Johnny 99
By Johnny Cash
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Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Highway Patrolman 5:17
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songwriter
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- A2 That's the Truth 2:41
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songwriter
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- A3 God Bless Robert E Lee 3:40
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songwriter
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songwriter
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- A4 New Cut Road 3:30
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songwriter
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- A5 Johnny 99 3:33
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songwriter
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- B1 Ballad of the Ark 2:52
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Steven Rhymersongwriter
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- B2 Joshua Gone Barbados 5:04
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songwriter
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- B3 Girl From the Canyon 2:35
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songwriter
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songwriter
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- B4 Brand New Dance 3:21
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vocals
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songwriter
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- B5 I'm Ragged but I'm Right 2:32
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arranger, adaptation
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- Total length: 35:05
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
Set listening
Review
To rate, slide your finger across the stars from left to right.
5 Reviews
Worth it just to hear the Man in Black singing not one but two Springsteen tunes from Nebraska, Highway Patrolman and Johnny 99. And the old man certainly did them well!
Published
COL 474779 2 CD (1993)
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A1
Highway Patrolman
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A2
That's the Truth
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A3
God Bless Robert E Lee
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A4
New Cut Road
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A5
Johnny 99
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B1
Ballad of the Ark
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B2
Joshua Gone Barbados
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B3
Girl From the Canyon
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B4
Brand New Dance
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B5
I'm Ragged but I'm Right
Johnny 83
For me one of Cash's better releases from his late period on CBS. I am reviewing the CD that is part of the The Complete Columbia Album Collection Box Set, which gets my complete recommendation. The majority of the tracks are songs that had appeared on other artists albums.
The album is built around the two covers of the Bruce Springsteen's classics from Nebraska "Johnny 99" and "Highway Patrolman" both versions are pretty good, but really pale beside the originals. I think "Highway" is just a touch fast, and seems a little too happy for the lyrics. Having said that if I had never heard the Springsteen versions, I would probably love both songs. There are couple of songs from the pen of Paul Kennerley, the first "That's the Truth" is not so good, I don't rate the lyrics and the harmonizing is terrible, the worst track on the album. The second is a duet with June Carter Cash on "Brand New Dance" which was originally sung by Emmylou Harris. That is the better version, but the version here is really suited to Johnny and June, one of the best tracks.
The best song for me is the ""God Bless Robert E. Lee" song, I am not sure about how that stacks up politically these days. But the song is from the view of someone praising him for ending the battle, as so many people had already died. Historically correct? No idea, but it is a good song.
The cover of Guy Clark's wonderful "New Cut Road" is a slower version, it is pretty good, but I much prefer the versions by Guy, Ricky Skaggs and Bobby Bare. The religious themed "Ballad of the Ark" really doesn't impress me and strikes me as filler. The song "Joshua Gone Barbados" has a very light Caribbean feel and has a pretty good lyrics, but doesn't quite work for me. The closer "I'm Ragged But Right" is a cover of a George Jones song, it is OK - but really it is a song I don't rate anyway, although there is some nice playing, I really like the fiddle by David Mansfield.
The other track the Jonathan Edwards song "The Girl from the Canyon" is a western themed outlaw song - that was covered by Keith Whitley on Sad Songs & Waltzes, it is pretty good but the ending is so abrupt. Having said that it is a really solid cover.
John's voice, sound a little weak to me, but I still like the overall feel and sound. Not in his top tier of releases, but I guess it would make his Top 40 albums, for me. Recommended for fans only.
Published
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I like this album quite a bit. A relative latecomer to Johnny Cash (Basically I had the "Prison" double LP set and nothing else until his American albums) but I have most of his material on CD now and while I find much of his "middle period", say 1973 to 1983, to be very uneven in quality from song to song, much less album to album, I think this one stands higher than most of his work during this period. "Highway Patrolman" and "Johnny 99" sound like they were made for him to sing. "That's the Truth", "Joshua Gone Barbados" which I believe was written by Cash in conjunction with his mother-in-law, Maybelle Carter, and "Ragged but Right" are excellent and most of the rest are close behind. When you have a lot of material by one artist you like, you find yourself pulling out certain albums way more than others and this one is probably my favorite of the period mentioned.
Published
COL 474779 2 CD (1993)
Johnny 99 is classic CASH, this is far better then ALL the AMERICAN RECORDING series with the exception American 4. Columbia should of payed big money and promoted the hell out of this because this is Johnny Cash man, And this is Johnny Cash doing his best giving it his all, This album stands nicely along American Recording The Prison albums and his Sun Records era very proudly, Johnny 99 is a great track which just has you moving.
Published
If Columbia had promoted this album properly, Johnny Cash's career revival could have come 10 years earlier. Producer Brian Ahern invites a fine cast of players which include members of Emmylou Harris' Hot Band and session veterans such as Hal Blaine and creates a mood that perfectly suits Cash's older and wiser voice.
The choice of material is also inspired with selections from Guy Clark ("New Cut Road"), Paul Kennerley ("That's The Truth", "Brand New Dance") and George Jones ("I'm Ragged But I'm Right"). "Ballad Of The Ark" by the unknown Steven Rhymer is a pleasant surprise as well. But the album is made what it is by the 2 Bruce Springsteen covers. Cash makes them completely his own, with "Highway Patrolman" being one of his best recorded performances ever.
Maybe the album just came 10 years too early and the world wasn't ready for this kind of thing in 1983. Or maybe it's all really just Columbia's fault. It all doesn't stop it from being an overlooked Johnny Cash classic, an album that any fan should own.
The choice of material is also inspired with selections from Guy Clark ("New Cut Road"), Paul Kennerley ("That's The Truth", "Brand New Dance") and George Jones ("I'm Ragged But I'm Right"). "Ballad Of The Ark" by the unknown Steven Rhymer is a pleasant surprise as well. But the album is made what it is by the 2 Bruce Springsteen covers. Cash makes them completely his own, with "Highway Patrolman" being one of his best recorded performances ever.
Maybe the album just came 10 years too early and the world wasn't ready for this kind of thing in 1983. Or maybe it's all really just Columbia's fault. It all doesn't stop it from being an overlooked Johnny Cash classic, an album that any fan should own.
Published
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