Johnny Cash: Original Sun Albums

[Guest Chaney]

Johnny Cash: Original Sun Albums - The Complete Collection

Up for pre-ordering at CD Universe for $41.99.

I know Bear Family has their sets and I know the sound on the Bear sets that I have (Doris Day, Dean Martin) to be very good. Can we trust Varese Sarabande?

Q: A good deal?

Cash's Sun Albums Collected In Limited Box

Seven albums released by Johnny Cash on Memphis' storied Sun Records label will be packaged together in a limited edition box set due May 24 from Varese Sarabande's Varese Vintage label, distributed through Universal.

"The Original Sun Albums -- The Complete Collection" will comprise "Johnny Cash With His Red Hot and Blue Guitar" (1957), "Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous" (1958), "Greatest!" (1959), "Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams ...and Other Favorite Tunes" (1960), "Now Here's Johnny Cash" (1961), "All Aboard the Blue Train With Johnny Cash" (1962), "The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash" (1964).

All of the discs will feature the artwork that appeared on the original release, and each includes six bonus tracks. At deadline, the individual track lists for the albums were not available.

The set, which will be limited to production of only 2,500 copies, boasts just about everything Cash recorded for Sun, where he got his start alongside Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. Included are some of Cash's signature and most loved songs, including "I Walk the Line," "Big River," "Hey Porter," "Big River," "Ballad of a Teenage Queen," "Oh Lonesome Me" and "Give My Love To Rose."

[jazzbo]

I think you can trust VS . . . they may be scrubbed a little with noise reduction, but probably not too badly.

Looks like a good deal from cdu for Cash fans!

[J.A.W.]

Cash at his best. Love the train & river songs.

[Jazzmoose]

It would be nice to hear these without the "snap crackle pop" of my beat to hell LPs...

[J.A.W.]

The 1999 Varèse Sarabande Johnny Cash 2CD-set The Complete Original Sun Singles was remastered by Dan Hersch. The sound is pretty good considering the age of the recordings.

[LarryCurleyMoe]

I think Bear Family's "Man in Black 1954-58" box set probably has all the Sun recordings - with bonus tracks & alt. takes plus swell booklet too...a bit more costly at around 100 dollars. Sound should be decent.

[Dr. Rat]

Johnny Cash: Original Sun Albums - The Complete Collection

Up for pre-ordering at CD Universe for $41.99.

I know Bear Family has their sets and I know the sound on the Bear sets that I have (Doris Day, Dean Martin) to be very good.  Can we trust Varese Sarabande?

Q:  A good deal?

Cash's Sun Albums Collected In Limited Box

Seven albums released by Johnny Cash on Memphis' storied Sun Records label will be packaged together in a limited edition box set due May 24 from Varese Sarabande's Varese Vintage label, distributed through Universal.

"The Original Sun Albums -- The Complete Collection" will comprise "Johnny Cash With His Red Hot and Blue Guitar" (1957), "Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous" (1958), "Greatest!" (1959), "Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams ...and Other Favorite Tunes" (1960), "Now Here's Johnny Cash" (1961), "All Aboard the Blue Train With Johnny Cash" (1962), "The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash" (1964).

All of the discs will feature the artwork that appeared on the original release, and each includes six bonus tracks. At deadline, the individual track lists for the albums were not available.

The set, which will be limited to production of only 2,500 copies, boasts just about everything Cash recorded for Sun, where he got his start alongside Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. Included are some of Cash's signature and most loved songs, including "I Walk the Line," "Big River," "Hey Porter," "Big River," "Ballad of a Teenage Queen," "Oh Lonesome Me" and "Give My Love To Rose."

I've had pretty good luck with Varese saraband stuff from the 1950s. I have had problems with a couple of their recordings on Fuel 2000, though. (Source material was far from ideal,a nd far from the best that could be had). But, I shoudl add, that I've usually been happy with Fuel as well.

--eric

Edited May 3, 2005 by Dr. Rat

[chris olivarez]

As I watch the river rise(and we haven't even come close to the high point of the snow melt) the Cash tune from this era "Five Feet High and Rising" is taking on extra meaning.

[Stereojack]

Seven albums released by Johnny Cash on Memphis' storied Sun Records label will be packaged together in a limited edition box set due May 24 from Varese Sarabande's Varese Vintage label, distributed through Universal.

"The Original Sun Albums -- The Complete Collection" will comprise "Johnny Cash With His Red Hot and Blue Guitar" (1957), "Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous" (1958), "Greatest!" (1959), "Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams ...and Other Favorite Tunes" (1960), "Now Here's Johnny Cash" (1961), "All Aboard the Blue Train With Johnny Cash" (1962), "The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash" (1964).

All of the discs will feature the artwork that appeared on the original release, and each includes six bonus tracks. At deadline, the individual track lists for the albums were not available.

Many of these albums were issued long after Cash had left Sun. I believe many of the later releases repeat tracks from earlier ones. If these are programmed exactly as the original LP's were, there's going to be a lot of duplication.

[J.A.W.]

Seven albums released by Johnny Cash on Memphis' storied Sun Records label will be packaged together in a limited edition box set due May 24 from Varese Sarabande's Varese Vintage label, distributed through Universal.

"The Original Sun Albums -- The Complete Collection" will comprise "Johnny Cash With His Red Hot and Blue Guitar" (1957), "Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous" (1958), "Greatest!" (1959), "Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams ...and Other Favorite Tunes" (1960), "Now Here's Johnny Cash" (1961), "All Aboard the Blue Train With Johnny Cash" (1962), "The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash" (1964).

All of the discs will feature the artwork that appeared on the original release, and each includes six bonus tracks. At deadline, the individual track lists for the albums were not available.

Many of these albums were issued long after Cash had left Sun. I believe many of the later releases repeat tracks from earlier ones. If these are programmed exactly as the original LP's were, there's going to be a lot of duplication.

Check out the track listing on CDUniverse (scroll down).

[WD45]

Thanks to the magic of Microsoft Excel, here is the song list, sorted. Looks like a bit of duplication indeed!

Always Alone

Ballad Of A Teenage Queen

Ballad Of A Teenage Queen - (undubbed master, bonus track)

Belshazah

Big River

Big River

Big River - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

Blue Train

Born To Lose

Born To Lose - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

Brakeman's Blues - (incomplete, originally unissued on Sun)

Cold Cold Heart

Come In Stranger

Come In Stranger

Come Stranger - (previously unreleased)

Country Boy

Country Boy

Cry! Cry! Cry!

Cry! Cry! Cry!

Doin' My Time

Don't Make Me Go

Don't Make Me Go - (alternate take, bonus track)

Down The Street To 301

Folsom Prison Blues

Folsom Prison Blues

Folsom Prison Blues

Folsom Prison Blues - (previously unreleased, alternate version)

Fools Hall of Fame - (bonus track)

Get Rhythm

Get Rhythm

Get Rhythm - (alternate take, bonus track)

Give My Love To Rose

Give My Love To Rose

Give My Love To Rose - (previously unreleased, alternate take)

Goodbye Little Darlin'

Goodbye Little Darlin'

Goodnight Irene

Guess Things Happen That Way

Guess Things Happen That Way - (undubbed master, bonus track)

Hey Good Lookin'

Hey Good Lookin'

Hey Good Lookin' - (bonus track)

Hey, Porter

Hey, Porter

Hey, Porter! - (previously unreleased, alternate take)

Hey, Porter! - (previously unreleased, alternate version)

Home Of The Blues

Home Of The Blues

Home Of The Blues - (alternate take, bonus track)

I Can't Help It

I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You

I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You

I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You

I Couldn't Keep From Crying - (bonus track)

I Forgot To Remember - (bonus track)

I Forgot To Remember To Forget

I Forgot To Remember To Forget

I Just Thought You'd Like To Know

I Love You Because

I Love You Because - (with The Gene Lowery Singers)

I Walk The Line

I Walk The Line

I Walk The Line

I Walk The Line - (previously unreleased, alternate version)

I Was There When It Happened

I Was There When It Happened - (previously unreleased, alternate version)

If The Good Lord's Willing

It's Just About Time

Katy Too

Leave That Junk Alone - (originally unissued on Sun)

Life Goes On

Lonesome Whistle (I Heard That)

Lonesome Whistle, (I Heard That)

Lonesome Whistle, (I Heard That)

Luther Played The Boogie

Mean Eyed Cat

My Treasure

My Treasure - (alternate take, bonus track)

New Mexico

Next In Line

Next In Line

Oh Lonesome Me - (alternate take, bonus track)

Oh Lonesome Me - (with The Gene Lowery Singers)

One More Ride - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

Port Of Lonely Hearts

Remember Me (I'm The One Who Loves You)

Rock And Roll Ruby - (bonus track)

Rock Island Line

Rock Island Line

So Doggone Lonesome

So Doggone Lonesome

So Doggone Lonesome

Story Of A Broken Heart, The

Story Of A Broken Heart, The

Story Of A Broken Heart, The - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

Straight A's In Love

Sugartime

Sugartime - (alternate take, bonus track)

Thanks A Lot

Thanks A Lot

There You Go

There You Go

Train Of Love

Train Of Love

Train Of Love

Two Timing Woman

Ways Of A Woman In Love, The

Ways Of A Woman In Love, The - (alternate take, bonus track)

Wide Open Road

Wide Open Road - (previously unreleased)

Wide Open Road - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

Wreck Of Old '97, The

Wreck Of The Old 97, The

You Tell Me

You Win Again

You Win Again

You're My Baby (Little Woolly Booger) - (previously unreleased, undubed version)

You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven

You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven

[Guest Chaney]

Sheesh! Looks like there's a whole lotta duplicatin' goin' on.

Thanks gents for spotting that critical (for me) negative factor.

[Adam]

I think Bear Family's "Man in Black 1954-58" box set probably has all the Sun recordings - with bonus tracks & alt. takes plus swell booklet too...a bit more costly at around 100 dollars.  Sound should be decent.

←

Do any of you have experience with the Bear Family Johnny Cash box "Come on Ride This Train" with 8 "concept" albums of Americana? Eight complete albums plus outtakes, not a chronological order like the boxes. I'm not quite the completist, so I don't think that I need the other Bear Family boxes, but this one intrigues me.

[Adam]

up

[Jazzmoose]

I think Bear Family's "Man in Black 1954-58" box set probably has all the Sun recordings - with bonus tracks & alt. takes plus swell booklet too...a bit more costly at around 100 dollars.  Sound should be decent.

←

Do any of you have experience with the Bear Family Johnny Cash box "Come on Ride This Train" with 8 "concept" albums of Americana? Eight complete albums plus outtakes, not a chronological order like the boxes. I'm not quite the completist, so I don't think that I need the other Bear Family boxes, but this one intrigues me.

←

I don't have the Bear set, but I have a couple of the originals, and for me they are a lot weaker than the earlier stuff I have. I dunno; maybe 'concept albums' rub me the wrong way or something, but they just don't click for me...

[ghost of miles]

I think Bear Family's "Man in Black 1954-58" box set probably has all the Sun recordings - with bonus tracks & alt. takes plus swell booklet too...a bit more costly at around 100 dollars.  Sound should be decent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do any of you have experience with the Bear Family Johnny Cash box "Come on Ride This Train" with 8 "concept" albums of Americana? Eight complete albums plus outtakes, not a chronological order like the boxes. I'm not quite the completist, so I don't think that I need the other Bear Family boxes, but this one intrigues me.

Same intrigue--I'm reading a new book about Cash from IU Press and feel an obsession coming on. Actually, all of the Bear Family boxes look pretty good to me...would be curious to hear from any who have one or all of them. I have the three-CD anthology that Columbia put out a few years ago, a single disc of Cash's Sun Recordings, and the Folsom Prison/San Quentin reissues.

[Alexander]

I think Bear Family's "Man in Black 1954-58" box set probably has all the Sun recordings - with bonus tracks & alt. takes plus swell booklet too...a bit more costly at around 100 dollars.  Sound should be decent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do any of you have experience with the Bear Family Johnny Cash box "Come on Ride This Train" with 8 "concept" albums of Americana? Eight complete albums plus outtakes, not a chronological order like the boxes. I'm not quite the completist, so I don't think that I need the other Bear Family boxes, but this one intrigues me.

Same intrigue--I'm reading a new book about Cash from IU Press and feel an obsession coming on. Actually, all of the Bear Family boxes look pretty good to me...would be curious to hear from any who have one or all of them. I have the three-CD anthology that Columbia put out a few years ago, a single disc of Cash's Sun Recordings, and the Folsom Prison/San Quentin reissues.

I've got a single disc of the Sun material, a single disc Best-of on Columbia (probably long overdue for an upgrade. I think I got it from Columbia House), a Best-of collection of his Columbia material with June, a disc of highlights from his TV show, The Folsom Prison and San Quentin reissues, and all of his American recordings. I've been thinking about a better way to get his Columbia recordings (short of getting all the original albums). Is that three disc set a good buy? What's on it?