Come along and ride this train (Johnny Cash) (LP 2102)

Johnny Cash  The Johnny Cash Show (Vinyl, CBS Records, 197o) *** 

Genre: Country 

Places I remember: Little Red Bookstore (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume: Sunday Morning Coming Down 

Active compensatory factors: The third live album (after the prison duo) - it's not got the save iconic status as the other two.

This one is recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville Tennessee, and it's a Johnny Cash in transition as he starts the seventies. The tie in with the successful TV show is obvious with that cover, but this is Johnny linking himself to the working stiff - all those truckers' songs sound great!

He's a dab hand at creating those mythic American tropes and he endeared himself to the world's truckies with these routines. For me, though there is a bit too much talking in this show, and not enough good songs. But that's a minor quibble - Johnny Cash is almost beyond criticism - such is his legend.

The schmaltzy side emerges on These Hands and Here Was A Man. Safe to say that this is not my favourite side of the legend, never-the-less, that's part of the man, and his sincerity is never in doubt. So, it's good to have a slice or two of that side to Johnny Cash.

Where do they all belong? Nestled behind the Fulsom prison and San Quentin albums.