The Setlist series of live CDs draw together familiar live material with some rarer, more obscure tunes. Featuring remastered tracks, new liner notes, photos and additional bonus material, the Setlist series, hot on the trail of the Playlist series, might prove a good bet for even the most diehard fan who thinks he or she has every live track their favorite band ever played.
Setlist: The Very Best Of Johnny Cash Live starts with what might be the most famous introduction in all of popular music: “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” The man in black begins this 14-song disc with a slightly fast “Folsom Prison Blues” from 1968’s Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison, then into his deep strong vocal on “I Still Miss Someone” and the signature “Man In Black.” Nobody could sing a song like “That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine” and pull it off like Johnny Cash, another classic here, with a nice walking bass line.
Cash duets with his wife June Carter on “Medley: Darlin’ Companion/If I Were a Carpenter/Jackson” and “I Got A Woman.” Of course, you can’t listen to a Johnny Cash record without some gospel and this set is no exception with “Belshazzar” (from 1969’s Johnny Cash At Madison Square Garden) and “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” (The Best Of The Johnny Cash TV Show).
A chunky, train-like drive ensues on “Wreck Of The Old 97,” one of the most rockin’ numbers here. We also get an incredible read of “A Boy Named Sue,” a clear-as-a-bell “I Walk The Line,” and the mighty “Big River.” Culled from six live releases, Setlist: The Very Best Of Johnny Cash Live doesn’t offer anything new, but it works well as a single CD of some the greatest live recordings from Johnny Cash’s illustrious career.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
