At Folsom Prison

This is great stuff. The crowd make it special with them booing certain wardens and cheering things Cash says. It has a real crackle to it. Special for the setting alone.

none of the songs are as good as the studio versions, but there is a very distinctive sense of place in this album which is distinct from most live albums

Not a lot to differentiate this one from his other prison-recorded album for me, but there's at least a star just for the interaction with the inmates and the surrounding context that make it an excellent live album.

3.5

*would be a 2 except that I feel like it's historical or something, like it's live and there's something special about that

Undeniably one of the best live albums of all time.

4.5

funky :D personally always a little perturbed by live albums, but it was actually pretty good, bonus points for hearing the train a'comin

Absolutely wonderful, the energy brought me infinite joy throughout the whole performance

This probably the best live album I've ever heard. Cash is Cash and generally that's good, if a bit samey. But the audience, the little interjections, the fact he's singing about all these crimes and prison life to prisoners. Pure outlaw country stuff. 4 stars

Live albums can be hit or miss for me, but the energy and atmosphere really adds to this record. Rating: 3

i don't know if we really needed both Folsom Prison and San Quentin on this list but the charisma machine that is Johnny Cash really works in both cases. San Quentin just squeaked out an extra point.

Es Johnny Cash, siempre es buen escuchar algún album de él

awesome of course. love the crowd reactions lol

Folsom Prison Blues - 4.5/5 Dark as the Dungeon - 4/5 I Still Miss Someone - 4/5 Cocaine Blues - 4.5/5 25 Minutes to Go - 4/5 Orange Blossom Special - 4/5 The Long Black Veil - 4/5 Send a Picture of Mother - 3.5/5 The Wall - 3.5/5 Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog - 3.5/5 Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart - 4/5 Jackson - 4.5/5 Give My Love to Rose - 4/5 I Got Stripes - 4/5 Green, Green Grass of Home - 4/5 Greystone Chapel - 4/5 Probably the most interesting location for a live album and yet somehow Cash and his captive audience (literally) makes it work. The warden announcements in between songs. Cash bantering in between and during songs. An incredibly fitting album that deserves the praise it gets. It loses a star due to most of the songs sounding the same but I think that's a result of the genre itself and not indicative of Cash's ability. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Jackson

The man, the myth, the legend, the album. Its impossible to judge this recording without its origin story and the reinforcing inspect it had in the image of the singer. Sung in prison, by a man who'd been there. with songs about crime and heartbreak for men who crime and heartbreak were life, its a perfect storm. Cash's strong voice, driving backing band and whip smart lyrics are here in force and thats what carries the actual music, along with the cheering as a rabble rousing accompanyment. I normally dont give live albums good reviews as they are just 'best of' albums with no through line but you can't take issue with this.

I loved this album, i heard it long ago and had it in repeat.

I'd go to prison if it meant getting to see this

Johnny sings songs about murder to a bunch of murders and it’s perfect. One of the albums on here that is already etched into my brain, but it’s the little moments that make it great. The dude who cheers during long black veil, Johnny’s endearing banter with the prisoners, playing songs written by the inmates are just a few of the elements that make this album kick the ass that it kicks. no else has come close to capturing a what JC (never put together the irony of his initials until now) accomplished at Folsom and no one ever will. To add to all of that and I say this without hyperbole, but I think cocaine blues is my all time favorite song at least of the murder variety. Strongest 5 I can give, greatest country album of all time. God bless Johnny “Jesus Christ” Cash.

A live album like no other. What makes *At Folsom Prison* so extraordinary is that the crowd itself is every bit as integral to the record as Johnny Cash. This isn't just a concert that happens to have been recorded inside a prison. The prison is practically another member of the band. The jeering for the officers. The clanking of locks and chains. The announcements over the PA system. The sheer banality of hearing some prisoner, Duffy, 4-5-6-7 or whatever, being summoned to report to this officer or that. All these little reminders that you're listening to a performance inside an actual functioning prison, surrounded by men who aren't going anywhere when the show ends. It creates an atmosphere that no studio recording, no matter how polished, could ever hope to replicate. And meanwhile, Johnny Cash is standing there, in the belly of the beast, gleefully sticking his thumb in the eye of the very authorities running the place. I know everybody loves to debate which band invented punk rock, which obscure garage record came first, or who was sneering at the establishment before the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. But I'm sorry, if this isn't punk rock, I don't know what is. The sheer contempt for authority, the law, the man, the system, the judges who put these guys away. Cash is practically spitting in their faces, right in front of them, while the prisoners cheer him on. And he's doing it with an acoustic guitar, a black suit, and that unmistakable baritone. No distortion pedals or safety pins required. Just pure, unadulterated defiance. And the beautiful thing is that none of it feels performative. Cash isn't playing some rebellious character for an audience of comfortable suburban teenagers. He's singing songs about murder, imprisonment, regret, injustice, and redemption to people who have actually lived those things. There's something incredibly powerful about that relationship between performer and audience. You can hear the mutual understanding, the appreciation, the sense that Cash is genuinely on their side. He isn't singing *at* these men. He's singing *for* them. And, of course, Cash himself is absolutely bringing his A game. The energy is tremendous. "Cocaine Blues" is practically feral, "Folsom Prison Blues" takes on an entirely different meaning in this setting, and "I Got Stripes" feels tailor-made for the occasion. The duets with June Carter are fantastic, injecting some warmth, humor, and genuine affection into an otherwise pretty grim environment. And then there are the heartbreaking moments, like "The Long Black Veil," where Cash reminds you that beneath all the swagger and outlaw mythology is a storyteller capable of absolutely devastating emotional sincerity. What I particularly love is the contrast between the music and the setting. One minute the crowd is roaring with laughter at some joke about shooting a man or disrespecting a judge, and the next there's a moment of genuine tenderness or sorrow. It's funny, irreverent, tragic, joyful, and deeply human, sometimes all within the same song. The prisoners aren't just background noise. Their reactions give the songs context, meaning, and an emotional weight that simply wouldn't exist anywhere else. There's a reason this album is historic. It captures something far bigger than a great musician giving a great performance. It's a document of a particular moment, a particular place, and a remarkable connection between an artist and an audience that society had largely written off. It's raw, imperfect, confrontational, and bursting with personality. Everything a great live album should be, and then some. And nearly sixty years later, it's still an absolute pleasure to experience. 8/10. Punk rock in a black suit.

The songs were fun, the banter with the crowd were fun. The whole thing was fun. If I have any criticism, it's that the lyrics are SO important that if you tune out you can miss part of the story. This music is a primary entertainment mechanism and it needs focus. It was hard to have it as background music. Which is a compliment, but narrows its use somewhat. Very very high 4.

Awesome live album! So real and interactive. Great experience!

Interactions with audience of inmates interspersed with warden announcements. I don't know if I disliked the voice cracks and mistakes or enjoyed how they captured the moment. I think the latter. What a wild snapshot in time.

Great live album. The best part is, of course, Johnny's interaction with the inmates. The songs are a little same-y, but performed with great gusto. "Flushed From The Bathroom of Your Heart" made me laugh out loud.

Wonderful in many ways.

Johnny ääni on aivan mahtava ja tämä live oli hyvä. Oon kuunnellut tätä aiemminkin.

wow i've been sleeping on johnny cash. is this what they mean by country music used to be good? haha even my review is turning into country music slander. anyways they should record more albums in prison. this is so fun

pretty good live album, even with the jarring coke references

I enjoyed this one a lot, a departure from the type of thing i usually listen to for sure. The audience was as much a part of the performance as the music itself was which dad a very interesting dynamic musically.

Two live albums recorded at prisons, this is the first one so I guess the other one was the gimmick trying to repeat the magic. And then from the wiki he apparently did two more! Should have known when to stop. Cash has an aura that's prevalent here, it sort of transcends the music and makes things more interesting than they are. The songs otherwise aren't really my thing, sort of country rock. So good one listen album I think. 3.5.

Imagine James Blunt going to Strangeways. Definitely the most interesting prison recording I've heard - even including the San Quentin one. Folsom Prison Blues, I Still Miss Someone, 25 Minutes To Go, The Wall, and Give My Love To Rose were the best tracks, and the one about the egg sucking dog is hilarious. Very rare that music makes one laugh. This is truly an incredible recording, he sounds brilliant. I love you can sometimes hear him breathing, and the whole bit about having some water. He has real character, and that comes across in his singing. Outlaw country. One of a kind. At his pre-Highwaymen best - even among them, he stands apart.

So are we only going to have 2 Johnny Cash albums on the list, both of which are live from prisons? 3 and a half years since the Sam Quentin one! I preferred this one, was really good. Folsom prison blues is the highlight but lots of it is very good. Feels so genuine too, which it is! I always moan about live albums being on the list, but this one is actually interesting and has something about it besides just being a recording of a gig Cocaine blues, I still miss someone and the wall all very good At least 4, probably 4.5

First, listen to this album way back in the early 70s. I have always loved Johnny Cash

Not my cup of tea, but it is still good

Genuinely perfect. It has everything.

maybe the goat live album, at least one where the format is actually very meaningful

Ah, maybe it's because I just heard the other one.

Great presence. Love the live atmosphere and the storytelling.

It must be hard to be stuck in a prism

I can understand why this is a culturally important album, but it didn't really do much for me. Perhaps I need to give it another chance or two, but at the moment, it's a three for me.

Well, that's a classic!

I loved this. I love a live album at the best of times, but this one was excellent. Great singing and storytelling interwoven with live ad libs.

Great LP, I recently played it.

Classic

It has a very good mood.

Why am I so attracted to his voice?

Starting off with the rebel-rousing Folsom Prison Blues and carrying on with the beautiful Dark as the Dungeon is inspired. Johnny manages seamlessly to intersperse prison songs with songs of longing even throwing in some gallows humour to boot; with highlights such as telling the inmates not to use profanity, as they are recording the concert, while happily swearing himself. His voice is as ever hard and beautiful, you can hear how these honest songs were so appreciated by this select audience.

The live at San Quentin album was better, I think. There were better songs on that one, alongside more banter and more moments of unique realism/interaction between artist and audience. I think this one was looked at by Cash and his team, analyzed and then perfected on San Quentin. For that reason I am giving this album a 3. I enjoyed it, but I think the other is so great that there's no way to highly rate this one.

What's not to love. It's Johnny Cash performing at a prison.

01) Folsom Prison Blues - 10,0 02) Dark as the Dungeon - 8,0 03) I Still Miss Someone - 9,0 04) Cocaine Blues - 9,0 05) 25 Minutes to Go - 9,0 06) Orange Blossom Special - 9,0 07) The Long Black Veil - 8,5 08) Send a Picture of Mother - 9,0 09) The Wall - 8,5 10) Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog - 8,0 11) Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart - 8,5 12) Jackson - 10,0 13) Give My Love to Rose - 9,0 14) I Got Stripes - 9,0 15) Green, Green Grass of Home - 10,0 16) Greystone Chapel - 9,0 TOTAL: 8,97 (90/100) Current ranking: 93/1036

What a weird concept for a performance and an album. I mean he already has the song so I guess it wasn’t too much of a leap to think about him playing at the prison but was that really where his career was at right then. Like playing murder ballads to a captive audience was the best he could manage? Pretty PR stunt-y if you ask me. Also hearing the reaction of a bunch of convicts to the material really didn’t improve what was already morally questionable. The songs revel in violence, random and motivated, towards women, strangers, prisoners, and just about anyone who gets in his way, and to hear a group of people incarcerated for the same and worse cheer ecstatically when he “shot a man in Reno just to watch him die” is just too ironic for me. Regardless of the lyrical content of the songs, stylistically they so homogenous that I wondered how the musicians could even keep one shuffle beat honky tonk song straight from another. Oh yeah and then he broke out a “harmonicy”. No thanks.

I’m not into country, but this is my favorite country album.

Excited for this. It’s kind of a famous album and moment but I’ve never actually listened to it. Johnny Cash is a legend that seems to transcend genre. He’s a country rock star but also an icon, and this live album is one of the reasons why. What a banger of an opening. “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” to a roar. And right into Folsom Prison Blues. Crowd eating it up. He’s having fun commenting on the crowd and laughing during the second song. Love the crowd reactions to certain songs. Cocaine Blues is great. What a perfect collection of songs for a prison crowd. This is legitimately great. It’s all country folk with dark themes and prison related songs. Love whenever he interacts with the crowd. This version of Jackson too is unbelievable. I think the context, the songs, and the reactions make this a perfect live album. The performance is great in the setting too. This feels like a clear 5 from me. Great album.

Strålende album

Great live performance from the man In black

YEEEHAWWW

peak entertainment and kinda sad which then became full on sad. all in an enjoyable way

so cool

Again, awesome. I preferred the San Quentin album, though. Rating: 7.7

Really not a fan of live albums.

(5/5) One of the only country music artists I like and one of the few albums by him I truly love. Cash was part of the 'outlaw' country scene and really believed in what he sang about. His (for the US) progressive politics also got him into some weird spaces in the industry. This album, for instance, is about as badass as it comes. Singing about cocaine and shooting your woman in front of a bunch of convicted murderers is arguably dangerous and undeniably brave. Cash was an advocate for the working man and the downtrodden, and that's why this gets a '5'. Plus, it's great music.

One of the best by one of the best. Sometimes the "live" aspect of live albums can be lead to underproduction and distration, but this is one of the few where it adds to the depth and story of the work, and his song choices and delivery really leans into it to create an experience like none before or since. And the fact that it has one of my favorite album covers of all time doesn't hurt. A pure 5/5 with no skips and a mandatory replay.

202. At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash (1968) 9.12.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 4 = 4.0 rounded down to a 4 "Then the sheriff said boy, I'm gonna watch you die/ With 19 minutes to go/ So I laughed in his face and I spit in his eye/ With 18 minutes to go" As a general rule I despise live albums. They're usually sloppily recorded, have ill thought out pacing, and are full of the annoying artist asides, and audience chatter that really gets under my skin and makes me ill-disposed to go in with a neutral attitude. Even artists I absolutely love have rarely been able to pull off the feat. That said, there are exceptions. And it seems like we keep running into them occasionally on this list, which is fine by me. O love having my worldview flipped-turned upside down. And I'd like to take a minute to say that the following is one of those rare exceptions that succeeds BECAUSE of most of those things. This is an album I heard as a kid, and one that my gospel loving ( and singing) grandpa had no issue playing in the house, seeming to pay no mind that young ears were absorbing tales of rampant drug use, and murder. So I heard it plenty, and it became the normal version of these songs. Since then If I've heard a studio version or one from the original or another artist, it's always rankled me a bit. Aside from being lauded for pulling off such a funny as hell concept, Cash deserves all the praise I'm about to heap on him in his performance as well. Few times have I ever heard as charming a motherfucker as this recorded live on stage. THE TRACKS Side one "Folsom Prison Blues" - Written way back in the early 50s I think, well before this event was a twinkle in Cash's promoter's eye, it has that earlier, rockabilly adjacent feel to it in spades. The twangy guitar, the shuffling train engine beat, Cash's confident, smoky deep baritone vocals, and the folky lyrics... all iconic, and this track easily belongs up on the wall with the best ever. And one of the best intros to a song AND album ever. "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" - who else could make such a simple thing ring with such gravitas and thunder. Supposedly it was his standard intro to his live appearances, but dude knew wtf he was doing there. This is pop music image building at it's best y'all. Now, the question is, how can you go anywhere but down after such a explosive opening? "Dark as the Dungeon" - A low and slow coal bit of folk country about the coal miner's plight, this one is fine enough, much much more notable for the funny bit of business Cash gets into with a prisoner, providing a candid, self referential moment that recognizes and comments on the artificial atmosphere of the planned even, and yet not only does not ruin it, but makes it all the more fucking charming. Especially the banter at the end. It's going to be a rare moment when I find a song on the list that I'll tout for reasons OTHER than the musical. This might not even be the last one on this album though. "I Still Miss Someone" - A short but sweet ditty about lost love, and with the trademark Luther Perkins rhythm. "Cocaine Blues" - One of the more memorably electrifying tracks, and one that I imagine had the warden seething with it's unflinching , and definitely not edited for content subject matter. Hilariously the song ends with a pat short as it can be disclaimer about how awful and terrible drugs can be after making it sound as interesting as it could possibly be. I think Cash could plausibly be accused to pandering to his crowd on the whole album, but this might be the key piece of evidence. But what kind of entertainer would he be if he didn't? Also, note the bitch move on part of the prison officials of the announcements over the applause at the end. "25 Minutes to Go" - Cash's voice seems to go out on him a couple times here, but instead of ruining anything it just adds some flavor. And besides he seems to cover by adding some light chuckling, and vamping which add to the charm. This is certainly a bit of a dark bit of comedy, and would make a fine comparison to Nick Cave's "Mercy Seat" to look at how polar opposite takes on the same subject matter can both be delivered successfully. The only Shel Silverstein penned number on the album, which is a shame. "The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa5U2GrLshQ "Orange Blossom Special" - Another railroad song, this time with some harmonica to change things up, and we get a lighter, bouncier bit of escapism that I'm sure the fellas in attendance all appreciated. "The Long Black Veil" - A country murder ballad standard that has a good dozen or more classic versions, one of which I'd count this among. The tragic solemnity is broken briefly with a bit of banter, but it only throws the subject matter into stark relief. We get an extended bit of chatter and stage banter, with Cash getting some water to finally deal with that croak that's been building for a couple of songs. And like clockwork, the officials come in with another announcement when things get just a tiny bit rowdier than they'd like. Side two "Send a Picture of Mother" - A Cash original that works fine enough as an opener for side two, and maybe more than a few guys in teh crowd had to stifle some tears at the subject matter, given their circumstances. "The Wall" - We get another downer of a track, and yet another one that must have had the warden rethinking his decision. Possibly the darkest one on the album. "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog" - Easily the funniest song on the album, it's short to the point and Cash delivers the punchline with aplomb. The levity was much needed at this point, and would not be surprised if this one was an audible that Cash called as it couldn't have been too much trouble to swing into with short notice. "Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart" - Sensing how well this one went over, Cash pulls out another Jack Clement joke song before easing back into the set list proper. This works even better, getting uproarious laughter from the audience on each of the increasingly humorous metaphors. "Jackson" (with June Carter) - If "Ring of Fire" is maybe his signature song, this is his most joyous for me and only slightly less iconic to me. I've heard it performed along with the inestimable June Carter many times, both in studio recordings, live in studio, and even tv tapings and it never fails to be one of the most delightfully appealing duets in the history of popular music. This performance is no different. "Give My Love to Rose" - Another sad one that brings the mood back down, and does some lifting in preparing for the final stretch. "I Got Stripes" - Not a favorite of mine, but at least we get some nice backing vocals by ( I think from June Carter and the Statler Brothers) "Green, Green Grass of Home" - Some heavy gospel vibes on this one, again with backing vocals from the Statlers. Fine stuff, if not teh mode I prefer Cash in. "Greystone Chapel" - More gospel vibes, but tempered with some fine country twang, and a very solid closer. The prisoners booing the warden when he comes up is a great moment. The chatter here at the end with everyone filing out is key to the vibe of this thing, so I urge you not to skip it. HIGHLIGHTS - "Folsom Prison Blues" - "Dark as the Dungeon" - "Cocaine Blues" - "25 Minutes to Go" - "The Long Black Veil" - "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog" - "Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart" - "Jackson" MIDLIGHTS - "I Still Miss Someone" - "Orange Blossom Special" - "Send a Picture of Mother" - "The Wall" - "Give My Love to Rose" - "I Got Stripes" - "Green, Green Grass of Home" - "Greystone Chapel" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS It's a shame this was not shot as a concert film, as live footage might have earned this one another full star. Cash and his producers realized very quickly that they had captured lightning in a bottle and sought to quickly cash in.. ahem... soon after with a fully produced for television concert at San Quentin prison the next year. That one is fun, but way looser and frayed around the edges than this one, and I think watered down, content wise. I have not seen the full broadcast, but my understanding is that it's a mix of some songs and interviews with prisoners and officials, and some documentary info included. Does not sound very interesting. Crazily, I read that the full set was filmed, just has never been released unedited. I guess even today, some people are still allergic to money. This one has lost none of the edge and charm that I remember it always having, and there are more than a few fully iconic moments that make this a pretty understandable choice for the list. Even if country is not your thing, Cash was such a large and looming presence and influence ( for better or worse) on the troubled rock stars who would come after, that it should be required listening. Start them kids at 4th or 5th grade I say, with a whole unit devoted to Cash and this album. As much as I absolutely respect this thing as an artifact, and as good as it still is as a piece of entertainment, it still can't help but fall short of my requirements for the 5-star club. That i rated it as high as I did tells you something about how essential I feel this one is, but it's far more of a mixed bag musically for me. There's no garbage on here by any means though. It's just a lot of otherwise mediocre and middling Cash songs that are balanced out by the thrilling atmosphere of the album as a while. Listen to this and file it away in your brain, somewhere in the vicinity but not entirely close to punk rock, as it's as authentically as much of a middle-finger poked into the eye of those in charge as any of those first wave punk albums that attempted any sort of political messaging. Possible turn-Offs might include: - public displays of anti-authoritarianism - a casual and messy presentation - LOTS of audience participation - cocky, self assuredness from the artist - lots and lots of country You Might enjoy this if you: - find said public displays of anti-authoritarianism funny as fuck, especially when done under the auspices of those same authorities - love the live crackling live energy of a hot crowd - find Cash to be a charming son of a bitch - are interested in pop music oddities PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - that would sort of defeat the whole point, no? FURTHER LISTENING - here are some more live albums, all recorded under interesting circumstances: - Kick Out the Jams by the MC5 - Live at San Quentin by Johnny Cash - Live at Pompeii by Pink Floyd - 23 Minutes Over Brussels by Suicide - Take No Prisoners by Lou Reed - Live at Napa State Mental Hospital by the Cramps

"… Well, you wonder why I always dress in black Why you never see bright colors on my back And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on … I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime But is there because he's a victim of the times" Johnny Cash was outlaw country before that was a marketing term used to sell music to people that just wanted to ape the aesthetic. This album is an outstanding extension of the man's beliefs, one that aims to poke the eye of authority. And lest we think this was a one off stunt, Cash played prisons throughout the 50s and 60s. The entire project just seems like a run of inspired choices. Inspired to pitch the idea to Columbia, the choice of tracks to include, the on-stage banter, pestering the warden, and being slapped in cuffs (I suspect) there at the end. Just perfect. This as Rock and Roll as it gets and we're recording a country album here. 5/5

One of the albums that justifies the whole concept of a live album.

I love Johnny cash. To be fair - he’s great but every song sounds the same. It’s a great sound though. BRUH HE SNORTED COCAINE AND THEN SHOT HIS WIFE? AND ALL THOSE MURDERERS CHEERED? I’m a feminist but that’s iconic. His asides are hilarious. I wish johnny cash was real. Someone get this man a drink of water. June Carter popping in for a brief cameo and she absolutely destroys. I want to be her

Forgot how good the drumming is? Lots of giggles, band is locked in. Would love to read a detailed history of how this recording went down, incl decisions around “moving cheers” etc

This is a perfect album, it couldn't be any better.

second johnny cash this week!! banger. already knew a lot of this. johnny cash is one of the few artists that me and dad could listen to whilst he was teaching me to drive because we both enjoyed listening to him. a great time

There are too many live albums on the list, but this one is really worth it. Cash delivers an incredible performance, and songs like Folsom Prison Blues and 25 Minutes to Go both have a great power and a gallows humour to them for the audience. My enjoyment of the humour was spoiled slightly by reading that the cheering at ‘I Shot a Man in Reno’ was added in post-production, but Cash’s interludes and the texture of the announcements to the prisoner still make this a remarkably funny as well as striking listen. An essential album.

This album captures the atmosphere of the performances so well that I felt like one of the inmates. Johnny Cash spoke directly to the lives of these prisoners and they rewarded him with this electric atmosphere. The songs themselves are good, showcasing his extraordinary storytelling ability, even if the overall sound did get a bit samey at times.

A great live album, and the concept of playing country songs about murders, jail cells and executions to prisoners, and the interaction with that audience, really enhances the experience. I generally preferred the more uptempo tracks like ‘Folsom Prison Blues’, ‘Cocaine Blues’, ‘25 Minutes to Go’ (great example of literal gallows humour) and ‘Jackson’ (a wonderful duet with June Carter), but the ballads were solid as well, especially the closing track ‘Greystone Chapel’, written by one of the Folsom inmates who was in the audience for this concert. I didn’t love every song, but it’s a strong 4 for sure.

Classic banga

Un disco mítico por su significado y por su calidad que cuenta, además con Carl Perkins y June Carter entre otros. Grabado en la prisión californiana que ya fuera objeto de un tema una década atrás. Sin embargo que nadie espere bailes y algarabío durante le concierto (en realidad dos, el mismo día) pues esas voces fueron añadidas posteriormente. En realidad el concierto se celebró con gran contención y emotividad. Destacan, Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues o el clásico Jackson.

Legitimately one of the best albums put to print. The man is sitting in a jail singing about all manner of things that get you sent there while the prisoners cheer and he's chuckling about it. It's a great live album, sometimes you want them to be as clear as you can, this one wouldn't be as good if it was cleaned up. His voice, the inmates voices, all of it needs that grit to come across. Without it I don't think this album is as good. Great album.

Well, with the San Quentin live album being one of my first albums of the 1001 Albums project, it's only fitting that the Folsom Prison one would be one of my last. Now, I might have enjoyed the San Quentin one a bit, but this Folsom Prison one is on a whole other level. I don't know what it is, but this one just hits so much harder for me in all of the right ways. The song performances feel more lively. The audience interactions feel more special. Maybe it's the novelty of this being the first prison live show that Johnny Cash did, but this just feels more momentous than the San Quentin show. Maybe it's my mentality. I've become a lot more aware of the many problems in the prison system and law enforcement. I guarantee you that most of the guys in this prison were in there for drug possession or some stupid shit like that. I can empathize with these guys, and I think it's awesome that Johnny Cash gave these guys an awesome performance! But how good is the performance really? It's great! The music work of the band is pretty cool. The drummer has some moments where he just goes all out and it's great! Johnny's performance skills are excellent. His voice is at the best it's ever been and his charisma here is off the charts! But what about the songs? Are they good? Oh yeah they are. These songs are perfect for the prison show. Starting off with "Folsom Prison Blues" where the whole crowd cheers after Johnny sings about shooting a man in Reno is perfect. Other songs like "Cocaine Blues" and "Greystone Chapel" match the energy very well. I really like the variety in tones here. Some songs are on the more melancholic side like "Dark as the Dungeon" and "The Long Black Veil." But then you have one of the best compliments that I can give this album. This might be the funniest album I've ever listened to. Not only are Johnny's quips humorous, but songs like "25 Minutes to Go" and "Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart" are just inherently funny. I was smiling the whole time. And the crowd? They're just as important to the energy as Johnny. Hearing them boo when the warden is mentioned or cheer every time Johnny sings about killing someone is just funny. There really isn't anything quite like Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison. The music itself is great, obviously, but it's everything surrounding it that makes the album special. I'd still enjoy the music on its own, but the context and energy behind the performance turn At Folsom Prison from a nice time to an unforgettable piece of music history. I like other albums more, but my respect for At Folsom Prison is enough to give this thing a low 5/5. GKMC wasn't my last one after all! This one could be though.

I prefer San Quentin to this one. There are parts of this that feel almost like a stand-up comedy act, sort of a jokey song guy thing. When he sings about killing someone in Reno just to watch him die and the crowd applauds - chilling.

Sounds nostalgic for a time that simply wasn't my own. It's a personal failing, but I can't look past the old timey feeling of it. Really good as far as live albums go though, the crowd was really into it for obvious reasons.

A classic album of a good man entertaining those he understood.

Man Folsom Prison sucks This is a really fun album; in terms of live albums we’ve had this is definitely the one that felt most like a concert with all the audience chatter and moment where Cash cracks up during the set, which I think is great. Johnny Cash has without a doubt one of the most iconic voices in music history, and it’s on full display here. I think this would be a drastically worse album if it was just some other random country singer. The theming is off the charts here; how can you get any better than performing Outlaw Country at a maximum security prison? I think the second half of the album kinda drags a bit, and musically it’s a relatively shallow album, but I think the biggest problem with this is that it can be kinda difficult to just throw on between all the parts that aren’t really music. Very minor nitpicks in the grand scheme of things, really torn between a 4 and a 5 on this one. I think it’s just a bit too hard to put on regularly so it’s a high 4; still a fantastic album that’s one of the pinnacles of the genre

a man singing 'ive been flushed from the bathroom of your heart' to thunderous laughter in a prison transcends words

Johnny cash is fire.

this was so fun and i liked the songs. i used to hate live albums bc i hated how they strayed from the studio version. now, i can appreciate how they differ, and the raw vocals and general atmosphere of where it was performed. this was a great intro to Johnny Cash because i got a taste of his personality and his talent, and an audience that had a great time. i’m also realizing that i don’t dislike country as much as i thought i did, i just don’t much like modern country. other than like 2 Florida Georgia Line songs.

There's some good tracks on here, there's some okay tracks on here. There's a selection of lyrics I would never dream of singing to a prison audience myself. But, it's an interesting time capsule if nothing else.

Kinda can't believe I'd never listened to this before; it's great. One of the very few live albums that are actually elevated by being live. I can't help but wonder what it must have been like to be in the room. It's almost not even country. I don't think I'd classify it as anything else (folk/western blues?), but the twang is minimal. I wouldn't love this if it were a studio album, but I'd still like it. Also the harmonica is great on "Orange Blossom Special." This will be only my 38th 5-star review out of 778, and somehow Johnny Cash has 2 of them. Didn't see that coming.

Concept, sound, themes. Nothing like it!

So so cool how this was performed in a prison. The audience are just as important to the album as the music, and the raw way Johnny Cash performs on stage feels undeniably real. The music is seriously great.

How exclusive was this show? People were engaging in criminal activity just to get tickets. Seriously, how many artists now would perform in a prison?

Clearly this is a great album. I don’t even like country music and I can tell.

Just incredible!!!!!!

Brutal

Johnny Cash is great, one of the best country/blues voices I’ve ever heard

Iconic.

fun but not something I would listen to

A lovely listening experience. Johnny Cash's depressed country style just hits a spot! Unfortunately it's a lot of the same things happening all over again over different songs. So for the lack of diversity it's a 4 star rating.

Johnny Cash's onstage presence is truly amazing. He very clearly has a lot of charisma, and even with an audience in a prison is still able to get them excited about his music. His whole performance on this album is so fun and catchy, so much so that in moments he even has to tell the inmates to be quiet so that he can actually play the songs, not many artists have such a strong stage presence for that to be necessary. It's very rare for an artist's most iconic album to be a live album, but I think that's just testament to how good of a performer Johnny Cash was. I slightly prefer other projects of his, but it's completely reasonable for this album to be his most famous work.

didn't love this

Album 59/1001. Listened 8/31-9/1/2026. Can't argue with a legend. I like the non-legacy edition better. So many classics, and June.

At Folsom Prison works because Johnny Cash never walks into the prison pretending to be their savior. He walks in as Johnny Cash. He sings about murder. Prison. Drugs. Loneliness. Regret. Women. Death. Humor. And freedom. And the prisoners respond because he doesn’t judge them from above. He sings from somewhere beside them. That’s why the cheers sound so different from normal concert applause. They’re not just cheering a celebrity. They’re hearing someone tell stories about people they recognize. And then Greystone Chapel gives the final word to an actual prisoner. That’s almost impossibly good sequencing.

Great album. Felt intimate

The live versions of these songs just go harder than the other recordings. It’s a great album and you can easily see how it became a phenomenon.

We listened to this in the car and basically spoke over the whole thing. It just felt the same as the other live Johnny cash album and some of the songs were the same. I think he’s great at story telling but I don’t think this sound is for me really.

This was fine, feel like I can listen to this sort of stuff way more as a result of this project. Fine to have on in the background.

I’m going be disappointingly honest here. If I gave this a 4 or a 5 star review, I would simply be acting performative. Objectively, I do think this is a 5 star album. If I was an actual music critic judging the album on merit and quality, it would get a glowing review with a ton of praise for the most legendary Country artist in human history. All that being said, I find the context of this album infinitely more interesting than the actual music accompanying it. I likely won’t say anything here that hasn’t been said before, but playing in front of prisoners while each and every song is about them specifically is the most Metal thing to quite possibly ever exist on an album. At one point, he sings about murdering someone simply because he felt like it, and the audience actually erupts with cheering and laughter. That’s actually kind of incredible. The way that he mentions actual prisoner numbers being wanted at reception between some of these songs, and the prisoners booing figures of authority throughout this album is actually incredible. There are times when live albums bother me because of the audience being annoying, or the sound quality not being great, or a number of other reasons. But here, the audience truly makes the entire performance that much better. Every cheer, boo, laughter, and especially the way Cash reacts to it all, is amazing. Genuinely amazing. Even if I don’t like Country music and I find the songs themselves boring and repetitive, it was worth hearing this album from front to back, as it really does make you feel like you are presently in the moment, watching the whole thing go down. Now, when I first heard it, I was unsure if he was taking the piss or not. A lot of his performance here could be interpreted as braggadocios in nature, as again, he’s singing about killing people and doing drugs in front of legitimate prisoners. But, not only do the prisoners themselves love him, Cash was also a huge proponent in prison reform, and helping them out in general. Johnny Cash played to multiple prisons, and would continue to do so. So no, he definitely was not taking the piss here. It’s as genuine as it could be. Talking about some individual songs here for a second, the fact that he is unable to swear, as mentioned in “Dark as the Dungeon”, but singing “Cocaine Blues” in full is fine has one of the funniest things in the world to me. Saying hell or shit?? Absolutely not. Get it off the album. Singing about murdering some bitch because you feel like it and being high on cocaine?? Yes please, that belongs on the album for sure. Cash is one funny guy. He’s a legend, THE legend, for a reason. He could work a room and have everyone in it eating out of the palm of his hand effortlessly. What a freaking guy. This is the second of 3 Johnny Cash albums I’ve rolled for this project, following “American IV: The Man Comes Around”, which I did actually find more interesting than this album. The third and final album is also him playing Live to another prison, and released a year later after this album. Go figure. My gold metal for favorite song is going to go to “Green, Green Grass of Home” simply because I really like how hopeful it is, at the very end of the album. You can really hear how it hits the prisoners souls and resonates with them. It’s quite powerful, as opposed to the hauntingly chaotic “25 Minutes to Go”, which is just an insane thing to sing in front of prisoners to begin with. This is a great album, and I truly believe the context and background surrounding it is both more interesting and more important than the actual music accompanying it. Cash is the best, man. Always will be. And this just proves it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ lätty!

so awesome, love this mans voice

Listened

Not my usual type of music but undeniably genius

It’s so fun for me to listen to live versions and this album feels so authentic, the audience and him stopping mid song for whatever reason (can i have a glass of water??) create an awesome atmosphere. Would have never thought of liking country music but honestly this was an experience. Having it played in the background and only once I cannot exactly distinguish the songs one from the other but I will listen to it again to find my favourites.

A classic country album that can't be topped in this lifetime or next.

Obvious classic.

Bon

Johnny Cash remains the only good country artist. Also I dont want to hear any boomers complain about rap music being too violent and misogynistic when this album exists.

A legendary live release, and one of the most famous across all music history- had never listened so I didn't know that it is intimate as hell. The prisoners getting called away in the middle of the songs is actually insane and the fact that they kept it on the record is crazy. Like "San Quentin" he makes you laugh and moves you in equal measure. Incredible stage presence that comes through even in audio only. Of course the title track is probably one of the most iconic country songs ever. Good versions of "I Still Miss Someone" and "Cocaine Blues" are also amongst Cash's best.

This is iconic for a reason. It's got so much energy to it. Johnny Cash has so much presence and charisma, and the audience and setting adds a lot to it as well. I like how his songs are so rich in their story-telling. 3.5 rounded up.

Best Track - "Jackson"

5/5. Up there with the best live albums ever made.the story goes that after recording “Folsom Prison Blues” in the 1950’s, inmates began writing Cash letters asking if he’d play a show in a prison. Over a decade later in 1967 thanks to some shifting around at his record label, Cash was able to do just that and performed at Folsom Prison. Which ended up being a major revival for his career musically as he was struggling for much of the 60’s before this (thanks in part to severe drug problems.) The biggest boon to the audience of this album being prisoners is how they react to the music, they cheer at every act of violence and cruelty that cash sings of and it’s hilarious. As for Cash himself, he is at the top of his game here as both a singer and a showman and you can feel that he was having so much fun playing this concert. Of course with the show being at Folsom prison he opens with “Folsom Prison Blues” but the hits keep coming from there whether that be “Cocaine Blues” or “25 minutes to go” (which was actually originally written and performed by poet Shel Silverstein who Cash worked with a number of times.) the album even closes off with a song written by a Folsom Prison inmate titled “Greystone Chapel.” At Folsom Prison is both one of the greatest live albums and greatest country albums, and it is always a joy to revisit.

The live album that revitalized a career. It's strange to think that an icon such as Johnny Cash was struggling professionally during what some could consider the prime of his life. But that was the case in the 60s apparently. After personnel changes at his record label, Cash was finally able to achieve his crazy goal of performing at a prison. Enter "At Folsom Prison", a live performance led by the famous "Folsom Prison Blues" and featuring one half of Cash's upbeat numbers with his more slower ballads in the latter half. Maybe a little samey in some of the track selections, but it's still fun, spirited, and engaging at times with the mid-track bantering. Please get that man a glass of water!

Ok

This is a classic Johnny Cash album. It was recorded in 1968 in Folsom Prison a maximum security prison before about 200 prisoners. These prisoners had done serious crimes. He was accompanied by a five piece band and June Carter Johnny Cash’s wife. Johnny has a lot of empathy for the prisoners. He had had a few brushes with the law when he was young. Cash has such a distinctive voice. The audience is quite rowdy. Let’s look at some of the key songs from the album. Folsom Prison Blues: the title track of the album. A classic. I shot a man down in Reno/just to watch him die. Cocaine Blues: everyone knows what a serious drug cocaine is in. The convict shot his woman while high on cocaine. Long Black Veil: one of Cash’s most famous songs. An innocent man charged with murder didn’t use his alibi. He was with his best friend’s wife. She know wears a long black veil in mourning. Jackson: a classic song. Call and response with June Carter. All the songs on this album are excellent. A five star album.

A few too many moments of country hokum keep this album from the highest rating. Always stripped down musically, Cash filed his sound even further to deliver songs with a stark energy and anger. Several songs leap off the vinyl with an intensity that reaches boiling point. Both Cash between song patter and musical selections play off the prison locale without overt pandering. The fatalism and violence of songs’ lyrics get driven home with Cash’s vocals. He can fly through up-tempo numbers in frenetic fashion. To steal a line from an old Musician magazine article, his voice on the slow numbers sounds like a coal mine caved in on Easter morning. Cash had a terrific eye for cover material. Classic country “Dark as a Dungeon” and “Long Black Veil” carry all of the doomed outlook that the word possess.(Cash does weaken this mood by breaking into a chuckle on both songs.) The tragic fate continues with furious versions of “Cocaine Blues” and “25 Minutes to Go.” With only a quartet of musicians the music reaches a fury of desperation. Cash wraps himself fully into these characters that is as thrilling as the best movie. His standard set list gets powerful renditions as June and he blitz through one of the few non-prison songs, “Jackson”, with the same passion. The top 10 best lines ever, “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die”, hits with special power. Sure “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart” and “Dirty Old Egg Sucking-Dog” offer an unwelcome comedy respite that is akin to the “humor” that Walter Brennan’s characters would drop into the middle of a tense Western. I can’t blame Cash for their inclusion, since his show called for this type of fare. Rather than offer expanded versions, with different arrangements, like most albums. Cash found punk rock level minimalism to create a volcanic performance.

Johnny Cash walked into Folsom State Prison on January 13th 1968, looked out at 2000 inmates, and said into the microphone: I just wanted to tell you that this show is being recorded for an album released on Columbia Records, so you can't say hell or shit or anything like that. The crowd responded accordingly. This is the greatest stage introduction in the history of live recording and it set the tone for everything that followed. Cash had never spent serious time in prison despite decades of carefully cultivated mythology suggesting otherwise. He wrote Folsom Prison Blues in 1953 while serving in the Air Force in Germany, inspired by a prison documentary, and spent the next fifteen years letting people believe he had lived every word of it. The inmates at Folsom did not care about the biography. They cared that he showed up, looked them in the eye, and sang like he meant it. He did mean it, which is the distinction that separates this from every other celebrity prison visit in history. He learned Greystone Chapel specifically for the concert, a song written by Folsom inmate Glen Sherley, who Cash had discovered through a prison chaplain. Cash rehearsed it feverishly in the days before the show. When he performed it, Sherley sat in the front row hearing his own words sung back to him by the most important country artist alive. Sherley was paroled the following year. Cash helped him get a recording contract. The story did not end well for Sherley, but the moment itself was as close to grace as a prison gymnasium gets. The crowd noise on the finished album was partially overdubbed in post production because the inmates' actual reactions were occasionally too muted for the master tapes. The most famous moment, the line I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die, was met with near silence in the room because armed guards stood on walkways above the audience. The producer added crowd noise afterward. Cash knew and approved. Some myths require a little assistance and this one earned it. 4 out of 5. One star for the opening announcement, which is the greatest stage introduction ever recorded. One for Greystone Chapel, learned in three days for one man sitting in the front row. One for showing up to a place most people avoid and meaning every word of it. One for the mythology, which was partly constructed and entirely deserved.

There's such a unique, special magic to Cash's prison show tapes - it's one of the rare formats where recording live injects the performance with such magic that really couldn't be replicated in the studio. the rowdy cheering, Cash's little cheeky quips, his earnestness and humility in engaging with the populace. Even him screwing up mid-song, acknowledging it - it feels like you're really in the room with him, smelling the cheap tobacco and sweat. You can sense that this is a certified classic as you're listening to it, note-by-note, as one of country music's greatest bass-baritone voice runs through his hits. He's a natural storyteller, able to seamlessly weave been the comedic and the dramatic, with a natural bardic flair that's honestly very difficult to find. Fav tracks: Folsom Prison Blues, Jackson

Never listened to this in full before. What a ride, cocaine and murder ballads in front of prisoners. 4/5.

Johnny pretending like he's a tough guy in front of an audience of actual criminals who have been convicted of who-knows-what crimes is a weird concept. I like that this recording exists (really needs to be the only live prison album by him on here) but it's really not that spectacular in terms of storytelling (egg sucking dog is the worst) - it's mostly just him pandering stories to the audience. Meh+. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

Sounded especially great coming after that shitty Stereo MC’s album.

Nothing special. I mean nice voice and sound but def not for me even though i understand why some people love this calm type of music.

country, not a big fan. older -> not familiar with less than 2000s... although i don't hate it, not sure if i would listen on daily basis... after reading comments: it is good, but i'm simply not "american" when it comes to music. They do feel somewhat similar, but some stick out, usually cause of their pacing. fav(s as listening): the long black veil, send a picture to mother, the wall (RS) FINAL THOUGHTS: good album! thinking about the context of the prisoners hearing this as songs they relate to, i can see why people like this. some of the songs are better than others, but most do sound somewhat similar. slightly better than decent! 6.94/10

really co

Another album I've listened to a few times before, great stuff, love his banter with the prisoners at times. I personally prefer San Quentin, but only by a margin.

Immediately, excited! I live right by Folsom Prison so this album is pretty legendary! I love that I can hear him talking to the crowd while hes playing. Its awesome they left all that in the recording. I am continually swept up in hearing him talk to the crowd. I should spend some more time listening to live albums if they're like this!! LOL dont love the idea of stomping on a dog or shooting him for eating eggs... kinda fucked up yall. Loved this!!

Johnny Cash deserves the hype

Great choices for the audience, Mr Cash

Definently an essential listen, even if I don't enjoy the whole show as much as the inmates. I love Johnny Cash, I think the St Quintin recording is better.

Johnny Cash is one of the staples of rock and roll from back in the day. Great listen with some timeless tunes. “25 minutes to go” was one I hadn’t heard before. It stood out due to the structure of the lyrics ticking down to the singer’s ultimate demise. Nothing about this album is overally complicated as to be expected for the time period. Cash’s voice is in its prime and to have this album be recorded live in an actual prison is pretty fucking cool. 7.8/10.

I’m not really a country fan, but the fact that it was recorded in a prison is just an awesome move—though comparing it to Nirvana is a bit bold.

I have never been to prison and never seen Johnny Cash in concert, and yet, I feel like I have done both every time I listen to this album.

I can’t help but find the heavy editing of those fake crowd sounds distracting every time I hear this. A fun live document, artificial as some of it may be.

All time classic live album.

This is a fine live album, it's not something I'd ever go out of my way to listen to. I did enjoy his little comments to the crowd

5/5

Loved it. It being live and set a prison created a great ambiance for Johnny Cash's silky singing. Usually not my cup of tea, but this album's quality transcends genre bias.

1. "I Still Miss Someone" 2. "Jackson" feat. June CARTER CASH 3. "Give My Love to Rose" feat. June CARTER CASH

Say what you like about Taylor Swift, she's never recorded an album in a prison. This is however the second one by Johnny on this list. What can I say, he's a funny guy. His songs are amusing and poignant at the same time.

Ok

This is at minimum a 4 for the riffed interaction with prisoners audience and warden announcements. I don't know if I disliked the voice cracks and mistakes or loved that this shit was so genuine. I think I'm more on the enjoy side. Pretty cool he did this, definitely felt transported to that strange place in time.

Probably one of the best live albums out there. Sounds great and incredibly important piece of work.

Not for me…

DAMN NO WORDS

познакомился джони кэшем, в целом интересно

Ha, so far ful enjoyable. Te njegove quips vmes med komadi so super. Pa muska mi je tud všeč, od nekdaj (se prav odkar sm prvič za njega slišala (2005, ko so film nardil, ha). Zdi se mi tud kul izbira komadov - tematsko o drogah, zločinih, samomoru v zaporu - težke teme, sam glih to potegne kle njegovo publiko. Pa itak so komadi zastavljeni tko, da ma velikrat vmes šale & they love it. Pr "Jackson" se pridruži June (pozabila sm, kako ma hud vokal). "I Got Stripes" je ful dobr primer prej omenjenih tematik z miksom zabavne melodije & humorja.

Would go hard if I was in the middle of a ranch in the deep south.

Muito bom

It wasn't for me, not the kind of music I usually hear.

Wow what a story! Such a rollercoaster of emotions, with great humour! Quite similar tunes but a nice old fashioned vibe to it. Sometimes there were odd screechy bits I’m not a fan of, and I wouldn’t listen to more than one or two songs at a time usually, but I did enjoy the album overall.

3/5 songs, maybe 4/5? 5/5 vibes tho

Obwohl ich nicht wirklich Live-Alben mag, ist das von Johnny Cash ganz gut

Even though I'm not a fan of country/rockabilly, Johnny Cash is undoubtedly a very talented artist and I do think these tracks are pretty good. They are also in insane quality for being performed live and recorded in the 60s. I had never listened to the album before, but knew of the historic performance. It's definitely an album that I'd consider a must-hear.

entiendo como podría ser la vida de orion carloto si escucho este disco todos los días.

He had the crowd in the palm of his hands. Sounds amazing. I think san quentin is better but this was truly groundbreaking and such an easy listen. Shoutout June, she sounds incredible in here songs

Thought this was a very fun listen. The wholesome family nature of the songs really made you reflect when you consider the nature of the audience

3/5

25 mins to go was a fave Can't fault the voice

it’s pretty boring

I prefer the San Quentin album but this rocks too.

The vibes are immaculate. Definition of iconic.

Amazing live album! Cash is one of the greats to do it and even if he is not from the metal genre he was truly METAL! Rest in power

First live album where I’m not like “come on” A great set made something of a legendary historical document by all the intertrack bantery stuff and crowd interaction. Best part is in the title track “But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die…” “WOOOOOO”

Yeah Johnny cash hits again, deffo be back to this Singing 25 minutes to go to prison inmates to cruel and unusual punishment however 4

Bon album Country, avec beaucoup de Blues, enregistré en live dans la prison de Folsom, pour des détenus. Les cris auraient été rajoutés en post prod car les détenus auraient eu peur des représailles en montrant trop d’enthousiasme. Il y a un feat avec sa femme June Carter et il a interprété une chanson écrite par un détenu.

Some of these songs are masterpieces, but I also find the kind of borscht-belt aspects of Cash's œuvre distracting. I get that the hard men of Folsom Prison were also there to drink some prison Tang and laugh, not just hear stories about gunfights and tragic love, but still. (I don't like comedy in general to be fair.)

Felt like an album for folk Americans, and thus not a fit for me.

un clásico

Good ol country, interesting snap shot of history to listen to

Nah. I got into Johnny Cash for a little while once but it's all a bit plodding really.

An essential country album, but a bit sedate. Between this and Live at San Quentin, the latter is the better record, but that doesn't take away from the remarkable achievement of this album

Once you’ve heard one Johnny cash prison album I think you get the point. Still a fun listen.

Turns out I just love Johnny Cash. Makes me glad Ive done this album challenge

Pretty good, displays a lot of the original kind of rockabilly country sound. Very cool to learn about the history behind this project. 4/5

Country

Gotta love "Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart", c'mon.

We need more prison live albums. Give me wu tang clan live at rikers island

Ring O'fire... Another fallout 3 alumnus. ---- Live albums as I've said before are not for me. In this one the crowd are raucous as all hell which adds good energy and it seems like he's picked up tracks from the prisoners? That's pretty cool. Watery blues and country jangling are not the focal point here. They are merely a scaffold to Cash's storytelling. It's observational history, snapshots of lives I'd imagine real and exaggerated. Some tracks are pretty dark which I really like, especially [25 minutes to go] - singing that to prisoners is obviously tickling Jonny. [Jackson] is a great change of pace, and the female vocal is powerful as all hell. Definitely the highlight of the album for me, closely followed by [I got stripes]. I thought I'd not enjoy a live album ever and this far it's been true however this could be a turning point? So far I've not had much country, more the pop orientated stuff that didn't land. This cynical, dark stuff? I can get behind. I was thinking a 2 for the first half, but the longer it went on, the better it got. Second time round it was even better. ***

Great, great album

Man, if you get concerts like this in jail maybe I’ll go commit a crime

Disco histórico em que a comunhão de artista e plateia é palpável. Transcende a música e para os não iniciados no country, é ótima introdução.

An album I know well and love

Good storytelling, I didn’t mind it

Live at san Quentin was my first album on the list and I liked it but this one doesn’t hit the same Not sure why there’s more than one of these on here He’s way more silly goofy on this one but his jokes are about shooting his dog He's also doing a lot a lot of weird voices He's giving krusty the clown or evil jim carrey

Bra! Det finns väl inte så mycket mer att säga. Det är en jäkla stämning och Cash är cool som få. Att musiken inte är perfekt spelar mindre roll. Texterna och stämningen väger upp för de missar som görs. Jag skulle säga att missarna bara gör det bättre. Som kvinna är det alltid tröttsamt att lyssna på våld mot kvinnor oavsett vad det är. När publiken dessutom skrattar blir det bara obehagligt men... Albumet är mycket bra och visst kan man väl sakna en sådan som Cash som här är väldigt autentisk.

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album Somewhat How do I feel about this artist? I like Johnny Cash but I’ve never listened to a whole album Pre-Listen Thoughts: I think it’ll be a good way to end the week. This is the kind of thing I joined the list for, things I’ve always thought about but never really listened to. Favorite track(s): Folsom Prison Blues, Give My Love To Rose Post-Listen Thoughts: I thought this was really fun. I love that you could hear all the background noise from the prison, I really enhanced the vibe. This is the specific type of country that I enjoy.

- He has such a nice singing voice - My nan likes him - All his songs are recorded live

What a incredible set and the story behind it

One of the greatest live albums of all time with great crowd reactions and funny moments. The album that restarted Cash’s career. For me it’s brought down by really being a compilation album and the majority of songs were not written by Cash. Still a great listen and definitely one that is needed before you die IMO

4.5 - fantastic

You can hear the room before you fully hear the record. A thousand men are listening—not merely waiting for an excuse to cheer, but absorbing every word—and their bodies become part of the acoustics. The band sounds close, dry and surrounded; even the audience’s silence has a sound. Then Cash tears into “Folsom Prison Blues” at a terrific clip and the whole place comes alive. From there, At Folsom Prison is 45 minutes of barely contained joy. “Cocaine Blues” turns murder, flight and a 99-year sentence into a back-of-the-bus singalong. “25 Minutes to Go” makes execution into black comedy without lessening its horror. “Orange Blossom Special” sends a train rattling through the mess hall, with W.S. Holland’s broken press rolls hammering the rail joints beneath Cash’s harmonica. The band continually sounds as though it might leave the tracks while quietly ensuring it never does. This is a gloriously ragged performance. Cash forgets lines, laughs at himself and carries on. During “Long Black Veil”, his low E is somewhere around D-and-three-quarters, but stopping to retune would be the least musical thing he could do. The tuning is wrong; the performance is right. Cash understands the troubadour’s hierarchy: the guitar serves the voice, the voice serves the story and the story serves the truth. That truth does not require relentless solemnity. Cash announces “a couple of love songs” and gives the prisoners “Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog” and “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart”. It is barrack-room humour: coarse, childish, sociable and perfectly judged. He does not patronise the men with an evening of worthy songs explaining imprisonment to them. He treats them as an audience to entertain. The jokes make the sentiment hit harder. “Send a Picture of Mother” is pure prison corn—home, shame, separation and the sacred maternal photograph—but Cash’s plainness saves it. Prison confiscates not only liberty but rooms, routines, family and horizon. I once knew a young man who, after coming out, spent his days pushing his son around Pontefract because he said he had never been able to look at the sky. He was not walking anywhere in particular. He was exercising the freedom to keep moving beneath it. Then June Carter arrives for “Jackson” and throws open every window in the place. The studio recording is a polished artefact; here, Johnny and June set fire to the song for sport. She almost cackles her replies, he urges her further, and the band hangs on behind them while both singers enjoy the quarrel slightly too much. It is raw, flirtatious and fractionally overexcited. The enjoyment is the performance. That tremendous reception seems to settle Cash. On “Give My Love to Rose”, his voice may be at its best on the album: deep, rounded and wonderfully sonorous. He stops pushing and simply tells the story. “I Got Stripes” follows as another cracking communal performance, ending with an inspired plunge into the depths of his bass register, as though a trapdoor has opened beneath the song. “Green, Green Grass of Home” is easy to murder. I know this from having performed a fucking dreadful version on a Casio VL-Tone in the Bretton Hall bar as interval entertainment for Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton. Cash’s slow country swing restores it to what it is: not a sentimental homecoming with a clever twist, but a condemned prisoner dreaming of freedom. There can be no better room in which to sing it. Finally, Cash introduces “Greystone Chapel”, written by Folsom inmate Glen Sherley, who is sitting in the audience unaware that his song is about to be performed. The room understands the magnitude of hearing one of its own named and honoured. It is also a superb country song, worked into a convincing full-band arrangement at extraordinary speed. Knowing the sadness of Sherley’s later life complicates the moment, but cannot diminish it. For those few minutes, redemption sounds possible. Yes, the album was constructed from two performances. All live albums are constructed. The question is whether the editing manufactures excitement or concentrates something that genuinely happened, and no producer invented this room. The prison announcements, cracked notes, fluffed words, laughter and terrible tuning all belong to the event. When the concert ends, the tape continues running and prison administration resumes. Cash can leave; his audience returns to instructions, numbers and confinement. Jerry Lee Lewis at the Star Club sets fire to the room. Johnny Cash at Folsom learns how to play the room itself. Five stars, and possibly the second-best live album ever recorded. Play loud.

The best live album

Second album from this man I’ve had to listen to. 929 albums to go. The last one I got was American IV. 928 albums to go! I gave that a two, it might’ve been too looOOoow! 927 albums to go. But At Folsom Prison shall get more than a four. 926 albums to go!

this gets you moved and rocking at the same time

This album is a live wire. Beautiful music, sparse arrangements, energetic rapport between those on and off stage. The venue can’t be reduced to just a unique choice or a powerful cultural statement. Intercom messages call audience members to reception, fans shout out jokes at each other, and Cash entertains with a relaxed attitude as though he’s playing in your parlor. And you are reminded that he is, in a fucked up way, performing in someone’s home. The record captures the brutality of the moment, as well as the joy and ease expressed through this homeliness. Probably the greatest live album ever made at 9 in the morning.

"Albums My Mother Showed Me" When I first consciously listened to this album I was 10 years old. "25 Minutes To Go" and "Cocaine Blues" were my favorite tracks. In my older age I appreciate the duets with June much more, and especially appreciate "Grey Stone Chapel" written by Folsom Inmate Glen Shirley. Beautiful song. A collection of beautiful little diddies mixed in with some dark humored tunes that produce camaraderie and laughter in a place of much regret and solace. I believe this album to be Cash's "Rebirth" after his troubled drug filled 60s. (And by rebirth I mean he went on to put out all that weird shit in the 70s...Look at them beans!) As Merle Haggard sang... "Johnny cash never walked no line/Johnny Cash never did no time/But when he Sang of Folsom Prison Blues/You knew good and well he'd paid his dues" One of the greatest guitar solos of all time is Luther Perkins on "Folsom Prison Blues" and I'll die on that soap box.

So far superior to his other live prison album. Skip San Quentin and hit Folsom.

Country is not my thing but this had some decent songs.

Favorite track(s): Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, 25 Minutes to Go, Jackson, I Got Stripes, Green, Green Grass of Home

The energy of the live recording is fantastic. Even remembering LP limitations on length, I was surprised by how short the album was and even more so by how abrupt the ending of the performance was. It was treated less like you hear with more modern concert recordings where longer/more epic/fan favorite songs are left for the end of the set, and more as a simple recording session that just so happened to occur in front of a live audience composed solely of prisoners

I liked it, I have listened to some of the songs before however I heard allot of new ones

Really fun album and it's all recorded live!

Very unique in setting and brilliant music

Thoughts before listening: One of the greatest live albums of all time by one of the giants of the country genre. Nobody sounds like Johnny Cash. Review: This is one of my favorite albums of all time, and I love how playful Johnny is throughout. He's playing to a room full of prisoners singing songs about murder, drugs, and prison, getting cheers throughout. Even if the songs aren't all that good, it would still be an interesting concept, but thankfully these songs are all classic. Minus a few glaring omissions ("Ring of Fire" and "I Walk the Line") this might as well be a greatest hits album for Johnny, and the performances here are much looser and playful than the often stuffy, over produced album versions. Absolute classic, and I'm pleased to see that it doesn't suffer from the same "country" sucks reviews that I usually see on here. 5-stars

Love the banter. Good selection of tunes. Just fine.

A classic and a good one. I wouldn't get crazy about it though

Enjoyed it a lot more than I felt. I must have found the right moment for it. A great flow and atmosphere.

I love this album and JOHNNY

Awesome live album. Also gave us the image of Cash flippin' the bird at the BBC camera.

Raw, immersive, and fun, it really takes you back in time to that room

Can I get a glass of water?

Classic for a reason. Emotional performance, great songwriting in a unique setting. Cash is a legend.

I'm not a Johnny Cash fan, but this was a good listen. It felt very intimate, him singing to the crowd of inmates, who were as much a part of this album as Johnny. I was struck by how he didn't treat them like inmates if that makes sense. Worthy of this list, feeling generous because of that. (5)

LOVE JOHNNY CASH

OHHH YEAAAAHHHHH

When growing up, my parents would enjoy listening to Johnny Cash but I didn't care for him. As life went on I would hear him pairing with other singers that I liked and began listening to him and stared hearing his stories and ballads and his songs and sound took on a new light. I can only imagine how he felt doing this album at Folsom and his those at Folsom enjoyed this concert.

I will deny country as a music genre until the day I die. However, Johnny Cash doesn't belong in the country category. A man who can take Nine Inch Nail's "Hurt" and as Trent Rezner has stated, the song is now his stands out more than any genre could define him. Folsom Prison highlights Johnny's baritone storytelling as well as the kind of man he was, especially how he interacts with the audience. While controversial, "Cocaine Blues" guitar plucking and Johnny's narration brings an energy instantly connecting with his audience. The same can be said of "25 Minutes to Go." Such deep vocals in "The Long Black Veil" truly captures the sorrow within such a song. The finger picking driving rhythm loop returns with the energetic, "Jackson." Cash's wife June Carter brings a virvir balancing out Johnny's somber sound making them a perfect pair. The notes in Folsom Prison are simplistic yet magical. It's also the combination of perfectly timed vocals paired with harmonic instruments capturing the feeling and mood of each song. Leave it Johnny to bring light to the dark confines of Folsom Prison.

Legendary. Nice to listen to.

Classic live album.

Just ok

Extatict, this have a lot space for silence. The monotonous tone can be difficult to concentrate on the music, but that is the goal here, is to the music mix with the environment, really great approach.

Not terrible but didn’t do much for me. I’m not a huge country guy.

Lahe kontseptsioon, äge kuulamine ning hea elamus. Hingestatult laulmine ja ma arvan, et selline laiv-album on täpselt see, mida me tehisaru ja perfektsuseni viimistletud ja tuunitud lugude ajastul vajamegi. Siin on paar meeldejäävat lugu ka, aga tähtsam on terve plaadi vaib ning Johnny Cash (veel) mööda ei pane. 4/5

Crap

extremely cool

End to end classic

First time listener to this, I actually quite enjoyed it. Is he in the prison because he shot a man, and possibly his wife too? I saw live album, and sank a little, but it was good. Even the harmonica was fine, because it was not fine for Bob Dylan live, but an overall great listen

Proof that music is a powerful communal experience, even if that means a bunch of convicts hooting and hollering anytime Johnny mentions shooting someone or touching a woman.

Such charisma

Johnny Cash is so cool

This is one of the most awesome things I've listened to. Mr Johnny Cash decided to go to a prison, gift them some live country music about murders, longing for home, doing drugs, and such amenities. The result is something above and beyond anything I could've expected: the music is good, the voice is just amazing, and the feeling of "light-hearted escapism" is strong in this album. What touched me most is the tangible despair of convicted men listening to this huge music star and getting a chuckle out of him when he realizes that the murdering, the viciousness that he sings about is tangible in the room where he's recording the whole thing. These men react in unexpected ways to the lyrics. These men know what they miss when they cry in "Green, Green grass of home", and Johnny knows he's as guilty as them when he sings Give my love to Rose - the same song that felt like a Eulogy in his last album, feels like a redemption song in this one. There's good fun to be had in this abysmally dark album, with silly songs giving space to breath in what feels like a strongly heartfelt but heavily sad album. It's Cash, it's him that gives the feelings, the chills. It's his voice, his attitude, his show persona that makes this album simply magic.

Very good. Interesting to hear crowd reaction when the crowd is prisoners. Cash is great.

The music wasn’t my favorite, but the atmosphere was so fun that I couldn’t help but have a good time. I’ve been critical of live albums in the past, but this one is beginning to change my mind.

It's a classic. Not much more to say.

I prefer San Quentin for it being shorter, but this is still cool. Some new songs were introduced: Green Green Grass Of Home was quite the twist. Also Folsom Blues, Cocaine Blues and 25 Hours are good, but the middle part of shorter songs provide less memorable air to this 45 minute package. One more positive, I guess: June Carter kills it on Jackson. But even with all this, I still feel that San Quentin's better. Happy Birthday to me the day I am writing this (7/10, 3/5 on this scale)

Wow. The humor, the emotion, the realness and the realization of who he is singing to. And man that June Carter, she can be sassy and growly in Jackson and like an angel in Greystone Chapel.

Cocaine Blues Orange Blossom Special Jackson I Got Stripes

Commentary was 🤌

Garage beer album

The man in black at his best.

this is actually such a good album and cash is an icon

Pretty w album love how he sang one of the prisoners songs definitely one of the best live performances

Holy shit. 25 Minutes to Go was written by SHEL SILVERSTEIN?!? I am partial to the more fast-paced tracks and they're less than half the album but they carry it. Might regret not giving this a 5 later.

great execution, not my vibe.

Classic. Live albums aren't normally my jam but the crowd noise adds so much to this one.

So everytime this guy goes to prison he has to make an album about it? Good when he was hitting the notes and playing good songs, so maybe 4 songs of good. But he's good at the prison stage patter and he's got that voice.

An enjoyable listen I wouldn't repeat.

Some really good classic songs, not too bad. Really enjoy the faster paced songs

Pretty good, despite missing most of The Man In Black’s biggest hits. A few nonsensical lyrics here or there can be forgiven when your voice is as unique and iconic as this.

Pas vraiment mon truc, mais je vois pourquoi l'album est considéré comme un classique. Un public de prisonniers enthousiastes et le charisme de Cash.

5/10 Best songs: Jackson I'm very conflicted about this album. I've never really liked Johnny Cash's voice or music; I don't think live albums belong on this list; and I find the concept of the album problematic/performative. Like, yes, performing songs about being a killer and escaping from jail at a concert at a prison in front of people who very well might have done exactly that may be very badass and meta in an interesting way... but it's also very on-the-nose, and the fact that it was recorded and later sold to the general public gives me the ick. I also think it's telling that the reason why I even have a favorite ("best") song is is not because of Johnny, but because June Carter outsang the shit out of him. I dunno, maybe I'm being a hater, but I'm also someone who hated his cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt, so yeah, take my review with a grain of salt.

Didnt keep my attention well, decent music but not standing out to me

On one hand his music is maybe a little violent and the manner in which he talks about taking lives is not really my favorite. But then he uses it as a way to connect with an audience and population of people that have been forgotten and historically mistreated. Yes they did bad things, but they are still human and many are in there for extremely complex, often unfair reasons. So for him to connect so strongly and try to give a voice to them is kind of wonderful. I love that he ends it with a song from an inmate and one about redemption and strength. And the energy in the crowd is really wonderful.

I can appreciate this for what it is and what he was trying to do but alot of the songs sound similar. I like Folsom Prison blues and I Got Stripes. The rest are OK.

Really great album. Love that he performed for prisoners and brought such a positive energy.

Just a great album. Johnny at his best, a simple and raw performance. His banter with the crowd is effortless and quite funny.

the music, the atmosphere... beautiful. He is so much at ease and it almost feels like he is with a group of friends. musically its a bit "the same", but the liveliness of the album makes up for it 100 fold

Cash at his finest, and really in his element here. I don't normally go for live albums where the audience is at the forefront, but in this case it works.

I don't think I've ever actually listened to the album from start to finish before, but it was definitely worth it. A really great album and the sound is great, especially for being a live recording.

What a bad ass album! 5/5

Heard before?:✔️ Will listen again?:✔️

I'd heard about this album as most people have and I've never had an issue with Johnny Cash's music or voice, but never actually sat down to listen to an entire album of his at once. I absolutely loved it, this is an instant classic and will be relistened to on its own. I love the authenticity, the rough edges. The crowd elevates the entire performance with their cheers and laughter. Best album by a Columbo alumnus to date, that's for sure.

The stage presence must've been life changing

The Man! The Legend! This is one of the greatest live albums recorded. He's so sincere in connecting with his audience and they love him for it. It's raw but the atmosphere is electric

Some of the best country of all time. Johnny Cash has a voice sent down from the heavens, and he uses it to sing endearing, funny, romantic songs to a bunch of prisoners. The audience, and general live vibe of the album, only enhance it - this is how country is meant to be sang. It feels more alive with people cheering, laughing and hollering. Greystone Chapel feels especially significant, and although I'm not big on gospel music, it felt remarkably personal - you can almost hear how significant it is for the prisoners to hear a song about them, written by one of them.

This is special. Excellent vibes and very funny

A neat vibe. Live concert at the prison

Cash recorded this live album at Folsom Prison in 1967, 12 years after Folsom Prison Blues was released. It climbed to the charts and revitalized Cash's career after his struggles with abuse. After Kennedy was shot in 1968, an edit was made to remove the line “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die” as Radio stations refused to play the song.

Had a hard time finishing this one. When I was in high school I went through a big Johnny Cash phase mostly because of my Photo teacher and concert-going-companion Roger Rigby. He loved classic country and introduced to John Prine and Kris Kristopherson. I was still trying to figure out a male identity that I could make fit and I think there was something about being a rebel and going against the grain that really appealed to me. Breaking out of moulds and such. Its jarring to listen to these types of songs now especially ones like "Cocaine Blues" which ostensibly are cautionary tales about drug use but still seem to trivialize and almost mythologize violence against women as something common and a mere casualty of the "hardships" men must endure. I think I am better now so far into my transition at recognizing the gut feelings of disgust and not diminishing them or ignoring them. I think these stories are indeed important to hear due precicesly to their odious nature. To really feel the disgust. I hate this kind of music that I once forced myself to pretend to love. THere is something to be said however about the context that I do think is important artistically though and that i will always appreciate. I believe in the core mission of good art to comfort the disturbed.

A typical Johnny Cash album.

Good ol' toetapping storytelling ditties, not bad, a little same same towards the end.

4.7/5

For me, this is the better of the two Johnny Cash live prison albums, and there's no need to have two in this list! Everything I said about _At San Quentin_ applies here in that I enjoy live albums that are situational .... Cash is clearly comfortable and excels in these environments .... His humour between the songs is as important as the songs themselves .... the crowd lap it up both responding to and interacting with each other is what makes these special. I just prefer these songs ...plus I heard this first which probably works in its favour

So, this was a Johnny Cash album all right. Very distinctive style, some pretty crazy themes, and the venue makes for a unique atmosphere. Ultimately I don't love this style of music - I find it a bit simple - but neither do I find it offensive, and this was a good enough listen.

Playing Folsom Prison Blues at Folsom Prison is probably one of the most hardcore things done in music. Swearing on the album in the 60s? Cash was a legend. I was lucky enough to see his band after he passed, but I didn't ever get to see the Man in Black himself, and for that I'll be eternally sad.

You’re telling me this guy actually played in a prison and recorded a live album there? Crazy. He seems like such a dude. When flushed from the bathroom of your heart played, and you can hear laughing from both him and the audience with his ridiculous lyrics, it’s quite funny.

geil!

One of the best live albums ever. And it’s Johnny Cash.

Great album

By all reasonable metrics, I should like Johnny Cash. His band is tight if not particularly compelling. He has definite stage presence and is clearly an entertainer. The prison live albums were a creative idea that were well-executed. It’s not like I can say I don’t like him because of his deep croaky voice while simultaneously being a huge Leonard Cohen fan. Maybe it’s because he’s been parodied so many times - from Dewey Cox to the straight man in the “the bones are their money” sketch from “I Think You Should Leave” - that he just seems like a parody himself. I don’t know man. I just don’t like Johnny Cash.

Fire. 7.7/10. Favourite Tracks: Green, Green Grass of Home The Long Black Veil The Wall Folsom Prison Blues

Best live album of all time?

Certified banger

Best live album we have heard on the list, 5/5 for the experience.

One of my favorite live albums we’ve rolled. The story here is really cool, too. I went and listened to the other prison recordings, but I think I liked this one the most. “Cocaine Blues” is, uh… interesting. But if you account for his 99 year sentence, I guess it doesn’t glorify “[shooting] that bad bitch down” TOO much. Will regularly revisit this one. I’m the idiot that wrote off Cash’s live albums because I wasn’t interested. Won’t make that mistake twice.

criminally good

The first car I ever drove was a 1998 Ford F-250 with over 200k miles on it. It had no CD player, a busted radio, and no working AC. The tape deck was about the only working component of the vehicle, and out of 30 or so options, the Live at Folsom Prison tape was one of the only ones that worked. Naturally, as someone from a "Johnny Cash Family," this state of affairs was not remarkable, as even in our functional vehicles his music was played the majority of the time. My dad even utilized the loudest external hard drive in existence at that time to copy Johnny Cash CD's onto his I-pod. The day he died was the first time I can remember my dad crying. I mention all of this to attempt to convey my feelings about this album. It is strange to even assign a rating to it because, for me, this album IS music. This isn't to say that I think it's the greatest album of all time or anything, but just that it has been a part of my brain since birth and that it has always been great. Similarly to Sam Cooke's "Live at the Harlem Square Club," when a live album is great, you just feel it.

Shoutout the old Vinyl Me, Please for introducing me to this one. Cash is so charismatic it almost makes you wish you were there.

Magnificent album, not even slightly diminished by the fact that the San Quentin record is better. I always go out of my way with this one to listen to the extended version.

Get this man his f##king water! This has gotta be the most unique live album on this list. The performance, set list, and banter is just so perfectly tuned to its audience. I’m not yet a big Johnny Cash fan, but this is so candid and fun. The first track is a banger, and the rest, well, aren’t. But I think that’s the point, this live album isn’t about an artist at their peak playing their hits at an arena. It’s a legend doing the risky, creative things that cement them further as a legend.

some quintessential johnny cash, and likely the pinnacle of outlaw country. a true gem

5. I've listened to this album so many times. Vinyl Trinity Bellwoods Park shoutout to the girl with the cute summer dress. Johnny gave these people a piece of their humanity back. No riots, soulful sharing session.

Even the out of tune songs are great

I just can’t enjoy country

Feels crazy to return with a 5 like maybe its just listening to music that is actually great and nice but this is also great he’s pretty unparalleled vocally. Also i think this is the most charmed ive been by a live album.