[.ca] Vh1 Storytellers Live

Truly great storytelling:
The songs performed on this CD are a joy to listen to, but what gives this CD that extra little boost to lift it even higher is the great back-and-forth banter and storytelling going on between Johnny and Willie. The casual ease with which that flows gives extra depth to the music.

Only One Problem with this CD...:
There's only one problem I found with this CD. After you listen to it, most contemporary music on the radio sounds cheap and manufactured. For lack of a better word, this is an awesome CD. I remember listening to Cash, Nelson and other legends on the static-filled radio of my dad's old Ford pickup, and though the clarity of sound is much better with this live recording, the power of the music is the same. This is pure music. Every song is great, and the talk between the songs between Cash and Nelson is interesting, no matter how many times you listen to this CD. As another reviewer commented, it's impossible to pick a favorite. If I had to, I'd go with Ghost Riders in the Sky, Don't Take Your Guns to Town, and Always on My Mind. But again, they're all great. This is the CD for country music fans and non-country music fans alike--it's just great music. Buy this CD. You won't be disappointed...except when you compare this music to much of what's on the radio today.

A nice, warm little record:
When former Kinks frontman Ray Davies published his autobiography "X-Ray", he went on tour, playing intimate club dates, reading excerpts from the book, and telling stories about his songs and his career. VH-1 saw the potential in that format, borrowing it for their "Storyteller" series, and while it never matched the succes of MTV's "Unplugged" concept, it did produce a few minor gems, including this CD. The two ageing singer/singwriters clearly enjoy each others' company, telling wry anecdotes. "We got water...coffee...and hot chocolate! What's gonna happen to our image?" muses 64-year-old Willie Nelson, and 66-year old Johnny Cash replies: "As long as we keep wearin' black, I think we might be alright!" They don't reveal too much personal information, often talking to each other more than to the audience, but the atmosphere is nice and relaxed, making for a very pleasant listen. The two musicians are alone on the stage with their acoustic guitars, playing warm versions of several classic tunes, including a beautiful "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" with an excellent solo by Willie Nelson, a potent "Folsom Prison Blues", a soulful rendition of the Willie Nelson-penned "Crazy", and the early classic "Me And Paul". And we also get to hear "On The Road Again", "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Always On My Mind", "I Still Miss Someone", and a few lesser-known songs, like the fine "Worried Man". All in all, this is a welcome supplement to the catalogue of both men. Not an all-time classic, perhaps, but a really good listen nonetheless.

fantastic:
I love live albums and raw real country. Get this then try Waylon Live and the live albums of David Allan Coe.

Simply Amazing:
One of the best albums I have bought. Two Legends.

• (Ghost) Riders in the Sky
• Worried Man
• Family Bible
• Don't Take Your Guns to Town
• Funny How Time Slips Away
• Flesh and Blood
• Crazy
• Unchained Melody
• Night Life
• Drive On
• Me and Paul
• I Still Miss Someone
• Always on My Mind
• Folsom Prison Blues
• On the Road Again