Right up until his untimely death last year, Johnny Cash was looking for unusual material to cover. When he re-discovered a book of old gospel songs that his mother Carrie used to own, he realised he'd struck gold. Originally recorded as part of a box set, this CD of acoustic church music has now been deemed worthy of a release in its own right. These are songs that Cash learned as a child in a Tennessee cabin, played at his father's deathbed and his brother's funeral. And while they're undeniably basic compared to his best-known hits, that instantly recognisable gravel-toned voice gives them an emotional weight that's often extremely moving. He may not have been the best Christian in the world, but this album is yet more proof that there'll always be a place for Johnny Cash in musical heaven.

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