July 11, 2008
That line he walked? Totally crossed.
Posted by Stacy Chandler at July 11, 2008 12:10 AMLook, I don't want to knee-jerk hate any album, just by reading about said album. You have to at least listen, then judge. But -- knee-jerk! -- I hate this album on first sight.
The name? "Johnny Cash Remixed."
Yeah. Uh-oh.
And see if this description from a recent press release doesn't increase your dread:
"[The album features] bold new interpretations of Johnny Cash classics from top music remixers and producers who were recruited to take the original master recordings and infuse them with the sounds and technology of modern music styles such as hip hop and dance music."
I mean, really? Really? Topping the list of remixers is ... sigh ... Snoop Dogg. Now, I love me some Snoop, I do. I also love pizza, and sushi. But I don't feel the need to put the two together, you feel me?
Know this, also, just to screw up your pre-emptive judging a tad: This album is brought to you by executive producer John Carter Cash, who insists his dad "would have loved this remix record." He continues, making a somewhat valid point: "This is what my father was about: staying true to tradition while creating groundbreaking new music."
Sounds noble. But am I to believe that Snoop and Mathew Knowles (Beyonce's dad and manager) are in it for the nobility? And is it wrong me of to think perhaps John Carter Cash has stretched his sense of, um, nobility to the breaking point here? I dunno. I'm not as dumb as this album concept sounds.
M-O-N-E-Y.
Posted by: Hal at July 11, 2008 2:20 PMI'm not going to say I'd spend money on the album as a whole, but depending on what song D-O-Double-G is covering, I would probably pay money to hear Snoop cover a Johnny Cash song. Especially if it's "Busted."
A hen that won't m*therf*ckin lay, m*therf*cker.
Posted by: Liz at July 12, 2008 8:47 PMHmmm... I am incredibly torn. In their defense, however, may I point to the crazy good (yet overplayed) remix of Elvis' "Little Less Conversation." That song kicks my butt (despite the over-play-ed-ness).
However, let us point out that "Little Less Conversation" was a LITTLE-KNOWN Elvis song, that maybe was a little ahead of its time. No one remixed "Hound Dog" or "Green Suede Shoes" and made them work. Timeless songs should stay timeless.
My point? If you're going to hip-hop up some Johnny Cash tunes then find some obscure songs that weren't giant hits in their own right. Take some rough gem that needs a little polishing and bring it forward in the future.
Don't just put some cuss words and bass grooves in "Walk The Line" and call it "innovative."
Posted by: larry at July 13, 2008 10:55 AMThe rumor is that Carl Perkins wrote "Green Suede Shoes" for Wayne Newton. When Wayne rejected the track thinking it sounded too effeminate, Carl rewrote the lyrics to the more manly "Blue Suede Shoes" and gave it to Elvis!
Posted by: Hal at July 13, 2008 1:01 PMOops... that was a Black 47 mental-hiccup. They do a "Green Suede Shoes" and "Forty Shades of Blue" that is... well, basically a mash-up between "Blue Suede Shoes" and Johnny Cash's "Forty Shades of Green."
Posted by: larry at July 13, 2008 3:48 PMDamn it Larry. I was trying to cover for you.
Posted by: Hal at July 13, 2008 5:12 PM
