Johnny Cash’s Sun Records debut gets a significant vinyl upgrade and sounds better than ever!
Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar! – Sun Record Company LP-1220 (1957)/Intervention Records IR-039 (2026) 180-gram 45 r.p.m. mono vinyl ****1/2:
(Johnny Cash – acoustic guitar, vocals; Luther Perkins – electric guitar; Marshall Grant – double bass)
The influence of Memphis record label Sun Records on modern rock and roll is significant. The intermingling of blues with country music created a new genre called rockabilly. Often recorded with minimal instrumentation, songs included “snapback” and echo. In 1954, a local singer named Elvis Presley released “That’s All Right”, leading the way for other seminal hits like “Blue Suede Shoes” (Carl Perkins), and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (Jerry Lee Lewis). One of the earliest crossover country stars was Johnny Cash. While his roots were in gospel, he ended up at Sun Records in Memphis with all of the artists trying to reach a rock and roll audience. But Cash was a different breed of musician, creating his own unique blend of folk, blues and traditional country.
Intervention Records has released a 180-gram 45 r.p.m. mono vinyl of the 1957 debut on Sun Records, Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar!. The instrumentation is pared-down with Cash on acoustic guitar, Luther Perkins on electric and Marshall Grant on double bass. The focal point is Cash’s rumbling baritone. Side A opens with a classic talking blues train song, “Rock Island Line” (popularized by Huddie Ledbetter). Cash narrates the opening verse as the band creates a trademark 50’s “boom chick-a-boom” groove. There is a tempo uptick that is catchy. Next up is an unforgettable prison/train song from Hank Williams, “I Heard That Lonesome Whistle”. In a slower waltz-time, Cash recounts the poor decisions of a young man with his unique vocal style. His humorous enunciation of the word “lonesome” is uncanny.
Picking up the tempo, “Country Boy” (the first of four original compositions) has a lively feel with imagery of fishing, working and even dogs. “If The Good Lord Is Willing” (an early Jerry Reed song), is a foot-stomping exploration of romance viewed through a gospel lens. Even in the beginning, Johnny Cash had a trademark style. His first single “Cry, Cry, Cry” is a master class in the relentless burden of unrequited love with rhythmic inflection and a rolling musical structure. Cash’s larger-than-life voice permeates the amiable, sardonic 3/4 time arrangement of “Remember Me”.
Cash manages to exude pathos and humor on “So Doggone Lonesome”. His relaxed delivery merges with Sunday testimony (and backup vocals) on “I Was There When It Happened”. Like most of the songs on this album, it feels authentic and impossible to imagine any other musician coming up with a comparable version. One of the certain highlights is “I Walk The Line”. With impeccable rhymes and railroad cadence, Cash weaves his commitment to love with emotional verve and unexpected singing range. Returning to restless traveling, “The Wreck Of Old ’97” is high-octane. Perhaps the signature number for early Johnny Cash is the heart-wrenching ‘Folsom Prison Blues”. This also represents some of his best songwriting. Phrases like “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die” and “I let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away” are part of the outlaw culture. The finale (“Doin’ My Time”) embraces the ever-present themes of jail and being with “that gal of mine”.
Johnny Cash With His Blue And Hot Guitar! is a historical recording. Cash transcends the Sun Records rockabilly genre with fresh roots-based music, showcasing a consistent artistic vision. The re-mastered sound (100 % analog with a 1/4” transfer from original master tapes) and modern lacquer pressing expand the overall sound dynamics (Kevin Gray/CoHEARent Audio). The “low-fi” sensibility is maintained with quiet aesthetics and excellent centering of Cash’s deep voice.
Highly recommended!
—Robbie Gerson
Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar!
TrackList:
Side 1: Rock Island Line; I Heard That Lonesome Whistle; Country Boy; If The Good Lord Is Willing; Cry, Cry, Cry; Remember Me
Side 2: So Doggone Lonesome; I Was There When It Happened; I Walk The Line; The Wreck Of The Old ’97; Folsom Prison Blues; Doin’ My Time.
