Doing a Johnny Cash

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Which veteran singer is ripe to be saved from nostalgia hell and have a late flourish of artistic and commercial success? And who should save them?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 29 December 2003 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Little Richard produced by Steve Albini?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 29 December 2003 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

MORRISSEY.

unfortunately that guy who produced all those blink 182 records is not the guy to get the job done.. maybe he could collaborate with linda perry. the mind boggles..

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Roy Wood, mebbe, could use a crafty makeoverer?
Only who, or how, I cannot think out, really.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

the somewhat relevant thing to remember about johnny cash is that he was making perfectly decent records during all those years when nobody was paying attention. not great records, but perfectly decent ones. i don't deny that rick rubin did a lot for johnny cash, and that he and cash proved to be a good match, but i would argue that "saving" johnny cash was as much a media thing as it was a music thing. which may or may not relate to the original question.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 05:52 (twenty-two years ago)

merle haggard
gary numan
echo and the bunnymen

(all 3 of whom have been making perfectly fine records since their respective heydays, even if not quite at the level where they once were)

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 05:55 (twenty-two years ago)

add "dave sylvian" and "peter murphy" though neither was ever HUGE in the USA ... though both have put together fine solo careers under the radar after Japan and Bauhaus

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 05:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't deny that rick rubin did a lot for johnny cash, and that he and cash proved to be a good match, but i would argue that "saving" johnny cash was as much a media thing as it was a music thing. which may or may not relate to the original question.

Well, I got Unearthed for Xmas and the various interviews with Cash that make up the main essay indicate he certainly felt himself both recharged and given a new lease on artistic life after indifferent times at Polygram. If you want to argue he was his own mythmaker, fair enough -- Tom Ewing said as much a few months back.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 06:07 (twenty-two years ago)

What about Bob Dylan? He hasn't had artistic/popularity difficulties like '80s Cash, but his fans tend toward music geeks or middle-aged boomers. I could easily see him coming out with material that hipsters would jump all over (ala American Recordings).

(I want to say Eric Clapton - few good years, then two decades of atrocious solo music, now 'retired.' But I can't see him doing anything as weighty or edgy as Cash's last four albums no matter who's producing.)

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I want to say Eric Clapton - few good years, then two decades of atrocious solo music, now 'retired.' But I can't see him doing anything as weighty or edgy as Cash's last four albums no matter who's producing.)

Good call. And I understand your doubts as to whether he can actually produce something of any hard-hitting artistic value. After all, he was just a good blues guitarist.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Arthur Lee saved by The Neptunes.
Sly Stone saved by Outkast.
Smokey Robinson saved by Basement Jaxx.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 09:56 (twenty-two years ago)

agreed re Sly Stone. tis indeed time to see him get it sorted (did anything come out of Paisley PArk sessions that were supposed to be happening ?), and maybe Gil Scott Heron who has still issues according to recent mojo articles ..

― mark e (mark e), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Syd Barrett persuaded to go back in a recording studio again with Wayne Coyne.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 11:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"did anything come out of Paisley Park sessions that were supposed to be happening?".

From where I'm sitting, Prince is looking less and less like someone who's in a position to revitalise someone else's career and more and more like someone whose own career is in need of a shot in the arm.... fortunately for him I reckon there are quite a few people who are being successful at the moment and who owe Prince a favour - not least The Neptunes and Outkast.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought Gil Scott-Heron was, sadly, incarcerated.

― Schwingung (Damian), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

One of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2004 will be an album where Willie Nelson, under the guidance of Rick Rubin, plays a number of cover versions of more or less "alternative" recent songs. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

While Willie Nelson's album may receive the critical plaudits, the biggest selling album of the year will be from another Rick Rubin protege and will consist of covers a number of recent hit songs by the likes of Atomic Kitten, Boyzone, Gareth Gates, Girls Aloud, Hearsay, S Club, Steps and Westlife; which Donovan will hurriedly releases to capitalise on the surprise runaway success of his version of Britney Spears' "Oops! I Did It Again".

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:09 (twenty-two years ago)

in about few years time i would love to see/hear Jim Foetus Thirlwell doing a kinda Cash-like stripped down covers album .. when he tries to sing properly i love his voice .. just that he loves to wrap it all up in OTT instrumental excess too much ..
(eg Someone Drowned in My Pool by Wiseblood .. damn fine vocal performance) ..
and if not Jimbo then how about his standin/protege Matt 'the the' Johnson ..

― mark e (mark e), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Phoebe Snow - saved by Missy Elliott

..Or Leo Sayer will get some tips from James McNew.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Jerry Lee Lewis would be an obvious choice, if he can be wrangled out from his current management. His 94 or 96 (can't remember which offhand) album (produced by Andy Paley, who's worked with Jonathan Richman and maybe u2) was pretty decent as far as things go, and as the sole survivor of the original Sun Records glory, there would have to be SOME interest.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Brian Wilson joins Stereolab.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I heard that Roy Wood was going to be produced by Jeff Lynne, but maybe there's still bad blood between them as it's never seen the light of day.

Maybe he'd be a candidate for Wayne Coyne's assistance. I can't imagine Syd Barrett ever going near a recording studio again, not even by accident.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Brian Wilson, quite not his past top billing, still writes songs, so he doesn't need the Rubin treatment.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that if anyone needs rehabilitation, it is Rod Stewart. The man's got a great set of pipes, and can emote with the best of them (see "The Killing of Georgie", "I Don't Wanna Talk About It", etc.) The problem is that he's one of these people with great talent, but latterly, little taste (I've never heard 'The Great American Songbook', but recieved wisdom is that it was pretty poor.) Not sure who should save him, but I think that putting him in a small studio with an acoustic guitar, a good producer, and a dozen well-chosen songs (a la Cash) could plausibly result in something quite special.

― Ben Dot (1977), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

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