Johnny Cash: The Anthology

Sure, Johnny Cash is a country superstar and a founding father of rock & roll--but why, exactly? Johnny Cash: The Anthology offers an enjoyable answer to that question, combining a historical perspective with a slew of hit songs. Comprised of the title 54-minute documentary and a supplementary film entitled Half Mile a Day running 89 minutes, this program places Cash dead center at the junction of gospel and blues traditions: between the isolation of hard living, guilt from too much sin, and the fragile redemption of love. Drawing upon archival footage of Cash performing his earliest crossover hits ("Five Feet High and Risin'," "I Walk the Line") and including comments by admiring peers (Rodney Crowell, Porter Wagoner), Johnny Cash: The Anthology makes a compelling case for Cash as a master of knife-edged songwriting economy and a populist oracle from a younger America. If it has become too easy over the decades to take Cash for granted, this double-documentary/performance compilation sets things straight. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)