Album: Sings the Ballads of the True West

Introduction
"Sings the Ballads of the True West" is a 1965 double album by American singer-songwriter and musician Johnny Cash, launched as his twenty-second album. This album is a conceptual work, comprising twenty tunes that tell stories of the Old West, inspired by Cash's love for cowboy legends and American folklore. The album includes standard tunes, originals by Cash, and works by other authors. "Sings the Ballads of the True West" is thought about an enthusiastic and ingenious job, showcasing Cash's unique storytelling abilities and stimulating the spirit of the American frontier.

Concept and Inspiration
The album's principle was born out of Johnny Cash's fascination with the misconceptions, legends, and history of the American West, particularly cowboy culture and the stories of the leaders who settled the frontier. Money sought to create an album that would serve as an authentic document of the Old West, showing both the romanticized suitable of the cowboy and the brutal truth of life on the frontier.

The motivation for the album goes back to Cash's childhood, when he would listen to his father's tales of their ancestors' adventures in the West. Cash spent years researching and collecting stories, maps, and photographs, as well as checking out historical places, to make sure the credibility of the album's material. The final result is a complex and vibrant tapestry of the American West's history and folklore, told through songs that catch the spirit and struggles of the characters who populated this era.

Track Listing and Highlights
"Sings the Ballads of the True West" features twenty tracks, organized into 4 loose classifications: historical ballads, cowboy tunes, outlaw ballads, and narrative tracks. The album includes conventional tunes such as "The Streets of Laredo", "The Shifting, Whispering Sands", and "Rodeo Hand", as well as original structures by Cash and other songwriters like Peter La Farge, Johnny Horton, and Merle Travis.

A few of the album's highlights include "Hardin Wouldn't Run", a Johnny Cash original about the notorious hooligan John Wesley Hardin, who never pulled back from a fight. "Ballad of Ira Hayes", penned by Peter La Farge, informs the tragic story of the Native American World War II hero who helped raise the flag on Iwo Jima, just to have problem with alcohol addiction and discrimination upon returning home. "25 Minutes to Go", written by Shel Silverstein, is a darkly humorous tune about a prisoner waiting for execution.

Reception and Legacy
Upon its release, "Sings the Ballads of the True West" got combined reviews from critics, some applauding its ambition and authenticity, while others discovered it repeated and overlong. However, the album has since acquired recognition as a landmark in idea albums and has actually gathered a strong cult following. It also influenced other country and western artists to explore thematic and narrative albums, leading the way for future artists who would explore the depths of American history and folklore.

"Sings the Ballads of the True West" is a testimony to Johnny Cash's status as a master storyteller and his bold experimentation within the c and w genre. The album showcases Cash's effective voice, excellent songwriting, and unwavering dedication to credibility in his representation of the Old West. As both a homage to the stories and characters that formed America's past and an essential creative accomplishment, "Sings the Ballads of the True West" remains an important part of Johnny Cash's legendary catalog.