''Ride This Train'' is the eighth

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

singer-songwriter

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

. It was originally released on August 1, 1960 and was re-issued on March 19, 2002, containing four additional bonus tracks. It is considered Cash's first

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

. The album is billed as a "

travelogue Travelogue may refer to: Genres * Travel literature, a record of the experiences of an author travelling * Travel documentary A travel documentary is a documentary film, television program, or online series that describes travel in general or ...

", with Cash providing spoken narration before each song to give context, in several cases playing historical characters, such as

John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin (May 26, 1853 – August 19, 1895) was an American Old West outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk icon. Hardin often got into trouble with the law from an early age. He killed his first man at the age of 15, claiming h ...

, and describing different destinations around the United States visited by train. The songs themselves are not generally railroad-themed. The success of this LP inspired his first label,

Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...

, to release the compilation LP ''

All Aboard the Blue Train ''All Aboard the Blue Train'' is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It was released on December 3, 1962, by Sun Records after Cash had left the label and signed with Columbia Records. The album is made up of songs Cash ...

'', which consisted of previously released "train"-inspired songs, including his hit "

Folsom Prison Blues "Folsom Prison Blues" is a song by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Written in 1953, it was first recorded in 1955 for his debut studio album '' Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!'' (1957), appearing as the album's eleventh track. T ...

". ''Ride This Train'' was included on the Bear Family box set ''

Come Along and Ride This Train ''Come Along And Ride This Train'' is a Bear Family Records 4-CD box set of Johnny Cash's music. This set brings together all of his uniquely American albums: '' Ride This Train'', ''Blood, Sweat and Tears'', ''Sings the Ballads of the True West ...

''. __NOTOC__

Track listing

Personnel

*Johnny Cash - vocals, rhythm guitar ;The Tennessee Two *

Luther Perkins Luther Monroe Perkins (January 8, 1928 – August 5, 1968) was an American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. Perkins was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly ...

- lead guitar *

Marshall Grant Marshall Garnett Grant (May 5, 1928 – August 7, 2011) was the upright bassist and electric bassist of singer Johnny Cash's original backing duo, the Tennessee Two, in which Grant and electric guitarist Luther Perkins played. The group became kno ...

- bass ;Additional musicians *

Johnny Western Johnny Western (born October 28, 1934) is an American country singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and radio show host. He is a member of the Western Music Association Hall of Fame and the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. Early life Jo ...

- guitar *Shot Jackson -

dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

, steel guitar *

Gordon Terry Gordon Terry (October 7, 1931 – April 9, 2006) was an American bluegrass and country music fiddler and guitarist. He was a member of Merle Haggard's backing band The Strangers. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and the ...

- fiddle *

Floyd Cramer Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American pianist who became famous for his use of melodic "half step" attacks. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His signatu ...

- piano *

Buddy Harman Murrey Mizell "Buddy" Harman, Jr. (December 23, 1928 – August 21, 2008) was an American country music session musician. Career Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Harman played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Jerry ...

- drums ;Technical *

Don Law Donald Firth Law (February 24, 1902 – December 20, 1982) was an English–American record producer and music business executive. He produced Robert Johnson's only recordings, and as head of Columbia Records' country music division later worke ...

- Original Recording Producer *Al Quaglieri - Reissue Producer *Seth Foster - Mastering *Mark Wilder - Mastering, Mixing *Stacey Boyle - Tape Research *Matt Kelly - Tape Research *Kay Smith - Tape Research *Arthur Levy - Liner Notes *Darren Salmieri - A&R *Steven Berkowitz - A&R *Patti Matheny - A&R *Howard Fritzson - Art Direction *Alan Lomax - Adaptation, Arranger *Randall Martin - Design *

Don Hunstein Donald Robert Hunstein (November 19, 1928 – March 18, 2017) was an American photographer. Life He studied at Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 1950. Later he served in the United States Air Force in England. He returned to th ...

- Photography *Nick Shaffran - Series Consultant *Dick Miller - CD Art Adaptation

References

Johnny Cash albums 1960 albums Columbia Records albums Concept albums Fiction about rail transport {{1960s-country-album-stub