JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE - Wasting No Time

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE will releases his Sophomore album on March 3rd. Midnight at the Movies follows close on the heels of The Good Life. Sometimes success breeds more success and based on some MP3s like the one below it should be a welcome follow up Check it out. The album is on Bloodshot Records.

What I Mean to You MP3

Jason Isbell and the 400 New Album

Life is good. A new Jason Isbell album can cheer up my day and I haven't even had a chance to listen to it. Some things are just destined for greatness.

Check out the EPK:



I understand he kicked things off with an in store at Grimey's in Nashville.

Derek Trucks - Already Free

Virtuosos can sometimes be so esoteric that it makes them less accessible. So it has been at times with Derek Trucks. It is not his fault he is just on another plane musically. His brilliant improvisation has garnered wide acclaim but it also makes it hard for him to reach a wider audience. The release of Already Free should introduce Trucks to the wide audience he deserves. With the help of friend Doyle Bramhall II and is better half Susan Tedeschi hes has put together a brilliant and entertaining album. There is a lot more than Trucks slide guitar acumen on Already Free from the opening cover of Bob Dylan's "Down in the Flood" it is game through the closing title track.

What is pleasure? Blues, R&B, Jazz or Gospel take your pick the buffet is open. Trucks recorded the album in a new studio he built behind his house in Jacksonville, Florida. Putting Derek Trucks in a private studio is like locking a mad scientist in a lab. However, this is science you can dance to.

Otis Gibbs - Rocketing Up the Charts

Otis Gibbs' new album Grandpa Walked a Picket Line Has risen up to number 5 on the Americana charts in only a few weeks. If you haven't checked it out you need to do so. I caught a short set he played last weekend at the Evening Muse in Charlotte. I wish he had played longer. He composes stories based on personal experience of his life as a wanderer. He has slept in hobo jungles and lived with mauntain shepherds all in search of honesty. He is a bit of a radical that has a raw unfiltered message.

Springsteen's New Classic

Having been able to listen to the new CD Working on a Dream a few times now, I can only conclude the album is a new classic. Springsteen has lost nothing over the years. His superbowl halftime performance showed he still has the ability to take over a crowd. Check out Jeff's review on Twangville

The Gourds - Live at Visulite Charlotte January 22nd

Some things never change. The sun rises and sets every day, The Earth spins on its’ axis, Amy Winehouse gets wasted, Britney parties with no panties, Congress pisses away taxpayer dollars and The Gourds rock. From the first time I saw them years ago at SXSW until I saw them on January 22nd at Visulite in Charlotte they still freakin’ rock! They are older and a few miles have been put on the tour bus but a Gourds show is still about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. They started off with “Country Lovin’” from the new album Haymaker then went into “Cranky Mulatto” off of Noble Creatures. The first half of the show focused on new and recent releases. The band is a group of multi-instrumentalists and has three members that sing. Over the years they have become more electric which I think has enhanced their studio albums. Also, it has made their live shows even more eclectic, and they were already the musical definition of eclectic.

In the middle of the show local Charlotte Americana musician David Childers joined the band on stage and sang a few of his own songs. At this point the band began to play more of their older songs. It is amazing to witness them move from irreverent acoustic songs to more electric jams so seamlessly. Also, I am happy to report that Accordion player Claude Bernard pronounced Burger King’s new “Angry Whopper” a success. They opened the encore with the classic “Magnolia” and followed it up with “Kicks in the Sun” which seems to have become a new classic. Some in the crowd were a little disappointed that they didn’t play “Gin and Juice” but I can imagine they need a break from that song now and then. Ausitn Singer-Songwriter Ramsay Midwood opened the show and with a little help at various times from The Gourds played a very entertaining set.

Mark Olson & Gary Louris - Ready for the Flood

Some songwriting teams are made to be together. No doubt Mark Olson and Gary Louris established themselves as such a team with the early Jayhawks albums Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass. They established themselves along with Farrar and Tweedy of Uncle Tupelo as leaders in the Alt- Country phenomenon of the 90s. The problem with songwriting partnerships is that egos and creative differences more often than not create tensions that can not be overcome (see Lennon and McCartney for example). The Jayhawks lost Olson and Uncle Tupelo could not overcome the clash of egos. It is highly doubtful we will ever see a reunion of Farrar and Tweedy. Thankfully time seems to have healed wounds for Olson and Louris. As a result they have provided us with a memorable reunion.

Ready for the Flood shows us what we have missed, and what a sweet reminder it is. The album is a decidedly mellow and subdued reunion that showcases the duo’s harmonizing formula. The natural fusion of their voices has not been diminished by time or absence. In fact, songs like “Bicycle” will stop you dead in your tracks They have written and toured together recently and that certainly helped, but there is something organic that happens musically with these two on songs like “Doves and Stones,” and the most upbeat tune on the album “Chamberlain, SD.” Though the album is a bit melancholy it is a pure joy for listening. The album was produced by Chris Robinson of Black Crowes and will be released on January 27th. Welcome Back!

MySpace

This review also appears on Twangville

Mary Kate O'neil Video - Nashville

I ran across this video released in advance of Mary Kate O'Neil's forthcoming Nettwerk release Underground. I am not familiar with any of her previous work but this is a catchy Indie - Pop song. The album was co-produced by Jill Sobule and has a cadre if indie rock veterans as guests. Check it out.

Donna Ulisse - Walk the Mountain Down

Donne Ulisse Will be releasing a star studded Bluegrass album, Walk the Mountain Down on January 20th. The album is her second traditional Bluegrass album. She wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album. Produced by Keith Sewell it also includes an all-star cast of players including, Andy Leftwitch, Byron House and Rob Ickes. Ulisse has been singing all of her life but in Nashville she is better known as a songwriter (Although she did have a brief record deal with Atlantic in the early nineties). Walk the Mountain Down establishes Ulisse as an accomplished voice in the Bluegrass world. It is a world she is very familiar with being married to Rick Stanley, a close relative of Ralph Stanley. In fact, The Clinch Mountain Boys played at her wedding.

The new album is full of well written and arranged Bluegrass and Gospel gems that also reflect her Country influences. "Trouble With You" and "In My Wildest Dreams" are infectious tunes. "Levi Stone" is a moving although dark story song. The title cut and "Everything Has Changed" are very good Gospel influenced tunes. There is a lot of good Bluegrass being produced these days, but Donna Ulisse will not get lost in the shuffle. She will be noticed.

Sample on CDBaby

This review also appears on Twangville

Best of 2008

This is my Finaa list of the year. The Truckers are #1 and went wire to wire in the top spot. No small accomplishment. Give me your thoughts and your top picks:

1) Drive By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
2) The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
3) Kaey Chambers & Shane Nicholson - Rattlin' Bones
4) Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
5) Tift Merrit - Another Country
6) Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
7) Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof
8) Old 97's - Blame it on Gravity
9) Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
10) Chris Knight - Heart of Stone
11) Kaiser Chiefs - Off with Their Heads
12) The Steeldrivers - The Steeldrivers
13) Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cardinology
14) Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher
15) My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
16) The Waybacks - Loaded
17) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
18) Band of Heathens - Self-Titled
19) Shawn Mullins - Honeydew
20) The Whigs - Mission Control
21) Ashton Shepherd - Sounds so Good
22) Jaon Boland & the Straggler - Comal County Blue
23) J. J. Grey & Mofro - Orange Blossoms
24) Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
25) Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
26) The Beautiful Loser Society - Aim Low
27) Yarn - Empty Pockets
28) Griffin House - Flying Upside Down
29) The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
30) John D. Hale - Lost
31) Drew Emmitt - Long Road
32) Infamous Stringdusters - Self-Titled
33) Wild Sweet Orange - We Have Cause to be Uneasy
34) Cherryholmes - III
35) R.E.M. - Accelerate
36) Justin Townes Earle - The Good Life
37) Joey & Rory - The Life of a Song
38) Ray Lamontagne - Gossip in the Grain
39) B. B. King - One Kind of Favor
40) British Columbians - Self-Titled
41) Teddy Thompson - A Piece of What You Need
42) The Waifs - Sundirtwater
43) The Bridge - Blind Mam's Hill
44) Brett Dennen - Hope for the Hopeless
45) Donna The Buffalo - Silverlined
46) Heybale - The Last Country Album
47) Tejas Brothers - Self - Titled
48) Railroad Earth - Amen Corner
49) Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers
50) Sierra Hull - Secrets
51) South Austin Jug Band - Strange Invitation
52) Eleven Hundred Springs - Country Jam
53) Jim Lauderdale - Honey Songs
54) Dr. Dog - Fate
55) The Stills - Oceans Will Rise
56) Hank Williams III - Damn Right Rebel Proud
57) Chatham County Line - IV
58) Sonny Landreth - From the Reach
59) Graham Lindsey - We are All Alone in This Together
60) Have Gun Will Travel - Casting Shadows Tall as Giants

The Alternate Routes - A Sucker's Dream

It is easier to describe the Alternate Routes by what they are not. They are not Rock, Pop or Folk. They are just good. Their eclectic sound will actually work against them but they are too talented to ignore. For some reason in the current music industry we need to pigeon-hole everything. Every where else in society multi-culturalism and diversity are valued. But in music we have to be able to fit things into neat radio formats pre-approved by Clear Channel executives. Fortunately Vanguard Records cares about artists and knows that the artists worthy of being found can find their place. Even if they don't fit in some radio executive's little box. In the current music landscape there are more distribution channels than ever. So good artists can be promoted and discovered. Indeed if there is a theme on A Sucker's Dream overcoming long odds seems to be it.

This album like their previous Vanguard debut was produced in Nashville by Jay Joyce (John Hiatt, Patty Griffin). From sweeping ballads, catchy pop hooks and earthy Rock this album goes in more directions than their previous record Good and Reckless and True. The Alternate Routes home base is the blue collar town of Bridgeport, Connecticut but their true home is the road. They tour relentlessly and are gaining a reputation as a real crowd pleasers. I have not had the privilege of seeing them live. However, listening to the album I am not surprised their music translates so well to an audience. There is an emotional presence in their music that seems very sincere. This earnestness adds a certain aura to the music that draws you in as you listen. Such honesty deserves a place in the music landscape for sure.



This review also appears on Twangville

From the Twangville Posse

Check out Kelly's review of Charlie Louvin

Check out Tom's Best of 2008. Which will get your appetite going for the final AWT Poll.

Also don't miss Mayer's Playlist

The British Columbians

Ironically they actually are from British Columbia. So their name may lack a little originality. That is ok because it appears they put all of their originality and creativity into their music. The Blues have influenced Rock & Roll since, well actually forever. However, thanks to bands like White Stripes, Black Keys and Black Mountain among others the blues are invading Indie Rock again. You can add The British Columbians to the list. Their self-titled debut album on Rural Records is garnering some attention but it deserves much more. The album was mixed in B.C. at The Hive by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Destroyer, and Ladyhawke). Not unlike Black Mountain the album has a Psychedelic Blues sound but it is also influenced by Classic Rock and Roll. Consequently, the band doesn't let the solos and improv over-shadow the core song like a lot of Psychedelic influenced bands. Instead The British Columbians employ Rock and Blues influences that let the songs be the focus.

This is not to say that they can't jam. They certainly aren't afraid to let it rip at times. The British Columbians are Girard Knox - guitar and vocals; Dave Moran - drums and vocals; Christopher Ellis - electric & upright bass; Owen Connell - keyboards, guitar and pedal steel. The use of the upright bass and pedal steel give the album an ancient sound at times while sounding fully modern. At times it reminiscent of Sixteen Horsepower and David Eugene Edwards. Some songs like "Bye Bye Marie" sound eerily rural while others like "Gasoline Handshake" are more electric with a clear Led Zeppelin influence. The latter song is the linchpin of the project. It has a driving bass line that gets you in a groove just in time to deliver a gut punch of an improvisational guitar solo, which flows right into a Psychedelic jam with a wailing trumpet scream. Right now the band is touring primarily in their native B.C. and Alberta. However, based on what this debut shows, Canadians won't be able to keep them to themselves much longer.

MySpace

This review also appears on Twangville

Griffin House New Tour Dates in 2009

Also he released a new video for "The Guy that Says Goodbye"



TOUR DATES:

JANUARY 2009

Thur, Jan 15 Boulder, CO @ B Side Lounge

Sat, Jan 17 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

Mon, Jan 19 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

Tues, Jan 20 Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door

Thur, Jan 22 San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall

Sat, Jan 24 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café

Sun, Jan 25 San Diego, CA @ Anthology

Mon, Jan 26 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room

Thur, Jan 29 Austin, TX @ Stubb’s

Fri, Jan 30 Dallas, TX @ The Loft

Sat, Jan 31 Houston, TX @ Meridian


FEBRUARY 2009

Mon, Feb 2 St. Louis, MO @ The Duck Room @ Blueberry Hill

Wed, Feb 4 Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark

Thur, Feb 5 Madison, WI @ Orpheum Stage Door

Fri, Feb 6 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre

Sat, Feb 7 Chicago, IL @ Double Door

Wed, Feb 11 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection

Thur, Feb 12 La Salle, IL @ Uptown Grill (SOLD OUT)

Fri, Feb 13 Newport, KY @ Southgate House

Sat, Feb 14 Muncie, IN @ The Living Room

Thur, Feb 19 Atlanta, GA @ Smith’s Olde Bar

Fri, Feb 20 Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theatre

Sat, Feb 21 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In

Wed, Feb 25 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live

Thur, Feb 26 Vienna, VA @ Jammin’ Java

Fri, Feb 27 New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom

Sat, Feb 28 Boston, MA @ Café 939


MARCH 2009

Thur, Mar 5 Louisville, KY @ Gerstie’s

Yarn Spin a Video

Yarn is an independent band that has seen a groundswell of Grassroots support. Watch this video of them live in WDVX:

Settin' the Woods on Fire - This Week's Charts

I am having to drop the Cross-Country chart from my polls thanks to our "friends" at Sirius who killed the best channel on XM. However I still have the Americana Music Charts and the FMQB Non-Commercial AAA chart so it is not all bad:

Americana Music Association Airplay for the week of 12-1:
1) Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
2) Todd Snider - Peace Queer
3) Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cardinology
4) Rodney Crowell - Sex & Gasoline
5) Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson - Rattlin' Bones
6) Yarn - Empty Pockets
7) OCMS - Tennessee Pusher
8) Tejas Brothers - Tejas Brothers
9) Susan Tedeschi - Back to the River
10)Chris Night - Heart of Stone

FMQB AAA Non-Commercial Airplay Chart for the week of 12-1:
1) Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cardinology
2) Byrne/Eno - Everything that Happens will Happen Today
3) Susan Tedeschi - Back to the River
4) Brett Dennen - Hope for the Hopeless
5) Pretenders - Break up the Concrete
6) Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
7) Ray Lamontagne - Gossip in the Grain
8) Jenny Lewis - Acid Tounge
9) Coldplay - Viva La Vida
10)Calexico - Carried to Dust

The Beautiful Loser Society - Aim Low

Recently I came across the band from the Four Corners region of Colorado, The Beautiful Loser Society. Whose new CD Aim Low is a veritable smorgasbord of Roots Rock styles. Featuring Southern Rock, Outlaw Country and Blues. The album rocks with tales of losers, loners, moonshiners and jilted lovers. All of these tales are cloaked with a certain Gothic charm. The Beautiful Loser Society is Chuck Barry on rhythm guitar and lead vocal, Kevin Chelf on lead guitar, Danny Bankston on the drums and Mike McCluhan on the electric and upright bass. The album was mixed and mastered in Austin by Dale X Allen and Cris Burns who deserve some of the credit for Aim Low's Gothic feel. Call it Roots Goth, or Gothic Twang. Whatever description it is given the Society's music deserves to be heard.

The band seems to have a loyal fanbase in the Durango/Telluride area but I can only hope their reputation can grow beyond this regional status to a wider audience. From the opening track,"Delta Shine," which tells the story of an outlaw moonshiner to the hilarious "Best Thing (That Ever Happened to the Worst Girl in Town.)" Their is also "ole John Deere," a touching tale about a family searching for something to cling to while facing hard Times. Country songs like "Talkin' to the Devil" also abound on Aim Low. The album is fun listen and certainly a gem of a find.

MySpace

Buy at CD Baby

Holiday Music for the Naughty and Nice

It may sound a bit like Bah Humbug but I have never been a big fan of Holiday music. It is all the same and predictable and a lot of it is just downright cheesy. I also cannot stand when stores start playing holiday music before Thanksgiving. However, I confess that a good Christmas CD will get you in the mood for the Advent season like nothing else. My favorite Christmas CD ever is and will always be the Bruce Cockburn Christmas album; but this year I have received a few CDs that are new classics:

Rosie Thomas - A Very Rosie Christmas This one is at the top of my list this year. It is a nice mix of originality and tradition. Best of all her original composition "Why Can't it be Christmastime All Year?" is a new classic Christmas song. She also has some great new arrangements of classic Christmas songs. Especially good is her version of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" Thomas is a Seattle area favorite and now she will always be a holiday favorite of mine.

Alison Brown - Evergreen Brown's banjo virtuosity and creativity make for a great Holiday album. This NewGrass artist is definitely leaning more to her Jazz side on this album. On several songs she seamlessly combines two classic tunes into one song but not as a typical medley. It is more of an inter-mingling of songs. Listen to "Carol and the Kings," "Two Santas" and "Skating/Feliz Navidad."

George Strait - Classic Christmas Simply put this album is what it says it is. So why isn't it just another traditional predictable Christmas recording? Because it is George Strait. The perfect Country voice makes the perfect Country Christmas album.

Compassion not Consumption The Advent Conspiracy

This review also appears on Twangville

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit to Release New Album

Press Release from lightning Rod Records:

Muscle Shoals, AL - Lightning Rod Records will release Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit's eponymous album on February 17, 2009. Isbell is a former member of the Drive-By Truckers and this is his second solo release (his first release with his band The 400 Unit). The 400 Unit is Derry deBorja (keyboards), Jimbo Hart (bass) and Browan Lollar (guitar). Matt Pence (Centro-matic/South San Gabriel) lends his talents as co-producer, drummer and engineer.

The album was co-produced by Isbell and The 400 Unit with Matt Pence. "I want it to be known that it's a band record," says Isbell. "I want it to be known that it's something we all did together. Even though I wrote the songs, it was a very inclusive project." Isbell has posted the new track, "Seven-Mile Island," on the band's MySpace site.

The album was recorded at the renowned FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL

MySpace

Cadillac Records - The Story of Chess Records

The movie will be out December 5th:

Sirius Gives Twamg the Finger

When they merged it was all going to be better. They said the merger would not hurt the diversity of programming, it would enhance it. Then, like a politician after an election, we realize they lied. It is the only explanation for killing the X-Country channel in favor of Outlaw Country. Their are other disappointing changes, but the end of X-Country is the most devastating to me. I have been to the XM website and complained. I also called and was told, "outlaw Country is the same thing" by the representative. "Really," I replied, "What is your favorite Robert Earl Keen song?" "Who," the representative replied in an accent that let's just say was probably nor Texan.

To be fair Outlaw Country isn't bad but the mix and the depth of their playlist is inferior. Then again that sums up why XM had better overall music channels than Sirius. Outlaw country is about half classic Honky-Tonk. I love Classic Country and X-Country mixed in some Classic Country but not at the expense of the Red Dirt Music Scene and Americana influenced Troubadours. Since there are two other classic country channels, Outlaw Country needs to focus more on contemporary Americana so they can give a voice to the wide mix of artist that X-Country did. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the mission of Sirius. Their programmers target a more superficial audience that appreciates the conventional more than true artistry.

Hey all is not lost I can now get the Playboy channel. That's right, they give us porn for the ears. Is there anything more American than that? Think about it the next time you are behind an 18-Wheeler on the interstate. Are you sure that is a gearshift his hand is on?

Video: DBT & Hold Steady Live in Chicago

November 14th the "Rock & Roll Means Well Tour"

Random News

New Boss Album in the Works
Bruce Springsteen's new album Working on a Dream has been set for a January 27th release on Columbia Records. Working on a Dream was recorded with the E Street Band and features twelve new Springsteen compositions plus two bonus tracks. It is the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the album.

Pettis' New Album 4 years in the works
Pierce Pettis will release his new album, That Kind of Love, on Nashville's
Compass Records January 27, 2009. The album includes 9 originals and 2 covers including Mark Heard's "Nothing But the Wind."
Sample the Songs

The Mating Habits of Guinea pigs
A song about guinea Pigs is always worth a listen
Listen to the MP3 by Desmond Reed, from his album 10 Acoustic Demos on Series Two Records

Paste Magazine Best of 2008
It seems to be a bit premature, but Paste will begin unveiling it's best of 2008 lists this week. Check it out. I plan to do the same in early December.
Link to the Schedule

Blue Line Highway - Perfect Curve

Richmond based NewGrassers Blue Line Highway are a recent discovery that released an impressive album A Perfect Curve. It is a nice mixture of traditional and modern styling, along with acoustic and electric instrumentation. The band mixes Americana, Rock and a laid back blues vibe in a way that puts them in the NewGrass camp but they certainly have their on distinctive sound. Also, as is often the case in this sub-genre, there is a definite Grateful Dead influence. The songwriting is superb with catchy tunes and vocal harmonies. These guys certainly deserve more props than they are receiving.

The album has compelling folk tales like “Billy” and danceable rockers like “3 Ways to Go” Also they like to Jam and have the chops to pull it off. The mixing of Americana, Blues and Jam Band style gives them a style that is unique. By the way, it does not hurt that they are talented musicians. Blue Line Highway is: John Leedes (guitar and vocals), Julia Dooley (vocals, percussion, harmonica), Melissa McKenna (vocals, guitar), Ray Alfano (bass). Right now they are touring primarily in Virginia. However, I hope more folks will check them out so they can spread out geographically.

Check out the EPK

Johnny Cash Live at Folson Prison

There are two retrospectives released recently about the man in black. One is a DVD documentary and CD Johnny Cash's America the other is the remastered release of Live at Folsom Prison, which also includes a DVD and an album of unreleased material. For the former Kelly gives the best review anywhere over on Twangville and Gobblers Knob so I won't even attempt to take on that one. But Folsom Prison was important for so many reasons I would like to reflect on that recording. It was a seminal release for Cash because it launched a second stage of his career when he was at a a crossroads. It is at crossroads like these where most artists' careers die. Cash's took off even though he did what everyone told him not to do. Instead of getting rid of his traditional sound and going more mainstream, he went to a prison and recorded an album. Why, because he knew how to connect to people. He knew fans could see and appreciate the sincerity of what he was doing. Cash was close friends with a California pastor who had a ministry at Folsom Prison. This pastor thought his appearance could make a difference. So he went there because he cared. As Kelly Dearmore pointed out in his aforementioned review, Cash's true fans consider him family. This sincerity and Cash's concern for the forgotten and downtrodden meant a lot to many people. Recording an album at a prison made little sense to the contemporary Nashville records execs who were obsessed with taking country mainstream.

Cash knew his fan base and bet that others would be compelled by the recording. Cash sensed that his fans weren't as shallow as the recording executives thought. He knew what he wanted and did it his way, as usual. He may have cleaned up his act at that point in his life but he was still a rebel. The irony of it all is that Cash ended up doing exactly what music row wanted. He extended his fan base. The album rose to number 1 on country and number 13 on the pop charts. The evening started with some of the most powerful words in music History, "Hi I'm Johnny Cash." Throughout the album it is obvious Cash empathized with the prisoners. He himself had been prisoner to his own depression, insecurity and the memory of his deceased brother. One special moment was when he sang "Greystone Chapel" a song written by Folsom inmate Glenn Sherley. In the end Cash did it his way with phenomenal results. However, no member of the Cash family of fans finds it surprising that he succeeded by foregoing making an album targeted to mainstream middle America and instead recorded an album to society's outcasts.