The List

Audio Compact Disc

Label: Manhattan Records

Category: Pop/Rock

Style: French Rock,Glam Rock,International Pop,Emo,Electro-Industrial,Early British Pop/Rock,British Punk,American Punk,Detroit Rock,Neo-Glam,Hong Kong Pop,Teen Pop,Jam Bands,Progressive Metal,Comedy Rock,Rap-Metal,Sadcore,Latin Rock,Oi!,Rap-Rock,Psychobilly,Ska-Punk,Cowpunk,Chamber Pop,Hot Rod,Neo-Prog,Alternative/Indie Rock,Soft Rock,Folk-Rock,Stoner Metal,Doom Metal,Psychedelic Pop,Hard Rock,Baroque Pop,Indie Rock,Indie Pop,J-Pop,Canterbury Scene,Twee Pop,C-86,Indie Electronic,Goth Metal,Power Metal,College Rock,Bar Band,Neo-Classical Metal,Retro-Rock,British Folk-Rock,Dance-Pop,New Wave of British Heavy Metal,Post-Grunge,Third Wave Ska Revival,Mod,Space Rock,Speed Metal,Proto-Punk,Queercore,Garage Punk,Early Pop/Rock,L.A. Punk,Hair Metal,Roots Rock,Psychedelic,Shibuya-Kei,Swedish Pop/Rock,Instrumental Rock,Hardcore Punk,British Trad Rock,Garage Rock Revival,Madchester,French Pop,Frat Rock,Neo-Psychedelia,Cocktail,Punk-Pop,Rockabilly,Sports Anthems,American Trad Rock,Heartland Rock,Heavy Metal,Pop-Metal,Brill Building Pop,Euro-Rock,Post-Punk,New Wave/Post-Punk Revival,Emo-Pop,Power Pop,New York Punk,Straight-Edge,Sophisti-Pop,Anarchist Punk,Obscuro,Industrial,Grindcore,Merseybeat,Alternative Pop/Rock,Avant-Prog,Punk Metal,Alternative Singer/Songwriter,Aussie Rock,Slowcore,Urban Folk,Blues-Rock,Freakbeat,British Invasion,Experimental Rock,Country-Rock,New Zealand Rock,AM Pop,Scandinavian Metal,Skiffle,Ambient Pop,New Wave,Prog-Rock,Arena Rock,Pub Rock,Mod Revival,Lo-Fi,Shoegaze,Britpop,No Wave,British Metal,Southern Rock,Punk/New Wave,Symphonic Black Metal,Synth Pop,Rock & Roll,Surf,Glitter,Jazz-Rock,Tex-Mex,Noise Pop,British Psychedelia,Retro Swing,American Underground,Post-Hardcore,Grunge,New Romantic,Jangle Pop,Alternative Metal,Dream Pop,Bubblegum,Teen Idols,Alternative Dance,Math Rock,Japanese Rock,Boogie Rock,Noise-Rock,Rockabilly Revival,Surf Revival,Acid Rock,Funk Metal,Alternative Country-Rock,Kraut Rock,Contemporary Pop/Rock,Paisley Underground,Post-Rock,Punk Revival,Country Soul,Riot Grrrl,British Blues,Industrial Metal,Euro-Dance,Club/Dance,Hot Rod Revival,Girl Groups,Ska Revival,Goth Rock,Aboriginal Rock,Sunshine Pop,Singer/Songwriter,Punk,Folk-Pop,Guitar Virtuoso,Swamp Pop,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Death Metal,Skatepunk,Album Rock,Euro-Pop,Garage Rock

The List

UPC: 5099969657627

Release Date: 10/06/2009

Original Release Date: 10/06/2009

Number of Discs: 1

Steve Leggett

After the dark and chilling themes of 2006's Black Cadillac, which saw Rosanne Cash dealing with the deaths of her mother, Vivian Liberto, her father, Johnny Cash, and her stepmother, June Carter Cash -- all of whom passed within a two-year span -- one might assume that her next project would move into an even deeper level of bleakness, but with The List, it's immediately clear that she has instead found a more measured place to stand, and it's a lovely and redemptive outing that looks back to go forward. When Cash turned 18, her father, alarmed that his daughter only knew the songs that were getting played on the radio, gave her a list of what he considered 100 essential American songs; Cash kept that list, and now she's drawn on it for this wonderfully nuanced outing that brims with a kind of redemptive timelessness. The List is a renewal and a testament to life, and it belongs to her father as much as it belongs to her, a beautiful restatement of her father's passions, only now, they've become his daughter's treasures, as well. It's an affirming story, but that's all it would be if Cash didn't sing her heart out here. And she does sing her heart out. The opener, a version of Jimmie Rodgers' "Miss the Mississippi and You," is full of comfortable grace and sentiment, and Cash keeps that fine emotional tone throughout this set. Songs like the folk classic "500 Miles" feel at once both lovingly rendered and reborn for a new century in Cash's hands, and she doesn't update them so much as find redemption and solace in them, which in turn gives these songs a bright relevance, and because of the connection to her father and the list he gave to her, it also feels like a deep personal statement. There's so much to take comfort in here, including her fine rendering of Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country," a nice turn at Harlan Howard's "Heartaches by the Number" (which features Elvis Costello), a calm but still spooky duet with Jeff Tweedy on the faux-murder ballad "Long Black Veil," and a duet with Bruce Springsteen on Hal David and Paul Hampton's "Sea of Heartbreak." Cash sings with a calm, measured authority, and all these the songs fit together with the same sort of refreshing resignation and care. Contemporary country radio probably won't touch anything here, since country these days seems to be more about name-checking than any actual preservation, but Cash is after something else again -- it's about connecting with the past and carrying it forward as an act of personal faith. It has nothing to do with hats or belt buckles. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi