American III: Solitary Man

American III: Solitary Man
Studio album by Johnny Cash
Released	October 17, 2000
Recorded	2000 At American Recordings
Genre	Country Americana Southern gothic
Length	42:15
Language	English
Label	American Recordings
Producer	John Carter Cash Rick Rubin
Johnny Cash chronology
Love, God and Murder (2000)Love, God and Murder2000 American III: Solitary Man (2000) The Essential Johnny Cash (2002)The Essential Johnny Cash2002
American series chronology
Unchained (1996) American III: Solitary Man (2000) American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)

American III: Solitary Man is the third album in the American series by Johnny Cash released in 2000 (and his 85th overall album). The album was notable for being Cash's highest charting (#11 Country) solo studio LP since his 1976 One Piece at a Time, an album that reached No. 2 Country based on the title cut. To the present day, Cash's studio albums for the American series have continued to sell and chart extremely well, as evidenced by the platinum #22 POP, #2 C&W American IV: The Man Comes Around (released one year before his death) and the gold, #1 on both charts, American V: A Hundred Highways.

Between Unchained and Solitary Man, Cash's health declined due to various ailments, and he was even hospitalized for pneumonia, and the illness forced him to curtail his touring. The album American III: Solitary Man contained Cash's response to his illness, typified by a version of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down", as well as a version of U2's "One". Changes to Cash's voice due to his health problems are noticeable on most tracks when compared to his most recent preceding albums.

American III: Solitary Man, just like Cash's two previous albums produced by Rick Rubin, was a Grammy winner, taking home the award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for Cash's version of the Neil Diamond classic "Solitary Man". Cash continued to receive critical appreciation for his American series of albums — on aggregate review site Metacritic.com the third album in Cash's American series received a score of 80 (despite middling reviews from publications such as L.A. Weekly and Rolling Stone magazine).

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	link
Rolling Stone	link

Track listing

1. "I Won't Back Down" (Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne) – 2:09

   Originally recorded by Petty for Full Moon Fever (1989)

2. "Solitary Man" (Neil Diamond) – 2:25

   Originally recorded by Diamond as a single (1966)

3. "That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)" (Haven Gillespie/Beasley Smith) – 2:35

   Originally a hit for Frankie Laine (1949)

4. "One" (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen) – 3:53

   Originally recorded by U2 for Achtung Baby (1991)

5. "Nobody" (Egbert Williams) – 3:14

   Originally recorded by Williams in 1906

6. "I See a Darkness" (Will Oldham) – 3:42

   Originally recorded by Oldham for I See a Darkness (1999)

7. "The Mercy Seat" (Nick Cave/Mick Harvey) – 4:35

   Originally recorded by Cave for Tender Prey (1988)

8. "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)" (David Allan Coe) – 2:41

   Originally recorded by Tanya Tucker for the album of the same name (1974)

9. "Field of Diamonds" (Cash, Jack Routh) – 3:15

   Originally recorded by Cash and Waylon Jennings for Heroes (1986)

10. "Before My Time" (Cash) – 2:55
11. "Country Trash" (Cash) – 1:47

    Originally recorded by Cash for Any Old Wind That Blows (1973)

12. "Mary of the Wild Moor" (Dennis Turner) – 2:32

    Originally recorded by The Louvin Brothers for Tragic Songs of Life (1956)

13. "I'm Leavin' Now" (Cash) – 3:07

    Originally recorded by Cash for Rainbow (1985)

14. "Wayfaring Stranger" (Traditional) – 3:19

    Old folk song previously recorded by countless artists

Personnel

• Johnny Cash – Vocals, Guitar
• Martyn Atkins – Photography
• Norman Blake – Guitar
• Billy Bowers – Digital Editing
• Mike Campbell – Guitar
• John Carter Cash – Associate Producer
• June Carter Cash – Vocals (9)
• Laura Cash – Fiddle
• Lindsay Chase – Production Coordinator
• Danny Clinch – Photography
• David Coleman – Art Direction
• Sheryl Crow – Vocals (9), Accordion (12,14)
• Richard Dodd – Additional Engineering
• David Ferguson – Engineer, Mixing
• Merle Haggard – Guitar, Vocals & Guitar (13)
• Will Oldham – Vocals (6)
• Larry Perkins – Guitar
• Tom Petty – Vocals & Organ (1), Vocals (2)
• Lou Robin – Management
• Rick Rubin – Producer
• D. Sardy – Additional Engineering
• David Schiffman – Additional Engineering, Mixing (9)
• Eddie Schreyer – Mastering
• Randy Scruggs – Guitar
• Marty Stuart – Guitar
• Benmont Tench – Piano, Organ, Harmonium
• Chuck Turner – Digital Editing

Chart performance

Chart (2000)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	11
U.S. Billboard 200	88

External links

• Luma Electronic's Johnny Cash discography listing