''Silver'' is the 25th anniversary studio album by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

singer

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

, released on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

in 1979. It peaked at #28 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' albums chart. "

(Ghost) Riders in the Sky "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" is a western music (North America), cowboy-styled Country music, country/western song written in 1948 by American songwriter Stan Jones (songwriter), Stan Jones. A number of versions were crossover ...

" peaked at #2 on the singles chart; the two other singles, "

Bull Rider Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To rec ...

" and " I'll Say It's True" (with

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...

on background vocals), had reached #66 and #42, respectively. Recordings of " Cocaine Blues" had previously appeared on ''

At Folsom Prison ''Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison'' is the first live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records on May 6, 1968. It comprises recordings of performances by Cash and his band at Folsom State Prison, California, on J ...

'' and ''

Now, There Was a Song! ''Now, There Was a Song!'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Johnny Cash. It features songs by notable country singers Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and George Jones. It was released on May 2, 1960 on the Columbia record label. Track ...

'', under the title "Transfusion Blues" on the latter. The album was produced by Brian Ahern, who controversially introduced digital elements into the songs to the disapproval of some listeners. This is the last album that featured bassist

Marshall Grant Marshall Garnett Grant (May 5, 1928 – August 7, 2011) was the upright bassist and electric bassist of singer Johnny Cash's original backing duo, the Tennessee Two, in which Grant and electric guitarist Luther Perkins played. The group became k ...

, longtime Cash collaborator in Tennessee Two. He departed from Cash's band the following year. ''Silver'' was re-released in 2002 through

Legacy Recordings Legacy Recordings is an American record label that is a division of Sony Music. Formed in 1990 after Sony's acquisition of CBS Records, Legacy originally handled the archives of Sony Music-owned labels Columbia Records and Epic Records. In 2 ...

, with remakes of two early Cash songs, " I Still Miss Someone" and "

I Got Stripes "I Got Stripes" is a song recorded by Johnny Cash. Cash's version is credited to him and Charlie Williams, but they borrowed from a song by Lead Belly titled "On a Monday". Lead Belly's original, also known as "Yellow Women's Door Bells" and ...

," as bonus tracks; both are duets with George Jones.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' wrote: "''Silver'' boasts the strongest song selection of any Cash disc in probably a decade. Born-againers will be disappointed to learn that there are absolutely no born-again tunes. Instead, the singer seems to add extra relish to his rerecording of 'Cocaine Blues'."

Track listing

Personnel

* Johnny Cash - vocals, acoustic guitar *

- bass * W.S. Holland - drums *

Bob Wootton Robert Clifton Wootton (March 4, 1942 – April 9, 2017) was an American guitarist. He joined Johnny Cash's backing band, the Tennessee Three, after original lead guitarist Luther Perkins died in a house fire. He remained Cash's guitarist for ...

- electric guitar * Jack Routh, Jerry Hensley - electric guitar, acoustic guitar *

Jack Clement Jack Henderson Clement (April 5, 1931 – August 8, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, record producer, film producer and music executive. He was producer and engineer for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in its early days, discovering ...

- acoustic guitar * Brian Ahern - acoustic guitar, Earthwood bass, 6-string bass, percussion * Earl Ball, Charles Cochran - piano * Jack Hale, Bob Lewin - trumpet *

Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...

- fiddle * Bob Johnson - mandocello * Mark Morris - percussion * Alisa Jones - Hammer dulcimer *

– backing vocals on “I’ll Say It’s True”, lead vocals on 2002 bonus tracks “I Still Miss Someone” and “I Got Stripes” * Jack Wesley Routh,

June Carter Cash Valerie June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American country singer and songwriter. A five-time Grammy Award–winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prior to her marria ...

Helen Carter Helen Myrl Carter Jones (September 12, 1927 – June 2, 1998) was an American country music singer. The eldest daughter of Maybelle Carter, she performed with her mother and her younger sisters, June Carter and Anita Carter, as a member of ...

Anita Carter Ina Anita Carter (March 31, 1933 – July 29, 1999) was an American singer who played upright bass, guitar, and autoharp. She performed with her sisters, Helen and June, and her mother, Maybelle, initially under the name The Carter Sisters a ...

, Jan Howard - backing vocals

Production

*Original recording produced by: Brian Ahern *Recorded at Jack Clement Recording Studio and Enactroc Studios *Engineers:

Billy Sherrill Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger associated with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Glenn Sutton are regar ...

& Harold Lee, Brian Ahern and Donivan Cowart *Produced for reissue by: Al Quaglieri *Mastered by: Seth Roster at Sony Music Studios, New York *Tracks 11 and 12 Mixed by: Chris Theis at Sony Music Studios, New York *Legacy A&R: Steve Berkowitz *Project Designer: John Jackson *A&R Coordinator: Darren Salmieri *Art Direction: Howard Fritzson *Design: Randall Martin *Photography: Urve Kuusik/Sony Music Archives, spine sheet:

Norman Seeff Norman Seeff (born 5 March 1939) is a South African photographer and filmmaker. Since moving to the United States in 1969, his work has been focused on the exploration of human creativity and the inner dynamics of the creative process. Early l ...

(from original LP) *Packaging Manager: John Christiana

Charts

Album - ''Billboard'' (United States) Singles - ''Billboard'' (United States)

References

External links

Luma Electronic entry on ''Silver''

Silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

Albums produced by Brian Ahern (producer)

{{1970s-country-album-stub, Silver