I still stand by the title of that 2000 compilation, which I was asked to compile and write the notes for. God knows, the world wasn’t short of Johnny Cash Greatest Hits, but I was pleased that this one included his collaboration with U2 (‘The Wanderer’) and his duet with Bob Dylan (‘Girl From The North Country’).
There were also the best tracks from his Polygram albums (‘Let Him Roll’, ‘The Night Hank Williams Came To Town’). There were all the familiar Man In Black hits, but also the song Dylan wrote for him (‘Wanted Man’) and a poignant take on Springsteen’s ‘Highway Patrolman’. The only disappointment was that I wasn’t allowed to include the uncensored ‘Boy Named Sue’. I figured by the 21st Century, fans could live with hearing Johnny Cash sing “son of a bitch”.