Best of Johnny Cash

JOHNNY CASH Best of Johnny Cash (Curb) Somber yet gregarious and able to cross all sorts of boundaries-at one point he counted both Bob Dylan and Richard Nixon among his friends-Johnny Cash was, at the height of his fame, the most important country singer since Hank Williams, his bass-baritone the most readily recognizable voice in post-World War II country music. Although this ''best of'' collection just scratches the surface, with heavy emphasis on the early classics, such as ''Folsom Prison Blues,'' ''I Walk the Line,'' and ''Ring of Fire,'' it traces his trademark fusion of country and rock and preserves the original boom-chicka-boom guitar style of Luther Perkins, who helped define Cash's sound. The album also includes one odd choice for a ''best of'' collection-a newly recorded duet of ''The Long Black Veil'' with the long-absent country blues singer Razzy Bailey. B -AN

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