Always Been There: Rosanne Cash, "The List", and the Spirit of Southern Music

In 1973, Rosanne Cash’s father gave her a list of 100 songs, many from the Southern tradition, that he felt a young musician had to know. __Always Been There__ tells the inside story of the album that, more than thirty-five years later, resulted from “the list.” Based on original interviews conducted in the studio, at home in New York City, and on tour in Europe, __Always Been There__ documents a pivotal episode in Rosanne Cash’s long and fascinating career. As she, along with producer and husband John Leventhal, painstakingly reconstructs what songs made “the list” and why, we gain an unmatched understanding of a longer musican continuium that includes the Carter Family and other fabled names of the Southern pantheon and their influence on her music and writing. We also see how Leventhal’s talents as an arranger and musician pair with Rosanne’s searching vocal performances to make these old songs new again. __Always Been There__ tracks Rosanne Cash’s singular and storied career from her early commercial hits with albums like __King’s Record Shop__ through her controversial split with Nashville tradition on albums like the mercurial __Interiors__ to the sublime __Black Cadillac__. It paints an unforgettable portrait of Rosanne confronting music-making in the aftermath of serious brain surgery, her lifelong search for her legacy, and her unique creative partnerships. In 1973, Rosanne Cash's father gave her a list of 100 songs, many from the Southern tradition, that he felt a young musician had to know. Always Been There tells the inside story of the album that, more than thirty-five years later, resulted from "the list." Based on original interviews conducted in the studio, at home in New York City, and on tour in Europe, Always Been There documents a pivotal episode in Rosanne Cash's long and fascinating career. As she, along with producer and husband John Leventhal, painstakingly reconstructs what songs made "the list" and why, we gain an unmatched understanding of a longer musican continuium that includes the Carter Family and other fabled names of the Southern pantheon and their influence on her music and writing. We also see how Leventhal's talents as an arranger and musician pair with Rosann's searching vocal performances to make these old songs new again. Always Been There tracks Rosanne Cash's singular and storied career from her early commercial hits with albums like King's Record Shop through her controversial split with Nashville tradition on albums like the mercurial Interiors to the sublime Black Cadillac. It paints an unforgettable portrait of Rosanne confronting music-making in the aftermath of serious brain surgery, her lifelong search for her legacy, and her unique creative partnerships. Through her candid, personal, and often humorous anecdotes, we get to know Rosanne better than ever before. Always Been There is a one-of-a-kind experience, a journey forward that begins with looking back, told with the authority and access that only Michael Streissguth can bring

An intimate and moving behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Rosanne Cash’s bestselling 2009 album, The List, by the author of Johnny Cash: The Biography

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review.

Author and music journalist Streissguth, having already written a biography of Johnny Cash (Johnny Cash: The Biography), joined Johnny's daughter Rosanne to document the creation of an album (and tour) that in many ways reflects the complicated relationship between daughter and legendary father. Having achieved musical success in her own right, Rosanne's project is based on a lost list of 100 songs that Johnny gave her at the beginning of her career, which he felt every young musician should know. In the process of reconstructing "the List," Rosanne and Streissguth explore Southern music, the family legacy, and Rosanne's memories of the Cashes and the Carters. Streissguth is a skillful biographer, investigating Rosanne's relationship with work and art as well as with her famous parents. Unfortunately for music enthusiasts, the actual "list" never materializes, but that doesn't stop it from giving this intimate, illuminating narrative a satisfying sense of history that should please any fan of modern American music.
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In 1973, Rosanne Cash's father gave her a list of 100 songs that he felt a young musician had to know. Always Been There tells the inside story of the album that, more than thirty-five years later, resulted from that list. Based on original interviews conducted in the studio, on tour, and at home, Always Been There paints an unforgettable portrait of Rosanne Cash confronting music-making in the aftermath of serious brain surgery, a lifelong search for her legacy, and her unique creative partnerships An account of the making of the musician's next album reveals how it was based on a list of essential country songs compiled by her father, and discusses coverage of the singer's brain surgery and her reflections on life and music.