Released 20 years ago
Personal File
Johnny Cash · 2006
138 min · 49 tracks · blues · rock & roll · traditional folk music
A poignant collection of heartfelt ballads and folk narratives that showcase Cash's timeless storytelling.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- reflective storytelling through ballads
- for quiet evenings
- intimate moments of nostalgia
- engaging narratives with emotional depth
- gentle pacing for thoughtful listening
Maybe skip if you want
- seeking high-energy tracks
- prefer standalone singles only
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Late Career Highlight — Showcases Cash's enduring storytelling ability in his later years.
- Themes
- Irish folk traditions· heartfelt ballads· loss and longing
- Career context
- Released in 2006, 'Personal File' came during Johnny Cash's late career resurgence following his acclaimed American Recordings series. This album features previously unreleased recordings dating back to the 1970s, reflecting Cash's deep roots in American folk and country music. It serves as a testament to his enduring legacy and influence as an artist, showcasing his ability to connect with themes of love, loss, and spirituality.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Willie Nelson· Merle Haggard· Waylon Jennings
- If this clicks, go next to
- American V: A Hundred Highways — Continues the intimate storytelling with a mix of heartfelt ballads and reflective themes.
- Sounds like this from elsewhere
-
Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson — Shares a narrative-driven approach with themes of love and loss, steeped in American folk traditions.Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch — Explores similar themes of longing and spirituality through heartfelt storytelling and acoustic arrangements.Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen — Features introspective lyrics and a focus on love and loss, resonating with Cash's emotional depth.
Tracklist
New here? Start with "The Letter Edged in Black".
Disc 1
- 1 The Letter Edged in Black Start here 2:39
- 2 There’s a Mother Always Waiting at Home 4:21
- 3 The Engineer’s Dying Child 2:07
- 4 My Mother Was a Lady 3:36
- 5 The Winding Stream 2:37
- 6 Far Away Places 2:23
- 7 Galway Bay 1:45
- 8 When I Stop Dreaming 3:11
- 9 Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes 3:32
- 10 I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen 2:28
- 11 Missouri Waltz 2:00
- 12 Louisiana Man 3:28
- 13 Paradise 3:03
- 14 I Don’t Believe You Wanted to Leave 2:56
- 15 Jim, I Wore a Tie Today 2:47
- 16 Saginaw, Michigan 2:29
- 17 When It’s Springtime in Alaska (It’s Forty Below) 2:16
- 18 Girl in Saskatoon 2:17
- 19 The Cremation of Sam McGee 5:33
- 20 Tiger Whitehead 4:44
- 21 It’s All Over 2:49
- 22 A Fast Song 2:32
- 23 Virgie 2:57
- 24 I Wanted So 2:41
- 25 It Takes One to Know Me 3:14
Disc 2
- 1 Seal It in My Heart and Mind 1:51
- 2 Wildwood in the Pines 2:41
- 3 Who at My Door Is Standing 2:31
- 4 Have Thine Own Way Lord 3:43
- 5 Lights of Magdala 2:26
- 6 If Jesus Ever Loved a Woman 2:39
- 7 The Lily of the Valley 1:45
- 8 Have a Drink of Water 3:36
- 9 The Way Worn Traveler 2:03
- 10 Look Unto the East 2:12
- 11 Matthew 24 (Is Knocking at the Door) 1:57
- 12 The House Is Falling Down 2:51
- 13 One of These Days I’m Gonna Sit Down and Talk to Paul 3:20
- 14 What on Earth (Will You Do for Heaven’s Sake) 2:44
- 15 My Children Walk in Truth 2:50
- 16 No Earthly Good 1:51
- 17 Sanctified 2:33
- 18 Lord, Lord, Lord 2:20
- 19 What Is Man 2:24
- 20 Over the Next Hill (We’ll Be Home) 2:55
- 21 A Half a Mile a Day 4:25
- 22 Farther Along 2:57
- 23 Life’s Railway to Heaven 2:14
- 24 In the Sweet Bye and Bye 2:50
What to play next
This album is considered a Late Career Highlight in Johnny Cash's catalog. Showcases Cash's enduring storytelling ability in his later years.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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