Product Description

This 90 minute program contains many rare clips, including the Man in Black singing classic duets with his wife June Carter, Carl Perkins, and Bob Dylan This fascinating fly o n the wall documentary shot mainly on tour in the late '6 0's includes 21 song performances in many different setting s, plus unique footage of Cash relaxing and visiting with f riends and family. DVD Extras: No regional coding, compete Johnny Cash CD discography, complete list of Johnny Cash-re lated books & video, facility to play individual tracks.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #116032 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-05-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.com
This has the unmistakable whiff of opportunism about it­-there is no structure, no narration, nothing by way of accompanying information, and much of the concert footage looks like it was filmed by someone whose other eye was engaged reading the instruction manual for the camera. Despite--or, just maybe, because of--these limitations, it offers some genuine revelations of its subject. And, in fairness, the concert footage that is filmed properly is marvelous.

The material collected here was apparently filmed in the late '60s and offers a series of snapshots of Cash on one of his famously interminable tours. He is shown playing to audiences of fans, maximum-security prisoners, and feather-clad Native American dignitaries, and he is shown away from the stage, playing cards on the tour bus, jamming with friends, and further reinforcing his then-unfashionable interest in Native American issues with a visit to the site of the Wounded Knee massacre. Also of interest are the other performers that wander through this random travelogue: Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, in a duet with him on "Jackson"; Cash's lead guitarist, Carl Perkins, taking the spotlight to sing his creation "Blue Suede Shoes"; and, best of all, Cash, grinning from ear to ear and quite unabashedly overawed, recording a glorious duet of Billy Edd Wheeler's "Blistered" with an insouciant, gum-chewing Bob Dylan. --Andrew Mueller, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews

Straight from the heart
Yes, the footage is ragged in spots, and there is nothing slick about this one. But there are gems you won't find elsewhere. Much of the concert footage is riveting, including Carl Perkins' rocking "Blue Suede Shoes." Some of the reasons for Johnny Cash's broad appeal also emerge here. Combined with his onstage showmanship and bravado are his backstage kindness and affection toward his fans which seem remarkable in today's era of chic contempt. He called his shots straight from the heart, and this DVD gives us the pleasure of watching that in detail. A must for the Cash fan, and for anyone who wonders what all the fuss was about.

Better than the reviews
If you like Johnny Cash, this is a must. The picture and sound are good enough so as to not get in the way of enjoying the rare footage. His duet with Dylan is almost worth the price alone, but you also get to see Johnny with his parents, onstage doing most of his big hits and lots more(it's 90 minutes long). I felt it was a much more intimate portrait than the Anthology dvd which spends a lot of time interviewing Cash's friends and not with the man himself.

one long, scratchy behind-the-scenes home movie
This was not at all what I expected, but it was a rare treat. It really is like one long home movie, scratchy, not at all slickly produced or well-edited, with footage of Johnny going about his daily routine, at home with his parents, walking through his now-vacant childhood home, on a farm with his children, visiting the gas station owner & other folks in his home town, interspersed with footage of Johnny (and others, including June Carter & her sisters) performing. The performances are powerful, of course, but the real treat is seeing Johnny in his element, with his family & old neighbors. The only odd aspect of the film is that it devotes significant time to other aspiring performers who want to play for Johnny -- It's interesting, but what it shows about Johnny (his reaction to these aspiring writers & performers) seems to be limited in comparison to the time given to others performing entire songs. If you're looking for a slick musical production of Cash performing, you'll be disappointed. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at the Man in Black, this is well worth the money.