American V: A Hundred Highways is a posthumously released studio album by Johnny Cash. It was released on July 4, 2006, by American Recordings. As the title implies, it is the fifth entry in Cash's American series. Like its predecessors, the album is produced by Rick Rubin. It was Cash's first No. 1 album in 37 years.[9] It was certified Gold on August 18, 2006, by the RIAA.
American V: A Hundred Highways | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 4, 2006 | |||
Recorded | May–August 2003 | |||
Studio | Cash Cabin Studio (Hendersonville, Tennessee) Akadamie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research (Los Angeles, California) Sound City (Van Nuys) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:45 | |||
Label | American | |||
Producer | Rick Rubin | |||
Johnny Cash chronology | ||||
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American series chronology | ||||
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Singles from American V: A Hundred Highways | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 82/100[2] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 9/10[2] |
Pitchfork Media | 7.8/10[4] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[7] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Background
editAs with the other albums in the American series, the album includes covers and originals. The originals on this album are "I Came to Believe" and "Like the 309", the latter of which was the last song Cash wrote before his death in 2003.[10] Recorded on August 21, 2003, "Like the 309" was the next-to-last song Cash ever recorded; the last being "Engine One-Forty-Three" which was produced by John Carter Cash and released on the 2004 compilation album The Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family.[11] The album takes its name from a lyric on the track "Love's Been Good to Me" by Rod McKuen.
Previous recordings
editThree songs on the album are updated versions of songs previously recorded by Cash.
- "Help Me" was previously recorded by Cash for his 1973 album "The Gospel Road".
- "I Came to Believe" was previously recorded by Cash in the 1980s during the recording sessions that would ultimately result in the posthumous 2014 release Out Among the Stars.
- "I'm Free from the Chain Gang Now" was previously recorded by Cash for his 1962 album The Sound of Johnny Cash.
Chart performance
editAmerican V: A Hundred Highways peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with 88,000 copies sold in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was Cash's first No. 1 album since 1969's Johnny Cash at San Quentin.
Track listing
editNo. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Help Me" | Larry Gatlin | 2:51 |
2. | "God's Gonna Cut You Down" | Traditional | 2:38 |
3. | "Like the 309" | Johnny Cash | 4:35 |
4. | "If You Could Read My Mind" | Gordon Lightfoot | 4:30 |
5. | "Further on Up the Road" | Bruce Springsteen | 3:25 |
6. | "On the Evening Train" | Hank Williams | 4:17 |
7. | "I Came to Believe" | Johnny Cash | 3:44 |
8. | "Love's Been Good to Me" | Rod McKuen | 3:18 |
9. | "A Legend in My Time" | Don Gibson | 2:37 |
10. | "Rose of My Heart" | Hugh Moffatt | 3:18 |
11. | "Four Strong Winds" | Ian Tyson | 4:34 |
12. | "I'm Free from the Chain Gang Now" | Lou Herscher, Saul Klein | 3:00 |
Total length: | 42:45 |
Personnel
editCash engineer David "Fergie" Ferguson (assisted by Jimmy Tittle) and Rubin oversaw the completion of the recordings. Other musicians on the album include keyboardist Benmont Tench and guitarists Mike Campbell, Smoky Hormel, Matt Sweeney and Jonny Polonsky.
- Johnny Cash – vocal, guitar
- Laura Cash – fiddle
- Dennis Crouch (bassist) – bass guitar
- Smokey Hormel – guitar
- Pat McLaughlin – guitar
- Larry Perkins – guitar
- Jonny Polonsky – guitar
- Randy Scruggs – guitar
- Marty Stuart – guitar
- Matt Sweeney – guitar
- Benmont Tench – organ, piano, harpsichord
- Pete Wade – guitar
- Mac Wiseman – guitar
- David Campbell - string arrangements
- Production and technical staff
- Martyn Atkins – photography
- Christine Cano – art direction, design
- John Carter Cash – executive producer
- Lindsay Chase – production coordination
- Greg Fidelman – mixing
- Paul Figueroa – mixing assistant
- Dan Leffler – mixing assistant
- Vlado Meller – mastering
- Rick Rubin – producer, liner notes
- Mark Santangelo – mastering assistant
- Jimmy Tittle – assistant engineer
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[38] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[39] | Gold | 20,000^ |
Germany (BVMI)[40] | Gold | 100,000^ |
Ireland (IRMA)[41] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[43] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
edit- ^ "American V: A Hundred Highways - Johnny Cash |..." AllMusic.
- ^ a b "American V: A Hundred Highways by Johnny Cash". Metacritic.com.
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "American V: A Hundred Highways – Johnny Cash". AllMusic. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "Record reviews : Johnny Cash : American V: A Hundred Highways [Lost Highway/American; 2006]". Archived from the original on August 8, 2006.
- ^ "American V: A Hundred Highways". Archived from the original on July 6, 2006.
- ^ Jones, Preston (June 22, 2006). "Review: Johnny Cash, American V: A Hundred Highways". Slantmagazine.com.
- ^ "American V: A Hundred Highways : Johnny Cash : Reviewed by Gilbert Cruz". Archived from the original on August 31, 2006.
- ^ "CD: Johnny Cash, American V: A Hundred Highways". The Guardian. June 17, 2006. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022.
- ^ Thomson, G. (2011). The Resurrection of Johnny Cash: Hurt, Redemption, and American Recording Jawbone Press, p. 233.
- ^ Cruz, Gilbert (June 27, 2006). "EW review: Johnny Cash's brilliant finale". Entertainment Weekly – via CNN.
- ^ Hilburn, Robert (2013). Johnny Cash: The Life. New York City: Little, Brown & Co. p. 624. ISBN 978-0316194747.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Johnny Cash: American V: A Hundred Highways" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Johnny Cash". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Årslista Album – År 2006" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "2006 UK Albums Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Johnny Cash – A hundred highways". Music Canada. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- ^ "Guld og platin" (in Danish). IFPI Danmark. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Johnny Cash; 'A hundred highways')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - 2006 Certification Awards - Gold". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ "British album certifications – Johnny Cash – A hundred highways". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ^ "American album certifications – Johnny Cash – A hundred highways". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
External links
edit- "American V: A Hundred Highways" Review on "Cool Album of the Day"
- USATODAY.com - Johnny Cash's final work yields 2 more albums
- E! Online News - Johnny Cash's Last "American" Song
- THE POP LIFE; Johnny Cash's Legacy Of Emotions, on CD's. New York Times (reprinted on JohnnyCashMusic.com). November 27, 2003.
- Cash Earns First No. 1 Album Since 1969. Billboard July 12, 2006.
- Luma Electronic's Johnny Cash discography listing