This weekend I also picked up the two recent Johnny Cash tribute albums - Dressed in Black and Kindred Spirits.

Dressed in Black is the less commercial of the two and, in my opinion, vastly superior. The contributions from Raul Malo, Robbie Fulks and Hank III are great. I was very pleasantly surprised by Rev. Horton Heat's take on "Get Rhythm." Kelly Willis' version of "Pack Up Your Sorrows" is completely devastating.

On the other hand, "Kindred Spirits" reminds me of the train wrecks Johnny loves to sing about. Bob's "Train of Love" and Bruce's "Give My Love to Rose" are from the TNT special that aired three or four years ago and are great additions. Steve Earle checks in with a great choice, "Hardin Wouldn't Run." Some of the other attempts are passable but certainly not laudable. There are two, however, that make me borderline violent.

Little Richard covers "Get Rhythm." Pick up your jaw. I'm serious. Richard Penniman in all his whooping and wooing glory. Do you think he even knows who Johnny is? I can't imagine Johnny's response when he heard this. Amazingly tacky.

Keb' Mo' also stops by to tackle "Folsom Prison Blues." I was really enjoying his version, a sort of delta blues dirge, until he stopped me in my tracks. I had to rewind to make sure I heard correctly. Unfortunately I did. Keb' Mo' changes Johnny's words. Not just words, mind you, the words. In Mo's hands it becomes...

They say I shot a man down in Reno
But that was just a lie

WHAT?! Now, I'm vehemently anti-gun, too, Keb' baby. However, you don't mess with John R.