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There's a lot of spirit to the album and fiery versions of classic Cash songs. Whether it's the bouncy "Get Rhythm" to "I Walk the Line" and "Ring of Fire" to the nasty "Cocaine Blues" Phoenix brings intensity and strong vocals to the songs. While of course there are immediate and obvious comparisons between Johnny Cash and Joaquin Phoenix in terms of grittiness and vocal range, Phoenix holds his own. He's not trying to sound exactly like Cash, which works to his benefit. Reese Witherspoon sounds more like an over the top hillbilly on "Jukebox Blues" and the melancholy "Wildwood Flower" is acceptable. Their duets "Jackson" and the Bob Dylan classic "It Ain't Me Babe" are definite highlights, along with the edgy "I'm a Long Way From Home" by Shooter Jennings, Waylon's son. "Lewis Boogie Blues" by Waylon Payne is a treat and Elvis fans are in luck, as "That's Alright Momma" by Tyler Hilton isn't too bad. Releasing an album of covers of classic country and rock songs for a generation unfamiliar with these tunes is somewhat risky, even if it's the stars of the film singing. Country radio rejected Cash for a long time and as radio station formats veer towards whatever makes the most money, certain songs and genres have inevitably fallen by the wayside. Satellite radio might offer some possibilities—we'll just have to wait and see how it goes for Howard Stern. Walk the Line is a good starting point. What I'd really love to see is a tribute album to Johnny Cash with Lucinda Williams, Trent Reznor, U2 and Audioslave covering their favorite Cash songs.
 
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