Johnny Cash - Ridin' the Rails: The Great American Train Story

Starring:Johnny Cash
Studio: Rhino / Wea
Product Type: DVD

Description

Originally filmed and aired in 1974, Ridin' the Rails is a nostalgic look at the history of the American railroad through the song and story of the legendary Johnny Cash. Reenactments of historic railroading moments are movingly narrated by Cash and superbyly embellished by his inimitable music. Track Listings: Ridin' The Rails, Tom Thum, Collage of Yesterday, Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Legend of John Henry's Hammer, Shave And A Hot Bath, Train Robbers, Satirical Aire, Casey Jones, Crystal Chandeliers and Burgundy, Doesn't Anybody Know My Name, City of New Orleans, The L&N Don't Stop Here, Anymore, These Hands

Customer Reviews:

Fun for Train Lovers or Serious Johnny Cash Fans, but Too Much Jittery Camera Work Lowers the Enjoyment.......2007-05-08

JOHNNY CASH--RIDIN' THE RAILS: THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAIN STORY is almost excellent! It is a fun history lesson taught by Johnny Cash, about the history of trains in America. It is marred only by jittery, motion-sickness inducing, hand held camera work which seems to take up about 25% of the running time, sprinkled throughout.

Johnny grew up around train tracks, and tells how his dad would ride the trains like a hobo, looking for work, and such. They also re-enact many of the historical scenes that Johnny teaches about, tracing many milestones in the history of trains and their influence on the shaping of the USA.

It is a very enjoyable program, if you like trains, or like seeing Johnny Cash talk about this somewhat obscure topic which he truly loves to talk about.

The DVD extras are just outtakes of a few of the scenes, but they add about 15 minutes, or so. The main program is about 50 minutes.

My dad is 73 years old. He LOVES trains, and he likes Johnny Cash. I was afraid that he would balk at the shaky camera work, (he won't put up with ANYTHING if he doesn't want to), but he was very engrossed by the historical aspects, tolerated the obscure train songs sung by Johnny, and announced how GOOD the DVD was, after we watched it together!

If you are like me, and you already own most of Johnny Cash's live music DVDs, then you will likely enjoy this RIDIN' THE RAILS on DVD. If you are new to Johnny Cash, then I would recommend getting one of his live concert DVDs before this one. LIVE IN IRELAND or LIVE IN DENMARK are my favorites, but most any of his LIVE DVDs are great! The weakest one is BEHIND PRISON WALLS, which is only half including Johnny Cash, and the guest musicians are not personal friends of Johnny's, as they are on most of his LIVE concert DVDs.

Riding the Rails.......2006-02-28

Certainly a different view of Johnny Cash in this one. An enjoyable DVD none the less and gives a bit of history of the great era of Steam trains. Saw the video a long time ago so the DVD is a welcome addition to my collection.

One of the greatest Cash videos I've seen.......2005-10-27

Ridin' the Rails: The Great American Train Story is vintage Cash at his best. Includes great footage of great railroad lines that have disappeared from the American landscape. Evokes memories of the heyday of the railroads and vintage Americana, long before the internet and cell phone. A time when the railroad was the fabric that kept this country together. Johnny sings from the heart and soul when singing about the great railroad lines of times past.

A means to better understand and appreciate Johnny Cash.......2005-10-10

In "Ridin' the Rails: The Great American Train Story," Johnny Cash tells the story of America's railroads doing what he does best. Cash fans will revel in the music and anyone with a general interest in history will appreciate the documental aspects. Indeed, the film is not intended for railroad buffs, but rather to introduce the allure and significance of trains to the uninitiated. The program is mostly composed of historical reenactments, with Johnny Cash narrating and singing songs that commemorate the ethos. The production is surprisingly good for something from 1974 and holds up well when compared to today's made-for-PBS type programs. Considering that cheesy symphony orchestras ruined most Country sounds of the day, the music of "Ridin' the Rails" has held up well. Cash keeps most of the songs stripped down to solo acoustic and therefore the music will always be timeless Americana. The DVD's picture quality is much cleaner when compared to the original and it features outtakes. As song writing imagery, Cash has always employed trains - just listen to Folsom Prison Blues. In "Ridin' the Rails," the viewer gets into the mind of Cash to appreciate on his level, what he loved about railroads. It is in this regard that "Ridin' the Rails" is not just a railroad documentary but a means to better understand and appreciate 'the Man in Black.'

Riding The Rails.......2005-08-12

Rhino deserves two thumbs up for reissuing this excellent video on DVD. Johnny Cash is at his peak in this historically accurate depiction of American rail. A perfect combination for both railfans and music aficionados.

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