Everybody Loves a Nut

Stepping away from tormented love songs and earnest history lessons, Johnny Cash gives his silly side full rein on 1966’s Everybody Loves a Nut. While it might sound like a stretch for the Man in Black to release a comedy album, Cash had always shown flashes of humor in his work. The tunes here make the most of his droll, deep-chested vocals, accented by the chipper backup of The Carter Family and The Stadler Brothers. The album is a little too twisted to be considered a children’s record, although animal-themed fare like “Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog,” “Boa Constrictor,” and “The Bug That Tried to Crawl Around the World” hold appeal for youngsters. Cash delivers “The One on the Right Is on the Left” (a send-up of the ‘60s folk boom as well as political divisions), “Joe Bean” (a morbidly funny take on the classic Western ballad), and the title number (a slice of honky-tonk absurdity) with a poker-faced seriousness that makes them all the funnier. “Cup of Coffee”—an inebriated duet with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott—may be the nuttiest moment on this warped but surprisingly solid release.