Misery Loves Company: The Dark And Lonely World Of Johnny Cash

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In the liner postcard to this 1994 tribute, Jonboy Langford calls Johnny Cash "the polar opposite of the cozy, safe, sexless, and bland that white America usually clutches to its all-purchasing, suffocating breast." That statement, in a nutshell, explains how and why a politically charged British punk rocker chooses to immerse himself in the wholly American music of the Man in Black. And on Misery Loves Company, Langford and friends prove how remarkably well Cash's songs wear the honesty, simplicity, and directness of the punk mentality. Moods vary from ominous ("What Is Truth") and edgy ("I Got Stripes") to angry and bitter ("Busted") to wistful ("Sunday Morning Coming Down") to downright combustible ("Cocaine Blues"). Still, no matter how twisted the Tennessee Two's twang gets, it's always somewhere in all of these 14 cuts, although the reggae groove of "I Still Miss Someone" leaves it farthest behind. --Marc Greilsamer

Misery Loves Company: The Dark And Lonely World Of Johnny Cash,Pine Valley Cosmonauts,Jonboy Langford,Bloodshot Records,Alternative Country-Rock,Country,Pop,Popular Music

Average customer rating: Langford + Cash = cool great idea but . . .

Misery Loves Company: The Dark And Lonely World Of Johnny Cash Pine Valley Cosmonauts , and Jonboy Langford Manufacturer: Bloodshot Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music ASIN: B000006NXZ Release Date: 1998-10-06

Tracks:

1. Cocaine Blues
2. Tennessee Flat-Top Box
3. Guess Things Happen That Way
4. What Is Truth?
5. I Got Stripes
6. Busted
7. Big River
8. Sunday Morning Coming Down
9. There You Go
10. I Still Miss Someone
11. Thing Called Love
12. Give My Love To Rose
13. Next In Line
14. Home Of The Blues

Amazon.com

In the liner postcard to this 1994 tribute, Jonboy Langford calls Johnny Cash "the polar opposite of the cozy, safe, sexless, and bland that white America usually clutches to its all-purchasing, suffocating breast." That statement, in a nutshell, explains how and why a politically charged British punk rocker chooses to immerse himself in the wholly American music of the Man in Black. And on Misery Loves Company, Langford and friends prove how remarkably well Cash's songs wear the honesty, simplicity, and directness of the punk mentality. Moods vary from ominous ("What Is Truth") and edgy ("I Got Stripes") to angry and bitter ("Busted") to wistful ("Sunday Morning Coming Down") to downright combustible ("Cocaine Blues"). Still, no matter how twisted the Tennessee Two's twang gets, it's always somewhere in all of these 14 cuts, although the reggae groove of "I Still Miss Someone" leaves it farthest behind. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Langford + Cash = cool.......2006-06-24

As a big fan of Langford's work with the Pine Valley Cosmonauts and a very long time fan of Johnny Cash, this album pleases me immensely. I've had it for years and came looking for it hear to add the album cover artwork to my iPod. I was quite surprised to the CD both selling for so much and with such a lukewarm review. (But I'd never pay that much for a CD either...)

great idea but . . . .......2006-05-18

Long before The Pine Valley Cosmonauts Saluted the Majesty of Bob Wills (1998), they ran through the Johnny Cash song book. The music here is somewhere between rock and folk-rock, adorned with Jon Langford's distinctively British vocals. To appreciate this disc, the listener will have to move beyond the idea that Johnny Cash's music only works when rendered as Americana. This is the Man in Black's music as one would expect it to be played in a rowdy English punk bar. Traditionalists may be turned off by such an interpretation, but the more daring may find this refreshing. Indeed, this Pine Valley Cosmonauts tribute may appeal those who've always enjoyed Johnny's songs but disliked the twang.

This out-of-print recording is almost impossible to find. I contacted Bloodshot Records and not only do they no longer have the masters (no re-issue), nobody at headquarters even owns a personal copy. Being a devotee of Johnny Cash and Jon Langford, I sought this recording for years as a holy grail CD. After finally locating a copy, I have to admit that the music is lukewarm. Some of the songs work better than others. It's a good disc but one that doesn't beckon to be played often. While "Misery Loves Company: The Dark and Lonely World of Johnny Cash" deserves to be in-print, it also isn't worth $80.00 (the asking price for the least expensive used copy at the time of review). Thus for the potential listener, this purchase is in purgatory: there isn't enough interest for it to go back in-print and it's not worth the out-of-print price. "Misery Loves Company" is worth listening to but only if you can trade/download/torrent a copy or buy it from somebody who doesn't know what it's really worth.

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1. Monroe Brothers, Vol. 1: What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul
2. Newport Folk Festival: Best of Bluegrass 1959-1966 [Box set] [Live]
3. No Yesterday
4. Old Loves Never Die [Import]
5. On the Banks of the Sunny San Juan
6. People I've Known Places [Import]
7. Pistol Packin' Mama/Spin of the Wheel [Import]
8. Prairie Oyster [Import]
9. Rainbow Stew: Live at Anaheim Stadium [Live]
10. Remain

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