Johnny Cash • Next In Line: The Early Country Hits 1955-59 LP (vinyl)
Next In Line: The Early Country Hits 1955-59 takes us back to the dawn of Johnny Cash's extraordinary recording career, collecting 18 tracks from the period when the foundations of his unmistakable sound were being laid. These early recordings capture Cash at the meeting point of Country, Rockabilly and Gospel, with his deep voice, economical songwriting and unmistakable boom-chicka-boom rhythm already firmly in place. From the stark emotional pull of So Doggone Lonesome to the enduring I Walk The Line, this is Johnny Cash before he became the larger-than-life Man in Black, but already sounding like nobody else.
There's an excellent run of early Cash classics here, including Train Of Love, Next In Line, Home Of The Blues, Ballad Of A Teenage Queen, Big River and Guess Things Happen That Way. The Country side of Cash's songwriting comes through strongly on The Ways Of A Woman In Love, You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven and Don't Take Your Guns To Town, while Come In Stranger and I Got Stripes demonstrate the Rockabilly energy that makes these early recordings so appealing to roots music fans. Luther Played The Boogie adds another fine example of Cash's ability to turn a simple rhythmic idea into something instantly memorable.
For anyone who loves Johnny Cash, early Country, Rockabilly and classic American roots music, Next In Line: The Early Country Hits 1955-59 is an excellent LP to have in the collection. The 18-track selection concentrates on the crucial early years when Cash was establishing the sound and songwriting style that would carry him through an extraordinary career. A particularly good choice for anyone wanting the rawer, more intimate side of Cash's early work rather than simply a collection of later greatest hits.
