Johnny Cash - American III: Solitary Man - CD

Between 'American II: Unchained' (1996) and 'American III: Solitary Man', Cash's health declined due to various ailments, and he was even hospitalized for pneumonia, and the illness forced him to curtail his touring. This album contained Cash's response to his illness, typified by a version of Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down', as well as a version of U2's 'One'. Changes to Cash's voice due to his health problems are noticeable on most tracks when compared to his most recent preceding albums. Graeme Thomson has characterized 'Solitary Man' as an act of emotional preservation.