American IV: The Man Comes Around is the sixty-seventh and final non-posthumous studio album by Johnny Cash. It was released on November 5, 2002, by American Recordings and Universal Records. It is the fourth in Cash's "American" series of albums, and the last album released during his lifetime, and is considered by some critics to be his finest work towards the end of his life. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[12]
Background
The majority of songs are covers which Cash performs in his own sparse style, with help from producer Rick Rubin. For instance, for the song "Personal Jesus", Rubin asked 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 album Johnny Cash released during his lifetime, though the Unearthed box set was compiled prior to his death, with Cash choosing the tracks and writing liner notes. American IV: The Man Comes Around was Cash's first non-compilation album to go gold in thirty years. Additionally, the album won "Album of the Year" award at the 2003 CMA Awards. It was certified gold on March 24, 2003, and platinum on November 21, 2003, by the Recording Industry Association of America, the first non-compilation album of Cash's to do so since the early 1970s.
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, going as far as to say "that song isn't mine anymore."[13]
Graeme Thomson, in The Resurrection of Johnny Cash: Hurt, Redemption, and American Recordings, has discussed concern about Cash's health during the recording. Cash was suffering from multiple health problems and had lost most of his vision, with recording sessions interrupted by hospital stays. Thomson quotes singer Will Oldham: "We should turn and switch off the tape when our listening energy would be better spent helping a living songwriter/performer."[14]
Previous recordings
Six songs featured on the album had previously been recorded by Cash.
"Give My Love to Rose" was previously recorded by Cash for his 1960 album Sings Hank Williams.
The original double LP release features a different track order than the 2014 LP release as well as two additional songs: "Wichita Lineman", which was released on the compilation album Lost Highway: Lost & Found Volume 1,[15] and "Big Iron", which was later released on Unearthed. The version of "Wichita Lineman" differs from the version that appears on the Unearthed collection.
^Cash has once again seen that white light--yet resisted its allure--and written an apocalyptic title track and put his stamp on an eclectic batch of material. [8 Nov 2002, p. 106].
^May be the most consistent of the four albums to date. [Jan 2003, p. 122].
^Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (March 23, 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
