American VI: Ain't No Grave
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American VI: Ain't No Grave is a posthumous album by Johnny Cash, released February 23, 2010, on American Recordings and Lost Highway Records[1] Its release was three days prior to what would have been Cash's 78th birthday.[2] The album's music was recorded during the same sessions as American V: A Hundred Highways (2006). The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 54,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, American VI: Ain't No Grave received generally positive reviews from music critics. The title track has been used in several American television shows, most notably in the final episode of season 7 of the CBS series NCIS, entitled "Rule Fifty-One".
Reception
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 54,000 copies,[3] becoming Cash's third posthumous top-ten album in the U.S.[4] In the United Kingdom, it entered at number nine on the UK Albums Chart.[5] American VI: Ain't No Grave also attained international chart success, charting within the top-ten of several other countries.[6]
Critical response
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | A[8] |
Robert Christgau | A[9] |
The Daily Telegraph | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 4/10[12] |
Pitchfork Media | 5.6/10[13] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
American VI received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 78, based on 19 reviews.[17] The Times writer Pete Paphides wrote that Cash's "most soulful performances on American VI are invested in Nashville standards".[16] Andy Gill of The Independent declared the album less strong than American V: A Hundred Highways, but maintains that this installment, "comes so close to those heights [that it] is cause for rejoicing."[11] The Washington Post's Bill Friskics-Warren wrote that the album presents Cash as "an unwavering man of faith" and noted a "spiritual, even biblical quality to the record".[18] Los Angeles Times writer Ann Powers called it "Cash's hospice record" and lauded his musicianship.[19] MSN Music's Robert Christgau called the album "both the grimmest and the most hopeful" of "those nearness-of-death albums".[9] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said that "death remains the big subject on VI, and Rubin magnifies the drama."[20] The Daily Telegraph's Andrew Perry dubbed it "Cash’s final, life-affirming masterpiece".[10]
In a mixed review, Slant Magazine's Jesse Cataldo wrote that "the angle imposed here is a double-edged sword, granting a too-strict formula for these songs to occupy, but also granting a greater measure of artistic freedom".[15] Pitchfork Media's Stephen M. Deusner criticized Rick Rubin's production, stating "Ain't No Grave isn't really Cash's farewell as much as it is Rubin's memorial mixtape".[13]
Track listing
- "Ain't No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down)" (Claude Ely; credited as Traditional) – 2:53
- "Redemption Day" (Sheryl Crow) – 4:22
- Originally recorded by Crow for the album Sheryl Crow (1996)
- "For the Good Times" (Kris Kristofferson) – 3:22
- Originally recorded by Kristofferson for the album Kristofferson (1970)
- "I Corinthians 15:55" (Johnny Cash) – 3:38
- Based on 1 Corinthians 15:55: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
- "Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound" (Tom Paxton) – 3:26
- Originally recorded by Paxton for the album Ramblin' Boy (1964)
- "A Satisfied Mind" (Red Hayes, Jack Rhodes) – 2:48
- Originally recorded by Porter Wagoner in 1955
- "I Don't Hurt Anymore" (Don Robertson, Walter E. Rollins) – 2:45
- Originally recorded by Hank Snow in 1954 and also an R&B hit for Dinah Washington the same year
- "Cool Water" (Bob Nolan) – 2:53
- Originally written by Nolan in 1936; most famous version by The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948
- "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (Ed McCurdy) – 3:14
- Originally recorded by McCurdy in 1950
- "Aloha Oe" (Queen Lili'uokalani) – 3:00
- Originally written by Lili'uokalani in 1877; recorded by Elvis Presley in 1961 for Blue Hawaii
Personnel
- Johnny Cash – vocals, guitar
- Scott Avett – banjo on "Ain't No Grave"
- Seth Avett – footsteps & chains on "Ain't No Grave"
- Mike Campbell – guitar
- Smokey Hormel – guitar
- Jonny Polonsky – guitar
- Matt Sweeney – guitar
- Benmont Tench – piano, harpsichord, organ
Charts
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian ARIA Albums[23] | 22 |
Australian ARIA Top Country Albums[24] | 2 |
Canadian Albums Chart[25] | 4 |
Danish Album Chart [26] | 2 |
German Album Chart [27] | 3 |
Netherlands MegaCharts[23] | 2 |
New Zealand Albums Chart[23] | 12 |
Norwegian Albums Chart[23] | 3 |
Swedish Albums Chart[28] | 6 |
Swiss Music Charts[23] | 10 |
UK Albums Chart[29] | 9 |
U.S. Billboard 200[30] | 3 |
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums[31] | 2 |
End of year charts
Chart (2010) | Position |
---|---|
Danish Albums Chart[32] | 39 |
US Billboard Top Country Albums | 37[33] |
References
- ^ Dean Goodman (January 14, 2010). "Johnny Cash Releasing Another Posthumous Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Last Johnny Cash American Recordings Album to Be Released in February". Retrieved March 5, 2010.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith. Sade Clocks Third Week At No. 1 On Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Grein, Paul. Week Ending Feb. 28, 2010: Beyond The "Grave". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Sexton, Paul. Jason Derulo Scores First U.K. No. 1. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Album Performance: American VI: Ain't No Grave. acharts. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "American VI: Ain't No Grave — Johnny Cash". Retrieved March 5, 2010.
- ^ Phipps, Keith (February 23, 2010). "Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave". The A.V. Club. Chicago. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: American VI: Ain't No Grave". MSN Music: May 2010.
- ^ a b Andrew, Perry (February 18, 2010). "Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
- ^ a b Andy Gill (February 19, 2010). "Album: Johnny Cash, American VI: Ain't No Grave (American)". London: The Independent. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
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(help) - ^ McNamee, Paul (March 5, 2010). "Album Review: Johnny Cash - 'American VI: Ain't No Grave' (Lost Highway)". NME. London. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
- ^ a b Deusner, Stephen M. Review: American VI: Ain't No Grave. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Rosen, Judy. "Johnny Cash — American VI: Ain't No Grave". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b Cataldo, Jesse (February 22, 2010). "Johnny Cash — American VI: Ain't No Grave". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b Paphides, Peter (February 19, 2010). "Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave". The Times. London. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
- ^ American VI: Ain't No Grave (2010): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill. Review: American VI: Ain't No Grave. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Powers, Ann. Johnny Cash: The Hospice Sessions. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
- ^ Kot, Greg (February 18, 2010). "Album review: Johnny Cash, 'American VI: Ain't No Grave'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Michael Stone and Brian Peters. "Reviews of the Library of Congress archives reissued on Rounder Records". RootsWorld Online World Music Magazine. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ Radio Diaries (5 May 2011). "A Nephew's Quest: Who Was Brother Claude Ely?". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/2011/05/05/136019632/a-nephews-quest-who-was-brother-claude-ely. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "australian-charts.com — Johnny Cash — American VI: Ain't No Grave charts". australian-charts.com. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ "Country Music Association of Australia: ARIA Top Country Albums (International)". ARIA Charts. Retrieved March 2, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Canadian Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave. danishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-13.
- ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
- ^ Swedish Albums Chart "Sverigetopplistan". Retrieved March 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}
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value (help) - ^ "Chart Stats — Johnny Cash". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Albums Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Top Country Music, Country Music Albums & Country Music Artists Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Album 2010 Top-100". Danish Albums Chart (in Danish). Nielsen Music Control. 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-01-29.
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(help) - ^ "Best of 2010 - Top Country Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
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