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American VI: Ain't No Grave

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Untitled

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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[7]
The A.V. ClubA[8]
Robert ChristgauA[9]
The Daily Telegraph[10]
The Independent[11]
NME4/10[12]
Pitchfork Media5.6/10[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
Slant Magazine[15]
The Times[16]

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

  1. "Ain't No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down)" (Claude Ely; credited as Traditional) – 2:53
    Originally recorded by Bozie Sturdivant in 1941;[21] Ely's version recorded in 1953 but composed in 1934[22]
  2. "Redemption Day" (Sheryl Crow) – 4:22
    Originally recorded by Crow for the album Sheryl Crow (1996)
  3. "For the Good Times" (Kris Kristofferson) – 3:22
    Originally recorded by Kristofferson for the album Kristofferson (1970)
  4. "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?”
  5. "Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound" (Tom Paxton) – 3:26
    Originally recorded by Paxton for the album Ramblin' Boy (1964)
  6. "A Satisfied Mind" (Red Hayes, Jack Rhodes) – 2:48
    Originally recorded by Porter Wagoner in 1955
  7. "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
  8. "Cool Water" (Bob Nolan) – 2:53
    Originally written by Nolan in 1936; most famous version by The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948
  9. "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (Ed McCurdy) – 3:14
    Originally recorded by McCurdy in 1950
  10. "Aloha Oe" (Queen Lili'uokalani) – 3:00
    Originally written by Lili'uokalani in 1877; recorded by Elvis Presley in 1961 for Blue Hawaii

Personnel

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

  1. ^ 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)
  2. ^ "Last Johnny Cash American Recordings Album to Be Released in February". Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  3. ^ Caulfield, Keith. Sade Clocks Third Week At No. 1 On Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  4. ^ Grein, Paul. Week Ending Feb. 28, 2010: Beyond The "Grave". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  5. ^ Sexton, Paul. Jason Derulo Scores First U.K. No. 1. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  6. ^ Album Performance: American VI: Ain't No Grave. acharts. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  7. ^ Jurek, Thom. "American VI: Ain't No Grave — Johnny Cash". Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  8. ^ Phipps, Keith (February 23, 2010). "Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave". The A.V. Club. Chicago. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: American VI: Ain't No Grave". MSN Music: May 2010.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ a b Andy Gill (February 19, 2010). "Album: Johnny Cash, American VI: Ain't No Grave (American)". London: The Independent. Retrieved February 19, 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ McNamee, Paul (March 5, 2010). "Album Review: Johnny Cash - 'American VI: Ain't No Grave' (Lost Highway)". NME. London. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  13. ^ a b Deusner, Stephen M. Review: American VI: Ain't No Grave. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  14. ^ 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= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ 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)
  16. ^ a b Paphides, Peter (February 19, 2010). "Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave". The Times. London. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  17. ^ American VI: Ain't No Grave (2010): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  18. ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill. Review: American VI: Ain't No Grave. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  19. ^ Powers, Ann. Johnny Cash: The Hospice Sessions. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  20. ^ 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= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ a b c d e "australian-charts.com — Johnny Cash — American VI: Ain't No Grave charts". australian-charts.com. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  24. ^ "Country Music Association of Australia: ARIA Top Country Albums (International)". ARIA Charts. Retrieved March 2, 2010. [dead link]
  25. ^ "Canadian Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave. danishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-13.
  27. ^ "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.
  28. ^ Swedish Albums Chart "Sverigetopplistan". Retrieved March 5, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  29. ^ "Chart Stats — Johnny Cash". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Albums Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "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}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "Album 2010 Top-100". Danish Albums Chart (in Danish). Nielsen Music Control. 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-01-29. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  33. ^ "Best of 2010 - Top Country Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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