Grade: A | Genre: Country/Rock/Blues Summary: The Legend of Johnny Cash is a the perfect introduction to an American icon. It seems a shame that he had to travel to the great beyond before many of us cleaned out our ears to hear this sweet music. It's been two years since we marked the passing of one of music's true legends, Mr. Johnny Cash. With his signature head-to-toe black garb and the deep vocal stamp he planted on his songs, he created an unmistakable presence that won't be matched. His passing has stirred up a string of compilations and the fabulous biopic Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. If you haven't had the extreme pleasure, be sure to catch one of this year's best films. As ashamed as I am to admit it, in his living years Cash was never more than a name to me. He was a larger than life persona, and I had my foolish preconceived notions of what he was -- country. To peg him in that tired old genre is like saying Moby makes dance music because of a single you once heard on the radio. Both artists are so much more than the convenient categories we try to file them away in. One of the year's best compilations is The Legend of Johnny Cash. It is a sharp collection that captures the heart and spirit of a man who gave so much to music.

My first introduction to Cash came in 1993 with his collaboration with U2 on the track "The Wanderer." On the eccentric disk Zooropa, "The Wanderer" stood out for Cash's booming vocals, uneasy in the airy U2 universe. It made an impression, but unfortunately didn't spur me on to dial through his exhaustive catalog. Then the one-two punch hit me of the release of Walk the Line and finally hearing Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nail's "Hurt" accompanying a promo piece for the Shield. The recently released The Legend of Johnny Cash seemed to be perfect introduction to the Man in Black. Spanning a hefty 21-tracks, Legend covers Cash from his earliest days at Sun Records, circa 1955, all the way to the material released shortly before his death. It's a fascinating musical photo album, flashing snapshots of a musician evolving, shedding his skin to find a new man underneath.

Digging into his early material there are a number of great melodies that catch your ear. "Cry, Cry, Cry" has a bit of an Elvis tint to it. "Folsom Prison Blues" is a great bookmark to the stirring Sam Phillips quote in Walk the Line. "Get Rhythm" is the best of the breed. It has a rockabilly rollick pulsing on its sly rhythm. You can see kids breaking out in dance at sock hops across the country when this ditty came on.

No question in my mind, "Hurt" is the greatest track of the collection. Just like Jeff Buckley did with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," Cash takes possession of this drug-addled song and channels all the pain and suffering inflicted in his life and buries that dark struggle between the notes. His voice waivers and flickers as this song becomes his confessional booth. It is one of Trent's best works, and Cash carries it to another level, sealing it as a classic. Cash also gives an interesting spin to Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage."

The only disappointing track is "Sunday Morning Comes Down." It's very pedestrian and reminds you more of John Denver than Cash. I'm blaming the Kris Kristofferson influence for this lackluster melody. It's a shame too because the lyrics are keenly sharp and potent at times.

The Legend of Johnny Cash is a the perfect introduction to an American icon. It may seem a shame that he had to travel to the great beyond before many of us cleaned out our ears to hear this sweet music. Then again, it could be comforting knowing that Johnny Cash will always remain one of the greats, continually being discovered by generations over. Musically immortality isn't an easy trick to pull off, but this slightly off key, deep baritone voice has the presence to live on. Call him a country, rock or blues artist if you must, but in truth, Johnny Cash transcended the boundaries of music, elevating the soul.

Release Date: October 25, 2005