The Legend Of Johnny Cash was released on Oct. 5, 2005, two years after the death of singer and songwriter Johnny Cash. It is a compilation album comprised of some of his most popular songs throughout the years. Incorporating one of his first recordings, “Cry! Cry! Cry!”, all the way to one of his last, “Hurt”, this album makes a great attempt to sum up 49 years of hit music into only 21 songs.

And it does just that.

This album was my first real introduction into Johnny Cash, aside from the occasional “Ring Of Fire” playing over the radio at almost every festival I went to. I found this album nestled at the bottom of a $5 CD bin one day after school, and upon hearing a couple of the songs on my way to work that night, I instantly knew that I was hooked.

Johnny Cash was considered one of the most influential country/folk musicians during his time, but chose not to limit himself to only one kind of music. As a result, Cash was inducted into five separate Hall of Fames over the years, holding his place in the Country Music Hall of Fame and even in the Rock and Roll Music Hall Of Fame.

This CD portrays his natural talent for music very well, and proves that artists don’t have to stick to one genre. The albums contains many fan favorites, from the hit folk tune, “Sunday Morning Coming Down”, to the emotional cover of Nine Inch Nails’ grungy song, “Hurt”, to the catchy song, “A Boy Named Sue”, which was written by none other than Shel Silverstein.

It’s this variety of genre-bending songs that keep this album feeling fresh, and prevents the songs from blending together, which is a problem that many albums face. Even better, each song on this album seems to tell it’s own tragic story, full of emotion that is hard to find in today’s music. These stories range from a man lamenting about his time in prison, an abusive relationship, a factory worker stealing car parts, a lovestruck psychopath and even the apocalypse.

I highly recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of country music, folk music, or even if they are wanting to branch out their interests. The next time you get a chance, check out “The Legend Of Johnny Cash”.