The List

Audio Compact Disc

Label: Manhattan Records

Category: Pop/Rock

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

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, All Music Guide