Greetings Readers
As the post title suggests it is about Johnny Cash.
For all my life on this blue planet I have had heard of Johnny Cash - You probably have heard him at one point or another yourself.
"Burn, burn, burn" from the Ring of Fire. A Boy named Sue. The Wanderer (with Bono). and so forth. I have heard of the popular songs from Johnny Cash, but I guess I never really listened to Johnny Cash. And I mean never really, really listened. I liked his deep voice and the tempo, but I guess I never thought any more than that.
So, years ago you readers probably remember the movie "Walk the Line." I heard that was movie was based on his life and that Joaquin Phoenix was going to play Johnny Cash, but then I heard that Reese Witherspoon was going to play June Carter. Knowing Reese from previous movie roles I did not think that was going to be a choice actress to play in a movie about Johnny Cash.
As the movie got near the release date I saw the movie trailers about the movie and I was in awe of how close Joaquin Phoenix looked to Johnny Cash. I also had heard that Reese and Joaquin did truly sing some, if not all, songs in the movie. That was sort of a selling point for me.
Then, the weekend of release. I decided to set the movie on a Sunday. As soon we movie watchers got through the ads, movie trailers and what now then the movie started.
The movie opened with a crow, I think, and then you recognized the scene of a prison. The movie's colors were very, very neutral. The opening showed many shots of the prison, which at that time I did not know it was Folsom Prison. Then, whether it was a minute later or seconds, you could hear the faint beat of music. Gradually, the music's volume increased and I could hear the thump, thump, thump, with a quick two-step beat. Soon the music was all you could hear then if I remember correctly the scene changes to a glass of water with the sound waves from the amp, I think, making waves in the glass. "Mr Cash?" "Mr. Cash?"
In that opening scene I wanted to be at that concert. I wanted to hear what Johnny Cash was going to play. I wanted to hear what recorded at Folsom Prison that day in January.
Overall, the movie was fantastic and I do not say that very often. The story of Johnny Cash was something else. The music that was scored throughout the movie was perfect. And then when the end of the movie came and the short notes telling us readers when Johnny died and then June followed four months later was sad to see. Then, I saw that the album "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" was, or is, the number one live album of all time. If that a true fact then obviously it was an album that I wanted to hear for myself. The movie's music was never brought to center to be forced into our face just to have the music for us. And was I ever wrong about Reese playing June Carter Cash - she was dead on and I knew that she was going to get nominated for an Oscar for her role.
My parents listened to Johnny Cash when I was growing up, but I guess I never really caught onto Johnny Cash. Or perhaps I did and that is why all of a sudden I have latched onto Johnny Cash. Stephen King even wrote reference to Johnny Cash in the Dark Tower Series. Sure it was a funny reference, but now thinking about that reference - true as shit that King's character was dead on.
So, after seeing "Walk the Line" I wanted to buy the album, but I somehow never got around to buying the CD. Now, this past week I ordered two Johnny Cash Albums from Amazon.com. The Great Lost Performances and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. One word. Wow! Fucking impressive music and singing. Not to mention the lyrics. I think I read in the liner notes that the beat is a two step - chicka-boom-chicka-boom. That kind of beat. I love that deep baritone voice of Johnny Cash.
Anyway, I wanted to share this insight of Johnny Cash. Unfortunately, it took me this far in my life to own my first Johnny Cash Album. I bought the DVD extended version of "Walk the Line" that included 17 more minutes of movie footage. The extended version was perfect. I did not feel the extra 17 minutes though the movie is already a long movie at 135 minutes. And the picture that on the front of the extended verison of Walk the Line DVD is what the movie is truly about..
Now, each time I listen to any of Johnny Cash's music I can not help to think what he went through in life and he did live life. He was on top of the world at one moment and the next he was spiralling down to him almost dying from drugs. What June did for Johnny was something extraordinary in itself. How many of us would be there for someone who has dropped that low in his/her life? I get a lump in my throat - honest - about how June supposedly was the instrument to get Johnny away from his spiral into oblivion.
Until the next time
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete
As the post title suggests it is about Johnny Cash.
For all my life on this blue planet I have had heard of Johnny Cash - You probably have heard him at one point or another yourself.
"Burn, burn, burn" from the Ring of Fire. A Boy named Sue. The Wanderer (with Bono). and so forth. I have heard of the popular songs from Johnny Cash, but I guess I never really listened to Johnny Cash. And I mean never really, really listened. I liked his deep voice and the tempo, but I guess I never thought any more than that.
So, years ago you readers probably remember the movie "Walk the Line." I heard that was movie was based on his life and that Joaquin Phoenix was going to play Johnny Cash, but then I heard that Reese Witherspoon was going to play June Carter. Knowing Reese from previous movie roles I did not think that was going to be a choice actress to play in a movie about Johnny Cash.
As the movie got near the release date I saw the movie trailers about the movie and I was in awe of how close Joaquin Phoenix looked to Johnny Cash. I also had heard that Reese and Joaquin did truly sing some, if not all, songs in the movie. That was sort of a selling point for me.
Then, the weekend of release. I decided to set the movie on a Sunday. As soon we movie watchers got through the ads, movie trailers and what now then the movie started.
The movie opened with a crow, I think, and then you recognized the scene of a prison. The movie's colors were very, very neutral. The opening showed many shots of the prison, which at that time I did not know it was Folsom Prison. Then, whether it was a minute later or seconds, you could hear the faint beat of music. Gradually, the music's volume increased and I could hear the thump, thump, thump, with a quick two-step beat. Soon the music was all you could hear then if I remember correctly the scene changes to a glass of water with the sound waves from the amp, I think, making waves in the glass. "Mr Cash?" "Mr. Cash?"
In that opening scene I wanted to be at that concert. I wanted to hear what Johnny Cash was going to play. I wanted to hear what recorded at Folsom Prison that day in January. Overall, the movie was fantastic and I do not say that very often. The story of Johnny Cash was something else. The music that was scored throughout the movie was perfect. And then when the end of the movie came and the short notes telling us readers when Johnny died and then June followed four months later was sad to see. Then, I saw that the album "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" was, or is, the number one live album of all time. If that a true fact then obviously it was an album that I wanted to hear for myself. The movie's music was never brought to center to be forced into our face just to have the music for us. And was I ever wrong about Reese playing June Carter Cash - she was dead on and I knew that she was going to get nominated for an Oscar for her role.
My parents listened to Johnny Cash when I was growing up, but I guess I never really caught onto Johnny Cash. Or perhaps I did and that is why all of a sudden I have latched onto Johnny Cash. Stephen King even wrote reference to Johnny Cash in the Dark Tower Series. Sure it was a funny reference, but now thinking about that reference - true as shit that King's character was dead on.
So, after seeing "Walk the Line" I wanted to buy the album, but I somehow never got around to buying the CD. Now, this past week I ordered two Johnny Cash Albums from Amazon.com. The Great Lost Performances and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. One word. Wow! Fucking impressive music and singing. Not to mention the lyrics. I think I read in the liner notes that the beat is a two step - chicka-boom-chicka-boom. That kind of beat. I love that deep baritone voice of Johnny Cash.
Anyway, I wanted to share this insight of Johnny Cash. Unfortunately, it took me this far in my life to own my first Johnny Cash Album. I bought the DVD extended version of "Walk the Line" that included 17 more minutes of movie footage. The extended version was perfect. I did not feel the extra 17 minutes though the movie is already a long movie at 135 minutes. And the picture that on the front of the extended verison of Walk the Line DVD is what the movie is truly about..
Now, each time I listen to any of Johnny Cash's music I can not help to think what he went through in life and he did live life. He was on top of the world at one moment and the next he was spiralling down to him almost dying from drugs. What June did for Johnny was something extraordinary in itself. How many of us would be there for someone who has dropped that low in his/her life? I get a lump in my throat - honest - about how June supposedly was the instrument to get Johnny away from his spiral into oblivion.
Until the next time
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete
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