Love, God, Murder is a Johnny Cash compilation box set (and 84th overall release) released in 2000. It features three themed CDs of songs Cash chose from his catalog. Love features relationship songs, mostly written for June Carter Cash. God is a collection of Gospel and spiritual songs. Murder features another recurring topic of Cash's career, and perhaps his favorite subject, but one that he encouraged people "not to go out and do". Each album was also released separately on the same day. In 2004 Life, a fourth compilation was released.

Love, God, Murder
Box set by
ReleasedMay 23, 2000
RecordedJuly 30, 1955 – June 1998
Genre
Length130:32
Label
Johnny Cash chronology
16 Biggest Hits
(1999)
Love, God, Murder
(2000)
American III: Solitary Man
(2000)
Box set
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Rolling Stone link

Although the albums within the box set are compilations, they demonstrate Cash's lifelong affection for releasing concept albums. Examples of previous Cash theme albums include Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian (1964), Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965), America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song (1972) and The Rambler (1977).

Each of the three discs contains liner notes by a celebrity. Love has liner notes by Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, U2's frontman Bono contributes liner notes for God, and Murder's liner notes are by film director Quentin Tarantino.

Love

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Love
 
Compilation album by
ReleasedMay 23, 2000
RecordedApril 2, 1956 –
August 1996
Genre
Length39:42
LabelLegacy/Columbia
Love
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic      link
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Walk the Line"Cash2:46
2."Oh, What a Dream"Cash2:03
3."All Over Again"Cash2:07
4."Little at a Time"Cash, Terry1:57
5."My Old Faded Rose"Cash, Cash2:53
6."Happiness Is You"Cash, Cash2:57
7."Flesh and Blood"Cash2:40
8."I Tremble for You"Cash, DeWitt2:15
9."I Feel Better All Over"Rogers, Smith2:04
10."Cause I Love You"Cash1:47
11."Ballad of Barbara"Cash3:49
12."Ring of Fire"Carter, Kilgore2:39
13."My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You"Ross, Wills2:26
14."While I've Got It on My Mind"Cash2:21
15."I Still Miss Someone"Cash, Cash2:35
16."The One Rose (That's Left in My Heart)"Lyon, McIntire2:27

Love credits

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God
 
Compilation album by
ReleasedMay 23, 2000
RecordedApril 5, 1957 –
Mar 24, 1994
Genre
Length46:39
LabelLegacy/Columbia
God
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic      link

Another feature of Cash's career is his affinity for another theme: gospel. God pulls from a vast catalog of spiritual songs that includes the albums Hymns by Johnny Cash (1959), Songs of Our Soil (1959), Hymns from the Heart (1962), Sings Precious Memories (1975), Believe in Him (1986) and My Mother's Hymn Book (2004).

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What on Earth Will You Do (For Heaven's Sake)"Cash2:09
2."My God is Real"Morris2:01
3."It Was Jesus"Cash2:06
4."Why Me Lord?"Kristofferson2:22
5."The Greatest Cowboy of Them All"Cash3:58
6."Redemption"Cash3:04
7."Great Speckled Bird"Carter, Smith2:11
8."The Old Account"Traditional2:25
9."Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"Traditional1:53
10."When He Comes"Cash3:33
11."The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea"Carter, Carter, Carter, Cash2:33
12."Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)"Traditional3:54
13."Man in White"Cash5:33
14."Belshazzar"Cash2:26
15."Oh, Bury Me Not (Introduction: A Cowboy's Prayer)"Lomax, Lomax, Rogers, Spencer3:55
16."Oh Come, Angel Band"Cash2:44

God credits

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  • Johnny Cash – Arranger, Liner Notes, Adaptation, Compilation Producer
  • Bono – Liner Notes
  • John Jackson – Project Director
  • Steven Berkowitz – Producer
  • Chris Athens – Engineer
  • Mark Wilder – Engineer
  • Darcy Proper – Mastering
  • Howard Fritzson – Art Direction
  • Don Hunstein – Photography

Murder

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Murder
 
Compilation album by
ReleasedMay 23, 2000
RecordedJul 30, 1955 –
December 1993
Genre
Length51:11
LabelLegacy/Columbia
Murder
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic      link
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Folsom Prison Blues"Cash2:52
2."Delia's Gone"Silbersdorf, Toops2:18
3."Mr. Garfield"Elliott4:39
4."Orleans Parish Prison"Feller2:30
5."When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)"Franks, Horton2:40
6."The Sound of Laughter"Howard2:38
7."Cocaine Blues"Arnall2:50
8."Hardin Wouldn't Run"Cash4:22
9."Long Black Veil"Dill, Wilkin3:07
10."Austin Prison"Cash2:10
11."Joe Bean"Freeman, Pober3:09
12."Going to Memphis"Cash, Dew, Lomax4:22
13."Don't Take Your Guns to Town"Cash3:05
14."Highway Patrolman"Bruce Springsteen5:22
15."Jacob Green"Cash3:06
16."The Wall"Howard2:10

Murder credits

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  • Johnny Cash – Producer, Liner Notes, Compilation Producer
  • Quentin Tarantino – Liner Notes
  • John Jackson – Project Director
  • Steven Berkowitz – Producer
  • Chris Athens – Engineer
  • Mark Wilder – Engineer
  • Darcy Proper – Mastering
  • Mike Cimicata – Packaging Manager
  • Howard Fritzson – Art Direction
  • Don Hunstein – Photography
  • Patti Matheny – A&R
  • Tim Smith – A&R

Life

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Life
 
Compilation album by
ReleasedMarch 23, 2004
Recorded1958 – June 30, 1988
Genre
LabelLegacy/Columbia
Johnny Cash chronology
Unearthed
(2003)
Life
(2004)
My Mother's Hymn Book
(2004)
Life
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic      link

As a result of the success of the first three collections, in 2004, a fourth volume, Life, was released (his 90th overall release). It mostly features songs about social and economic struggle. All tracks were previously released with the exception of "I Can't Go on That Way", a previously unreleased recording from 1977.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Suppertime"Ira Stanphill2:51
2."Country Trash"Johnny Cash2:25
3."The Night Hank Williams Came to Town"Braddock, Williams3:22
4."Time Changes Everything"Duncan1:51
5."I Talk to Jesus Every Day"Tubb2:04
6."You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven"Atkins, Cash, Johnson2:40
7."I'm Ragged But I'm Right"George Jones2:37
8."These Are My People"Johnny Cash2:38
9."The Ballad of Ira Hayes"Peter LaFarge4:09
10."Oney"Chestnut3:08
11."Man in Black"Johnny Cash2:53
12."I'm Alright Now"Hensley2:41
13."Ragged Old Flag"Johnny Cash3:08
14."I Wish I Was Crazy Again"McDill2:44
15."Where Did We Go Right"Loggins, Schlitz2:58
16."Wanted Man" (live)Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan2:59
17."I Can't Go on That Way" (outtake from The Rambler [1977])Johnny Cash2:33
18."Lead Me Gently Home"Thompson1:59

Life credits

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  • Johnny Cash – Producer, Compilation Producer, Selection
  • John Carter Cash – Executive Producer
  • Lou Robin – Executive Producer
  • Steven Berkowitz – Producer
  • Andy Manganello – Mixing
  • Joseph M. Palmaccio – Mastering
  • Geoffrey Rice – Mixing Assistant
  • Triana DOrazio – Packaging Manager
  • Howard Fritzson – Art Direction
  • David Gahr – Photography
  • Don Hunstein – Cover Photo

Charts

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AlbumBillboard (United States)

Chart (2000) Peak
position
Top Country Albums 67