ReMastered: Tricky Dick and the Man in Black

From the existing reviews of this documentary, I wasn't expecting much, but ended up giving it 10/10 and am writing this quick justification for that high score here.

This could be described as the story behind Johnny Cash's song "What is truth?" which at least one other reviewer picked up on, pointing out the documentary makers implied some footage of Cash performing was from his White House show when apparently it was filmed elsewhere.

Nitpicking over the veracity of some details aside, this is a great story told well. I've mainly listened to the last albums Johnny Cash made produced by Rick Rubin, dismissing his earlier work as too generic country & western.

This documentary was a huge eye opener for someone who's never heard the song "What is truth?" before, along with weaving in the stories behind "Route #1, Box 144", "The Ballad of Ira Hayes", and other Cash songs which I never realised were controversial, blacklisted from midwest radio stations in their day.

Even if you're not a Johnny Cash fan, this is a great slice of modern history, leading to interesting thoughts of Nixon's America vs Trump's America without being preachy or didactic.

Pat Buchanan has a voice in this. Isn't that enough to tell you this production was pointless? Nixon was a paranoid, vindictive a-hole, and good ole Christian Pat was a chief advisor. Surprised yet?

Johnny Cash was great. His family and closest colleagues tell us how great he was in the most hyperbolic terms possible. Are you now surprised?

Guess what. You're more than halfway through the production and nothing has happened thus far.

This was an exercise in futility. Not interesting. Unsurprising. Tedious. Perhaps another ReMastering is in order.

It's 1970. Johnny Cash is one of the most popular artists in America and Richard Nixon is in the White House. In order to shore up Southern votes Nixon invites Johnny Cash to perform at the White House. Cash seems a safe bet for Nixon as he seems to support the government and its policies. Nixon even goes so far as to make requests for two particular songs. Will Cash bend to the President's demands?

A documentary that's more interesting for its background information than the coverage of the central topic. The history of Johnny Cash, in particular his political and social stances is well done. How his poor, battling agricultural upbringing and his tragedies and tribulations shaped his life are also well explored.

Ditto how President Nixon's past and his current political struggles inform his actions are also well explored.

However, the main event - Cash performing at the White House - ultimately feels quite low-key. There's a degree of rebelliousness and individuality about Johnny Cash's actions but nothing extreme. It all feels a bit click-baity in the end.

Footage used in the show wasn't actually as it happened, the performance isn't the one Nixon saw, and witness accounts are fuzzy. Warm story but have to ask what is truth?

It was interesting and I love johnny cash but it was really unimportant