Press on

June Carter Cash passed into eternity yesterday. She left us . . . she left us a legacy of great "country/mountain/American" music. Thos CD album which she made in 1999 was the last completed album she issued (the previous one was 1975!). Her commonly used phrase "press on" she chose for its title and appropriately so.
She sings a slower version of the song she co-wrote and which was a hit for her husband, Johnny Cash: "Ring Of Fire"! She does a "prophetic" song "The Far Side Banks Of The Jordan" with Johnny on this CD in which they promise if one should go and leave the other early, they will be the first one there to greet the other when they do come to "the far side banks of the Jordan". And now we know that June has gone on first and will be waiting to greet Johnny when he goes to join her,
My favorite track is a song June wrote and sings called "I Used To Be Somebody". She remembers her life and career and the people she met and knew as friends who had passed-away. She sings,"I ain't never gonna see James Dean again. . . I ain't ever gonna see Elvis again. . ." and now we can add ,"I ain't ever gonna see June Carter Cash again".
She ends the CD with the Carter Family classic, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". And now, at least for a time, if the circle is unbroken, there seems to be a large gap . . . we'll see which of the Carters closes that gap to complete the circle again.
This is a great album and it has all the feel of listening to June Carter and friends sitting and singing out on the back-porch. That's the way she intended it to sound and she succeeded in bringing her music into our homes and into our lives as though she were just there on our porch singing to us. Thank you June Carter Cash for all the years and years of performing and songwriting. . .and thanks for this album. Perhaps the one you were recording when you took sick and then passed will someday be completed and issued to "keep the circle unbroken" for us.

I'm sorry to say I had never taken a chance to listen to this wonderful album until June Carter Cash's passing away last week. Maybe I thought that an autoharp could not generate serious, genuine music. On "Press On," June's folksy voice and harp are accompanied by a talented clan including her husband Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, Norman Blake, and others.

Although there are a lot of wonderful tracks on this album, the stunner--one of the greatest, most heart-wrenching tracks I've ever heard--is June's duet with husband Johnny Cash, "Far Banks of Jordan," a song about one spouse already in heaven so aching for her partner that she sits by the river Jordan waiting to "wade into the shallow water reaching for your hand" on her sweetheart's own arrival. It'll break your heart to hear this.

There's also a dynamite version of "Ring of Fire," an old Johnny Cash hit that some may not know was actually written by June. Eight of the tracks on this albums showcase June's songwriting skills, and another three are older 'traditional' songs by her famous uncle, A.P. Carter, including the classic "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" There are a couple of silly throw-aways: "Gatsby's Restaurant," and "Tiffany Anastasia Lowe," but isn't June entitled to a little fun?

June offers a little friendly patter to her fellow musicians (who are top-notch) in between the tracks. It's good to hear her voice again.

If you're reading this page without having heard this CD, you're probably a bit confused by the reviews. Most of the reviewers gave the CD 4 or 5 stars and very high praise, but a few were very critical, giving it one or two stars. Let me see if I can help clear things up.

If you are buying this looking for great music, expecting that the Carter family tradition, husband Johnny Cash (who appears in the duet: The Far Side Banks of Jordan) and the other guest superstars would surely deliver it, you could be disappointed. For originality, creativity, and especially vocally, this CD is not the best you'll ever hear. June Carter Cash's voice was never the best of the family (Even Johnny will tell you that; he credits Anita Carter with the best female voice in country music) and it's faded a bit with age as well. Johnny appears only months after his (false) diagnosis with Shy-Drager syndrome, and his voice sounds weary and (dare I say it?) wavering, at least for him. Marty Stuart's contribution is minor and its value is mostly in the quality guitar and manodlin work he provides, you may not even hear him in the background vocals unless you listen closely. Also, if what you're looking for is great music, June's talking between songs may annoy you.

It doesn't really contribute much to the music. The songwriting on this isn't bad though. About half of the songs were written by June, some of them new. Tiffany Anastasia Lowe sounds like a strange novelty song, but the others seem more country-folk, very much in the Carter family tradition. The rest of the album consists of a couple of Carter family standards and well known gospel tunes. Perhaps the best of these is the last track, "Will the Circle be Unbroken" where a simple arrangement is used and June's voice is at its best.

If you're looking for an outstanding musical contribution, this isn't it, but that really isn't the point here. The reason so many people love this CD (and the reason I still recommend it) lies in the heritage and tradition it represents. This CD is like a front porch family gathering (in many ways, it is one) where the family just happens to be the most important one in the history of country music. If you listen with this in mind, it changes your whole perspective. The cracking voices become endearing signs of age and tradition and Far Side Banks of Jordan sounds very meaningful when you consider the age of the singers and Johnny's illness. June's talking between tracks then sounds natural and folksy, which is probably how it was intended. Get this CD, not just as an addition to your music collection, but as a way to remind yourself of home, family, and tradition.