Rosanne Cash "Right Or Wrong" (Columbia, 1979)
A classic Cash-Crowell collaboration, and a really stunning debut. This disc sets the pace for Rosanne's long-lived poppish orientation, with plenty of bright, 80s-ized production that might make lovers of twangier tunes wince, but Rosanne has a great torchiness that makes haunting emotional mini-masterpieces out of brokenhearted ballads like "Couldn't Do Nothin' Right," "No Memories Hanging 'Round," "Anybody's Darling" and "Take Me Take Me." A bit goopy, but I love it. She also takes a stab at more traditional material (mainly on a cover of "Big River"), just so's the folks who wanna see what daddy's little girl sounds like won't be disappointed in her country chops. This is probably my favorite of her albums, and a real triumph for both her and Rodney Crowell, who produced it for her.
Rosanne Cash "Seven Year Ache" (Columbia, 1981)
(Produced by Rodney Crowell)
Rodney's early albums tended to be more idiosyncratic and rootsy, showcases for a budding songwriter, while Rosanne was more of a star performer. Nonetheless, Rodney's instincts as a record producer served them well, as this groovy followup album quickly proved... The poppy, synth-driven title track showed that Rosanne and her hubby were a little more adventurous than your typical Nashville grinds... It also hit the country Top Forty and had a bit of crossover action, showing that they had some chart-wise savvy... plus, it's just so darned catchy. A guilty pleasure if ever there was one.
Rosanne Cash "Somewhere In The Stars" (Columbia, 1982)
This is probably Rosanne's most "mersh," and drippiest, album, although there's still some great stuff to check out. Naturally, the temptation is to read into these lovelorn lyrics the ups-and-downs of her marriage with Rodney Crowell, who was still on board as her collaborative partner. I'm sure that assumption is warranted, but I'll be darned if I could (or should) piece out what is fact and what is fiction. All I know is this disc is worth checking out, even though it's not my favorite of her works.
Rosanne Cash "Rhythm And Romance" (Columbia, 1985)
Here Rodney and Rosanne give full reign to their rocker impulses, and while later on this would lead to disasterous results, here it sounds pretty cool. "Pink Bedroom" is a bouncy John Haitt tune with an irresistible acoustic guitar hook worthy of early Neil Diamond; Rosanne's keyboard-heavy "Halfway House" is mopey and completely over-the-top, and I love it, too. In fact, most of the songs on here are pretty soulful and effective, reflecting Rosanne's growing power both as a vocalist and as a songwriter. She wrote all but three of the songs on here, and one of those exceptions is actually a co-write with Crowell... A very good album, which holds up pretty well over the years.
Rosanne Cash "King's Record Shop" (Columbia, 1987)
Finally giving in to the screaming hordes who want her to do a "real country record," Rosanne got a little down-home and did her Carter Family kin proud, with solid renditions of tunes like "Tennessee Flat Top Box" and John Haitt's "The Way We Make a Broken Heart..." The rootsy approach paid off with several #1 hits, and plenty of satisfied smiles all around. Great record. She really shifted gears later on, but this disc let folks know that she had the real hillbilly goods on hand, any time she wanted them...
Rosanne Cash "Interiors" (Columbia, 1990)
Rosanne's first self-produced album was a pretty definitive break from the pop-country formulae of her hitmaking years, and, generally speaking, a pretty bold move to make for someone who'd been so successful at cracking into the Top Ten, album after album. I have to admit, I counted myself among those inflexible twang-fans who wouldn't make the leap into her densely-layered pop confessionalism. Now that I'm older, I'm a little more forgiving, and can give credit where credit is due: this album was a good half decade ahead of the widely lauded, similarly un-country Emmylou Harris album, Wrecking Ball, and was a real shocker for fans unprepared for the patent confessionalism and opaque poetics within. I still find some of the musical moves to be a bit broad and poorly formed, but even if she was groping to convey a new vocabulary, Cash's voice is one to be heeded. And this disc certainly sets the template for her next few albums, and needs to be heard to "get" how she got from there to here. (Why does she look so darn mean on the cover, though?)
Rosanne Cash "The Wheel" (Columbia, 1993)
Again, Rosanne was there first with the post-twang trip-hop sound, and frankly I think she did it better than any of her female compatriots. Unlike Emmylou and Lucinda Williams, who both went all swirly and super-produced a few years later, Rosanne's voice is really suited to the style, and her instincts about where to stop -- how not to let the studio magics overpower her own artistic voice -- are much stronger than theirs proved to be. This is possibly Cash's best album in terms of her vocal performance -- her tone, phrasing and restraint are all absolutely gorgeous. There are a few moments when producer John Leventhal's arrangements get a little cluttered or intrusive, but on the whole this a very skillfully crafted, delicate album, which, despite the seamless construction, still feels alive and like somebody's actually playing music rather than filling in the blank spots during their studio sessions. It's definitely worth checking out, one of the best albums of its kind.
Rosanne Cash "Ten Song Demo" (Capitol, 1996)
On this demurely-titled album, Rosanne retreats from the lavishness of her last couple of albums, recording a weary dektette of tunes, mostly just guitar and vocals, and plenty of great lyrics. The third track, "The Summer I Read Collette," signals her literary aspirations; the rest of the album fulfills them. Whether or not Cash ever really thought about expanding these songs into full-on big-pop arrangements is kind of besides the point -- she didn't, and we're all the more fortunate she had the wisdom to hold back. Nothing here obscures her songcraft, her artistic voice comes through loud and clear (even while muted and downcast), and this album is a quiet glint of genius and musical integrity. Recommended.
Rosanne Cash "Rules Of Travel" (Capitol, 2003)
I love her voice, and the lush production has its allures as well, but in general, this record seems a bit too lush and "adult contemporary" for me. Fans of Interiors will probably love it, but I found this to be a little too hard to work through. Mostly the music is just not my cup of tea. (Sorry!) Almost, but not quite.
Rosanne Cash "Black Cadillac" (Capitol, 2006)
Poor Rosanne! In the space of two years, her father -- Johnny Cash -- her mother her and stepmother (June Carter Cash) all passed away. That's a lot of sadness to shoulder. But, as longtime fans know, Rosanne has a lot of experience exploring her emotions through her art. What's best about this album is that, in addition to the expected existential wallop, it also rises out of the baroque adult-contemporary pop production of her last few albums, with Rosanne reconnecting to her inner twang in ways that are penetrating and entirely original. The lyrics are pointed and bleak, with an aching and agony interlaced with a shocking amount of bitterness and anger. On some of the later tracks, her rage against religion may come like a bolt from the blue -- you'd think maybe she'd turn the other way, as many folks do when this kind of loss strikes, but not Rosanne, and this is just one fo the ways she sets herself apart from her famously gospel-drenched daddy. Indeed, Black Cadillac is most striking in that it is not a simple homage or tribute to her father, it is a dark, dense, complex work from a woman who has a strong sense of self and whose talent and intelligence was influenced by but not entirely derived from her parents. What emerges is a powerful inner portrait of one of country's most introspective, soul-searching artists. She may have explored emotions as deep as these before, but never with such directness or fiery intensity. Although it's not exactly a radio-friendly toe-tapper, this is possibly her best album to date -- definitely worth checking out.
Best-Ofs
Rosanne Cash "Hits: 1979-1989" (Columbia, 1989)
Rosanne Cash "Retrospective" (Columbia, 1995)
This best-of also includes a half-dozen "new" songs, recorded between 1982-'95... pretty tasty stuff.
Rosanne Cash "The Country Side" (Sony Special Products, 1996)
If you don't want all that fancypants artsy stuff, and just wanna hear "how country" the gal could be, then it might be worth your while to track this disc down. All Rosanne's twangiest tunes, in a nice neat little package.
Rosanne Cash "Super Hits" (Sony Columbia, 1998)
Rosanne Cash Books
Rosanne Cash "Bodies Of Water" (Hyperion, 1995)
Short stories and reminiscences, some of which may be of particular interest to Carter Family devotees, as Rosanne talks about her grandmother and other family folks.
Rosanne Cash "Penelope Jane: A Fairy's Tale" (Harper Collins, 2000)
Rosanne wrote the text for this children's book, and recorded a song which comes in an accompanying CD. The story is about a willful fairy who causes unintentional havoc when she accompanies her (human) best friend to school one day.
Rosanne Cash Links
-
RosanneCash.com, Rosanne's official website, is hella cool. Nice, artsy design and plenty of good information. Along with the expected discography and tour info, there is an extended weblog section, "Rosanne's Picks" in which she recommends various books, movies and records, as well as several essays she's written over the years. Also, plenty of nice photos and info on her songs and songwriting. One of the better artist sites I've come across... definitely worth checking out.
Hick Music Index
Top photo used by permission. (Thanks, Rosanne!)
