Johnny Cash at 65: Still ‘Unchained’

Johnny Cash turned 65 this year--retirement age. But this is one senior citizen who’s not about to settle into the rocking chair and Social Security. Nor artistic security.

A line he sang Saturday in the second of two nights at the House of Blues crystallized his no-surrender outlook on life during the golden years: “I’m gonna break my rusty cage and run.”

“Rusty Cage,” written by former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, was among half a dozen songs he sang from his 1996 album “Unchained,” the second for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings label that has found a reinvigorated Man in Black. The song selection alone--teaming his own tunes and old country and gospel numbers with others by Tom Petty and Beck--demonstrates an artistic sense as restlessly searching as the downtrodden and desperate characters who populate those songs.

Following some solo outings spotlighting the American albums, his weekend stint was a return to the familiar Johnny Cash-June Carter-Carter Family format. But there was little about the two-hour concert before an SRO house that felt formulaic.

He mined the American albums in a powerful subset built on sin, regret, confession and redemption--themes that get little air time in this age of “I’m OK, You’re OK” mainstream country.

Then it was back to the anchor of his family for lovingly rendered versions of his signature hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s, interwoven with generous segments featuring wife June Carter, son John Carter Cash (whose lightly sandy voice and introspective singer-songwriter tunes mostly got lost in the HOB-bub), stepdaughter Rosey Carter and step-granddaughter Tiffany Lowe.