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Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American IndianBitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
Sbme Special Mkts. Product Details - Ratings and reviews for bitter tears: ballads of the american indian.
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by: Johnny Cash
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$2.56
Sales Rank: 33965
Sbme Special Mkts.
Released: 2008-02-01
Media: Audio CD
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Title Tracks for Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
- 1. As Long as the Grass Shall Grow
- 2. Apache Tears
- 3. Custer
- 4. The Talking Leaves
- 5. The Ballad of Ira Hayes
- 6. Drums
- 7. White Girl
- 8. The Vanishing Race
Product Review
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With his highly personal early 1960s work, Johnny Cash had been trying the patience of the Columbia brass, who were less than thrilled with his commercial performance. When "Ring of Fire" topped the country charts in 1963, it allowed him to continue the many ambitious concept albums-history lessons close to his heart. The eight songs on 1964's Bitter Tears are sung from the point of view of the American Indian (still the accepted term in 1964), and together they form a potent work that is both deeply real and highly spiritual. With assistance from co-composer Peter LaFarge, Cash offers an earnest, solemn portrait of Native Americans that examines a variety of issues through a range of viewpoints and contained in unadorned musical settings. Cash actually took out full-page ads daring radio programmers to play "The Ballad of Ira Hayes," but all of the material hits home, from LaFarge's defiant "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow" to Johnny Horton's mournful, spooky "The Vanishing Race." --Marc Greilsamer
Product Details
Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
- Audio CD: 0 pages (2008-02-01)
- Publisher: Sbme Special Mkts.
- Label: Sbme Special Mkts.
- Studio: Sbme Special Mkts.
- Sales Rank in Music: #33965
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63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:  One of Cash's shortest but best albums..., By This review is from: Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian (Audio CD) Johnny Cash had Cherokee blood in him. That fact, along with a strong sense of justice, provides rocket fuel for the passion that pervades "Bitter Tears". At his 1969 Madison Square Garden concert, Cash said "...the ballad of the American Indian is a sad song..." The mood of this entire CD fits that statement. The musical arrangements lean toward the stark and minimal, providing an apt backdrop to the bitter, defeated, and sometimes defiant lyrics.
Most of the songs on "Bitter Tears" come from the songbook of a Pima-Indian, Peter LaFarge. LaFarge served in the Korean War, worked with Cisco Houston, made numerous recordings for Folkways and Columbia, and died in 1964 (of either suicide or stroke). That same year Columbia released "Bitter Tears". This CD now stands as an unplanned tribute to LaFarge (the original liner notes refer to LaFarge in the present tense, so hopefully he lived to hear Cash's interpretations of his songs). Johnny Cash wrote "Apache...Read more 24 of 24 people found the following review helpful: Johnny Cash's tribute to his Native American roots, By This review is from: Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian (Audio CD) Johnny Cash is one of those performers who can sing anything and make it work. Recent albums containing covers ranging from Hank Snow to Soundgarden bear witness to this. But there are several albums in his catalog that are even more exceptional than the average Cash collection. Bitter Tears is one of these exceptional experiences. 8 classic cuts about the history, the trials and the pride of the American Indian. Rarely has an artist recorded more emotionally moving material. There are several great Johnny Cash best-of's out there, but this is an essential CD to own in addition to the greatest hits collections. Especially noteworthy are Cash's performances of songs by the late Native American singer-songwriter Peter LaFarge, who composed 5 of the 8 tracks on this disc. After listening to this, I would recommend purchasing LaFarge's discs, currently available from the Bear Family label in Germany. 23 of 23 people found the following review helpful: What's an Indian, anyway?, By This review is from: Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian (Audio CD) This is an outstanding, politically concious "concept album". Johnny Cash had great empathy for the downtrodden, and who has been more downtrodden than the American Natives? Nobody. So, this is a very heartfelt album. Here is what Cash wrote about this album is his autobiography: "Bitter Tears, in which I was inspired by the Native American songwriter Peter LeFarge, was an intense research project. I dove into primary and secondary sources, immersing myself in the tragic stories of the Cherokee and the Apache, among others, until I was almost as raw as Peter. By the time I actually recorded the album I carried a heavy load of sadness and outrage; I felt every word of these songs, particularly "Apache Tears" and "The Ballad of Ira Hayes". I meant every word, too. I was long past the point of pulling my punches." |
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Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
