The List
The List is the name of Rosanne Cash’s latest effort. The album itself is about twelve or so songs (depends on format and bonus tracks) of historical importance and significance in especially country music. Some of them are very similar to some traditional versions of the songs and others have a completely new slant and direction that Rosanne takes them in, including several that are done as duos with several folks one would not suspect. The most interesting thing though, is where the songs and indeed, the album name comes from – her father, Johnny.
Apparently when Rosanne was eighteen in 1973, she was on the road with her father. He suggested they sing something together and she admitted that she did not know that one. A second was suggested and she did not know that one either. She was such a Beatles fan and such, that she really had little connection with the country musical history of her own. Johnny Cash then set about writing a list of essential country songs. I think it was described as being one hundred songs that she should know and be familiar with to know her own musical roots. It seems to have further been suggested that from that hundred songs there is something for nearly every occasion that can be found in them.
On the new release, there are several great tracks with influences of both the original recording, several other recordings, often including her father’s, as well as her own take coming from the both country and indie-rock song writer background she has. Of interest also is the several duets on the like of Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello. I have heard more than a few versions of the Sea of Heartbreak in the past, but Bruce bringing a country crooner side of him I have never heard before is one of the best. I find it odd that Bruce did such a country version given his previous nature of always wanting amped up electric drive. Oddly enough, I agree with Rosanne, her father’s version with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a bit too much – and that is much more what I would expect from Bruce on that.
Listening to the various parts of the album, I think I am going to have to put it on my Christmas. For anyone interested, you can get a hint of the album and more depth of the album at both this Sea of Heartbreak link and this interview excerpt from Fresh Air. Both of which have links to some of the actual verbal interview and selected cuts from the album itself.
Just like Rosanne, I think it is more than just a list of essential country music as Johnny Cash labeled it himself, but rather it is much more of a list of one hundred essential American songs. Even on the sample listing that Rosanne gives us in this twelve selections there are not country, but certainly some overlap and outright inclusion of blues, early rock, and plenty of folk and mountain music thrown in here and there (and by the way, she is talking of part II from the list). The idea here reminds me of one of my favorite other collections I occasionally check out, which is the 100 Essential Classical series that RCA did more than a few years ago – I only have about five or six of them, but they are some of my favorites.
I would like to see about taking this one step further. While I would really like to see the list that Rosanne would give to her own musically inclined daughter, Chelsea Crowell (and Rosanne, if you do stumble on this you are more than invited to participate) – I do not think that is going to happen. Instead, I would like to hear what your essential American music list would contain. I know not everyone is going to come up with one hundred songs, but how about ten or even five. Post them back here as comments, so we can discuss them. I am a bit torn as to what constitutes American music, so if in your sphere you would include, say the Beatles, put it in – as the nature of America is such a melting pot. If however, you see it from more a purist standpoint and the original has to be from an American based group or songwriter include that on your take. And just so everyone knows, I have about six listed out of my ten at this point, but I am going to wait and post my as a follow-up blog in a week or two – look for My List coming soon!
** – Picture credit is the album cover of “The List” by Rosanne Cash
