Tune du Jour: “Man in Black” – Johnny Cash
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Marc Almond vs. The Bouncing Souls vs. Andy Allo
VOTE, COMMENT, then DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF
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Whenever I hear this song I am always amazed (and a bit dissatisfied) that Johnny didn’t write more of his own material. Such a well-conceived, empathetic tune. Very reminiscent of Phil Ochs, which is about as high a praise as I can give.
The Original
Johnny Cash:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Marc Almond vs. The Bouncing Souls vs. Andy Allo
Marc Almond:
This is from one of the earliest tribute cover albums that I came across (1988)
The Bouncing Souls:
Andy Allo:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
I still get chills whenever I hear this amazing song. Sadly it’s even more pertinent today than when it was written in the early ’70s.
I’ve heard the Marc Almond cover more times than I can count. It’s a pretty straightforward, reverent offering. But he does it so well that I hold his version in very high esteem.
The Bouncing Souls’ sped up, different interpretation did not sit well with me at first. But the more the song moved along the more impressed I became with the urgent, energetic ride it took me on. And the ending crescendo is superb.
I never heard of Andy Allo before but, damn, is she ever impressive! The change in delivery of the song along with the video backdrop are nothing short of awesome. I will seek out more of her work.
This is a ridiculously difficult choice. Each version is superb in its own way and as I listened to each, I was sure that it was going to get my vote. But while I think that Johnny would have been impressed by all of the tributes, I have a strange feeling that he would have been most moved by Allo’s tone, reverence and video imagery. And who am I to argue with the Man in Black?
Wait a minute! This synthy, new wavey guy is trying to sell us a ballad sewn together with southern and heartland stitches? Wont’t he Taint the Love out of it? No, actually pretty good rendition. With the name Bouncing Souls I thought maybe ska but no again. Whiplash guitar, spoken word, chugging train, group harmonies, power drums and guitar finish. Andy Allo? Never heard of her but the impressive reimagining of the song with a jazz component to the folk style sounds very good and the black and white video aided by historical imagery made it an easy victory.
I wasn’t expecting much from Marc Peanut, but he actually turned in a respectable cover. His voice just isn’t quite strong enough for the song — close, but not quite there.
The real toss-up was between the last two versions. I ended up going with the Bouncing Souls’ take, a solid, full-throttle rendition. The guitars had that gritty, Stiff Little Fingers energy, and the SLFish group harmonies at the end sealed it for me. Still, Andy Allo’s version, and especially her video, was superb. I’m a sucker for black-and-white photography, and the tone and texture of that video were brilliant. I’d love to hear more from her in the future.
I loved the Bouncing Souls energy,
but Andy Allo’s soulful version just blew me away, gotta look for more of her work,
but first need to work on an all black wardrobe