HOT TRACKS LISA ROBINSON

FANFAIR

he man in black is back. Out in time for what would have been his 78th birthday, on February 26, is Johnny Cash'sAmerican VI: Ain’t No Grave. It’s the sixth and final collaboration between Cash and multiple-Grammy-winning producer Rick Rubin—a partnership that lasted a decade and renewed both Cash and his music. Here, Rubin talks about the music they made together. LISA ROBINSON:When were these songs recorded, and is it really the final installment of the records you did together?

RICK RUBIN: This is Johnny’s final album and the last of the “American Recordings” series. The recordings began the day after American IV was finished, and continued until the end of Johnny’s life. The material from both American V and American VI was recorded during the same period.

L.R.How did the two of you pick the songs? On some of the earlier albums, I’m assuming you brought him Soundgarden’s Rusty Cage”and Trent Reznor’s “Hurt. ”

R.R. We would play songs for each other and bounce songs back and forth until we found ones to try. Also, Johnny would bring in songs he was writing. There is a song on this album [“First Corinthians”] that Johnny had written over several years; it’s his final musical statement to be released. There were more songs on our list to record that we never got to because of his passing.

L.R.What made the two of you so close? R.R. Over the 10 years of recording the series we became very good friends. We bonded over many things; we both tend to be private, quiet, internal, sensitive Pisces. And we both love music.

L.R.Tell me about the video that’s accompanying the song ’Ain’t No Grave.”

R.R. A Web site is being built so participants can draw over existing stills to form a new kind of interactive music video. People from all over the world will work together to create the animated work and bring Johnny’s image to life.

L.R.Is there a particular song on the album that had special meaning for Johnny?

R.R. “Redemption Day” is a Sheryl Crow song that he brought in and really loved. He said he’d give up all the other songs just to be able to do that it was his favorite, content-wise.

L.R.What’s the overall feel of this album?

R.R.American Vwas more touching; it felt like sadness and death. VI has more power; it’s more like being reborn—like the phoenix rising from its ashes.

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