Johnny Cash
's period with
Mercury Records
was not his finest. It wasn't that he recorded a batch of poor material; it was the fact that those records were barely heard by anyone. However,
Classic Cash
isn't a compilation of those neglected gems -- it's a collection of re-recordings of his biggest hits. As re-recordings go, these aren't particularly bad --
Cash
is in strong voice and his band is tight, professional, and accomplished -- but they aren't inspired and hardly are substitute for the original records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine