The Dylan/Cash Sessions

• Artist: Bob Dylan
• Rating:
• Type: Bootleg
• Genre: Rock

Review

During the Nashville Skyline sessions in February 1969, Dylan teamed up with Johnny Cash to record over a dozen songs. Only one of these made it onto Nashville Skyline ("Girl from the North Country"). Most of the rest are here, in perfect fidelity. If you were to judge this as a proper studio album, the notices wouldn't be too positive, due to the ragged and tentative performances. Judged as a loose, informal meeting of two giants, it's very pleasurable listening, though more for Cash's contributions than Dylan's. With full band backing (including Carl Perkins on electric guitar), the pair run through easygoing, rockabilly-tinged versions of Dylan songs, Cash songs, old Sun rockabilly chestnuts ("That's All Right Mama" and "Matchbox"), and a bit of country-gospel. Cash, in fact, dominates the proceedings: he sings lead more often, and the mere two Dylan tunes ("Girl from the North Country" and "One Too Many Mornings") are outweighed by a larger heaping of Cash classics ("Big River," "I Walk the Line," "I Still Miss Someone," "Ring of Fire," "Guess Things Happen That Way"). The CD might even appeal more to Cash fans than Dylan ones, especially as Dylan's singing is not up to scratch: his timing is off, he often sings on one note, and he even needs to be occasionally cued by Johnny for the right words. The disc also includes three interesting Dylan performances from a TV broadcast on The Johnny Cash Show in May 1969, as well as five less essential quadrophonic mixes of Nashville Skyline tracks. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
One Too Many Mornings [Studio Outtake]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Mountain Dew [Studio Outtake]	Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Scotty Wiseman	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
I Still Miss Someone [Studio Outtake]	Johnny Cash, Roy Cash	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Careless Love [Studio Outtake]	W.C. Handy, Martha E. Koenig, Spencer Williams	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Matchbox [Studio Outtake]	Carl Perkins	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
That's Alright Mama [Studio Outtake]	Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Big River [Studio Outtake]	Johnny Cash	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Girl from the North Country [Studio Outtake]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
I Walk the Line [Studio Outtake]	Johnny Cash	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
You Are My Sunshine [Studio Outtake]	Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Ring of Fire [Studio Outtake]	June Carter Cash, Merle Kilgore	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Guess Things Happen That Way [Studio Outtake]	Jack Clement	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Just a Closer Walk with Thee [Studio Outtake]	Traditional	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Blue Yodel [Studio Outtake]	Jimmie Rodgers	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Blue Yodel No. 5 [Studio Outtake]	Jimmie Rodgers	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
I Threw It All Away [From Johnny Cash Show]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Living the Blues [From Johnny Cash Show]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Girl from the North Country [From Johnny Cash Show]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Nashville Skyline Rag [Quad Mix]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
I Threw It All Away [Quad Mix]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Peggy Day [Quad Mix]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Country Pie [Quad Mix]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You [Quad Mix]	Bob Dylan	Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan

Credits

Norman Blake (Guitar), Johnny Cash (Guitar), Johnny Cash (Vocals), Johnny Cash (Performer), Bob Dylan (Guitar), Bob Dylan (Vocals), Bob Dylan (Main Performer), Carl Perkins (Guitar (Electric)), Pete Drake (Guitar (Steel)), Kenneth A. Buttrey (Drums), Charlie Daniels (Guitar), Marshall Grant (Bass), Bob Johnston (Producer), Bob Wilson (Organ), Bob Wilson (Piano), Bob Wilson (Programming), W.S. Holland (Drums), Charlie McCoy (Bass), Bob Wotton (Guitar)