Boom Chicka Boom
Boom Chicka Boom is the 76th album by American country musician Johnny Cash, released on February 1, 1990, by Mercury Records.[1] The album comprises 17 tracks, including covers and originals such as "I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded" and "That Old Wheel," reflecting Cash's blend of traditional country with contemporary production during his Mercury Records tenure.[2] Its title derives from the "boom-chicka-boom" guitar rhythm—a bass-note thumbpick followed by chord strums—that characterized Cash's early Sun Records hits, pioneered by guitarist Luther Perkins to evoke a chugging train.[3] This pattern, rooted in 1950s rockabilly and country, became a hallmark of Cash's sound, influencing generations of rhythm guitar techniques in folk, bluegrass, and Americana genres.[4] Produced amid Cash's career resurgence post-Columbia, the record peaked modestly on country charts but underscored his enduring stylistic fidelity despite shifting label dynamics.[5]Background
Context in Johnny Cash's Career
Following his release from Columbia Records in 1986 after 28 years, during which he produced iconic hits but experienced declining sales in the 1980s, Johnny Cash signed with Mercury Records at the urging of producer Steve Popovich.[6] His early Mercury output, including Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town (1987) and Water from the Wells of Home (1988), failed to achieve significant commercial breakthroughs, reflecting Cash's challenges adapting to the era's pop-country shift.[7] By 1990, at age 58, Cash sought to reaffirm his traditional roots amid these struggles.[8] Boom Chicka Boom, issued in February 1990 as Cash's fifth Mercury studio album, drew its name from the signature "boom chicka boom" rhythm played by guitarist Luther Perkins on Cash's foundational tracks with the Tennessee Two.[9] This release coincided with Cash's involvement in The Highwaymen supergroup, whose Highwayman 2 album appeared later that year, providing a collaborative counterpoint to his solo efforts.[1] The album's emphasis on straightforward country arrangements underscored Cash's persistence in prioritizing narrative-driven songs over contemporary production trends.[5]Album Development and Song Selection
The development of Boom Chicka Boom, Johnny Cash's fifth album for Mercury Records, centered on reviving the rhythmic foundation of his early career—the "boom chicka boom" pattern pioneered with the Tennessee Three during his Sun Records period in the 1950s. Recorded in 1989, the project was overseen by producer Bob Moore, a veteran Nashville bassist known for his work with artists like Patsy Cline, who emphasized simplicity and the stripped-down drive of Cash's signature sound to counter the commercial struggles of Cash's post-Columbia era.[10][11] Song selection prioritized material that aligned with this rhythmic revival, blending Cash's original compositions with covers of established hits and standards to showcase his deepening baritone and narrative style at age 58. Tracks included self-penned pieces like "Farmer's Almanac," which reflected rural wisdom, and "A Backstage Pass," offering insider glimpses into touring life, alongside interpretations of Harry Chapin's 1974 folk-rock staple "Cat's in the Cradle" and the 1959 country gospel "Family Bible."[1][12] This curation avoided overly contemporary pop crossovers, focusing instead on songs amenable to acoustic guitar, minimal percussion, and bass runs that evoked Cash's 1950s minimalism, as evidenced by the album's 10-track structure emphasizing thematic consistency over variety.[5][13] The choices also incorporated subtle environmental motifs, such as in "Don't Go Near the Water," aligning with Cash's growing interest in ecological themes during the late 1980s, though prioritized for their fit within the boom-chicka framework rather than activism. Producer Moore's involvement ensured selections favored live-feel arrangements over ornate production, drawing from Cash's backlog and external submissions to sustain momentum amid his Mercury tenure's uneven output.[14][15]Recording and Production
Studio Sessions
The recording sessions for Boom Chicka Boom took place at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and Stargem Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.[11][16] These locations were selected to facilitate a return to Cash's signature "boom chicka boom" rhythm, a freight-train guitar style originating from his early Sun Records era.[10] Veteran Nashville session musician and producer Bob Moore oversaw the sessions, emphasizing replication of Cash's classic sound through careful arrangement of rhythm sections and instrumentation.[10][17] Moore's production approach involved session players to evoke the sparse, driving Tennessee Two-style backing that defined Cash's 1950s output, amid a period of career challenges for the artist in 1989–1990.[15] Certain tracks incorporated post-production overdubs, including vocals by The Jordanaires, added to enhance the gospel-tinged harmonies typical of Cash's oeuvre.[18] The sessions preceded the album's release on January 22, 1990, by Mercury Records, though specific tracking dates remain undocumented in available production credits.Key Personnel and Contributions
Bob Moore, a veteran Nashville session musician renowned for his bass playing, served as the primary producer for Boom Chicka Boom, guiding the sessions to recapture Johnny Cash's foundational "boom chicka boom" rhythm that defined his early sound with the Tennessee Two.[10] His involvement brought a focus on stripped-down country arrangements, drawing from Cash's Sun Records era while incorporating contemporary session expertise at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.[19] Johnny Cash contributed lead vocals across all tracks, as well as acoustic guitar on selections like the title-inspired rhythmic numbers, and is credited as a co-producer alongside Moore and engineer Charlie Bragg, reflecting his hands-on role in song selection and performance direction during this Mercury Records phase.[12] Backing vocals were provided by The Jordanaires, the vocal group that had supported Elvis Presley and earlier collaborated with Cash on Columbia recordings, adding harmonic depth to tracks such as "Hidden Shame" and maintaining continuity with his classic style.[20] Session musicians included Ray Edenton on acoustic guitar, enhancing the rhythmic drive; Roy Huskey Jr. on bass, delivering the steady pulse akin to original Tennessee Two bassist Marshall Grant; W.S. "Fluke" Holland on drums, Cash's longtime drummer from the Tennessee Three; and Reggie Young on electric guitar for textured leads.[11] Engineering duties fell to Bob Bradley and Dennis Ritchie, who handled recording and mixing, with assistant Danny Dunkleberger; mastering was completed by Benny Quinn at Masterfonics in Nashville, ensuring polished analog warmth.[13] These contributions collectively aimed to blend Cash's raw authenticity with professional polish, though the album's output has been critiqued for not fully revitalizing his commercial trajectory.[19]Composition and Musical Style
Track Listing and Arrangements
The album Boom Chicka Boom consists of ten tracks, blending original compositions by Johnny Cash with covers, recorded across sessions that emphasized his signature "boom chicka boom" rhythm—a percussive acoustic guitar technique evoking a train's motion, often layered with electric guitar, bass, and minimal percussion for a raw country sound.[13][5]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Backstage Pass" | John R. Cash | 3:21 |
| 2 | "Cat's in the Cradle" | H. Chapin, S. C. Chapin | 3:16 |
| 3 | "Farmer's Almanac" | John R. Cash | 3:47 |
| 4 | "Don't Go Near the Water" | John R. Cash | 2:27 |
| 5 | "Family Bible" | C. Gray, P. Buskirk, W. Breeland | 2:47 |
| 6 | "Harley" | C. Rains, M. M. Murphey | 4:07 |
| 7 | "I Love You, Love" | John R. Cash | 2:51 |
| 8 | "Hidden Shame" | E. Costello | 3:57 |
| 9 | "Monteagle Mountain" | R. McGibony | 3:10 |
| 10 | "That's One You Owe Me" | J. Elliot, D. Sanders | 3:01 |