Johnny Cash had a birth certificate marked J. R. Cash because his parents couldn’t decide what to call him. Their environment was the recurrent poverty that reigned in Thirties America, a background of depression where J. R. went to work in flooded fields, learned music and sang along with other cotton pickers, picking up jobs here and there, and finally signing up for three years in the Army. In 1954 he went back to civilian life, married Vivian Liberto, and went through the studio doors at Sun Records, where Sam Phillips recorded his first hits. In ’57 he joined Columbia Records and a decade later married June Carter (of The Carter Family) in 1968. The following years were complicated by drugs, alcohol and constant tours, yet the pair remained together until June passed away in 2003. Johnny Cash only survived another four months. His original country music showed empathy for those who had been rejected, and his vision of the misery around him. But he also had an especially warm baritone, and it gave Johnny Cash an immense and faithful audience. He sold 90 million albums, confirming him as one of the greatest artists in music, all genres included.
EN : It is the fusion of Gospel, Blues and Jazz that gives birth to new rhythms during the 50’s in the United States. Black artists are the first ones to associate upbeat tempo with jazz and blues. But it is a revolution of the minds that gives to the 50’s its frenetic momentum that rocks the old world into the modern world. Every single area is touched by the revolution : music and painting, obviously, but also and maybe mainly society at large, ways of consuming, the new industrial era, urban life, advertising, marketing and design. The movement develops in every dimension. Rock’n’Roll is the permanent mark left by the youth of that time, embracing the new world and giving it the rhythm that fits.
The Masters of Rock collection traces back the history of these great Rock’n’Roll figures without whom Rock and music in general would not be what they are today. And just like a natural phenomenon, Rock was born at the same time as the LP, absolute revolution in the music world which marked every generation since 1950 and until today. The world could not go round without the collection that pays homage to Vinyl Records and Rock’nRoll : Masters of Rock
The Essential Works of Masters of Rock gathers every founding creation of today’s music.
FR : C’est la fusion du Gospel, du Blues et du Jazz qui donne naissance à de nouveaux rythmes au cours des années cinquante aux Etats Unis. Ce sont les artistes noirs qui les premiers associent des rythmes up tempo au jazz et au blues. Mais c’est une révolution des esprits qui donne aux années 50 cette frénésie qui fait basculer le monde ancien dans le monde moderne. Tous les domaines sont touchés par la révolution : la musique et la peinture bien sûr, mais aussi et peut être même en premier, la société, la consommation, la nouvelle ère industrielle, la vie urbaine, la publicité, le marketing, le design. Le mouvement se développe dans toutes les dimensions. Le Rock’n’Roll est la trace indélébile laissée par la jeunesse de cette période, qui embrasse le nouveau monde et lui donne le rythme qui lui sied. Masters of Rock retrace le parcours des grandes figures du Rock’n’Roll sans lesquelles le Rock et la musique d’aujourd’hui ne seraient pas ce qu’ils sont. Et comme un phénomène naturel, le Rock est né en même temps que le microsillon, révolution absolue dans le domaine musicale, qui a marqué toutes les générations de 1950 à 2000. Le monde ne pouvait plus tourner rond sans la collection qui rend hommage au Vinyl et au Rock’n’Roll : Masters of Rock
The Essential Works of Masters of Rock réunissent les créations fondatrices de la musique d’aujourd’hui.