Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar

• Artist: Johnny Cash
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1957
• Genre: Country

Review

Johnny Cash's first album, released on Sun in 1957, was a little more folkloric and traditional in bent than what he put on most of his singles, though not pronouncedly so. In fact, four of the tracks ("I Walk the Line," "Cry! Cry! Cry!," "So Doggone Lonesome," and "Folsom Prison Blues") had already been hit singles. For the rest of the set, Cash drew on some older folk ("Rock Island Line," "The Wreck of the Old '97"), country ("[I Heard That] Lonesome Whistle," "Remember Me [I'm the One Who Loves You]"), prison ("Doin' My Time"), and spiritual ("I Was There When It Happened") songs. Filling out the set was a good, rollicking Cash original, "Country Boy," and a rather sassy tune by the young Jerry Reed, "If the Good Lord's Willing." It's a good, solid record that's very much in the mold of his classic early Sun sound, with spare accompaniment that nevertheless often approaches a rockabilly-country bounce. The album's desirability's a little diminished by the presence of the material on numerous other compilations in the CD era, though it still stands well on its own. [The 2002 CD reissue on Varese Sarabande adds five bonus tracks: the fine, brisk B-sides "Hey, Porter!" and "Get Rhythm," as well as alternate versions of "I Was There When It Happened," "Folsom Prison Blues," and "I Walk the Line."] ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Rock Island Line	Leadbelly	Johnny Cash
(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle	Jimmie Davis, Hank Williams	Johnny Cash
Country Boy (Lyrics)	Johnny Cash	Johnny Cash
If the Good Lord's Willing (Lyrics)	Jerry Reed	Johnny Cash
Cry Cry Cry	Johnny Cash	Johnny Cash
Remember Me (I'm the One Who Loves You)	Stuart Hamblen	Johnny Cash
So Doggone Lonesome (Lyrics)	Johnny Cash	Johnny Cash
I Was There When It Happened (Lyrics)	Jimmie Davis, Fern Jones	Johnny Cash
I Walk the Line (Lyrics)	Johnny Cash	Johnny Cash
Wreck of the Old '97 (Lyrics)	Norman Blake, Johnny Cash, Bob Johnson	Johnny Cash
Folsom Prison Blues (Lyrics)	Johnny Cash	Johnny Cash
Doin' My Time (Lyrics)	Jimmie Skinner	Johnny Cash

Credits

Johnny Cash (Vocals), Johnny Cash (Main Performer), Dan Hersch (Digital Remastering), Cary E. Mansfield (Reissue Producer), Bill Dahl (Liner Notes), Bill Dahl (Reissue Producer), Sam Phillips (Producer), Bill Pitzonka (Art Direction), Al Casey (Guitar)