The first thing I thought when I first saw this last night was “Oh, the balls on this guy!” The introduction is a sample of Johnny himself referring to someone (in this instance meant to be Everlast) as “…one of the greatest entertainers I’ve ever seen”. As the song continues and the mix of acoustic and electric guitars, organ, sampled drums and an old Cypress Hill hook started to make sense that changed quickly to “This actually isn’t half bad.” Has Erik Schrody successfully pulled off a Johnny Cash cover using a high-pitched squeal and DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill itself? You be the judge.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4eAHsaq-0[/youtube]
“I never saw anything like it…” – Johnny Cash
The video doesn’t get any less cheeky as it superimposes archival footage of Cash performing with Schrody, the two even exchanging winks and glances. Think the video for Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” minus the Fonz. All the members of Everlast‘s band smile, wink and dance along and the mood is meant to imply mutual respect between Johnny and Erik. Does he consider himself Cash’s heir-apparent. I doubt it, and you have to take the spectacle with the good nature it was intended – but still. The balls on this guy!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYZ40p8H2Kk[/youtube]
Schrody’s the man with the master plan.
Covering Cash is a risky business. It’s akin to belching in church to many music fans. Schrody has never been timid or self conscious though and I’m not entirely shocked that he went for this. His re-inventions – from West Coast GQ rapper rolling with Ice-T’s syndicate posse to Hell’s Kitchen Irish Hoodlum to country-rock troubador – have amazed me every time. Not because they’ve been so drastic, but because they’ve been so incredibly successful.
“Jump Around” made Everlast, DJ Lethal and Danny Boy very rich men when it dropped in 1992 and their follow up House of Pain album sold quite a few copies as well. The third one, not so much. When he re-appeared 3 years later in 1999 with Whitey Ford Sings the Blues no one had any idea that “What It’s Like” would become a mega-hit going platinum and winning him several Grammys that year. Not to mention his contribution to Santana’s Supernatural album, “Put Your Lights On” which helped Carlos sell about a bazillion copies that same year.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffCz1uCn2-Y[/youtube]
If you’ve never seen this before – you’ll be speechless.
So is “Folsom Prison Blues” a clever cover or a disrespectful piece of crap? I’d love to hear everyone’s opinions as I know there are likely to be many when this video gets more and more airplay and the album “Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford” is released later this month. Me? I like it and am looking forward to blaring it in my car later this afternoon. That will be the true test. I think he can take it, so let Everlast have it in the comments below.
He covered it this summer at WBCN’s annual River Rave and it was great. Along the whole country genre lines, he also told a story about how Snoop Dogg asked him to write a country song for Snoop’s latest album, I haven’t heard the actual song yet but really look forward to hearing Snoop doing his best Hank Williams…
He apparently appears on Snoop’s album too – so it may be a duet. I haven’t heard it though. I’ll have to check it out.
Here it is, I like it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE-IEtfrQNg&feature=related
Everlast got the approval of Johnny Jr. who told him the old man would have enjoyed it.
Yes, he’s got balls to do something different.
This- is genius. You should have had the foresight to immediately email this to me! Luckily I am somehow magnetically drawn to this sort of thing and stumbled here myself. But then again, you might question any music I put a glowing stamp of approval on.
Speaking of Cypress Hill: http://luke.enlow.net/music.html (Cyprestition)
Very happy about your mom 🙂
its NOT a cypress hill sample. its house of pain’s jump arround. its everlast sampling his own song. that makes it even more bad ass.
Fatmando – The sample is from “Insane in the Membrane” from Cypress Hill’s second album. It’s not the same squeal that you hear in “Jump Around”. Trust me on this one, brother. I was there the first time around.
This is complete effing crap.
I’ve been a big fan of Johnny Cash for a bunch of years and Folsam Prison Blues
is a classic. That sample is obnoxious and annoying. The tempo doesnt even sound right. I like a few songs by Everlast, “Ends” “So Long” and “Get Down” but you dont eff with Johnny Cash.
The balls on Everlast is right.
I knew there were some pissed off Cash-purists out there! Thanks for the comment, Doug.
Everlast freakin’ rocks! I just saw him live and have been following him since 88′. He has been both steady, and daring with his styles. Check out the new album, it’s amazing. By the way this is not a cover of Folsom Prison Blues, it’s a mash-up. Ev, Muggs(Cypress Hill), and Ev’s keyboardist Keefus have been playing this song along with other covers and Everlast’s songs on a mini tour and really dug the mix of Folsom and Insane in the Membrane and all agreed to record it. Yes, he did get John Jr.’s approval and he did say his dad would have dug it. Ev will always have a career because he can play any style of music from beat your head against the wall rap to a soulful ballad. Keep rockin Everlast.
from rhyme syndicate to house of pain to whitey ford to la coka nostra…my man e is a jack of all trades……most performers out there wouldnt even consider doin what ev has done ..and hes done it right …nuff respect to eric everlast shrody..