Performers: Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Tennessee Three, Carl Perkins, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Family, Statler Brothers
Studio: Sony Legacy: Legacy (EMI) DVD 82876856629
Video: 4:3 full screen, color
Audio: PCM stereo
Length: 60 minutes
Rating: ****
I’ve always had a soft spot for Johnny Cash, ever since I listened to a record of his excoriating San Quentin song — performed live at San Quentin. It’s a great song and it took guts to sing it there. Now we have an excellent–albeit short–DVD of a TV show that aired in Denmark (in what appears to be a converted gymnasium), comprised of all previously unreleased material. Not only do we hear Johnny perform standards like A Boy Named Sue, Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, and I Walk the Line, we also get other greats of country music. Carl Perkins sings Blue Suede Shoes and Matchbox, both well and with spirit. The Statler Brothers sing their amusing hit Flowers on the Wall (1966) and the less-well-known but musically superior Bed of Roses (1970). And Mother Maybelle Carter plays an unidentified instrumental (sounds like Walk the Line) on autoharp that showcases her skill with nimble-fingered harmonies.
— Peter Bates