AMG Review of Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash

Hal Horowitz
All Music Guide

The second of two Johnny Cash tribute discs released in September 2002 (the other is Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash) brings out the big guns in terms of marquee talent. As the album's coordinator, musician Marty Stuart has the background and contacts to pull this project off. Any collection with previously unreleased tracks from Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, and Steve Earle has built in credibility. All the participants are enthusiastic and dedicated, but the most stirring tracks inject a different spin to the originals. Dylan's spoken intro to "Train of Love" thanks Cash for standing up for him "way back when" before launching into one of the most emotionally stirring performances on this album. Little Richard does his best "Long Tall Sally" with a rock'em sock'em "Get Rhythm," but his voice isn't what it used to be and the song ends up sounding more like a Richard tune than a Cash one. Much better is Keb' Mo', who slows down "Folsom Prison Blues" to an ominous, swamp/bluesy crawl. Travis Tritt successfully rearranges "I Walk the Line" into a slow but menacing honky tonk ballad similar to how George Jones might approach it.