This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
If the music biz has a motto, it’s this: Any good idea is an idea worth stealing. Of course, this isn’t always a bad thing. At least not for consumers.
Consider Johnny Cash’s back catalog. Over the past year or so, Sony Music has revamped, remastered and reissued a whole whack of his classic titles, generating considerable praise, along with profit. Now, competitor Universal is getting into the act, dishing up a handful of ’80s and ’90s releases in its catalog. Granted, these are no-frills affairs in comparison, but hey, you won’t catch me complaining about anybody who wants to reissue classic Cash cuts. Here’s one title in the series:
Mystery of Life
FIRST ISSUED: 1990.
THE STORY: Cash and legendary producer Jack Clement — the team behind classics like I Guess Things Happen That Way, Ballad Of A Teenage Queen and Ring of Fire — take a stroll down memory lane here, recutting a selection of Johnny’s greatest hits with new, gussied-up arrangements and production.
HIGHLIGHTS: It’s hard to argue with tracks like Hey Porter, Beans For Breakfast, The Greatest Cowboy Of Them All, I’m An Easy Rider and Angel And The Badman. Then again, it’s hard to argue against seeking out the superior original versions. As a bonus, this release includes The Wanderer, his 1993 collaboration with U2.
