The Very Best of Rosanne Cash [Original recording remastered]

Amazon.com
Johnny Cash's eldest daughter has certainly come far from her days apprenticing in his stage show. An earnest late-'70s country rocker, she evolved into a sophisticated singer-songwriter whose blend of traditional country and mainstream folk and literate, dark worldview anticipated alt.country decades before it emerged. This 1983-2003 anthology includes her debut hit "No Memories Hangin' 'Round," a 1979 duet with Bobby Bare. While "My Baby Thinks He's a Train," the 1981 rockabilly twanger first recorded by Asleep at the Wheel, seemed to herald a retro direction, Cash confounded those who would speculate on her direction. She complemented compelling originals like "Seven Year Ache" and "Blue Moon with Heartache" with her definitive rendition of John Hiatt's "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" and a crisp revival of her dad's 1961 hit "Tennessee Flat Top Box." The set also samples her songwriting collaborations with former husband Rodney Crowell and current husband-producer John Leventhal. For those just discovering the second generation of Cash talent, this is an enlightening start. --Rich Kienzle

Recommended Rosanne Cash

Seven Year Ache

King's Record Shop

Interiors

Tracks:

The Wheel
The Way We Make A Broken Heart
Seven Year Ache
Hold On
On The Surface
No Memories Hangin' Around
My Baby Thinks He's A Train
I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me
Blue Moon With Heartache
Western Wall
Tennessee Flat Top Box
September When It Comes
Sleeping In Paris
Never Be You (Previously Unreleased Alternate Version)
What We Really Want
Seventh Avenue

Amazon.com

Johnny Cash's eldest daughter has certainly come far from her days apprenticing in his stage show. An earnest late-'70s country rocker, she evolved into a sophisticated singer-songwriter whose blend of traditional country and mainstream folk and literate, dark worldview anticipated alt.country decades before it emerged. This 1983-2003 anthology includes her debut hit "No Memories Hangin' 'Round," a 1979 duet with Bobby Bare. While "My Baby Thinks He's a Train," the 1981 rockabilly twanger first recorded by Asleep at the Wheel, seemed to herald a retro direction, Cash confounded those who would speculate on her direction. She complemented compelling originals like "Seven Year Ache" and "Blue Moon with Heartache" with her definitive rendition of John Hiatt's "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" and a crisp revival of her dad's 1961 hit "Tennessee Flat Top Box." The set also samples her songwriting collaborations with former husband Rodney Crowell and current husband-producer John Leventhal. For those just discovering the second generation of Cash talent, this is an enlightening start. --Rich Kienzle

Recommended Rosanne Cash

Seven Year Ache

King's Record Shop

Interiors

Customer Reviews:

A Great Artist . . . A Great Collection.......2007-05-18

"the very best of ROSEANNE CASH" is that . . . well . . . probably the "very best" we might remember hearing "on the radio" (so often artist's album tracks surpass the "radio play" songs and hits) . . . but on this collection . . . track after track Roseanne Cash works her magic on both the songs and on the listener . . .

sixteen tracks that keep your ear and mind glued to the speakers . . . and she touches both your heart and your mind . . .

i picked up this particular collection (a colection persobally overseen by Roseanne herself) especially for her recording of "TENNESSEE FLAT TOP BOX" -- i had a 45 RPM of this song by Johnny Cash when i was a kid . . . and Roseanne does this song proud and doesn't miss even the smallest glimmer of memory of that earlier recording. . . Roseanne performed this song at a memorial for Johnny Cash and you could sense both the smile and the tear and the pride in her as she sang it then.

speaking of Johnny Cash, this collection contains one of Johnny's last recordings . . . a duet with Roseanne - "SEPTEMBER WHEN IT COMES" . . . when the shadows lengthen . . .welcoming a place to rest . . . and you can sense it in Johnny's voice.

of course Roseanne's "hits" are here: "THE WHEEL" . . . "THE WAY WE MAKE A BROKEN HEART" (one of my favorites) . . . "I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU DON'T WANT ME" . . . and a great alternate version of "NEVER BE YOU" . . . and more . . .

i bought this cd for "TENNESSEE FLAT TOP BOX" but got so much more . . . not a disappointing track on it . . . not one to make you hit "skip" . . . and all of them move you to hit "replay" . . .

thanks Roseanne cash for all the music over all those years . . . and for all that yet awaits us in the years yet to come . . . and thanks for THIS collection of "the very best of ROSEANNE CASH". :)

A Velvet Dress.......2006-12-27

"I'm holdin' back the tears while you're pushin' me away. But on the surface everything's okay. Yeah on the surface, everything's okay.....

"On the Surface" - Rosanne Cash

Cherished friends gave this to me as a Christmas gift and its exquisite and often poignant exploration of love and the human heart is both elegant and graceful beyond words. Yet those words, crafted for the most part by Rosanne Cash herself, are like diamond settings in a fragile necklace; singularly beautiful but even lovelier when strung together. This new compilation is a reworking of her "Hits" collection that includes some of her most beautiful recent work.

"Blue moon out my window, guess this means goodnight. And you come in and start right in, not treatin' me right."

"Blue Moon with Heartache" - Rosanne Cash

Roseanne Cash's music eventually became too expansive and exquisite for country radio. Not rock enough for that format either, she took her own path, legions of fans yearning for her emotional and intelligent reflections on our search for "What We Really Want," which, of course, is love. That search is often painful and leaving in its wake pieces of our hearts like ashes from a fire. That fire burns bright in the lush, sultry and sophisticated vocals of Cash.

"No one sees behind the mask. No one knows I'm sinkin' fast. Soon we'll be sleeping in Paris. And we can set those angels free....

"Sleeping in Paris" - Rosanne Cash

Whether it's a blueprint for "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" or the yearning of "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" this 25 year compilation of songs from one of the most gifted singer/songwriters/producers in the music business is certain to please anyone with an ear for beauty and truth. Listening to Cash is like looking at a tear-stained velvet dress and having someone tell you the story behind every blemish. A terrific gift for the heart.

Touches my heart.......2006-06-12

Roseanne's velvet voice and honest lyrics really touch my heart. This CD is easy on the ears and lifts the spirit. I have been searching for ages for a female vocalist that expresses what is in my heart, that sings the songs that speak my mind. All the selections are very well done, and it would be hard to choose just one as a favorite. I get a kick out of "My Baby Thinks He's a Train" and the versatility of her voice as she emulates the rhythms and sounds associated with trains. "Never Be You" is strong vocally and speaks to that lost love we all have known. "Seven Year Ache" is a song with no equal... it just draws you in. "What We Really Want" ... is love... so true. I really like "No Memories Hangin' Round" with Bobby Bare - they are so good together. The guitar work and instruments are all excellent. You can't go wrong with this CD.

One track missing.......2006-01-06

Unfortunately, the cd doesn't have Rosanne's version of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from the Best of the Columbia Radio Hour vol. 1 cd. It's worth seeking out if you don't have it for this beautiful performance (and many other great tracks). Otherwise, this is a terrific overview.

Not a "Greatest Hits" CD, but still a fine collection........2005-11-09

First off, this is not a Rosanne Cash greatest-hits collection. Many #1 ("If You Change your Mind," "Runaway Train," etc.) and Top-10 ("Ain't No Money," "I Wonder," etc.) songs are absent, while lesser-known tracks are included -- many of which are essential Cash recordings, such as the exquisite "Seventh Avenue" and "September When It Comes," a duet with her late father, Johnny Cash.

A few tracks, namely "Hold On" and "No Memories Hangin' Around," are head-scratchers, because they are clearly not among the artist's best material. Still, this fine singer-songwriter oversaw this compilation, so she must be especially proud of those records for some reason.

This CD doesn't really accomplish being a distinct take on Cash's biggest hits or a representation of her finest non-hit work. It draws a line down the middle, providing a healthy portion of each. In all honesty, this is probably the best CD for introducing a friend to Cash's music, as it draws from each of her albums, with the exception of "Somewhere in the Stars," an album with some fine tracks.

The sound quality is quite good, having been refreshed by a superb remastering job. And a nice bonus treat is the original version of "Never be You" from 1983, which had not been released prior to this album. This rare track was included, obviously, to entice long-time fans to buy the album, and the ploy worked on me.

Music Album:

Music Album