Johnny Cash – My Mother’s Hymn Book

Description

My Mother’s Hymn Book is an album by the American singer and songwriter Johnny Cash, released on American Recordings in 2004, manufactured and marketed by Lost Highway Records, distributed by Universal Music & Video Distribution Corp. The album (most of the recordings) was recorded October 12 – November 1, 1993 at Cedar Hill Refuge Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee; with Rick Rubin producing. It is a collection of Christian spiritual songs and hymns that Cash originally learned from his mother while growing up. The album was certified Gold (500,000 copies sold) by the RIAA in December 2004.

The album features only Cash’s voice and a single acoustic guitar. In the album’s liner notes Cash mentions that this is his favorite album he ever made. Tracks 6, 9, and 10 were previously recorded for Hymns from the Heart (1962); tracks 5, 11, 14, and 15 were previously recorded for Sings Precious Memories (1975); and track 7 was recorded in concert for The Survivors Live (1982). Several other songs, such as track 13, had been performed by Cash on TV or live in concert, but formal studio recordings had not yet been issued until now.

The 15 tracks on this album represent some of the final recordings from the great Johnny Cash, who was by then unable to perform in public. They are all pulled from hymns found in Johnny’s mother’s hymn book. Johnny had previously recorded several of these songs over the years, in some cases with orchestral accompaniment, but the simple guitar backing makes these very familiar songs sound attractive and almost new! What is really surprising is how good his voice sounds bearing in mind his weak physical state at the time. The opening track «Where We’ll Never Grow Old» gets the album off to a poignant start. We then get fine renditions of many familiar tunes including «I Am A Pilgrim», «If We Never Meet Again This Side Of Heaven», «I’m Bound For The Promised Land» and my particular favourite «In The Garden». Included are some very interesting album sleevenotes. As a life long Johnny Cash fan I found the album intensely moving and very reassuring that for his final recordings he should have been given the strength to make such wonderful music in praise of our Lord. I look forward to meeting him «In The Sweet Bye And Bye» as per one of the songs on this memorable album! [Dave Brassington, Cross Rhythms, December 2004]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-mothers-hymn-book/1440752252)

CD tracklist:

01. Where We’ll Never Grow Old
02. I Shall Not Be Moved
03. I Am A Pilgrim
04. Do Lord
05. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
06. If We Never Meet Again This Side Of Heaven
07. I’ll Fly Away
08. Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies
09. Let The Lower Lights Be Burning
10. When He Reached Down
11. In The Sweet By And By
12. I’m Bound For The Promised Land
13. In The Garden
14. Softly And Tenderly
15. Just As I Am

Note: Originally issued as the fourth disc of Johnny Cash’s 5-disc box set Unearthed released in November 2003. Re-issued as a standalone album in 2004.