“The Sun recordings maximized the effective contrast between the hustling rhythm of the bass and acoustic guitar and the ponderous, sparse vocals & lead guitar. Phillips achievement was to keep Cash’s sound at it’s bare essentials, an then fatten it up with the use of slapback echo. Subsequent producers and engineers could never quite recapture that formula.
Johhny Cash’s three years of recordings for Sun are a wonderful demonstration of just how far a whole can outclass the sum of it’s parts”
From: Good Rockin’ Tonight: Sun Records and the Birth of Rock ‘N’ Roll (Colin Escott & Martin Hawkins)
I guess it’s much the same as with Elvis Presley: Some will always argue that “The Sun years” represents both Cash & Presley’s best recorded material. Personally I feel both created great art at Sun… and after Sun.
But there sure is something magical about the SUN sound.
The Sun Sound
The Sun Sound is music of feeling, emotion and passion. The Sun Sound is music that transports you to memories of happiness, friendship and hardship. It’s a timeless sound.
Sam Phillips “rolled tape until he caught magic”, he didn’t watch the clock.. He knew that great art couldn’t be forced…. patience was fundamental.
Sam always knew what he was looking for… authenticity… soul.. and he nailed it over & over. Not every day, not every week, not every month.. BUT over the years his legacy is enormous.
Nuff said about this magic environment, let’s pull out Johnny Cash’s 10 best SUN songs:
- I Walk The Line
- Folsom Prison Blues
- Give My Love To Rose
- Get a Rhythm
- Big River
- Don’t Make Me Go
- Home of The Blues
- Guess Things Happen That Way
- Cry! Cry! Cry!
- Hey Porter
Check out my earlier post on “I Walk The Line“
Folsom Prison Blues:
Give My Love To Rose:
Get a Rhythm:
Big River:
Don’t Make Me Go:
Home of the Blues:
Guess Things Happen That Way:
Cry! Cry! Cry! – Sorry no live video.. but rocking-fantastic audio !!
Hey porter:
-Egil
