of the songs of Martin Gore in the blues style. Cash, who was 70 at the time of recording, was backed by numerous artists including Fiona Apple , Nick Cave and Don Henley .

The Man Comes Around is the last album released during Cash's lifetime. His singing on this album is fragile, reserved and dignified. You can tell he is seriously ill, but the brokenness of his voice fits the tone of the album, which is mostly about love, death and the life after. With the title song The Man Comes Around Cash made it clear that he was still at the height of his creative power as a songwriter. On the last song on the album, We'll Meet Again , he was supported vocally and instrumentally by the entire “cash gang” including the staff, as well as his long-time producer Jack Clement on the acoustic guitar.

Track list

1. The Man Comes Around (Cash) - 4:26
2. Hurt ( Reznor ) - 3:38

   Originally recorded by Nine Inch Nails on The Downward Spiral (1994)

3. Give My Love to Rose (Cash) - 3:28

   Originally recorded by Cash for Sun , published on Sings Hank Williams (1960)

4. Bridge Over Troubled Water ( Simon ) - 3:55

   Originally recorded by Simon & Garfunkel on Bridge over Troubled Water (1970)

5. I Hung My Head ( Sting ) - 3:53

   Originally recorded by Sting on Mercury Falling (1996)

6. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ( MacColl ) - 3:52

   a number 1 hit for Roberta Flack (1972)

7. Personal Jesus ( Gore ) - 3:20

   Originally recorded by Depeche Mode on Violator (1990)

8. In My Life ( Lennon / McCartney ) - 2:57

   Originally recorded by The Beatles on Rubber Soul (1965)

9. Sam Hall ( Tex Ritter ) - 2:40

   Originally recorded by Cash on Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965)

10. Danny Boy ( Frederick Weatherly ) - 3:19

    Published by Cash on Orange Blossom Special (1965)

11. Desperado ( Frey / Henley ) - 3:13

    Originally recorded by Eagles on Desperado (1973)

12. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry ( Williams ) - 3:03

    Originally recorded by Hank Williams; previously published by Cash on Now, There Was a Song! (1960)

13. Tear Stained Letter (Cash) - 3:41

    Originally recorded by Cash on A Thing Called Love (1972)

14. Streets of Laredo - 3:33 (Traditional)

    Originally recorded by Cash on Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965)

15. We'll Meet Again (Charles / Parker) - 2:58

    a hit by Vera Lynn (1939)

reception

source	rating
Allmusic
Rolling Stone
The Guardian
Pitchfork Media
Laut.de
Music Express

The album received mostly positive reviews. The album's metascore is 70 out of 100 possible points.

The New Musical Express voted the album 28th of the 100 best albums of the 2000s. It was also included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die , but is no longer performed in more recent editions. The music magazine Rolling Stone named Cash's version of Hurt # 15 in the Top 100 Songs of the Decade.

Awards

American IV: The Man Comes Around earned Cash another platinum record for more than 1,000,000 copies sold. The video of the nine-inch-nails cover song Hurt won the MTV Video Music Award and a Grammy . For Give My Love to Rose , a song that Cash had recorded back in 1960, he received a Grammy for Best Country Male Vocal Performance .

Web links

• Official website
• American IV on discogs.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Review by Zac Johnson on allmusic.com (accessed March 22, 2018)
2. ↑ Review by Mark Kemp on rollingstone.com (archived) (accessed March 22, 2018)
3. ↑ Review by Betty Clarke on theguardian.com (accessed March 22, 2018)
4. ↑ Review by Eric Carr on pitchfork.com (accessed March 22, 2018)
5. ↑ Review by Michael Schuh on laut.de (accessed on March 22, 2018)
6. ↑ Review by Albert Koch on musikexpress.de (accessed on March 22, 2018)
7. ↑ Metascore: American IV: The Man Comes Around on metacritic.com (accessed March 22, 2018)
8. ↑ The Top 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade on nme.com (accessed March 22, 2018)
9. ↑ 100 Best Songs of the 2000s on rollingstone.com (accessed March 22, 2018)