You’ll notice there is a slight change to 7 Tracks in 7 Days this month, and that’s for two reasons the first being I have been insanely busy packing and flying across the world. The second and more important reason is that February 26th marks the 78th Birthday of Johnny Cash the truly legendary country musician. Not only that February 26th is also the release date for the sixth and final installment of the American Recordings collection started with producer Rick Rubin. So this month of the 7 tracks there are Johnny Cash Originals, Johnny covering over peoples songs and finally other people covering Johnny. Enjoy!

Johnny Cash
February 26th 1932 – September 12th 2003

Monday – I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash

What better way to kick off the day after Valentines! It was this track that scored Johnny his first number one back in 1956 and it still remains popular to this day. It features the trademark “freight-train” or “boom-chicka-boom” sound which became synonymous with the music of Johnny Cash. According to Cash he loved the sound of the snare drum, but they were not used in country music back then, so to recreate the sound he would place a piece of paper in his guitar strings to create a unique sound. If you have never heard any Cash before this is a great place to start, and if you have, it’s always worth coming back to!

Listen/Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7K4jH7NqUw

Tuesday – God’s Gonna Cut You Down – The Gaslight Anthem

Its a well known fact that The Gaslight Anthem’s influences are numerous and touch on most genre of music. It therefore seems right that they would cover a Johnny Cash song, especially one which has such a blues and gospel feel to it.  Fallons vocals are slightly distorted and tinny adding to the atmosphere of the track. It of course doesn’t have the same emotional intensity of Cash’s original version, but that is for obvious reasons. But that does not stop this from being a great cover of a great cover, Johnny’s being the other most recent cover of this song from the 50s.

Features on: All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash

Wednesday – Highway Patrolman – Bruce Springsteen

This track originally featured on Springsteen’s Nebraska album, and was later covered by Cash both live and on his Johnny 99 album. The song tells the story of Joe Roberts and his brother Frankie, an unruly character, who is forever being helped out by his brother. It like the rest of the tracks on Nebraska was recorded on a 4 track recorder originally as demos to be taken to the band, but thankfully it and the others were recognised as being superior as a solo work. The track has a bleak and sombre tone, and like all Springsteen songs has some great lyrical moments.

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJxt17_dizE (Springsteen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4cP1v6eR6A (Cash)

Thursday – Hurt – Johnny Cash

I am pretty sure everyone out there who has even the passing interest in music has heard this cover; in fact I am sure there are many out there who don’t think this is a cover at all. Cash’s cover of the NIN track almost became the soundtrack of his final years, a musician very much aware of his own mortality. It is a track which has great emotional weight to it, and like all good covers takes the original and does something completely original and brilliant with it.

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clq01TXQR0s

Friday – Personal Jesus – Johnny Cash

Personal Jesus is another cover by Johnny which features within the American Recordings Collection, though again like Hurt it is a song which could easily have been written by Cash. It fits perfectly into the gospel and hymn musical niche that he so often recorded, played and loved. There is a powerful and undeniable spiritual conviction behind this track which gives it added weight and gravitas. A great track!

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQcNiD0Z3MU

Saturday – Ballad of a Teenage Queen – The Dresden Dolls feat Franz Nicolay

A great cover of this old Cash classic, telling the story of a small town girl who was in love with the boy next door. It’s a great minute little love story all of its own, with the girl giving up fame fortune and Hollywood to be with him. The Dresden Dolls cover removes the country edge instead giving it a more burlesque and tango feel, with the aid of Franz Nicolay’s accordion playing. What really shines in this song are the great vocals of Amanda Palmer

Featured on: All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash

Sunday – Big River – Elvis Costello, Roseanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson & Others

This cover of Big River featured on Elvis Costello’s TV Show Spectacle, and brought together a number of great musicians including Johnny Cash’s daughter and his friend Kristofferson. The thundering beat is there right from the beginning, trademark Cash sound! The trading of verses between the different singers makes for a nice take on a great singer; with stand out vocals coming perhaps from the young Norah Jones, who makes the whole thing sound so souful! Though beyond that its great to see such talent celebrating a musical legend!

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTHZY0bxXAA