OT: Johnny Cash---"I walk the line"

Same goes for early blues, which was rural as well.
I remember reading somewhere that "St. James Infirmery" started out as an
Irish folksong, travelling through England to France, and ending up in New
Orleans, where, among others, Louis Armstrong recorded it in the late 20's.

bessie...

Very true and fascinating stuff, ever hear of Blind Boy Fuller?

Tom K...

I know of him, not much though, most of my old blues-stuff is in a big box
with cassettes, recorded from LP's I borrowed from the local library,
haven't heard them in years. Why do you ask?

Does anybody hear the guitars on this classic...being out of
tune..besides me?

IBen Getiner...

He most likely did that intentionally in order to sound more
'old-timey'. Many country artist worked things like this into their
routines, just to make them sound like they were from 'way back there'.
Even the greatest country acts, such as The carter Family, would
routinely play and sing off key, jump meter, etc. in order to sound
even more authentic than people already thought they were. Because
after all, even the most down-home sounding stars of country music were
considered city slickers by the standards of the hills..
You really didn't' think that an artist of Cash's caliber would play
out of tune by accident, now did you...?

timagine...

Johnny Cash is no high caliber person. It might be hard to imagine,
but Johnny Cash was hanging by a fingernail throughout most of his
career. It's the American way: Hanging by the basic beliefs you have,
with the only true asset being what you were naturally born with. It's
often called "luck". He just showed up, hid one eye and peeped with
the other.

voice from the past

IBen Getiner

; )