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Elly Roberts reviews
Demon Vision
- Cat.no: DEMONDVDM007
- Released: March 2006
- Format: DVD 9
- Rating: 6/10
- Running time: 120 minutes
- Region: 2, PAL
- Fullscreen: 4:3
- Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0
- Classification: E (Exempt)
- Languages: English & German
- Retail price: £9.99
- Extras: None
Johnny Cash‘s major career credits read like this,- 11 Grammy awards, 15,000 plus songs recorded, Nashville Music Hall ofFame 1980, Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame 1992, Library of Congress Living LegendAward 1999, 50 million records sold.
This in-depth two hour documentary charts the life and times of one of thegreatest music icons to emerge from America, spanning almost 48 years. Thiscomplex character from rural Dyess, Arkansas was probably summed up best in aline of a Kris Kristofferson song – “He’s a walking contradiction”. As you’lldiscover, there are many ‘significant’ events that would eventually shapehis personal and professional life. There’s the good, the bad and the ugly.He was regularly battling with his conscience over his ‘dark side’ thatbrought him much notoriety, ironically adding to the ‘legend’.
Born into a humble and religious family, young Cash was brought up on a dietof music and faith, which would see him through his career, though he wouldstruggle to reconcile with both at times. Using stock archive footage andunique snippets in B&W and colour, (though the over-use of recurring imagesand re-enactments become tedious) we’re given an insight into hisachievements and downfalls via interviews with younger brother Tommy Cash,band drummer W.S.’ Fluke’ Holland and various ‘associates’ along hisincredible journey.
Carefully and meticulously chronologised, it poolstogether a wealth of stories and facts that portray a colourful life whichjuxtapose his ‘The Man In Black’ image, an idea he took from B-movie legendLash La Rue. For almost a decade he was a substance abuser: alcohol andamphetamines, which brought him many a crisis. Due to gruelling touringschedules, at his peak clocking-up over 300,000 miles, the drugs and alcoholkept him on top of his prolific writing and performances, despite playinghavoc with his health. Cash seemed hell-bent on pushing his behaviour toextremes. Eventually he kicked the habit.
Haunted by one event which heregularly revisited, was the death of his beloved older brother Jack duringa sawmill accident. Even though Johnny wasn’t present, his father blamed himfor his death. Low moments and crazy behaviour, particularly during touring,would spur Cash to record gospel albums – a kind of therapeutic exercise.Itemising the highs and lows, the DVD concludes his career by the divineintervention of record producer Rick Rubin who transformed the has-beencountry singer back to a hip music icon.
Marrying second wife June Carter,of the famous Bluegrass Carter Family eventually had a profound and positiveaffect on him, which stayed with him until he died on September 12, 2003,four months after June’s death.
Brother Tommy summed him up like this, “Johnny Cash was my brother, andstill is my brother, and I miss him terribly. But I look back and see one ofthe greatest men I ever knew. He was the most talented songwriter, singer,loving, kind person, but he had a mean streak. I’ve always said that he wasthe nicest, sweetest, kindest, meanest most humble guy I ever knew in mylife”.
This is one man who definitely walked the line.
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.