Tribute albums are usually hit-or-miss, and this one honoring June Carter Cash is no exception. But at least it swings a bit of the spotlight away from the Man in Black and toward his wife, who had a rich and fascinating life before she met Johnny — she toured with Elvis Presley, briefly dated James Dean, and had a popular, pre–Minnie Pearl cornpone comedy routine. Anchored in Love falters in Elvis Costello’s wan cover of “Ring of Fire,” and Billy Bob Thornton’s “Road to Kaintuck” proves he shouldn’t be allowed near a recording studio. But Grey de Lisle’s “Big Yellow Peaches” conjures old-fashioned mountain spookiness, “Jackson” from daughter Carlene Carter and Ronnie Dunn has the spirited feel of the original duet between June and Johnny, and Loretta Lynn’s “Wildwood Flower” is heartbreakingly simple and timeless.
