Aural Fixations

ROSANNE CASH
Seven Year Ache (Expanded)
King's Record Shop (Expanded)
Interiors (Expanded)
(Columbia/Legacy)
Listening to these Rosanne Cash reissues is like a Cliff's Notes version of country music radio in the 1980s. This period in Nashville pulled female vocalists front and center and Cash shone as bright as anyone. And despite her efforts to distance herself from the genre, Cash was largely responsible for the bleeding of country into pop.

The earliest disc in this set, Seven Year Ache, was recorded in 1981 and produced by Rodney Crowell. Like most songs from this period, the tunes on this disc seem dated and stale. But nothing blurs the purity of Cash's vocals. Smoky and rugged, her voice communicates moodiness and a little sarcasm. Songs like "Seven Year Ache" and "Mirror Image" stand out as signatures of the time, with the former being most of the world's introduction to Cash. There are four bonus tracks on this reissue, including an acoustic version of "What We Really Want" that completely renders the original irrelevant.[buy it]

King's Record Shop is the second disc getting the re-release treatment. This record was also produced by Crowell, who is probably one of the most influential songwriters of the 80s. Artists like Cash who have a reputation for honest, lyrical music seem to avoid being pigeonholed and King's Record Shop is a good example of why. This record blends more rock and roll influences than Seven Year Ache and again reflects what was happening in music at the time. With more emphasis on electric guitars, it's a beat or two faster than on Seven Year Ache and the musical arrangements show more range, particularly on "The Real Me." This is the best song on the record, a bitter heartache tune dusted with anger. Crowell also lends his voice on "The Real Me." At this point in her career Cash is working to distance herself from Nashville and this record represents the longest walk from the sandbox. "Runaway Train" is a pure pop song, aside from the subject matter. There are three bonus songs on the new version, including a pretty good live version of "Runaway Train."[buy it]

Interiors is the latest record in this collection, originally released in 1990. This disc sounds the best of the three, though the music seems a little experimental on songs like "Dance with the Tiger." There is actually a credit given to the guy playing the cardboard box. It's not bad though, and the guitar picking is pretty darn good. Interiors puts the influence on the music, again a sign of what was happening in music at the time. It's too bad, though, because Cash's vocals are so good they should have every opportunity to be the focus. The gem on this record is "On the Surface," on which Cash is back up by Crowell. Lance Looper [buy it]