Johnny Cash's final Christmas album was recorded for a German label and features "all-new 1991 recordings". On the original release the album contained 15 songs, four of which were performed by the Carter Family without Cash (Figgy Puddin', The First Noel, O Christmas Tree, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear). For later CD releases "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" were both cut out of the album.
The album differs strongly from Cash's three previous Christmas albums that were recorded for Columbia Records. On Country Christmas his set dominately consists of standard Christmas songs with few Cash originals. Many of the songs also stronly feature the viollin, flute, saxaphone and other instruments usually not heavily utilized by Cash. Though this Christmas album doesn't have the raw strenght of his Columbia recordings, it brings a new shade of beauty to his Christmas album repitoire.
Article by Jeff Emond
Reissue for Country Christmas:
Reissued with White Christmas and I'll Be Home For Christmas removed.