A Thing Called Love - JOHNNY CASH***

Kate/Melva's Wine/A Thing Called Love/I Promise You/Papa Was A Good Man/Tear Stained Letter/Mississippi Sand/Daddy/Arkansas Lovin' Man/The Miracle Man

Country musician Johnny Cash was at an artist peak in the early 1970s following his two acclaimed prison albums. A Thing Called Love benefited from the skills of new producer Larry Butler. The melodic yet saccharine title track reached No. 4 in the UK. (US:112 UK: 8)

“At this time Johnny Cash was still on a roll. Having released two incredible live albums from prisons in the late 60s, hosted his own network TV show for three seasons, and won many awards, Cash was still touring and making great records. A Thing Called Love was released during this time. Nearly every song is a stand out in its own way.”

“Following the mixed bag of the self-produced Man In Black, A Thing Called Love is largely a return to form, thanks in part to the introduction of Larry Butler to Johnny’s production team. Larry would play a recurring role in Cash’s 70s career. Sadly, this would be one of Johnny’s last hit records.”

“A major change was happening for Cash then. He was shifting from being a bad boy to America’s darling. Through this period, he reconnected with his faith in a new way, as well. A Thing Called Love is an interesting album with one foot firmly planted in each world. On the one hand, it’s filled with some excellent bad boy tunes. The opener, Kate is as fine a murder ballad as Johnny ever put to record. The second side of the album, though, is Cash the inspirational figure. With A Thing Called Love Cash is at his most buoyant, singing gleefully of the wonders of love. It’s a fine tune, but the arrangement is overdone and saccharine sweet.”

“As a whole, the album is a nice summation of Cash’s duality, and features some fine 70s country with easy-going, meandering guitar leads over that old boom-chicka-boom sound. The addition of the Evangel Temple Choir sadly results in an overblown sound. Some of the vocal recordings, too, are lacking in quality. Despite this, Larry Butler does a fine job of helping Cash get some of his mojo back, resulting in one of his best 70s albums.”

“For whatever reason, Johnny Cash's seventies music is regarded less highly than his fifties and sixties music. Compilations rarely feature A Thing Called Love, despite its phenomenal success at the time.”