American VI: Ain't No Grave

American VI: Ain't No Grave
Studio album by Johnny Cash
Released	February 23, 2010
Recorded	May 2003–September 2003
Genre	Americana, country
Length	32:21
Label	American, Lost Highway
Producer	Rick Rubin
Johnny Cash chronology
American V: A Hundred Highways (2006) American VI: Ain't No Grave (2010)

American VI: Ain't No Grave is a posthumous album by Johnny Cash, released February 23, 2010, on American Recordings and Lost Highway Records^[1] Its release was three days prior to what would have been Cash's 78th birthday.^[2] The album's music was recorded during the same sessions as American V: A Hundred Highways (2006). The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 54,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, American VI: Ain't No Grave received generally positive reviews from music critics.

Reception

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 54,000 copies,^[3] becoming Cash's third posthumous top-ten album in the U.S.^[4] In the United Kingdom, it entered at number nine on the UK Albums Chart.^[5] American VI: Ain't No Grave also attained international chart success, charting within the top-ten of several other countries.^[6]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[7]
Chicago Tribune	[8]
Robert Christgau	(A)[9]
Entertainment Weekly	(A)[10]
The New York Times	(favorable)[11]
Pitchfork Media	(5.6/10)[12]
PopMatters	(8/10)[13]
Rolling Stone	[14]
Slant Magazine	[15]
The Washington Post	(favorable)[16]

Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics.^[17] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 78, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[17] Critics praised Cash's ability to communicate the album's content through minimalist, emotional arrangements. The Times writer Pete Paphides gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that Cash's "most soulful performances on American VI are invested in Nashville standards".^[18] However, some critics remarked that the song selection was weaker than some of the previous installments and that after five earlier collections, this particular installment somewhat fell into a formula employed by earlier albums. Slant Magazine writer Jesse Cataldo gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and wrote that "the angle imposed here is a double-edged sword, granting a too-strict formula for these songs to occupy, but also granting a greater measure of artistic freedom".^[15] Pitchfork Media's Stephen M. Deusner expressed a mixed response towards Rick Rubin's production, stating "Ain't No Grave isn't really Cash's farewell as much as it is Rubin's memorial mixtape".^[12]

Giving it 4 out of 5 stars, Andy Gill of The Independent declared the album less strong than American V: A Hundred Highways, but maintains that this installment, "comes so close to those heights [that it] is cause for rejoicing."^[19] Jerry Shriver of USA Today gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and stated "Though some of the others in the series have stronger songs and performances, this one still is indispensible".^[20] The Washington Post's Bill Friskics-Warren wrote that the album presents Cash as "an unwavering man of faith" and noted a "spiritual, even biblical quality to the record".^[16] Los Angeles Times writer Ann Powers called it "Cash's hospice record" and lauded his musicianship.^[21] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave American VI: Ain't No Grave an A rating and called it "both the grimmest and the most hopeful" of "those nearness-of-death albums".^[9] The Daily Telegraph's Andrew Perry gave it 5 out of 5 stars and called it "Cash’s final, life-affirming masterpiece".^[22]

Track listing

1. "Ain't No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down)" (Claude Ely; credited as Traditional) – 2:53

   Originally recorded by Bozie Sturdivant in 1941;^[23] Ely's version recorded in 1953 but composed in 1934^[24]

2. "Redemption Day" (Sheryl Crow) – 4:22

   Originally recorded by Crow for the album Sheryl Crow (1996)

3. "For the Good Times" (Kris Kristofferson) – 3:22

   Originally recorded by Kristofferson for the album Kristofferson (1970)

4. "I Corinthians 15:55" (Johnny Cash) – 3:38

   Based on 1 Corinthians 15:55: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

5. "Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound" (Tom Paxton) – 3:26

   Originally recorded by Paxton for the album Ramblin' Boy (1964)

6. "A Satisfied Mind" (Red Hayes, Jack Rhodes) – 2:48

   Originally recorded by Porter Wagoner in 1955

7. "I Don't Hurt Anymore" (Don Robertson, Walter E. Rollins) – 2:45

   Originally recorded by Hank Snow in 1954 and also an R&B hit for Dinah Washington the same year

8. "Cool Water" (Bob Nolan) – 2:53

   Originally written by Nolan in 1936; most famous version by The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948

9. "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (Ed McCurdy) – 3:14

   Originally recorded by McCurdy in 1950

10. "Aloha Oe" (Queen Lili'uokalani) – 3:00

    Originally written by Lili'uokalani in 1877; recorded by Elvis Presley in 1961 for Blue Hawaii

Personnel

• Johnny Cash – vocals, guitar
• Scott Avett – banjo on "Ain't No Grave"
• Seth Avett – footsteps & chains on "Ain't No Grave"
• Mike Campbell – guitar
• Smokey Hormel – guitar
• Jonny Polonsky – guitar
• Matt Sweeney – guitar
• Benmont Tench – piano, harpsichord, organ

Charts

End of year charts

References

External links

• Official website
• American VI: Ain't No Grave at Discogs
• American VI: Ain't No Grave at Metacritic

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" "A Boy Named Sue" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Engine 143" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Get Rhythm" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Hey Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "In My Life" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "The Man Comes Around" "One Piece at a Time" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "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