Johnny Cash talks about "American Recordings"

I've always wanted to do an album that was Johnny Cash alone -- that's the concept. This is what I've always wanted to do, and I was able to do it with Rick. Making records over the years, I've experienced a great deal of frustrations, overproduction and all that jazz. To be able to sit down with a tape that I'm proud of is just great.

We experimented a lot, had some good things happen along the way that we'll work on later, but for now, this is the album.I think I'm more proud of it than anything I've ever done in my life. This is me. Whatever I've got to offer as an artist, it's here.

We must have done twenty, twenty-five sessions. I wore that sky out going to California and back recording.I don't think I ever worked so well with a producer in my entire career. Rick came up with some songs that I thought were so far out of left field and such weird ideas for me to do. I'm talking about traditional, classic, western, folk or country songs. Now that we've done them, they feel so right. Working with Rick, all of the experimenting, kinda spread me out and expanded my range of material. This is the best I can do as an artist, as a solo artist, this is it.

-Johnny Cash 1994