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The Johnny Cash Children's Album

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The Johnny Cash Children's Album (Audio CD)
by Johnny Cash

(34 customer reviews)

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Sony2July765

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As foreboding a figure as Johnny Cash was, his son John Carter Cash writes in liner notes to this excellent CD, he was also a big kid: "a fun-loving, easygoing, laughing man." That's not to say he was more inclined to skateboard over the line than to walk it, only that given his mesmerizing voice and his gift for storytelling, he had an enviable way of relating to kids. Thirty years on, parents who pick up this disc will find not a lot has changed: In 15 songs never before released on CD--four of which are bonus tracks not included on the 1975 classic--the Man in Black melds the silly with the sweet, the madcap with the meaningful, and emerges as a country-folk Pied Piper any kid would kill to have for an uncle. "Nasty Dan," the opener, will be familiar not only to those who grew up singing along to the original LP, but also to subsequent generations of "Sesame Street" watchers (Oscar duets on a later version). But for most, the rest will arrive as pure revelation. "Old Shep," a dog song, deserves placement on a disc of classic pet tributes, if such a thing exists; "Tiger Whitehead" treads fearlessly through wild bear territory; "Ah Bos Cee Dah" is nonsensical noodling with the language at its most brilliant; and "I Got a Boy and His Name Is John," a duet with the great June Carter Cash, steers the modern listener to a long-lost place where love of family was enough for a kid to get by on. --Tammy La Gorce

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Product Details

Audio CD Release Date:	May 16, 2006
Studio:	Sony
Number Of Discs:	1
Average Customer Rating:	based on 34 reviews

Track Listing

1.	Nasty Dan
2.	One And One Makes Two
3.	I Got A Boy And His Name Is John
4.	Little Magic Glasses
5.	Miss Tara
6.	Dinosaur Song
7.	Tiger Whitehead
8.	There's A Bear In The Woods
9.	Call Of The Wild
10.	Little Green Fountain
11.	Old Shep
12.	(The) Timber Man
13.	Grandfather's Clock
14.	Ah Bos Cee Dah
15.	Why Is A Fire Engine Red

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: 4.5

( 34 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 found the following review helpful:

Strangely Essential May 24, 2006 By Soulboogiealex
The Johnny Cash must be one of the oddest entries in the Cash Library. It is at the least a very different Cash than we get usually. Yet it seems to make perfect sense. This reissue allows us to get a more complete picture of the man. Like his son John Carter Cash writes in the liner notes; "I see the dark, foreboding figure of Johnny Cash far too much these days. This dark side of John R. Cash is real and significant, but there is another that is just as true, and for us, those who love the man, even more important to remember; The big kid".

There is a lot to enjoy on this record. The moods are endearing, moving and joyful. A side of Cash that usually under lit; although this is an album for children, adults will find their share here. The Children's Album is a true family album.

As a musician he was perfect for children songs. The rhythms are simple, the song structure plain and the stories imaginative. Hearing this album leaves you wondering why Cash didn't do more material for children. Though intended for children, the material is rich and layered. Songs like "Little Magic Glasses" and "Call of the Wild" have a mature undertone that will be wasted on most kids, and will almost move you to tears.

Adding this to your collection will give you a more real view and complete picture of Johnny Cash. The Children's Album is highly enjoyable for the casual listener and strangely essential for the Cash fan.

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:

Simply and profoundly whimsical Aug 20, 2006 By Micheal Knecht "Brearton"
Very refreshing to hear such a whimsical childhood album that not only will entertain your kids but you as well. As thouroughly entertained as I was, I can't imagine any adult feeling less so. Really. I actually found myself listening to the album after my son had gone to bed. Like much of children's entertainment, there is a silver and simple profundity in the lining - a moral to the stories that Johnny Cash sings and an adult perspective that is framed by the simple honesty and goodness that is childhood. "There's a Bear in the Woods" contrasts the cynical skepticism of an adult as he seeks to discredit the imaginative truth of childhood. Yeah, maybe there wasn't an actual bear in the woods, but in spite of that fact the kid comes off as more honest than the adult who doubts him. Quite frankly I am astonished at the opinion of the reviewer who panned this album. Apparently they think raising a child should include inculcating some type of political message. Her comments about the song "Old Shep," are taken completely out of context. The song is a classic, sung by everyone from Elvis Presley to Dean Martin, and talks about the suffering of a poor boy who must "put down" his suffering and infirm dog. I remember hearing this song as a child and it made a lingering impact. After all there is nothing more affecting than "puppy" love as it always seems to stay with you througout your life. Who doesn't remember their first dog and his eventual death? This is comforting for children because most children have experienced the agony of a pet's loss. To say otherwise is to totally misunderstand the song. Bravo to Johnny Cash who didn't think kids entertainment had to simply be something quarantined to his childhood but rather realized that it was something perhaps that could teach lessons that they carry with them throughout their life. I am proud to have my son learn its moral of love, friendship and loss all in a simple children's tale. Isn't that what the best children's literature and music should do? Pick it up. I think you'll find yourself listening to it long after you've turned out the kid's light.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Kid in Black Jul 11, 2006 By Bjorn Paige
What a strange album. For those wanting to help their youngsters learn early on to walk the line, this amalgam of song and spoken word is a strange but wonderful introduction to the Man in Black. Some songs, "Nasty Dan" and "Tiger Whitehead" for example, are simply swell -danceable for the very young and their buffoonish parents- other tracks drag, and the final monologue, which includes the line "Russians are red," smacks of the absurdity that underlies the concept of a children's album by the man who "shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die." Cash fans, who know that many Cash albums come with one or two songs that will make them blush at the oddity of their message or delivery (Like "Live at San Quentin?" ...remember "Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart"), will be willing to look past the drippy "Little Magic Glasses" and see the true warmth of songs like "I Got A Boy And His Name Is John" and the album as a whole. Others, stick to Raffi.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Finally! A children's album that isn't idiotic. Jun 27, 2008 By D. Weidman
I really dislike most children's albums. I think they're so sterile & cheesy. That said, we love singing children songs together and doing all of the gestures. Some of our favorite albums are Curious George, Catch the Moon (Elizabeth Mitchell & Lisa Loeb), Songs to Grow on for Mother & Child (Woody Guthrie), & Leadbelly Sings for Children.
Johnny Cash's Children's Album is my boy's favorite- we especially love I Got a Boy and His Name is John and Grandfather's Clock. It's beautiful to hear the love in Johnny's voice for his kids- that's what makes this album extra special. He's not trying to sound kid-friendly or upbeat (hate that)- he's just singing from his beautiful heart. For people who want their children to have a rich and varied taste in music, this is a great bet.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

A great childrens album Jul 31, 2006 By Rainy_day_9
As a parent most childrens albums are pretty awful. I can't stand Raffi or Barney. Frankly I would rather take an icepick to my ear drums.....That being said this is a excellent album. There are some sad song subjects on the cd as mentioned. But the songs are so great that it doens't matter. I mean we all sing a song about the plague; "Ring around the rosies" isn't exactly all sunshine and happiness is it? A real gem is his take on the alphabet. I really enjoy listening to this cd and my kids love it too. My 1 year old and 5 year old dance when I play it. My favorite song is the last song; Why is a fire engine red. This is such a fun, wonderful, suprising song. A classic Cash style song.

See all 34 customer reviews on Amazon.com