At Folsom Prison

I want to go to prison

I guess I mistakenly thought I knew Johnny Cash, mostly through the radio and general consciousness, and I was not prepared for how incredible and just fuckin metal this album is. This dude is up there singing about murdering dudes to applause from murderers. if your black metal isn't this black, go the fuck home.

johnny cash performs in a prison sings about doing cocaine and shooting his wife the crowd cheers unfathomably based

One of the few live albums I've heard where the audience is just as much a part of the performance. The songs are great, Johnny's performance is charmingly flawed, but it's all about the atmosphere created by the little details: the inmate's reactions, Johnny's asides, and the warden's announcements.

"This show is being recorded for an album release on Columbia Records, and you can't say 'hell' or 'shit' or anything like that." "How does that grab you, Bob?"

Look: even if the music wasn't great (which it is), the man sang about taking cocaine and shooting a bad bitch down to a group of cheering convicts, so this may as well get five mics on principle. The concept alone is novel and raw as hell, but once you throw in Cash's devil-may-care stage presence, the atmosphere set by the wardens' announcements over the PA and the more-than-receptive crowd (I'll spare you a line about a "captive audience" because I'm sure plenty of rock critics thought they were the first to come up with that gem), plus the impeccable choice in songs, you end up with one of the most entertaining records I've ever heard. Key Tracks: Cocaine Blues, Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart, Greystone Chapel

Fucking visceral. “I shot a man in Reno just to see him die” & they cheer… Best live album ever.

(Listened to Before) One of the most genuine and authentic albums I’ve ever heard. I love it when he breaks mid-song to tell a joke or a laugh slips, especially when it’s in contrast to some soul-crushingly melancholy lyrics. I don’t really think there’s a bad track in the bunch. I love this album and the special place it takes me to every time I revisit it. Favorite Tracks: 25 Minutes to Go, Orange Blossom Special, The Long Black Veil, Dirty Old Egg-Suckin’ Dog, Jackson, Greystone Chapel Least Favorite Tracks: I Still Miss Someone

Amazing album! Amazing that it was performed live and the flaws and asides and prison chatter add to the overall vibe, rather than detract. I'm normally not as much a fan of live music, but this was great all the way through.

I don't know anyone who doesn't like Johnny Cash, and this is him at his best. I love how it's a live album but he sounds about the same as in the studio, it's authentic as. 5/5.

Never listened to the album before though know a good few of the songs. It's bloody good. The context - what he's singing about IN A PRISON - is just great, really adds something

I needed this so bad today. This dudes the fucking King. I need more stars...raw, authentic, fuck you. Yes!

We've had the greatest live album ever from Nirvana but this is bang there with it. Cash is at his best live. And when he combines that with doing this sorta outlaw country stuff he's peerless. Its fucking brilliant and I'm gonna have to bring out the 5 again. A superstar at the top of his game. 5/5

Cash proves he is every measure the legend on this record. Even though the vast majority is covers, his crowd work is great and you can hear a pin drop on The Long Black Veil. Jackson is a cool duet. booing the warden on the last track is great

not bad, but too samey and I lost focus on this one

i don't believe there's much to be said here. it's johnny fucking cash at folsom fucking prison, with june fucking carter. to whom, if my chronology isn't way off, he was not yet married - so we witnessed it all, very raw, and very real. i also particularly loved that they didn't cut out the warden's(?) announcements, and what i believe was them slapping johnny in cuffs at the end.

This was a great listen. I've been aware of this album for a long time and it's place in legend and lore. What little I know about Johnny Cash (nope, haven't seen the well-known documentaries or the super-famous biopic, but I would like to one day), I really like him as a person. As a musician, his appeal is easy to see. He makes it seem all so familiar and casual, but with his own signature sound, style, and of course, voice. I have heard his music in various settings over the years and I like it. It's not something I gravitate strongly towards on a regular basis. I have a feeling if I had ever seen him play live, I'd have been a lifelong huge fan. Seems like that kind of performer and person.

Not bad but actually somewhat boring. Slow pace, similar style of all the songs, just not memorable

I loved this. The music, the banter, the announcements with inmate numbers, the laughing mid track, the lyrics, just all of it. I’ve somehow never listened to this despite always liking Johnny Cash, and it is such a great record. The recording it incredibly good for being recorded in what I assume is a prison cafeteria or auditorium. The singing comes through beautifully but none of the instruments are overshadowed. I rest can’t think of a bad thing about this. Really great.

10/10 If you’re not into Country music and don’t understand the subject matter and setting of this record, it may be easy to misunderstand it as being exploitative or just not care about the mythos of this record in general. But let it be known, you need to listen to this album if you want to be knowledgeable at all about American music. America loves its damned, even if they deny it, even if they’re hypocritical in their love, even if we severely punish them in denial. The “Anti-Hero” is the fundamental archetype to American folklore, from the six shooters in the old west, to the New Hollywood vigilantes, to the Gangsta Rap icons of today, we have an innate addiction to morally complex characters, more so than we do morally righteous ones. We watch these characters through their Odysseys, we don’t necessarily yearn for them to win, but you can’t help but feel good about their victories, and hurt when we see these characters fall victim to the punishments that they likely warranted. We understand these moral complexities, we understand their mistakes, their horrible environments, their upbringings, their dilemmas, their irrationalities, and we seek a sort of redemption for them in spite of their wrongdoings. That is, until we talk about real life, one under a growing reactionary worldview, where we legally recognize slavery if it’s under incarceration, where we beg for harsher sentences, severe penalties for minor crimes, more law enforcement on the streets, and capital punishment. At Folsom Prison is our cling to humanity, for decades Johnny Cash would perform at many different prisons over the country unpaid because of a mere letter from inmates, he would campaign for prison reform, and would continue to write music that fought against this authority. The live album itself is a collection of songs about the very inmates he was performing to, he was telling their stories, these same stories that made Johnny Cash and several hundreds of songwriters, storytellers, and artists who they are. “My mama always told me, son always be a good boy, but I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.” As soon as Cash sings these words with his striking and deep brassy vocal cords, his wonderful guitar playing and phenomenal performances from the backing band bouncing off lifeless concrete walls, we hear the inmates whistle and cheer loudly. How do you feel knowing these same stories you love are being cheered on by men who have possibly committed these same heinous acts? Do you feel reprehensible? Hypocritical? Or do you view yourself in being in the same position as them? Its these prison walls that echo these complications gloriously, you’re subject to listening to some of the best Country songs ever written and performed, and in the audience made up of any subject matter of a Johnny Cash song, or a Scorsese movie, or any number of tall tales. https://youtu.be/6v1qNVZmofI?si=gpQ5lM_4fnFHdPNX

if this album is the result of the carceral state, maybe I'm not an abolitionist after all (ACAB)

CAN I GET A GLASS OF WATER

I feel like I’m sitting right there in the prison with the guys watching the show—the most heartfelt, candid show I’ve ever heard. Not only is Cash an unparalleled storyteller, he’s really got a heart for the prisoners he’s playing for. I really like how the guys applaud, letting me know exactly what lyrics or licks best tickle the imprisoned listeners. The music rollicks along, but there are quite chilling moments, too, like when the voice announces normal prison business over the PA. Whenever I finish listening to this album, I have mixed feelings: I go on with my life, but those guys all go back to their cells.

makes you wanna take a shot of cocaine and shoot a man in reno

listening to convicted criminals giggle over a song about killing your wife under cocaine is an amazing experience. liked not so much the album as the reactions of the prisoners, little Johny Cashs' inserts...literally and indescribable atmosphere

Solid live album, especially considering the location and difficulties to make it happen. Some great gems throughout the set list, although there are a few songs that just kind of pass into the background. Clearly groundbreaking, but not quite a 5-star for me.

It's really good. Songs about prison, crime, dying, and retribution.

Well, it's pretty darn good.

just perfect. Johnny Cash did more for incarcerated rights than any celebrity has, and he did it by seeing them as people who deserved to hear some live music. it’s not a revolutionary idea, but still feels monumental. this album is so silly and goofy and funny but also heartbreaking and deeply sad. Johnny Cash always blended those two moods together so well, and for it to come across in this live recording.. art!

Really excellent

Ace

An enjoyable listen with a strong social (prison) reform message.

Really entertaining - one of the best live album atmospheres I've heard captured on record. Started off thinking it might make a interesting listen but nothing more, and ended up being the fastest I've bought an album from this list. Great stuff [edit: "Hot Rats" currently holds the instant classic title, but this is still 2nd]

Johnny Cash is so badass. Dude had just come off of a hard fought battle with addiction and is looking to return to the music industry. Mind you, he had been out of the limelight for years. So he does the sensible thing and… makes a live album? From a prison? Hell yes. The audience noise and commentary makes you feel like you’re actually at the show. He’s singing about doing cocaine and shooting people and the crowd is loving it. Amazing record.

Möglicherweise das Beste Live-Album als Live-Album. Die Interaktion zwischen Cash und den Insassen, der Jubel bei »just to watch him die«, die währenddessen ununterbrochenen Abläufe des Gefängnisses – einfach unglaublich.

The best live album ever recorded. Bar none.

I mean Johnny fucking nails this performance for a number of reasons, but to me one of the standout moments is with June on Jackson, as she surprises me with her power and what it adds to the record. Instant classic.

So this album is great. Obviously. And, taken by itself, it's a masterpiece live album against which other live albums should be measured which is why it's earned a 5-star review from me. That said, I'm unclear as to why this list contains both "At Folsom Prison" and "At San Quentin" since they're essentially the same album. The amount of deja vu that I experienced listening to this after having listened to the other was uncomfortable. Sure the tracks (barring one, "Folsom Prison Blues", which is on both albums) are all different but the banter, lyrical content, and delivery is so similar that you'd be hard pressed, if the tracks were mixed up, to tell which song went on which album.

Really good stuff. I might just go and get obsessed with Johnny Cash now

Pretty good record

A fun listen to an artist that captured a snapshot of a time and place. They don’t make musicians like this anymore and they certainly don’t have concerts like this anymore.

One of the most badass albums ever recorded.

I suppose my detailed comments on the San Quentin review apply here. I have loads of respect for Johnny doing these prison shows. Giving something to people who have nothing deserves our respect. As was the case at San Quentin, he performs a song written by a prisoner in the audience and gives him credit and a piece of the royalties. The song is Greystone Chapel which is a bible thumpin song. Normally not my thing but Johnny used religion to help him get off drugs and booze so it's understandable that this made him a tad evangelical about his religion. I'll leave my different opinion on religion at the door. Highlights from the first 5 songs (I stopped the list after that): Folsum Prison Blues( one of his best songs ever) Cocaine BLues, 25 Min to go Since I gave San Quentin a 5 I can't give another 5 to Johnny.

Like “At San Quentin”, I appreciate the concept of this record, but musically I find it kind of boring. The songs all kind of sound the same and they’re repetitive in a very uninteresting way for me. I don’t really get the appeal of his music and I know I’m outside of the mainstream with that opinion. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the song “Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart”, which, had it not been written by Cash, would’ve made a perfect pastiche song for Weird Al to take on Cash’s style with.

I loved the last song, dude just got his dream come true. However I'm not amused by the countless whistling while mentioning random violent crimes against women.

Creo que es uno de los mejores en su especie, este álbum es también para Cash un punto culminante de su carrera, su despegue absoluto, de allí...

Great album

All-timer

Favorites: (All of them?) Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, 25 Minutes to Go, Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog, Flushed from the bathroom of your heart, Jackson, I got stripes, Greystone Chapel Probably the greatest live record of all time. No skips.

Epitome of outlaw and punk. No one else but the man in black would have the balls to walk into a prison snd sing about murder, drugs, and walking death row

Awesome.

I dislike country but this is a perfect album. The story, the performance, songs selected and the prder in which they were arranged. All in all a perfect conbination of music that I can't hate onnpr find amy flaws not to give it a 5. Its the best country album ever

The only time I’m proud to be an American is when I listen to Johnny cash

Great album. Good sound, every track is solid. Old country

I love this album. Johnny Cash is great as always, but more than that, the way he is able to connect with the prisoners is so nice and I always felt like this was significant to them. The little snip-it's of prison announcements and him between songs, it's just so cool to be able to experience. The music is great, but what this album represents makes it so much more.

I mean what’s there to say? Perhaps the most iconic opening to an album. Cash at his peak. Candid moments of laughter and snatches of conversation. Very well recorded and preserved. 10/10

Literally at Folsom prison!

Love this album.

My favorite Johnny Cash album.

51/1001. I am not a big fan of country music but Johnny Cash is an exception and this album is the best live album in the world, period. Anyone not agreeing with this should spend some time in their local prison and wait in vain for such a gig to happen. Love that it includes all the interruptions, booing to the prison staff, hickups and mistakes and stories. The atmosphere is thick with imprisoned joy and anger. I feel this could have lead to a riot.

Highlight Song/s: Folsom Prison Blues, Dark as the Dungeon, The Long Black Veil, Give My Love to Rose and Greystone Chapel When it comes to live albums it probably doesn't get more infamous than this one; the one where Johnny Cash and his crew showed their humanity to the prisoners. Big fan of the track picks for this album which of course have prison, death and longing as themes. I am also a big fan of the stage banter on this one (especially on Dark as the Dungeon), it gives the album such a lighthearted feel to it.

The audience – whose caterwauling would indicate they’re being held captive by Cash’s charisma just as much as by the actual law – whoops notably a few times throughout this record. “The green, green grass of home” gets a sentimental, spontaneous applause; June Carter’s gravely attack in verse two of “Jackson” inspires some audible excitement; there are titters, I think, through the whole of “Flushed from the bathroom of your heart”. But the big one, for me, is the “wooo!” won by Johnny for killing a man in Reno “just to watch him die.” For a long time I’ve wondered what’s behind the longevity of Cash. It might be that his songs, sparse and direct, are the absolute embodiment of keeping it simple; or, on the flip side, that his talents go so far beyond those typically expected of a musician that he could stand as an important figure in a number of fields. What he’s doing is equal parts literary, historical, sociological, folkish and comedic – a special and refined artistry. So while my incarceration in this challenge might be voluntarily, it’s a pleasure to join the ranks of the late 60’s wrong-uns for a run through Johnny’s “idiot sheet”. My conclusion: this is a timeless collection of songs performed in a place where time is the ultimate punishment – a subtle symbolism that amplifies every intensity of the material, lionising the character at the centre of it all in the process. An experience that delivers you back to the moment every single time you play it. Johnny’s moment, forever.

I especially like when the inmates cheer when he talks about cocaine and killing people An incredible live album, Johnny Cash has an amazing voice and then you add June Carter in there and it’s perfect! Fav songs: Folsom Prison Blues, Orange Blossom Special, Jackson

Listened on vinyl

Glad to listen to him! This was great! Cool idea of recording at the prison

This is just a classic album. The performance is iconic. Cash is in great form during this performance. I would run out of superlatives describing Live at Folsom Prison. I like all the songs, and the haunting way he sings 25 Minutes to Go gets me everytime. Top notch all around by Cash. This is a 5 rating for me. 5/5

Best country

track 1: good start track 2: THE LYRICISM!!! track 3: short but sweet track 4: OMG THE STORYTELLING HAHAHAH track 5: I love this D3ath row song so much, that last lyric is so impressive hahahaha track 6: Harmonicassss track 7: what a sad song :( track 8: This song low key made me cry inside :'( track 9: I love the story behind this song track 10: HAHAHAHAHA what a bad dog track 11: Love the lyricism :D track 12: I love the duet with June Carter track 13: this song is so sad :( track 14: my least favorite track compared to the others before, but still a good track track 15: this song caught me off guard ngl hahahahah track 16: shouout to the one who wrote this song, what a gorgeous outro (10/10) THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A GREAT LIVE ALBUM

What can I say about this album that hasn't already been said, other than the "oh hell yes" I uncontrollably uttered when it popped up as today's selection? Everything that is good and vibrant about the American country music tradition is present here - empathy, longing, tragedy, murder, dirty jokes, gallows humor, family ties, faithless and faithful women and men, poorly behaved dogs, the erasure of the boundary between the speaker and the hearer. Most of all honesty, real as the beads of sweat dripping down the side of Cash's face on the album cover. There but for the grace of God goes he.

I really liked it :] I enjoyed his voice,with and story telling. Seemed like the crowd enjoyed it as well ^_^

Classic in all possible ways!

Never been a fan of live albums, or particularly a fan of Cash, but that's now changed! What an incredible record. Raw, visceral, violent and very, very funny.

Love it!! One of my few favorite live albums.

Stripped down and raw. Singing about dark subjects in front of a crowd of prisoners. It doesn't get much better than this. I've mentioned before that I'm not the biggest fan of country music, but Johnny is one of the few that gets beyond the "country" label. A legendary performance by a legendary musician.

At first 8 was against Live albums on this list, as I feel we should just explore studio works. But the nice thing about the live albums that have popped up so far, is they are more than just a live album, but they have a story and include a piece for musical history.

I absolutely love this album. It isn't something I'll listen to every day, but I return to it once or twice a year because it's one of the most ingenious and charismatic live albums. I might give a slight edge to Live at San Quentin because I like the song selection more, but the interactions with the "fans" at Folsom are fantastic. Callback to that terrible James Brown live album, but this is evidence that you can incorporate crowd-sounds without it being grating to listen to

One of the all time great live albums. Cash’s energy, his authenticity, the play with the audience. I’ve been listening while driving, so no in depth notes, but this is a masterpiece! I particularly love the way his sense of humor shines through.

LOVE

BANGER! Just some absolute country tunes one one of the best live albums of all time.

So much to like about this: the song selection being catered basically entirely to the inmates, the casual interruptions from the prison staff, the banter between Johnny and the audience… have always loved this one. I know there are other live records he did after this, but to me this has always been the one.

Johnny Cash at his best and one of the best live albums ever. However, i question why we have more than one Johnny Cash live album included on this list if they are going to limit it to the critical albums you need to hear before you die. Seems like a list of this nature should include only one of these albums as this album and San Quentin live are more or less the same, with the same grit, same irreverence and largely the same playlist.

Brilliant. Love the prisoner announcements .

Amazing songs, but the album is like a mixtape, or a radio. 5 stars.

One of the greats

Fantastic Cash. He always reminds me of dad. He liked Johnny Cash.

I've loved this album for years. I haven't it played it in a long time, but it hasn't lost any of its appeal. The live versions of these songs are my favorite versions; something about how and when the crowd decides to respond to passages adds so much contextual storytelling to the record. I also just love the simplicity of the songs themselves. 5/5

Fun revisit. i perform 2 of these

Have it on vinyl.

Decent

A timeless classic.

Unbelievable. So so so good

SO AWESOME WOW. Just incredible songs performed so well and gosh he’s so charming. An incredible live album that sets the standard for all to come after it.

certainly one of the most unassumingly emotionally provocative records ive ever heard. its not exactly hard to talk about as a regular album but it does feel kind of stupid when its clearly about The Experience, but it also feels kind of stupid to talk about The Experience when everyone already has. more than anything it is just extremely good music, one that walks all across the spectrum from pitch black humor to crushing sadness to spiritual salvation...there is simply no redundancy in the material despite the surface level conceit. for as Metal as it is to hear the cheering about murder and stuff, theres still a radical kindness and humanism in the chest of this record that makes me feel like ive stumbled into some kind of religious text. im prob not saying anything new lol but the record rly does speak for itself...i enjoyed it in the moment, but it only grows in power when youre on the other side of it

One of the best live albums ever made, can just imagine the spirit of the prison crowd and the production of the live acoustics is very impressive.

An excellent album as well as an immersive experience. Legend!

Love Johnny Cash. This doesn't skip a beat. The songwriting is next level in terms of emotion and the place Cash was at personally and physically. The fact it is live so you hear the reactions and interference from the crowd makes it more special. 5/5 if ever there was one.

Peak Cash. Genialt live album, selv om San Quentin er enda bedre.

I know in my heart some of these songs aren't essential to hear, but damn it, 5* it is! :) It's Johnny Cash, an important gig and he crushes it, I can't give it 4! :)

This album is perfect. I know I complain about songs feelings very samey on a record, and this album has some of that, but it doesn't bother me as much here. His lyrics really are hitting, and the environment of the prison makes for such a cool concert. Whatever producer decided to leave in the swearing, audience banter, and prison announcements knew what they were doing. It is a perfect touch of humanity. 25 Minutes to Go is such a hauntingly beautiful song, I remember the first time I ever heard it. I was watching a lyric video on YouTube for the song, and it felt like a man was dying in front of me. An underrated masterpiece.

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