Man in Black: Johnny Cash Live in Denmark *1971*
(DVD)

Johnny Cash, vocals and guitar, with various instrumentalists.

Recorded 1971

Johnny Cash and a slew of friends and family members take center stage for Live in Denmark 1971, a performance that's part revue, part career overview, and pretty much all good. That the show works so well may surprise some, as the setting is hardly some funky backwoods honky tonk, or even San Quentin; indeed, the Danish TV studio is antiseptic, and the audience, while polite and receptive, is for the most part rather restrained. But Cash is positively ebullient throughout this hour-long appearance, smiling, laughing, even dancing, clearly in peak form as he rolls out the hits, including "A Boy Named Sue," "I Walk the Line," "Folsom Prison Blues," and no less than three Kris Kristofferson songs ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "Me and Bobby McGee," and "Help Me Make it Through the Night," the latter one of several duets with wife June Carter). He's also happy to share the stage with his cohorts, of whom there are many. Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins, then playing guitar along with the Tennessee Three, Cash's usual backup band, ignites the crowd (well, sort of--they aren't exactly moshing in the aisles, but they're definitely into it) with "Blue Suede Shoes" and a thoroughly rockin' "Matchbox," perhaps the highlight of the whole show; the Statler Brothers step forward for "Flowers on the Wall," an obvious but still welcome choice; and even mother-in-law Maybelle Carter, a bona fide country music legend, is on hand, singing with June and sisters Helen and Anita. There are some flaws: "Dear Mama," the sisters' tribute to Mother Maybelle, is as mawkish as country music gets, and that's saying something. But all is forgiven when the entire crew comes onstage for an extended gospel finale, culminating with a rousing "Children, Go Where I Send Thee." All in all, a terrific addition to the legacy of the Man in Black. --Sam Graham