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The Man in Black 1954-1958
Box set by
Released1990
Recorded1954–1958
Genre
LengthSeven hours
LabelBear Family
Johnny Cash chronology
Highwayman 2
(1990)
The Man in Black 1954-1958
(1990)
Come Along and Ride this Train
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

The Man in Black 1954–1958 is a Bear Family Records 5-CD box set of Johnny Cash's music. It contains every known recording from Sun to Columbia from the years 1954-1958. It's the first of three box sets in the Man In Black box set series.

The box itself is shaped as a square border box as it holds cases for the discs, and a booklet for a welcome bonus.

Track listing

Disc One
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1." Wide Open Road"The Sun Years1:50
2."You're My Baby"The Sun Years1:48
3."My Treasure"The Sun Years2:31
4."My Treasure" Now Here's Johnny Cash1:17
5." Hey Porter"Previously unreleased2:13
6." Folsom Prison Blues"Previously unreleased2:32
7."Wide Open Road"The Sun Years2:36
8."My Two Timin' Woman"The Roots of Rock, Vol. 10: Sun Country1:59
9."Hey Porter" Now Here's Johnny Cash2:15
10." Cry! Cry! Cry!" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:29
11."Wide Open Road"Story Songs of the Trains and Rivers2:30
12."Port of Lonely Hearts" Now Here's Johnny Cash2:36
13." I Couldn't Keep from Crying"The Singing Storyteller2:03
14."New Mexico"The Sun Years2:07
15."Folsom Prison Blues" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:50
16." So Doggone Lonesome" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:39
17." Mean Eyed Cat" Sings Hank Williams2:30
18." Luther Played the Boogie" Greatest!2:05
19."Rock and Roll Ruby"The Sun Years1:44
20." I Walk the Line"The Sun Years2:41
21."Brakeman's Blues" (Incomplete)Previously unreleased1:32
22." Get Rhythm"Previously unreleased2:16
23."Get Rhythm" Greatest!2:15
24."I Walk the Line" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:46
25." Train of Love"Sun Records, The Country Years2:38
26."Train of Love" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:24
27." There You Go" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:19
28."One More Ride" (Incomplete)The Sun Years00:50
29." I Love You Because"The Sun Years2:27
30." Goodbye Little Darlin'" Greatest!2:16
31."I Love You Because" Sings Hank Williams2:28
32." Straight A's In Love" Sings Hank Williams2:14
Disc Two
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1." Don't Make Me Go"Previously unreleased2:53
2." Next In Line" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:48
3."Don't Make Me Go"The Sun Years2:33
4."Don't Make Me Go" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:30
5." Home of the Blues" (Undubbed Master)Previously unreleased3:01
6." Give My Love to Rose"Previously unreleased3:12
7."Give My Love to Rose" Sings Hank Williams2:46
8."Home of the Blues" (Overdubbed Master) Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:41
9." Rock Island Line" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:01
10." Wreck of the Old 97" With His Hot and Blue Guitar1:48
11."Belshazzar" The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash2:27
12."Country Boy"The Sun Years1:49
13."Leave That Junk Alone"The Sun Years1:30
14."Doin' My Time" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:39
15."Country Boy" With His Hot and Blue Guitar1:53
16."If the Good Lord's Willing" With His Hot and Blue Guitar1:44
17."I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:25
18."I Was There When It Happened"Sun Records, The Country Years2:18
19." Remember Me (I'm the One Who Loves You)" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:49
20."I Was There When It Happened" With His Hot and Blue Guitar2:17
21." Big River"Previously unreleased3:46
22." Ballad of a Teenage Queen"Previously unreleased2:18
23." Goodnight Irene"The Sun Years2:41
24."Big River" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:33
25."Ballad of a Teenage Queen" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:14
26." Come In Stranger"The Roots Of Rock, Vol. 4: Cotton City Country2:03
27." Guess Things Happen That Way" (Undubbed Master)Previously unreleased1:58
28."Come In Stranger" Sings Hank Williams1:43
29." Oh, Lonesome Me" (Undubbed Master)Previously unreleased2:30
30." Guess Things Happen That Way" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous1:52
31."Oh, Lonesome Me" (Overdubbed Master) Now Here's Johnny Cash2:29
Disc Three
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1." Sugartime"Previously unreleased1:46
2."Born To Lose" (Undubbed Master)The Sun Years2:10
3." You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:41
4." Born to Lose" The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash2:11
5."Sugartime" (Overdubbed Master) Now Here's Johnny Cash1:50
6."Story of a Broken Heart"The Sun Years2:33
7."Always Alone" (Incomplete)The Sun Years1:35
8."Always Alone" The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash1:52
9."Story of a Broken Heart" (False Starts)Previously unreleased2:28
10."Story of a Broken Heart" Now Here's Johnny Cash2:12
11." You Tell Me" Greatest!1:55
12."Life Goes On" Now Here's Johnny Cash2:01
13." You Win Again"Previously unreleased2:18
14."I Could Never Be Ashamed of You"Previously unreleased2:14
15." Hey Good Lookin'"Previously unreleased1:43
16." I Can't Help It"Previously unreleased1:46
17." Cold Cold Heart"Previously unreleased2:21
18." Blue Train" All Aboard the Blue Train2:03
19."Katy Too" Greatest!1:58
20." The Ways of a Woman in Love"The Sun Years2:28
21."Fools Hall of Fame"Previously unreleased2:25
22."The Ways of a Woman in Love" Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous2:17
23." Thanks a Lot" Greatest!2:38
24."It's Just About Time"Previously unreleased2:08
25." I Forgot to Remember to Forget"Previously unreleased2:10
26."I Just Thought You'd Like to Know" Greatest!2:25
27."It's Just About Time" Greatest!2:10
28."I Forgot to Remember to Forget" Greatest!1:55
29."Down The Street to 301" Now Here's Johnny Cash2:03
Disc Four
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1."Oh What a Dream"Previously unreleased2:05
2."I'll Remember You"Previously unreleased2:07
3."Drink to Me" Songs of Our Soil1:54
4."What Do I Care""All Over Again" B-side2:08
5."Suppertime" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:51
6."It Was Jesus" Hymns by Johnny Cash2:05
7."Oh What a Dream" Columbia Records 1958-19862:03
8."I'll Remember You"Previously unreleased2:05
9."Mama's Baby" The Unissued Johnny Cash2:22
10."The Troubadour" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:16
11."Run Softly Blue River" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:15
12."All Over Again"Single A-side2:15
13."That's All Over" The Fabulous Johnny Cash1:54
14."Frankie's Man Johnnie" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:17
15."Fool's Hall of Fame" The Unissued Johnny Cash2:09
16."Walkin' the Blues" The Unissued Johnny Cash2:14
17."Lead Me Father" Hymns by Johnny Cash2:27
18."That's Enough" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:42
19." I Still Miss Someone" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:36
20."One More Ride" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:02
21."Pickin' Time" The Fabulous Johnny Cash1:59
22." Don't Take Your Guns to Town" The Fabulous Johnny Cash3:04
23."I'd Rather Die Young" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:31
24."The Shepherd of My Heart" The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:12
25."Cold Shoulder" The Unissued Johnny Cash1:52
Disc Five
No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
1."Lead Me Father" (Takes 1-4)Previously unreleased3:41
2."Lead Me Father" (Takes 5-9)Previously unreleased4:32
3."Lead Me Father" (Takes 10-12)Previously unreleased3:47
4."Lead Me Father" (Master-Take 13) Hymns by Johnny Cash2:36
5."That's Enough" (Takes 1-3)Previously unreleased2:28
6."That's Enough" (Master-Take 4) The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:52
7." I Still Miss Someone" (Takes 1-5)Previously unreleased4:07
8."I Still Miss Someone" (Takes 6-8)Previously unreleased4:19
9."I Still Miss Someone" (Takes 9-10)Previously unreleased2:55
10."I Still Miss Someone" (Master-Take 11) The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:43
11."One More Ride" (Takes 1-4)Previously unreleased3:09
12."One More Ride" (Takes 5-11)Previously unreleased2:16
13."One More Ride" (Master-Take 12) The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:06
14."Pickin' Time" (Takes 1-2)Previously unreleased2:32
15."Pickin' Time" (Master-Take 3) The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:04
16." Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Takes 1-4)Previously unreleased2:46
17."Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Takes 5-6)Previously unreleased3:31
18."Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (Master) The Fabulous Johnny Cash3:04
19."I'd Rather Die Young" (Take 1 and Master-Take 2) The Fabulous Johnny Cash2:53
20."The Shepherd of My Heart" (Takes 1-2 and Master-Take 3) The Fabulous Johnny Cash3:31
21."Cold Shoulder" (Master-Take 1 and Master-Take 2) The Unissued Johnny Cash2:15

Song information

Previously unissued:

  • CD 1: tracks 5, 6, 21, 22
  • CD 2: tracks 1, 5, 6, 21, 22, 27, 29
  • CD 3: tracks 1, 13 to 17, 21, 24, 25
  • CD 4: tracks 1, 2, 7, 8,3

CD 5 contains a complete session: false starts, breakdowns, rejected and finished masters of songs recorded on August 13, 1958.

Numbers next to some songs indicate the year of the release.

Credits

References