American IV: The Man Comes Around

American IV: The Man Comes Around
Studio album by Johnny Cash
Released	November 5, 2002
Genre	Country, Americana
Length	51:55
Label	American Recordings / Universal
Producer	Rick Rubin John Carter Cash
Johnny Cash chronology
Johnny Cash at Madison Square Garden (2002) American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002) Unearthed (2003)
American series chronology
American III: Solitary Man (2000) American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002) Unearthed (2003)

American IV: The Man Comes Around is the fourth album in the American series by Johnny Cash, (and his 87th overall) released in 2002. This is the last album released before his death in 2003. The majority of songs are covers which Cash performs in his own spare style, with help from producer Rick Rubin. For instance, for the song "Personal Jesus", Rubin asked ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante to re-work an acoustic version of Martin Gore's song, which featured a simple acoustic riff that stripped down the song to a blues style. He receives backing vocal assistance from various artists, including Fiona Apple, Nick Cave, and Don Henley. American IV was the final Cash album released during his lifetime; though the Unearthed Box Set was compiled prior to his death, it was not released until two months later. It was also his first non-compilation album to go gold (selling over 500,000 copies) in thirty years. Additionally, the album won "Album of the Year" award at the 2003 CMA Awards.It was certified Gold on 4/24/2003 and Platinum on 11/21/2003 by the R.I.A.A.

The video for "Hurt", a song written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails in 1994, was nominated in seven categories at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards and won the award for Best Cinematography. In February 2003, mere days before his 71st birthday, Cash won another Grammy Award for Best Country Male Vocal Performance for "Give My Love To Rose," a song Cash had originally recorded in the late 1950s. The music video for "Hurt" also won a Grammy for Best Short Form Video at the 2004 Awards.

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor admitted that he was initially "flattered" but worried that "the idea [of Cash covering "Hurt"] sounded a bit gimmicky," but when he heard the song and saw the video for the first time, Reznor said he was deeply moved and found Cash's cover beautiful and meaningful.^[1]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	A− link
Los Angeles Times	link

Track listing

1. "The Man Comes Around" (Cash) – 4:26
2. "Hurt" (Reznor) – 3:38

   Originally recorded by Nine Inch Nails for The Downward Spiral (1994)

3. "Give My Love to Rose" (Cash) – 3:28

   Originally recorded by Cash for Sun, appears on Sings Hank Williams (1960), also appears on At Folsom Prison (1968)

4. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon) – 3:55

   Originally recorded by Simon and Garfunkel for Bridge over Troubled Water (1970)

5. "I Hung My Head" (Sting) – 3:53

   Originally recorded by Sting for Mercury Falling (1996)

6. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (MacColl) – 3:52

   Was a number one hit for Roberta Flack (1972)

7. "Personal Jesus" (Gore) – 3:20

   Originally recorded by Depeche Mode for Violator (1990)

8. "In My Life" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:57

   Originally recorded by The Beatles for Rubber Soul (1965)

9. "Sam Hall" (Ritter) – 2:40

   Originally recorded by Cash for Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965)

10. "Danny Boy" (Weatherly) – 3:19

    First published in 1910, previously recorded by Cash for Orange Blossom Special (1965)

11. "Desperado" (Frey/Henley) – 3:13

    Originally recorded by The Eagles for the album of the same name (1973)

12. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (Williams) – 3:03

    Originally recorded by Hank Williams; previously recorded by Cash for Now, There Was a Song! (1960)

13. "Tear Stained Letter" (Cash) – 3:41

    Originally recorded by Cash for A Thing Called Love (1972)

14. "Streets of Laredo" – 3:33 (Traditional)

    Previously recorded by Cash for Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965)

15. "We'll Meet Again" (Charles/Parker) – 2:58

    Most famously a hit for Vera Lynn (1939)

LP bonus tracks

Various editions of the album were released. Some include an extra interview disc or a DVD of the video for "Hurt". The vinyl edition of the album featured a slightly different track list and two bonus tracks which were subsequently released, slightly modified (Wichita Lineman with an additional guitar sound layer), on the box set Unearthed:

• "Wichita Lineman" (Jimmy Webb)
• "Big Iron" (Marty Robbins)

Personnel

• Johnny Cash - vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, arranger, adaptation
• Don Henley - drums, keyboards, vocals
• Fiona Apple - vocals
• Nick Cave - vocals
• Mike Campbell, John Frusciante, Randy Scruggs - acoustic guitar, guitar
• Thom Bresh, Jeff Hanna, Kerry Marx, Marty Stuart - acoustic guitar
• Smokey Hormel - acoustic guitar, slide guitar, guitar
• Jack Clement - Dobro
• Joey Waronker - drums
• David R. Ferguson - Ukulele, engineer, mixing
• Laura Cash - fiddle, production assistant
• Terry Harrington - clarinet
• Benmont Tench - organ, piano, harmonium, keyboards, Mellotron, vibraphone, pipe organ, Wurlitzer
• Roger Manning - piano, Tack piano, Harmonium, Mellotron, Chamberlin, orchestra bells
• Billy Preston - piano, keyboards

Additional personnel

• Rick Rubin - producer
• John Carter Cash - producer, engineer
• Thom Russo, Andrew Scheps, Chuck Turner - engineers
• Vladimir Meller - mastering
• Christine Cano - art direction, design
• Martyn Atkins - photography
• Lindsay Chase - production coordination
• Dwight Hume, Jimmy Tittle - production assistants

Chart performance

Use in television and film

• "The Man Comes Around" was used during the opening sequence of the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, as well as the closing scenes of Generation Kill. It was used in the soundtrack to the "Elephant's Memory" episode of Criminal Minds. It was used in the final episode of the first season of The Sarah Connor Chronicles. "The Man Comes Around" is used in the closing credits of the 2003 film The Hunted, as well in a scene in the 2008 film My Best Friend's Girl. It was also used in the end credits of the film Insomnia with Al Pacino and Robin Williams. The song can also be heard during series 4, episode 1 of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, as well as in the opening sequence of the CSI episode Better Off Dead (season 10, episode 10).
• "Hurt" was used in the tribute video to late professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero who died from heart failure in late 2005. It was also used in the same Criminal Minds episode as "The Man Comes Around". The song was also featured in a documentary on Amy Winehouse. "Hurt" was also featured in the closing credits of the eighth episode of Smallville`s third season. It was also featured in the end credits of the 2011 action film "Colombiana (film)*.
• "I Hung My Head" was played during the montage of the end of the season 6 premiere of FX's The Shield and during a scene in the television movie The Trial of Tony Blair. It was also used at the start of the early 2011 film "The Green Hornet (2011 film)".
• "In My Life" was played during a promotional commercial for "Kennedys’ Family Movies" airing on The Learning Channel on January, 30 2011.
• "Personal Jesus" was played during "Boston Public" during episode twelve of season three when Scott Guber walks in on a student poker game.

References

• ^ Alternative Press #194. September, 2004.

v t e Johnny Cash Studio albums With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest! Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song! Now Here's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I'm Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash is Coming to Town Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Concept albums Songs of Our Soil Ride This Train The Lure of the Grand Canyon Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children's Album The Rambler Gospel albums Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him My Mother's Hymn Book Christmas albums The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas Collaborations Carryin' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James The Survivors Live Highwayman Heroes Class of '55 Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers Live albums At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls Soundtrack albums I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy The Gospel Road Return to the Promised Land Compilation albums Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash The World of Johnny Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride this Train Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 16 Biggest Hits Love, God and Murder The Essential Johnny Cash Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash Personal File The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II Songs "25 Minutes to Go" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Flesh and Blood" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Get Rhythm" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "If I Were a Carpenter" "It Ain't Me Babe" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "Jackson" "Kate" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say" Family June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Vivian Liberto Tommy Cash Carter Family Related articles Discography Sun Records discography Highwaymen Walk the Line Book:Johnny Cash