Johnny Cash
The Johnny Cash Christmas Specials: 1976-1979 (Shout! Factory)Much like Elvis, everything Johnny Cash ever accomplished will eventually be repackaged and made available in one form or other. This 4-DVD box set brings together the Man in Black’s first two Christmas television specials, which came out last year as single discs, with two additional shows from succeeding years. The new installments are available individually, as well. Those expecting the adventurousness of Cash’s singular TV series will be disappointed, however. There are moments to treasure with Kris Kristofferson, Roy Clark, and Tom T. Hall, as well as the always wonderful duets with June Carter Cash. Yet in an apparent bid for higher ratings, there are also incongruent star turns from hot comics of the day Steve Martin and Andy Kaufman. The cheese quotient rises higher with the likes of Tony Orlando, Anne Murray, and Barbara Mandrell. The special from 1977 features a spectacular tribute to the then recently deceased King of Rock & Roll, with a Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison performance worthy of repeated viewing. Despite their historical significance, these shows will only register with the hardiest Cash fans and those starved for goofy holiday joy.
This article appears in December 26 • 2008.