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American IV: The Man Comes Around

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]

American IV: The Man Comes Around
Studio album by
Johnny Cash
ReleasedNovember 5, 2002
Recorded2002
StudioAmerican Recording Studios
Genre
Length51:55
Label
Producer
Johnny Cash chronology
Johnny Cash at Madison Square Garden
(2002) 		American IV: The Man Comes Around
(2002) 		Unearthed
(2003)
American series[broken anchor] chronology
American III: Solitary Man
(2000) 		American IV: The Man Comes Around
(2002) 		Unearthed
(2003)
Singles from American IV: The Man Comes Around
  1. "Personal Jesus"
    Released: September 30, 2002
  2. "Hurt"
    Released: February 10, 2003
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[3]
The Guardian[4]
Los Angeles Times[5]
Mojo[6]
Pitchfork6.9/10[7]
Robert ChristgauA−[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
Sputnikmusic[10]
Uncut[11]

Background

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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.

The video for "Hurt," a song written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and originally released in 1994, was nominated in seven categories at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards and won the award for Best Cinematography. In 2003, mere days before his 71st birthday, Cash won a Grammy for "Give My Love to Rose", a song Cash had originally recorded in the late 1950s. Cash was also nominated that year for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for his "Bridge over Troubled Water" cover with Fiona Apple. The music video for "Hurt" also won the award for Best Short Form Video in 2004.

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

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Six songs featured on the album had previously been recorded by Cash.

Track listing

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Original double LP record release

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Man Comes Around"Johnny Cash4:26
2."Hurt"Trent Reznor3:38
3."Give My Love to Rose"Johnny Cash3:28
4."Bridge Over Troubled Water" (with Fiona Apple)Paul Simon3:55
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Hung My Head"Sting3:53
2."First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"Ewan MacColl3:52
3."Personal Jesus"Martin Gore3:20
4."In My Life"Lennon–McCartney2:57
Side C
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sam Hall"Tex Ritter2:40
2."Danny Boy"Frederic Weatherly3:19
3."Desperado" (with Don Henley)Glenn Frey/Don Henley3:13
4."I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (duet with Nick Cave)Hank Williams3:03
5."Streets of Laredo"Traditional3:33
Side D
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wichita Lineman"Jimmy Webb3:03
2."Big Iron"Marty Robbins3:52
3."Tear Stained Letter"Johnny Cash3:41
4."We'll Meet Again" (with The Whole Cash Gang)Hughie Charles/Ross Parker2:58
CD release, 2014 LP record reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Man Comes Around"Johnny Cash4:26
2."Hurt"Trent Reznor3:38
3."Give My Love to Rose"Johnny Cash3:28
4."Bridge Over Troubled Water" (with Fiona Apple)Paul Simon3:55
5."I Hung My Head"Sting3:53
6."The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"Ewan MacColl3:52
7."Personal Jesus"Martin Gore3:20
8."In My Life"Lennon–McCartney2:57
9."Sam Hall"Tex Ritter2:40
10."Danny Boy"Frederic Weatherly3:19
11."Desperado" (with Don Henley)Glenn Frey/Don Henley3:13
12."I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (duet with Nick Cave)Hank Williams3:03
13."Tear Stained Letter"Johnny Cash3:41
14."Streets of Laredo"Traditional3:33
15."We'll Meet Again" (with The Whole Cash Gang)Hughie Charles/Ross Parker2:58

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.

Personnel

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Charts

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Album - Billboard (United States)

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[35] Platinum 100,000^
Germany (BVMI)[36] Platinum 300,000^
Sweden (GLF)[37] Gold 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Platinum 300,000*
United States (RIAA)[40] Platinum 1,600,000[39]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[41] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "American IV: The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash". Metacritic. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  2. ^ Johnson, Zac. "American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash". AllMusic. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  3. ^ 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].
  4. ^ Clarke, Betty (November 2002). "Johnny Cash: The Man Comes Around". The Guardian. Retrieved November 1, 2002.
  5. ^ Hilburn, Robert (3 November 2002). "Justin's past the goo, but not yet 'Justified'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 3, 2002.
  6. ^ If this is to be Cash's last album, then what a magnificent way he has chosen to say goodbye. [Album of the Month, Dec 2002, p. 100].
  7. ^ Carr, Eric. "Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 7, 2002.
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (3 June 2003). "Eating Again by ROBERT CHRISTGAU". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 3, 2003.
  9. ^ Kemp, Mark. "Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2004-04-04. Retrieved November 14, 2002.
  10. ^ Perfection, Flawed. "Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved September 3, 2006.
  11. ^ May be the most consistent of the four albums to date. [Jan 2003, p. 122].
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Geoff Rickly interviews Trent Reznor". Alternative Press. June 26, 2004. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  14. ^ Thomson, G. (2011). The Resurrection of Johnny Cash: Hurt, Redemption, and American Recordings. Jawbone Press, p. 220.
  15. ^ "Various - Lost & Found Volume 1". Discogs.
  16. ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  17. ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  19. ^ "Top 100 Albums: September 18, 2003". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 1, 2004. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  20. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  22. ^ "Johnny Cash: American IV: The Man Comes Around" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  23. ^ "Lescharts.com – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  25. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  27. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  28. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  29. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  30. ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  31. ^ "Top 100 country albums of 2002 in Canada". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  32. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  33. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  34. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  35. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Johnny Cash – Man comes around". Music Canada. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  36. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Johnny Cash; 'Man comes around')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  37. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2003" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  38. ^ "British album certifications – Johnny Cash – Man comes around". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  39. ^ Garrity, Brian (February 17, 2007). "Top Rubin-Produced Albums 2000-2006". Billboard.com. p. 10.
  40. ^ "American album certifications – Johnny Cash – Man comes around". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  41. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2010". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
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