American V: A Hundred Highways
JOHNNY CASH
American/Lost Highway
It may be hard to believe, but 12 years have gone by since producer Rick Rubin helped make The Man in Black hip again (but not for the last time) via this raw, often acoustic series of covers-and-originals releases. It's also been three years since Cash himself passed — the press materials for American V, which ostensibly contains Cash's final studio performances and was assembled in part posthumously, state that Rubin intentionally held off on its release until the majority of the I Walk The Line hoopla had faded.
American V isn't the best of the bunch — that honor surely belongs to either the first, for its startlingly edgy return to form, or '02's American IV: The Man Comes Around, for the title track, Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage," the traditional "We'll Meet Again," and the unassailable "Hurt."
Cash's final statement is lugubrious, noticeably one-dimensional and often, well, boring. What keeps it from being pointless, however — and, in fact, occasionally makes it mesmerizing — is the fact that American V is obviously an album made by a man coming to grips with his own mortality. The downbeat first half is downright frightening, and the second half, in which Cash accepts his fate, reminisces and leaves little notes for his loved ones, lifts the burden in mesmerizing cinematic fashion.
The originals aren't his best, and the only real standouts here are a throbbing take on the gospel/folk standard "God's Gonna Cut You Down" and a surprisingly earnest take on Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," but American V can't be taken out of context. And that context is, this man is saying goodbye to the world. And the weight of that statement elevates the album. 3.5 stars
Scott Harrell
Highway Companion
TOM PETTY
American
The fickleness of the music biz never ceases to amaze. In 2002, Tom Petty released The Last DJ, a bitter anti-music-biz screed that was so overlooked it barely raised any hackles in the boardrooms it eviscerated. Then, suddenly, there was last year's energetic, sold-out summer tour, and today we find Tom Petty hot again as he releases his 18th (and third solo) album, Highway Companion, on which the 55-year-old artist sounds rejuvenated. Perhaps a move from Warner Bros., his longtime label, to Rick Rubin's American Recordings gave him some juice.
Highway Companion doesn't till any new soil — Petty hews close to his established styles, be it post-Dylan folk-rock, acoustic ballads, a touch of Byrds-ish jangle, a dash of Beatles-inspired power-pop, the occasional nod to breezy Wilburys fare. Instead of vitriol, though, Petty's themes skew toward reconciliation and acceptance. Rather than running down a dream, his characters return home, make amends, look for simple pleasures and generally adjust to the idea that they're no longer rambling youngbloods. "Living free/ Is gaining on me," he sings on "This Old Town," a song where he complains about being hemmed in, but has no plans to flee.
Petty's principal cohorts on the project are former Wilbury Jeff Lynne and long-time Heartbreaker Mike Campbell. The three co-producers have crafted classy, spacious arrangements that bow to the songcraft. Campbell adds some lovely touches via delicate slide breaks and jazzy guitar solos (and even a touch of vibraphone on "Golden Rose").
The production is restrained, even mannered at times, but it fits the album's overall mood. Some fans might bemoan the lack of any reckless rock numbers, but those have generally been the province of Heartbreaker efforts. Highway Companion establishes without question that those who began to view Tom Petty as an afterthought should rethink their position. 3.5 stars
Eric Snider
The Death of Frequent Flyer
PSALM ONE
Rhymesayers
It's sad, but the first thing I've got to mention when discussing Frequent Flyer is that Psalm One is a female MC. She's not the first by any stretch, but it's still enough of a novelty to command a column inch. Which sucks, because that's less space to talk about the excellent boom-bap production on this record — her second — and her splendid command of the mic. "Rapper Girls" in particular is hilarious, a soul-flavored put-down of female MCs who think more about plastic surgery than their flows. In all, Psalm doesn't quite carve out her own identity over these 51 minutes, but the girl's got promise. 3.5 stars
Cooper Levey-baker
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2006.
