Rick Rubin on Cash's Legacy

Man, that picture of Johnny in the article is haunting. He looks terrible, but you can still see the determination in his eyes.

Thank God he remained so prolific right up to the end - there will at least be a lot of posthumous material.

I've heard a bunch of the outtakes from the first American album, the songs recorded in Rick Rubin's living room. I would happily listen to 5 discs worth of that stuff. I hope the new box doesn't have too much "special guest" alt-rocker shit on it though. All I need is Cash and a guitar.

The fact that Rick Rubin makes the point so strongly that Johnny did not buy into his own mythology really only increases my admiration for the man. I think the reason that I love the first American so much is the fact that it *was* just Johnny and a guitar, and the sheer starkness and raw emotion he was able to conjure up just by doing what he's always done. I mean, nothing against "Hurt" (which is astounding in its own right) and the other 3 albums' songs, but the special guests sometimes pulled away from that simplicity that spoke volumes. Absence will make the heart grow stronger...

I would love to see (and hear) Rick Rubin produce the Everly Brothers a la the excellent job he did for the late Johnny Cash.

I have seen the Everlys several times and, of course, they do a great show built around their hits. The last time I saw them, however, they did an acoustic segment in the middle of the show in which only their lead guitarist (playing mandolin) remained onstage with Don and Phil (with their matching Everly Gibson jumbos). The boys sang the "songs our daddy taught us"- the Childe ballads and songs from their childhood. The audience went nuts.

There are so many great new songwriters out there, the Everlys are in their 60's and American treasures, and Rick would be an excellent choice for a new recording (that the EB's don't even have a recording contract is criminal).

Could someone please, please get this message to Mr. Rubin- I have tried in vain.