Listen: Johnny Cash - Pocahontas (buy album)
Wasn't that good? It really works for me. Powerful images, understated yet dramatic delivery, bold and intersting instrumentation (cello, flute). Epic. American.
It's rare for a popular musician to produce such compelling music so late in their career. So this song, a Neil Young cover available on the excellent Unchained box set, stands as a real testament to the abilities of both Cash and producer Rick Rubin.
Pitchfork's reviewer didn't agree. He objected to Rubin's decision to add the cello and flute, a la Eleanor Rigby, and wished that Johnny could have just stuck to his old "tunk-tukka-tunk" style of the 1950s: Pitchfork review.
I give it "two thumbs up": One for Cash's intense delivery and one for Young's striking, if somewhat unusual, lyrics. Each part compliments the other.
Let me know what you think (and I won't be offended if you agree with Pitchfork).
Here's Neil Young's original version of the same song:
Neil Young - Pocahontas (buy album).
Question: Is Johnny doing his best Marlon Brando impersonation in that photo above?
Friday, February 01, 2008
Pocahontas, Marlon Brando, and Me
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7 comments:
unrelated to Johnny...i just wanted to give ya a shout out on the Blawg Dawg & turn ya onto a Tom T Hall vid I uploaded last week to the ol' You Tube ranch...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cx-CxKeIvkk
enjoy
here's a question for you paul. why are you wasting your time reading pitchfork reviews? ;)
Its nice to see the same song by two artists who have very intense vocal presense. Two thumbs up.
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It's interesting, but I stand by the NY original on Rust Never Sleeps.
Jordy,
I agree Neil's version is hard to beat. And, for me, this is one of his best songs. I probably should've spent more time on Neil, but I was falling asleep by the time I finished the post!
lil m, thanks for the tip! It's a great video.
Two songs by Tom T. Hall
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