A Parting Gift

This collection of Cash's songs is absolutely excellent for the initiated and the uninitiated. "He Reached Down for Me" is a personal favorite. These are songs that nutured him through life and gave him the foundation of his faith. The voice is at times faltering and weak and yet here he is singing songs of joy and hope. These are old-time tunes and well-recognized so they may evoke memories in the listener as well. "In The Garden" was a favorite hymn of my own grandmother and was sung at her funeral when she died in '76 at 93 years old. That's history and tradition. Artists like Cash have been care-takers of American musical tradition. Here is a wonderful parting gift.

Smithsonian-worthy...a rough beauty

Not a week goes by when I don't listen to this CD at least once...it is absolutely essential. For a pure, unvarnished, unsentimental, reverent, and heartfelt rendering of classic American hymns, Johnny Cash's MY MOTHER'S HYMNBOOK cannot be beaten.

Be you Christian, or not....

Thank God for Johnny Cash! What a great man, and a truly gifted musician who had a profound influence on artists of varying musical genres. I only have two of his cds, but I truly love and admire this disc here. I must say there is more to this cd than just his gravelly, baritone voice and simple guitar strummings. I grew up in a religious family attending church each Sunday, and many of these songs I'm familiar with from our own hymn book. My favorites are If We Never Meet Again This Side Of Heaven, Where The Sould Of Man Never Dies, and I'm Bound For The Promised Land. It is such a great cd, and very simple yet profound. There is something so beautiful in the man sitting down with just his guitar singing songs his Mother brought him up with. The songs hold such great meaning and significance, and are raw, emotional and deep. You hear the man singing the songs, and know he means what it is he's saying. I'd recommend this to anyone, and believe that anyone can grasp the special nature of this recording.