Johnny Cash Sings The Ballads Of The American Indian: Bitter Tears

you cant go wrong with the man in black, great album

While riding one day my mother , after listening to one of the songs on the radio said she wished she could get a CD of her own, 'too bad they don't make them any more'. I thought, "Well, I can check Amazon and see if they have it. You never know." Sure enough, found it in time for her recent birthday. She was so pleased. She listens to it every time she and my step-dad go somewhere.The songs are well written and have meaning. I may by one for myself, later.

I love Johnny Cash, I read somewhere about him doing a Native American Ballards CDSo I get it an it's awesome,I hear that a Native American sings Johnny Cash songs. Old Johnny CashWas one of the best. Grew up with him. Now I'll get it.

Sad, but true, I love this album.

Ordered two copies of the CD. Both had a couple small cracks on jewel cases despite being new in plastic. Not sure if this is a fault of postal service or where they came from. Thats the reason for four stars. Music is subjective but I love Johnny Cash and this is an interesting musical look at Native culture from a classic country star. Worth listening to and I think owning

Great product thanks

Johnny Cash was always more than just a Country Music singer and he proved it with this recording.This was simply one of the bravest albums ever recorded. It was recorded fifty years ago when this country was engaged in the the fight for civil rights for all. The start of this album began in 1962 when Johnny heard an obscure folk singer, Peter La Farge at the Gaslight. Peter was a Native American who sang about his histoy - our histoy. At the time people cared less about the plight of Native Americans then they do now. But that night, Johnny was touched by what he heard and the seeds for this project were sown. Johnny went ahead and recorded an album of his songs and Peter La Farge's. Unlike many albums recorded back then, this one stands the test of time. But back then, Johnny got no support from his record label and the radio stations refused to play it. The album has remained a unheard gem.

I'd had it in mind to get this recording for a while. The song about the Seneca is about my home. It's where I came from. I was 3 years old when they had The Removal from our homes for the Kinzua dam. I never really knew life before the relocation areas, except through my elders. We have our own version of what happened, and how it happened. The US gov't. knew our attachment to the land, and they wanted to break us. The alternative plan to Kinzua would have better served the purpose that the gov't. put out for doing what they did. They rejected that plan because they had they're own plan. They thought our spirit lived in the land, they didn't understand that each person's spirit lives inside them. They had lost touch with they're own spirit, and they thought that they could do the same with us. They were wrong. The song does a fair job of portraying this.

I bought this CD because I first listened to the CD which was a tribute to it which I rather enjoyed. Then I read a review which said it was not as good as the original Johny Cash CD. I looked the Cash CD up and at the time it was too much cash if you'll pardon the pun. Later I saw it at a more reasonable price and bought it. Although Johny Cash is one of my favourite singers I have to say I am disappointed. Many of the lyrics are spoken rather than sung which I find annoying. But what is worse is some of the forced rhymes.OMG. They remind me of a writers group I used to belong to where you would always get an amateur poet proudly presenting their work, thinking that every line had to rhyme and doing verbal backflips to produce some god awful rhymes. This is what some of the Johny Cash lyrics are like. Yeah, I get the point, the white man cruelly ripped off the indigenous people of North America but the awful poetry/lyrics detracts from this.

I have been a fan of Johnny Cash for years - but have only recently heard about this album and had to have it for my collection. Not sure what I was expecting but, come on, this is Johnny Cash ! What a breathtaking brilliant album !For anyone out there who, like me, thought that the americans had stopped playing chess with the Indian Nations - listen to "As long as the grass shall grow" ! That song is so haunting, I had to research the facts behind the lyrics. The building of the Kinzua dam across the Allengheny river flooded the farms, homes and burial grounds of the Seneca people - who had been granted this land by George Washington. This didn't happen in 'old west' - this happened in 1965, in spite of the fact that the Seneca found an equally good alternative site for the dam, and in spite of the fact that one JFK promised the Seneca he would oppose the building of the dam.Seems the white man still speaks with forked tongue !

I don’t know the quality of the cd itself as it is a Father’s Day gift. We already have this album and love it.

Sounds like JC but the tone of the songs is not what you expect from Cash. Heartfelt, moving music about the vicious injustices suffered by "American Indians" at the hands of all American heroes.

A very beautiful and soulful interpretation of Peter La Farge's songs of Native Americans including the well known Ballad of Ira Hayes. Recommended to anyone who is a Johnny Cash fan or that has an interest in the history of Native Americans. Not the usual racy numbers usually associated with Cash, but tuneful nonetheless and very moving.