by Steve Brennan

Created on: March 18, 2009

"Johnny was and is the North Star - you could guide your ship by him, the greatest of the greats then and now."

So said another American icon, Bob Dylan, following the sad passing of Johnny Cash in 2003, after a career that can safely be called eventful. Cash was one of the final true totems of Americana and outlaw skulduggery remaining in the music world, his influence wide, his presence elemental, biblical. As the most identifiable country music singer of all time, he bestrode five decades, recorded 45 albums and a staggering 1,500 songs, and in 1969 was comfortably outselling the Beatles.

His voice boomed with authority and hard earned wisdom, and he forged a persona that would be imitated many times - the outlaw singer, on the fringes of society, but still one of the good guys, struggling with the age old dilemmas of sin and redemption. His successful fusion of rock n' roll, folk and country ensured he remained respected and even idolised by the many singers and songwriters who followed him, and he could have quite easily quit recording any time from the 80's onward, safe in the knowledge that he had written his share and earned his place in the great house band in heaven.

However, Cash had another idea, and it would prove to be a masterstroke. He recorded a series of albums under the title American Recordings, produced by Rick Rubin, on which he covered numerous songs by various artists, such as U2, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Lowe and Louden Wainwright III. The verdict was unanimous: they were Cash's best works for years, containing unique versions of sacrosanct songs such as Nick Cave's The Mercy Seat and U2's One. Cash was suddenly being listened to by the MTV generation, intrigued by this ancient relic who wasn't simply surfing a nostalgia wave, but who had recast himself as a genuinely relevant performer. This fourth album in the series, the final release before his death, further cemented this new found position and is a poignant album of quiet power and moving pathos.

Cash continued to draw from the Bible for inspiration for his lyrics and life, as he did throughout his career, and opening track The Man Comes Around is book ended by two quotes from the book of Revelations. The song refers to the day of judgement, with God cast as the "the man", the chugging acoustic guitars providing a contrast to the apocalyptic lyrics:

"Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still,
Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still,
Whoever is filthy, let him

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