There are several Cash boxes available, but The Legend--spanning the years 1955-2002 but concentrating on his long tenure at Columbia and, to a lesser degree, his beginnings at Sun--probably belongs at the top of the list. Cash's greatest strengths are dramatized on these four, thematically programmed discs: Win, Place and Show: The Hits; Old Favorites and New; The Great American Songbook (mostly traditional songs); and Family and Friends (collaborations). For starters, consider the staggering depth and breadth of his repertoire (perhaps matched only by those of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles), embracing ancient folk tunes (»Streets of Laredo«), teen pop (»Ballad of a Teenage Queen«), mature contemporary rock (»Highway Patrolman«), gospel (»Were You There When They Crucified My Lord«), topical fare (»Ballad of Ira Hayes«), country standards (»Time Changes Everything«), novelties (»One Piece at a Time«), and more. Then there's the way his spare, spacious sound opens up to take in horns (»Ring of Fire«), strings (»Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down«), anything. The Legend includes seven previously unissued sides, most prominently »It Takes One to Know Me,« a stirring salute to his wife June. --John Morthland

WIN, PLACE AND SHOW, THE HITS: 1. I walk the line 2. There you go 3. Home of the blues 4. Ballad of a teenage queen 5. Guess things happen that way 6. The ways of a woman in love 7. Don't take your guns to town 8. Ring of fire 9. The matador 10. Understand your man 11. The ballad of Ira Hayes 12. Orange blossom special 13. The one on the right is on the left 14. Rosanna's going wild 15. Folsom prison blues 16. Daddy sang bass 17. A boy named Sue 18. What is truth 19. Sunday mornin' comin' down 20. Flesh and blood 21. Man in black 22. A thing called love 23. Kate 24. Oney 25. Any old wind that blows 26. One piece at a time 27. Ghost riders in the sky OLD FAVORITES AND NEW: 28. Hey Porter 29. Cry cry cry 30. Luther played the boogie 31. Get rhythm 32. Give my love to Rose 33. I was there when it happened 34. Big river 35. I still miss someone 36. Pickin' time 37. The man on the hill 38. Five feet high and rising 39. Tennessee flat top box 40. I got stripes 41. Troublesome waters 42. The long black veil 43. Dark as a dungeon 44. The wall 45. 25 minutes to go 46. Cocaine blues 47. Doin' my time 48. I will rock and roll with you 49. Without love 50. The big light 51. Highway patrolman 52. I'm never gonna roam again 53. When I'm gray 54. Forever young THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK: 55. The wreck of the old 97 56. Rock island line 57. Goodnight Irene 58. Goodbye little darlin' 59. Born to lose 60. Walking the blues 61. Frankie's man Johnny 62. Delia's gone 63. In the jailhouse now 64. Waiting for a train 65. Casey Jones 66. The legend of John Henry's hammer 67. I've been working on the railroad 68. Sweet Betsy from pike 69. The streets of Laredo 70. Bury me not on the lone prairie 71. Down in the valley 72. Wabash cannonball 73. The great speckle bird 74. Wildwood flower 75. Cotton fields 76. Pick a bale o' cotton 77. Old shep 78. I'll be all smiles tonight 79. I'm so lonesome I could cry 80. Time changes everything FAMILY AND FRIENDS: 81. Keep on the sunny side (with The Carter Family) 82. Diamonds in the rough (with Mother Maybelle Carter) 83. There'll be peace in the valley (with The Carter Family) 84. Were you there, when they crucified my Lord (with The Carter Family) 85. Another man done gone (with Anita Carter) 86. Pick the wildwood flower (with Mother Maybelle Carter) 87. Jackson (with June Carter) 88. If I were a carpenter (with June Carter Cash) 89. Girl from the north country (with Bob Dylan) 90. One more ride (with Marty Stuart) 91. You can't beat Jesus Christ (with Billy Joe Shaver) 92. There ain't no good chain gang (with Waylong Jennings) 93. We ought to be ashamed (with Elvis Costello) 94. Crazy old soldier (with Ray Charles) 95. Silver haired daddy of mine (with Tommy Cash) 96. Who's Gene Autry (with John Carter Cash) 97. The night Hank Williams came to town (with Waylon Jennings) 98. I walk the line (revisted/with Rodney Crowell) 99. Highwayman (with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson & Waylon Jennings) 100. The wanderer (U2 starring Johnny Cash) 101. September when it comes (with Rosanne Cash) 102. Tears in the Holston river (with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) 103. Far side banks of Jordan (with June Carter Cash) 104. It takes one to know me (with June Carter Cash, guest vocal by Carlene Carter)