[rayword45]

Day 299: Man in Black by Johnny Cash (Album Choice: Sean M.)

I think this qualifies as a good enough penultimate-to-300 review, since 364 as a major number is pretty debatable.

When I was around 9 or 10, I was forced to listen to Folsom County Blues and Walk The Line on a RIDICULOUSLY frequent basis because my sister played those two songs on a loop during car rides. At the time, it gave me sharp migraines, but in hindsight those were some pretty good songs.

And I must thank my sister, because she gave me what I will compare this album to. Well, I also do recall the Johnny Cash covers of Hurt and Rowboat, but the lack of trauma attached to that makes their influence on me negligible.

Compared to all of what I've heard before, THIS ALBUM FUCKING SUCKS. It's all bland, preachy, Christianity-is-my-fetish bullshit. I'm definitely not a diehard atheist but this is over-the-top. The first half DEFINITELY has some twangy good tracks for sure, but the Jesus is creeping up on me too damn much. On the note of instrumentation, some songs NAIL it, like the best track listed down below because I don't want to bold more shit, or they ruin the song with ludicrous instrumentation choices, like the title track.

Now I must find the Johnny Cash albums which contained, you know, good songs. I feel I owe it to the man's legacy.

Best Track: If Not For Love
Rating: 5/10