Search - The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1978 on DVD

Johnny & June; Kris & Rita - and "Wild and Crazy" comedy by

Steven I. Ramm | Phila, PA USA | 11/30/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"
This is one of four volumes of Cash's Annual Christmas show, as broadcast on CBS, released by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Shout Factory. While the other three were recorded in Nashville with a down-home country feel, this time they took the show to Los Angeles and, to me, it just doesn't feel right.





The musical guests this time are Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. Kris and Rita duet as do Johnny and his Wife, June Carter Cash. And, of course Kris and Johnny do a couple of duets as well, most notably, Kris's composition "Sunday Morning Coming Down".



For comedy "relief" they added Steve Martin during his "wild and Crazy" period and his bits certainly had little to do with Country music. (He's a great banjo player - and even has a banjo album coming in 2009) but that's not evident here.



This is the weakest of the four shows released - The 1977 is a MUST HAVE - but Cash completists will probably want this one too. It's not bad; just disappointing.



The quality of the video print is excellent.



Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

"