American III: Solitary Man

1	I Won't Back Down 2:09
2	Solitary Man 2:25
3	That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day) 2:35
4	One 3:53
5	Nobody 3:14
6	I See a Darkness 3:42
7	The Mercy Seat 4:35
8	Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) 2:41
9	Field of Diamonds 3:15
10	Before My Time 2:55
11	Country Trash 1:47
12	Mary of the Wild Moor 2:32
13	I'm Leaving Now 3:07
14	Wayfaring Stranger 3:19

Barnes & Noble

In the time since the release of his last album, Unchained, Johnny Cash's ongoing battle with life-threatening Shy-Drager syndrome has led many to assume that the Man in Black's days as a recording artist were over. But Cash has never been one to go down without a fight, and this impressive collection offers ample evidence of Cash's personal and musical resilience. Both the covers and the new Cash originals on Solitary Man share a mix of world-weariness and fierce defiance that are underlined by Cash's heartbroke baritone and spare guitar accompaniment. Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" is a fitting declaration of determination, while other songs make it clear that the fight hasn't been an easy one. U2's "One," Will Oldham's "I See a Darkness," Nick Cave's "The Mercy Seat," and the bleak folk ballad "Mary of the Wild Moor" tell stories of wrenching loneliness and yearning, and Cash's iconic vocals drive their points home with haunting immediacy. Although the artist stands alone in many of the trials portrayed in these songs, he's got plenty of talented friends lending support on this album. Wife June Carter Cash is featured, as are Tom Petty, Merle Haggard, and Sheryl Crow, although Cash still casts such a large shadow that one will have to listen very closely to hear anyone else. Amy Weivoda

All Music Guide

The Man In Black shows hints of gray on American III: Solitary Man, his first studio album since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1997. While the inevitability of aging has been the downfall of many of his contemporaries, ending usually in dismissal and often in death, Johnny Cash's dark convictions and powerful presence have gone from rough hardwood to solid stone. The stark beauty of his 1994 release American Recordings and the warm, friendly collaborations on 1996's Unchained combine on this album to create two distinct moods: one of living room jam sessions with invited friends, and another of stark solo (and near-solo) songs highlighting Cash's years and stories.

Like his two previous studio albums, Solitary Man is sparsely produced by Rick Rubin, and continues the themes of love, faith, and loneliness that their previous collaborations have chillingly embraced. Partnering once again with Tom Petty, the two join together on Petty's own "I Won't Back Down" and the Neil Diamond-penned title track. Cash also lays his lonesome hands on U2's "One" and reunites with fellow outlaw Merle Haggard on the stubborn "I'm Leavin' Now," which could serve as the soundtrack for the notorious photo of Cash's sneering middle finger published in Billboard after his Grammy award. These duets and well-known covers show an inviting side of Johnny Cash. But the real highlights of the album are those reminiscent of his American Recordings songs; they feature just the man and his guitar, with nothing else to clutter the story. The creaks and despair of the vaudeville song "Nobody" tell of a man who has become hardened by his solitude, while the Palace hymn "I See a Darkness" soars with the passion of a thousand gospel choirs, even though there are only two men singing.

In the liner notes, Cash writes: "The song is the thing that matters. Before I can record, I have to hear it, sing it, and know that I can make it feel like my own, or it won't work. I worked on these songs until I felt like they were my own." Although at times it is difficult to hear past Tom Petty's growl or Sheryl Crow's young harmonies in the more popular songs he covers, the obscure prison songs and country ballads he has chosen to interpret sound as honest and heartfelt as his own compositions. At age 68, his warm baritone may waver but his passion never does. Zac Johnson

Entertainment Weekly

Though the Man in Black has rarely sounded blacker, producer Rick Rubin frames that deep-sea voice with harmonies and churchy organs, making for a dark-angel beauty of an album that's austere but welcoming. David Browne