Icon, Vol. 2

Johnny Cash didn't have any hits while he was at Mercury, which is the era that's chronicled on Universal's double-disc set Icon. Between 1987 and 1991, he recorded five albums for the label, including a 1988 LP called Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series, which is the source for the classic Sun and Columbia hits here. These aren't the originals but they're not terrible, and the same can generally be said for these recordings. Often characterized as Cash being lost in the wilderness, they're his forgotten material -- it's the only phase of his career that has no advocates -- but this nicely chosen collection salvages the best from a bumpy time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine