Throwback Thursday - The Man Comes Around

The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, released his final album during his lifetime, on this date in 2002. American IV: The Man Comes Around was the fourth in the "American" series Cash released (all produced by Rick Rubin). Guests artists included Don Henley, Fiona Apple, Nick Cave and Billy Preston.

The album featured mostly cover songs which Cash performed in his own signature style, was Cash's first non-compilation album to go gold in 30 years (gold record is selling of over 1 million albums) and it won the 2003 CMA Award for Album of the Year.

With a wide range of songs, from Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" to The Beatles "In My Life" to his own original "The Man Comes Around", the album closed out a career full of highs and lows. Cash's vulnerability can be heard on every song. His voice, still deep and at times very beautiful, hints at the health problems that would soon end Cash's life.

The biggest "hit" from the album was a cover of Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt". The song was accompanied by a devastatingly painful video, shot at The House of Cash. His wife, June Carter Cash, who appears briefly in the video, gazing at him with a sad, yet loving look, died three months after filming. Johnny himself, died seven months after shooting the video.

Personally, in the world of cover songs, I would rank this near the top of any list. It combines the pain of the original song with the pain that Cash brought to his version. You can feel his career and life crescendo near the end of the song, with a sudden slam at the end.