After the 'American Recordings' started in the mid-1990s there was a tendency to dismiss everything Johnny Cash had recorded in the previous 20 years as an unfortunate aberration. Obviously in terms of overall quality that period doesn't match up to what went before or after, but he still produced plenty of good stuff. And he didn't need Rick Rubin to find him songs by contemporary artists that he could improve. From 1987, here is his rambunctious rendition of Elvis Costello's "The Big Light":
http://www.box.net/shared/py56800h3s
As a bonus here he is doing it live with assorted Carters. If anything this is even better:
"....by, of all people, Elvis Costello". Mmm, what did he expect?
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