If you’re going to remix an iconic, genre-defining (and genre-defying) artist like Johnny Cash, there are two mistakes you can make, in my estimation - 1)You can diminish the Cash attitude (let’s face it - the attitude was such an intrinsic part of his music it simply can’t be divorced from it without the music suffering for it) or 2)You can try to compete with Johnny’s commanding (and unmatched) vocal stylings. Neither sin is necessarily greater than the other, but most JC remixes I’ve ever heard are marked with at least one of these two scars. Remixing Cash isn’t an easy proposition, so if you’re willing to take him on then you also have to be willing to bear the weight of potential failure on your shoulders.
I’d love to say Johnny Cash Remixed avoids both pitfalls, but I can’t. In fact, the first track by one of the project’s key producers - Snoop Dogg - is a perfect example of both missteps being taken with equal zeal. Snoop’s take on ‘I Walk The Line’ misses the mark in a pretty significant way - unfortunate, because I thought he might make something interesting out of it. He reduces Cash to what amounts to a background whisper, and basically guts the emotional core of the song. ‘Give it a try/l-l-l-iving’ a lie/you and me/we dipitty die’ is the most original rhyme he can muster, and it comes across as so goofy you just can’t enjoy anything else in the mix that might have been pulled off with any skill.
Tracks 4, 6 & 10 - by The Heavy, Alabama 3 and Kennedy, respectively - would be better described as covers rather than remixes. The Heavy nearly remove Cash from ‘Doin’ My Time’ all together (he only appears for a brief chorus), and they honestly do a respectable job reinterpreting the song as their own (the lead singer ends up sounding like a slightly less scratchy Cee-Lo). The problem is it doesn’t really work as a remix. If this was a Johnny Cash covers album, I’d give them more credit. Alabama 3 take a similar approach, starting their song with Cash’s original vocal, then substituting their own singer’s for the majority of the track. It definitely wasn’t my cup o’ tea, and seemed like something Kid Rock and his proteg
August 29th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
It sucks. ‘Nuff said, ‘cept Johnny Cash’s son ought to get a bitch-slap for allowing this to be released.
August 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Eh, I can’t say it sucks all together. Like I mentioned above, there are at least 3 tracks worthy of high marks. I think it’s just that the mistakes leave such a bad taste in your mouth you might tend to overlook what does work.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:38 am
LOL, Alabama 3 just ROCK, give them a break and checkout their album - Hits And Exit Wounds, you never know you might even like some of the well crafted songs. They are obviously Cash fans - one of my favorite songs being “Hello I’m Johnny Cash”. To fully appreciate this band you really need to see them live.
As for Snoop, does he know who Johnny Cash is? Yes the album is a bit hit and miss but the high points make it an interesting addition to any collection but I suspect it will not really appeal to the traditional Cash fan.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I forgot to mention that many people will know the Alabama 3 from their track - Woke Up This Morning - The Sopranos ;-)
January 28th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
[...] of my coworkers just sent this my way. It’s a stream of the upcoming “Johnny Cash Remixed” album. The first song is a remix of “Walk The Line”, featuring Snoop Dogg, and [...]
February 13th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
My favorite track was the Pete Rock remix of “Folsom Prison Blues” - great video too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVkpckTC3Us