"I WALK THE LINE" JOHNNY CASH (1957)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1957

Let’s get this part straight. I certainly don’t like Johnny Cash for the instrumentation. It seems like there’s one single bass line used on the majority of his songs. For me, the appeal has always been that deep voice like no other and the ability to spin masterful lyrics that feel so, Johnny Cash. There’s no other adjective to describe it. 1957 was a banner year for the legend. On With His Hot and Blue Guitar (extra points for the quirky album title), he released some of his biggest songs, including “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Cry! Cry! Cry!” and “I Walk The Line”.

I think the first verse says it all: “I keep a close watch on this heart of mine / I keep my eyes wide open all the time / I keep the ends out for the tie that binds / Because you're mine, I walk the line.” This is Johnny Cash to a T. There’s a resoluteness in what' he’s saying, but at the same time you know that his stance can change on a dime. There’s no balance. Which makes everything about the song – while simple as usual – feel so intense and true.

“I keep a close watch on this heart of mine. I keep my eyes wide open all the time. I keep the ends out for the tie that binds. Because you're mine, I walk the line.”

"WICKED GAME" CHRIS ISAAK (1989)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Wild At Heart

In 1989, a lot of girls wanted Chris Isaak. And a lot of boys wanted to be like Chris Isaak – to be able to seduce a girl the way he was able to through a song. Things is, before “Wicked Game”, a lot of boys and girls never even knew who Chris Isaak was. Most of his never heard his music – and many of us didn’t even recognize his name. But then, just like that, he was almost larger than life. A lot of it has to do with the movie Wild At Heart – and the fact that “Wicked Game” is just a really, really good song.

“Wicked Game” delivered a single punch in the gut to all the other love songs. In under five minutes, Isaak raised the standards for ballads and seduced half of the song’s listeners in the process. Pushing his rockabilly agenda into the mainstream radio consciousness, the track grips you with these lingering, hanging sliding guitar notes. “Wicked Game” also benefits from one of the greatest male vocal performances ever – bearing striking resemblances to Elvis and Roy Orbison. Quietly delicate, yet strangely powerful.

“What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.”

"TOMORROW" MORRISSEY (1992)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

I’ll choose The Smiths over Morrissey’s solo catalog any day of the week, mostly because of the prominence of Johnny Marr’s guitar riffs that countered Morrissey’s unique songwriting style. But when Arsenal came out, it was like Morrissey flipped a switch. He was using a different band, went heavier on the guitars, and started dabbling with sub-genres like rockabilly and glam rock. Each song picked up where the other left off on the album, which finished off on a high note with “Tomorrow”.

I remember seeing Morrissey in ‘93 at Brandeis University, a college that managed to attract dozens of great alt rock staples, like Live, 10,000 Maniacs and others. When I saw Morrissey, we were standing in the Gosman Center gymnasium and he was practically staring right through us. The great paradox of “Tomorrow” and most of Morrissey’s catalog is that these songs of insecurity are sung and performed with such conviction. “Tomorrow” couldn’t fulfill my longing for a Smiths reunion, but every time I hear it I’m reminded of Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce and Marr — from the intro bass line to the piano epilogue.

“Tomorrow, will it really come? And if it does come, will I still be human?”

"ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL - LIVE AT FOLSOM PRISON" JOHNNY CASH (1968)

In my series “Long Live Live”, I’m highlighting some of the most revered live recordings of all time. You’ll see my musical biases, but there’s no doubt that each of these tracks played a pivotal role in shaping music history. I started Mental Jukebox last year because I needed another music listening outlet when there were no more live shows to go to. These songs remind me that nothing will ever replace the blend of atmosphere and performance captured in the live experience.

There were 16 songs on the set list for Johnny Cash’s legendary concert to the inmates at Folsom State Prison in California. But “Orange Blossom Special” is the one song that has always stood out to me from that recording. It had the rockabilly swagger that we’ve heard throughout a good bulk of his catalog. But it also did something powerful with the inmates that day that you can clearly hear from the rousing cheers. Containing one of Cash’s fastest, most energetic harmonica solos, the song distracted the men long enough to forget where they were or what their predicament was. That’s a powerful performance.

“I'll ride that Orange Blossom Special and lose these New York blues.”

"NEW MEXICO" JOHNNY CASH (1964)

Inspired by Jeep’s “Reunited States of America” Super Bowl ad, this is my peek into America through a handful of songs. Each track is dedicated to one of the states. Here’s Part 4.

I’m currently rewatching Breaking Bad with my wife and renewing my fascination with the beautiful southwest. Which leads me to the next entry for my state theme on Mental Jukebox. In between the artwork of Georgia O’Keeffe and the gripping stories of Vince Gilligan came a song that told a wild west folk tale of the state of New Mexico. With his classic baritone delivery and guitar picking tendencies, it was, in many ways, a prototypical Johnny Cash song even though he didn’t write it.

“Go back to your friends and loved ones, tell others not to go to the God forsaken country they call New Mexico.”

"ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE" BRENDA LEE (1958)

This is the Christmas song that doubles as a portal back to the 50’s. An era filled with Chevy convertibles, drive-ins theaters, malt shops and jukeboxes. The rockabilly vibes of the guitar and vocals captured the times. Today, no one sings like Brenda Lee, but “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” continues to get strong airplay and appearances on playlists decade after decade, riding on a wave of nostalgia.

“You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear voices singing, ‘Let's be jolly. Deck the halls with boughs of holly.’”

"SUSPICIOUS MINDS" ELVIS PRESLEY (1969)

Considered to be one of Elvis’ greatest songs, “Suspicious Minds” was a song that explored uncharted territory in 1969. Lyrically, it tackled themes of mistrust and dysfunctional relationships. Topics that you didn’t typically hear about on the radio. Musically, along with much of the Memphis album, it had a way of blending disparate genres like soul, rockabilly and country, and in a way only Elvis could do.

“We can't go on together with suspicious minds. And we can't build our dreams on suspicious minds.”

"WICKED GAME" CHRIS ISAAK (1989)

In 1989, girls wanted Chris Isaak. And boys wanted to be like ChRis isaak. This song delivered a single punch in the gut to all the other love songs. In under five minutes, Isaak raised the standards for ballads. Pushing his rockabilly agenda into the mainstream radio consciousness, “Wicked Game” grips you with those lingering, sliding guitar notes and one of the greatest male vocal performances ever. Quietly delicate, yet strangely powerful.

“What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way. What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.”

"HURT" JOHNNY CASH (2002)

All due respect to Nine Inch Nails. Because Trent Reznor has certainly accomplished his fair share and did it his way. But Cash elevated “Hurt” into the stratosphere. So powerful. So gripping. So haunting. Recorded the year before he died, this was like Cash’s swan song. He did something I’ve never heard before in a cover. He took “Hurt” and gave it new meaning without changing the lyrics. Hats off to Cash for recording one of his crowning achievements toward the end of his life.

“What have I become, my sweetest friend? Everyone I know goes away in the end.”