You are a woman of taste and discernment. If I had to offer an addition to your suggestions, I'd go for his superb cover of Bonnie Prince Billy's I See A Darkness. The original is wonderful, JC makes it staggering. It's even better than Hurt, for me.
Thanks for the compliment. I actually get most of my music tips from RAWK and in particular from you. In fact, you turned me onto Nick Cave. Although I just own the "Best Of" CD at the moment which alone just staggers (no pun intended,
) me. I'll go for the Boatman's Call when money comes in. But it was my parents who got me turned onto Johnny Cash, and Elvis and lots of other 50s and 60s stars. I sometimes feel more comfortable listening to them then I do with some of today's stuff. I was more familiar with Cash's older stuff but I think it might have been your recommendation and maybe Garstonite that got me onto his collaboration with Rick Rubin and the American Recording COmpany. I only have American IV at the moment but I'll add the rest when I have more money.
I also love Hank Williams- particularly, Jambalaya, Hey Good Lookin', Honky Tonk Blues, Your Cheatin' Heart, Ramblin' Man-- maybe because my dad sang them. Of course, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry is Hank William's song. It might also be among the saddest and most perfect of songs ever written. I shouldn't have implied that John Cash and Nick Cave did it better; however, their version does lend something different which might be better suited to some people and situations. I like the call-and-response style of their duet and then the way that Cave's voice wraps itself around John Cash's as the song ends. It's a different type of loneliness especially when you consider the reverence Cave had for Cash, the circumstances in which Cash was singing it, and the entire theme of goodbye of that album. I think they do justice to Williams' words and version.
By the way, with all due respect to Johnny Cash, he isn't even a tenth of the artist Hank Williams Snr was; which is no disrespect to Cash as there are very very few that get even that close to the greatest country artist that ever lived.
I'm also not sure what the point is in quantifying the difference between Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. Preferences for both can be justified, and country music, American music and culture in general would be poorer without both. Part of Cash's gift was the longetivity and the quality he managed to sustain. Part of Williams' gift is the inventiveness and creativity in such a short span wracked by affliction.
I was going to include Sunday Morning Coming Down in my list but it's not a cover, I don't think. Cash was the first to record Kristofferson's song, wasn't he? In any case, the line about the smell of frying chicken always get me; sums up a desolate Sunday for me.
I've also always loved Jerry Lee Lewis' take of Goodnight Irene. Another heartbreaking song.
