Love, God, Murder is a Johnny Cash compilation box set (and 84th overall release) released in 2000. It features three themed CDs of songs Cash chose from his catalog. Love features relationship songs, mostly written for June Carter Cash. God is a collection of Gospel and spiritual songs. Murder features another recurring topic of Cash's career, and perhaps his favorite subject, but one that he encouraged people "not to go out and do". Each album was also released separately on the same day. In 2004 Life, a fourth compilation was released.
Although the albums within the box set are compilations, they demonstrate Cash's lifelong affection for releasing concept albums. Examples of previous Cash theme albums include Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian (1964), Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965), America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song (1972) and The Rambler (1977).
Each of the three discs contains liner notes by a celebrity. Love has liner notes by Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, U2's frontman Bono contributes liner notes for God, and Murder's liner notes are by film director Quentin Tarantino.
Love
Love credits Johnny Cash – Arranger, Liner Notes, Adaptation, Compilation Producer June Carter Cash – Liner Notes John Jackson – Project Director Steven Berkowitz – Producer Chris Athens – Engineer Mark Wilder – Engineer Darcy Proper – Mastering Howard Fritzson – Art Direction Don Hunstein – Photography
God
Another feature of Cash's career is his affinity for another theme: gospel. God pulls from a vast catalog of spiritual songs that includes the albums Hymns by Johnny Cash (1959), Songs of Our Soil (1959), Hymns from the Heart (1962), Sings Precious Memories (1975), Believe in Him (1986) and My Mother's Hymn Book (2004).
God credits Johnny Cash – Arranger, Liner Notes, Adaptation, Compilation Producer Bono – Liner Notes John Jackson – Project Director Steven Berkowitz – Producer Chris Athens – Engineer Mark Wilder – Engineer Darcy Proper – Mastering Howard Fritzson – Art Direction Don Hunstein – Photography
Murder
Murder credits Johnny Cash – Producer, Liner Notes, Compilation Producer Quentin Tarantino – Liner Notes John Jackson – Project Director Steven Berkowitz – Producer Chris Athens – Engineer Mark Wilder – Engineer Darcy Proper – Mastering Mike Cimicata – Packaging Manager Howard Fritzson – Art Direction Don Hunstein – Photography Patti Matheny – A&R Tim Smith – A&R
Life
As a result of the success of the first three collections, in 2004, a fourth volume, Life, was released (his 90th overall release). It mostly features songs about social and economic struggle. All tracks were previously released with the exception of "I Can't Go on That Way", a previously unreleased recording from 1977.
Life credits Johnny Cash – Producer, Compilation Producer, Selection John Carter Cash – Executive Producer Lou Robin – Executive Producer Steven Berkowitz – Producer Andy Manganello – Mixing Joseph M. Palmaccio – Mastering Geoffrey Rice – Mixing Assistant Triana Dorazio – Packaging Manager Howard Fritzson – Art Direction David Gahr – Photography Don Hunstein – Cover Photo
Charts +Chart performance for Love, God, Murder Chart (2000) Peakposition
References