Press On

1	Diamonds In The Rough 3:27
2	Ring of Fire 3:39
3	Far Side Banks of Jordan 2:46
4	Losin' You 2:26
5	Gatsby's Restaurant 5:00
6	Wings of Angels 2:58
7	The L & N Don't Stop Here Anymore 3:28
8	Once More Before I Die 4:00
9	I Used To Be Somebody 4:13
10	Tall Lover Man 3:59
11	Tiffany Anastasia Lowe 2:51
12	Meeting In The Air 2:04
13	Will the Circle Be Unbroken 4:06

Barnes & Noble

Coming 25 years after June Carter Cash's previous solo recording (time she devoted to being Johnny Cash's wife), Press On is as rustic and sepia as the liner card's vintage photo of the Carter clan gathered at the foot of Clinch Mountain. Press On, its title taken from the Carter Family gem "Diamonds in the Rough" (done here in a stately, steely version by Cash and Marty Stuart), is essentially a modern-day Carter Family effort. Spare and acoustic-driven, the songs reflect on infidelity, death, lust, the trauma of growing up, and the anticipation of the afterlife's rewards. Many are Cash originals, notably the introspective, close-to-the-bone reading of her classic "Ring of Fire," and "I Used to Be Somebody," a poignant reflection on her friendships with James Dean and Elvis Presley. Johnny makes an appearance on the stirring spiritual, "Far Side Banks of Jordan"; Marty Stuart, Rodney Crowell, Norman Blake, and bassist Dave Roe shine instrumentally. But in the end it's June's presence that lends Press On its timeless quality. Her lovely, weathered, soprano voice, the ringing, pristine chords she strums on the Autoharp, the wit and wisdom of her between-cuts studio banter feel like an old friend checking in with the latest news. The soul needs more nourishment like this. May the next helping not be so long in coming. David McGee

All Music Guide

June Carter Cash has lived a charmed life: late-night duets with Elvis Presley, a movie appearance with Robert Duvall, a rose from James Dean, and a Grammy Award-winning songwriting career with her husband Johnny Cash. But, to hear her sing such moving hymns as "Diamonds in the Rough" is to enjoy the holy, country hospitality of a simple countrywoman of a pure and spiritual heart. Also on Press On are such gems as a touching, acoustic version of "Ring of Fire," which June co-wrote. The Man in Black himself delicately duets with June on "The Far Side Banks of the Jordan." This is a beautiful acknowledgment of mortality and hope for an afterlife. Throughout this album, June plays the Autoharp. This type of strummed dulcimer lends a light, bouncy feel to these pieces that often contain no traditional rhythm section. She displays a worldly sensibility on such folk-rock numbers as the bitter "Losin' You" and humor mixed with wisdom in "Tiffany Anastasia Lowe." In this piece, the hip grandmother comments on the movies of Quentin Tarantino. June concludes this warm and personal disc as she began it, with a moving spiritual, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Her musical forebear A.P. Carter of the Carter Family wrote the piece. Tom Schulte