At Folsom Prison

Worth going to prison for.

I have this on vinyl. It is a classic.

5/5. This is the greatest live album of all time. No one has this much charm and the audience makes it that much more engaging. The choice to make all the songs related to prison, loneliness, or a similar dark theme in some way is beautiful. He even wrote some songs related to this prison already which is just so unique in any live album. With each song, you can't help but smile, as he lays out the bs with the prison system while still relating to every man in that prison about life and the human condition. And ending the album on a song a prisoner wrote is wholesome especially when the rest of the prison is cheering for it. It ends on a hollow note though, as the prisoners shuffle away, and you are reminded that they must go back, after a small reprieve from hell. It's funny, sad, heartfelt, silly, serious, and just good music in general. It's amazing and deserves to be listened to. Best Song: Folsom Prison Blues, Jackson, Cocaine Blues, Green Green Grass of Home

Loved it

One of my all-time favorite albums. Raw lyricism.

Excellent album.

Cash at the top of his game, doesn’t get much more real than this.. 5 Star

Well this was something. Im not usually a live album guy. I like live music but a recording of a live performance just is the outer shell of what a live show is. But this is remembered as one of the best for a reason. You get little interactions with cash and the crowd. They call out numbers to go visit custody or whatever. The prisoners are yelling out at all sorts of things. How did this happen? Who set this up? What a master of planning. Wow and the songs are fun and funny alot of the time. Alot of them are about prison and getting in trouble. And when his wife comes out to duet and they go bonkers. Its fun. Just all around

One of the best if not the best live album I've listen to

Lol, Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart. This album fully deserved its iconic status. That was a fun listen. Johnny Cash might be one of the coolest dudes to ever live, that's just my opinion but it's true.

Johnny Cash might have had a dip in the quality of his records in the 1980s, but Cash in any other era is always 4-5 star material. And this record, with the added interaction with the prisoners- it's brilliant.

This guys got range and he’s such an entertainer! Wish I could have been there (not in prison)

The balls to pull this off in a prison, incredible. The announcements and crowd add so much. How can you not want to be a criminal after cocaine blues make it sound/feel so cool.

Johnny Cash's best album. If you don't like this we can't be friends.

Absolutely a fantastic album.

Very good. Quite staggering that they let him do this and I'm not sure they would today. The lyrics are really quite amazing and I found the song with the countdown both funny and harrowing - I particularly enjoyed the line about contacting the Mayor but he was having lunch.

A shame a lot of shops won't accept his payments anymore.

Quality!

This is the kind of prison reform I can get behind Most familiar with the San Quentin one, This one hits harder It's starker, darker Imagine being in prison and this Taylor Swift performing..

Was für ein geiles Album, da kann man nur 5 Sterne geben

Gangster Shit

Thanks to the magic of modern recording technology, you no longer need to commit crimes to hear Johnny Cash in concert!

Hello, I'm Listie Cashdows. Y'know, I've plenty made my case about live albums before now: from capturing a sound that just simply couldn't be produced in the studio, to preverserving what would be a historic moment, to just being a good show. This album is the latter two points, but it also has something that, until now, I don't think has been all too important in any of the live albums my group has gotten so far: the audience and ambience. And it feels a bit silly to say that that hasn't been important, right? After all, the audience's presence is a large part of what makes a live album a live album. In fact, if you wanna talk about the audience being an integral part to the album, just go look at James Brown's LIVE AT THE APOLLO. As a fellow group member said about it, they're practically an instrument unto themselves on that thing. What's different here, though, that I feel the need to even bring it up is, well... Besides literally the other Johnny Cash prison album, none of them have had such an intimate and close connection between artist and audience. You can hear it all over this thing, from the way the crowd cheers loudly at some lines, to something as simple as Cash's asides to them. He's not just performing to any old crowd — he's performing for **them** specifically. And he's performing songs about getting hopped up on coke and shooting that bad bitch down! And they're **fucking loving it**. There's such an energy that happens between Cash and the audience and it's irresistible. I mean, it's clear so much how much he feels for them, and it's great. It's the smaller things as well. I can imagine how someone would groan at the fact that the last three minutes of the last track — over half of it! — is dedicated to the warden making announcements, taking a picture with Cash, and then the PA announcing when everyone can go back to their cells... But that's the other half of it, like I said: the ambience. It makes it sound like you're really there, sitting among all of these convicts and watching this show. And what a show it is, too. Like, believe me, it's not just the audience and ambience that make this live album as legendary as it is: the setlist and performances themselves are just killer. Honestly, it kind of makes me wonder why there's even a second Johnny Cash prison album on this list at all, AT SAN QUENTIN. It's not like it's a bad show, but the song selection there cannot even compare to what you've got here, and that's not even commenting on how they included two back-to-back performances of "San Quentin". On this album, well, of course you've got all-timers like "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Jackson"... But then you've also got stuff like "Cocaine Blues", and that's great. You've got the lighter, comedy-tinted numbers like "25 Minutes To Go", "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog" and "Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart", and that's all really amusing. And then you've got the more serious numbers, like "The Long Black Veil", "The Wall", "Green, Green Grass Of Home"... And it's such good stuff. It's **so good**. And Cash and his band all pull it off so masterfully. It's just a wonder to listen to. I wanna highlight "Greystone Chapel" specifically, too. That song was actually written by one of the inmates at Folsom, Glen Sherley, and the first time it was performed, Sherley was in the front row and completely unaware that it was going to happen. I can only imagine how much of a thrill it must have been to hear **Johnny fuckin' Cash** of all people perform **your song**. I mean, I'unno how the rest of the cons must've reacted, but if I were Sherley, that would've been the highlight of my life. One that would, unfortunately, be cut off all too soon, when Sherley took his life only ten years after this album dropped, at age 42. With all of this context in mind, I really have a hard time imagining how anyone could hate this album as a live record. I know that plenty of people on this here website ain't much a fan of live albums, and, y'know... Like, if people wanna hate this on the basis of it being a country album, I get it. As popular a genre as country is, I know for damn certain not everyone can tune into it. But as a **live album**? Like, to truly, truly despise it as a live album, given all of the context surrounding it? I cannot fathom it. And being fair, I had to scroll down a **long** way through reviews before I found the ones that weren't just a straight 5/5, and even the one 3/5 I found mixed in was more about people whistling at the violence against women and not the fact that it's a live album itself. So if this is one the one exception to all of the live album hate I see... Well, it's a damn good exception to have. 'Coz really, it's more than just a live album. It's a candid, heartfelt performance, with Johnny Cash singing to the people he truly had his heart out for — and in fact, I really do, truly believe that this is one of the greatest records of all time. It might even be the single greatest live album in this whole book, and that is **saying something** given it exists alongside LIVE AT THE APOLLO, LIVE AT LEEDS and NO SLEEP 'TIL HAMMERSMITH. It's just... Gosh, I don't even know what else I wanna say. Hell, I might have even said a bit too much, 'coz if you put this thing on and hear that "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" followed by the burst of cheers... Well, either you're sucked in or you're not, and if you ain't, I just don't know what to say to you.

One of the best damn live albums there'll ever be. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. Weirdly, I think I prefer parts of “At San Quentin” more, mainly in the moments where Johnny gets to more directly interact with the crowd and show off a lot of that outlaw country charisma that made him famous… but this is probably the better setlist, and a really fitting one for a prison album. It’s the first prison album he recorded, though the second one we’ve gotten on the list – everything I said about “At San Quentin” applies here, with a little more emphasis on the musical side of things. The little gravelly tones in his voice, the punch in the percussion, and the overall energy of the band / backing vocalists comes through really clearly. That said, I love the way this album really gives some space to the prison crowd itself – the announcements for prisoners, the crowd popping for certain lines, and perhaps most effectively, the silence in the room when Johnny’s in the middle of a great storytelling track. They’re hung onto his every word, and there’s a reverence in the air for the guy that comes through because of it. Their presence feels like an enhancement to Johnny’s performance here, as opposed to the more “typical” sounding crowd of fans vibe that “In San Quentin” gave off. It just creates a different atmosphere, that when combined with the longer runtime, really makes the prison feel more intimidating, cold, & real, which makes Johnny’s choice to go there all the more interesting & entertaining. Is it THE best live album ever recorded? I don’t know if I’m qualified to answer that, given that I don’t listen to too many live albums. From what we’ve gotten on the list so far, I think there are some that I prefer, but that’s just because I’m a sucker for an electric crowd atmosphere & some fun stuff that you can only do in a live setting. Something like “Live At The Harlem Square Club” by Sam Cooke comes to mind. I’d also be remiss to not point at Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged album. With that said, it certainly feels like one of the best live albums ever recorded, and I’m not gonna argue with anyone who says it’s THE best. It’s way, way up there, and it’s just a kick-ass album regardless. I enjoyed this a lot – it’s Johnny Cash singing in a damn prison. It was always gonna get a 5, and it earned it in spades. Great, great stuff here.

Has to be on the Mt. Rushmore of live albums. "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" is one of my favorite Cash lyrics, and hearing a crowd of prisoners cheer after he sings it gets me so, so excited to hear the rest of the record. And the band is tight and his voice sounds great. What a landmark.

Wow, this is something. Not sure what to make of this. First I have to say I’m not a fan of Johnny Cash. I mean, his deep voice is amazing but the songs are always super simple and samey and monotone and one note and just plain boring. So judging this as a collection of songs means it’s a mediocre collection of songs by an influential artist, classic three stars. But this is not what it is. This is such a unique artistic endeavor. Cash is coming out saying “you know how I like singing about outlaw life? Here are the outlaws I sing about, what do you think about that?”. I mean just the setting is such a strong artistic statement. Then we start getting more of that when the crowd cheers for “shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die”, then we start getting the prison warden calling inmates over the PA, then Cash hits us with The Wall. Finally we get the prison warden telling the inmates to stay seated while the artist leaves, giving us a very stark reminder that despite of the unique experience of the show, the inmates are still inmates and the artist is still an artist singing about their lives. This is such a powerful exploration of art, life, and love. Incredible. One star for music, three stars for notability, but five stars for the artistic statement.

The best albums tell a story and boy does this one. Johnny Cash singing about murder, cocaine, executions and redemption to a bunch of real convicts at Folsom Prison is riveting. This album lives and breaths, and takes you to a different time and place. Standouts: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, 25 Minutes to Go, The Long Black Veil, Give My Love to Rose. Rating: 2.75/5

This is an album I know I like because I listen to without being prompted. The most novel of concepts - playing to prisoners about everything from murder while high on cocaine to being executed for crimes. Cash sounds his best, from his calm opening “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” that builds right into “Folsom Prison Blues.” He never looks back. This is a classic album. Cash is a true legend.

This is simply one of the best albums, period, and has to be seriously considered for best live album of all time.

Crazy that this happened. Perfectly executed for what it's going for, more fun than I was expecting. For some reason I imagine sharing songs off this with my unborn son.

Everything about this album works. the music, energy, live performance, lyrics tied to being in prison, etc. Favorite track: Folsom Prison Blues other picks: I still miss someone, cocaine blues, Jackson

A classic! Few live albums deserve a place on this list but I think this one does. The smalltalk between performances and the audience bring something special to this record. There are plenty of great tracks on here, “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Cocaine Blues”, “25 Minutes to Go” and ballads like “The Long Black Veil” (complete with inappropriate laughs). If I have any criticism is that the songs are very similar in structure. However the story-telling is on point and really the main thing. Though more variety in stories would help a bit too. The album drags a bit in the second half but then you get hit with “Jackson” (great addition with June Carter”), “Give My Love to Rose” and “I got Stripes” and it feels ok again. Probably a strong 4 but because the setting, audience and just the story behind it a 5.

First time listening to the entire album

Inget värdigt hem kan vara utan denna skiva.

I always knew of this, but didn't think I would like it. It's fascinating.

One of the best live albums of all time!

10/10 It's wild! A great live album gives you an inkling if what it was like to be in the audience, and none does it better than this one.

Before: Johnny Cash is soooo me when I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. I’ve never listened to At Folsom Prison! I am super interested in the prison system and people’s experiences in prisons, so hearing a live recording from prison is fascinating to me and I have been finding myself wondering about how they figured that out logistically. But ANYWAY, I didn’t know as much Johnny Cash as I should have. Some helpful context that informed my review was that my dad was in prison as I was growing up. He was in and out until he tragically passed. We were close and visited, called, and wrote lots of letters back and forth, so the idea of freedom and imprisonment is one that is important to me and hits home. This record was an absolute delight. Every track had a prominent and meaningful theme or message, the candid sounds of live music (speaking to the crowd, hearing their cheers, Johnny’s laughter), and showcased his raw talent. For an unedited acoustic set played from a prison with presumably no sound engineering, this sounded beautiful. You could have told me this was an acoustic studio recording and, save the audience sounds, I fully would have believed it. Johnny’s voice is insanely impressive, velvety, and buttery. His singing sounds like a warm hug. Of course “Folsom Prison Blues” is a classic that speaks for itself and makes for an amazing start to this record. “The Long Black Veil” is a melancholy song that showcases themes about justice. Cash’s banter and the cheers of the audience added so much to the authenticity and personality here. This one really stood out to me. If you thought “The Long Black Veil” was melancholy and a little sad though… just wait for “Send a Picture of Mother.” As a certified mama’s girl, this song (amongst many others on this album) hit SO close to home. I listened to this record at work and, after this song, I had to quickly wipe the tears from my cheeks when my coworkers walked in. “Give My Love to Rose” left me with a very similar feeling and with similar tears, serving as a very vulnerable and tragic song to his wife (or girlfriend) and son from his prison. The lyrics demonstrate a selfless, pure love. There were a couple of more comedic, tongue-in-cheek tracks. “Dirty Old Egg-Suckin Dog” was the first one and it was by far my least favorite. Not because I’m against a schlocky, goofy song, but because he was so mean to the dog in his lyrics :( leave that baby alone!! I felt differently about the other song in this category though, “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart.” It had some depth but was a nice light hearted break. Hearing the laughter from the audience made me smile and made it feel a lot more genuine. The final track, “Greystone Chapel,” is a great song that illustrates hope in a dark situation, describing the church as a “flower of light in a field of darkness.” I don’t have as much to say about this record from a technical standpoint as I normally would because it’s so acoustic and stripped down, but goddamn it was good and will probably stand the test of time as one of my favorite albums moving forward. It’s beautiful, genuine, personal, and Cash’s vocal talent and acoustic guitar playing shone through in the perfect way. Lots of us really take our freedom for granted and I found myself thinking about some of these lyrics and themes long after I finished listening. At the end, the crowd is cheering and Johnny is giving his “thank you”s, and I’m so happy this was included. It made the whole thing feel more intimate and personal, almost making you feel like you were there. Can you imagine how iconic it would be to have been live at that performance? What a flex. Easy 5/5. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty damn close. Standout tracks: Folsom Prison Blues Long Black Veil Send a Picture of Mother Standout lyrics: “The judge said, ‘what is your alibi? If you were somewhere else, then you won’t have to die’” - The Long Black Veil “Say hello to dad and shake his hardworkin’ hand, and send a picture of mother if you can. I’m happy for you that you got your freedom, but stay with me just another minute or so” - Send a Picture of Mother “Tell my boy his daddy’s so proud of him, and don’t forget to give my love to Rose.” - Give My Love to Rose “Take her all my money, tell her to buy some pretty clothes.” - Give My Love to Rose “Won’t you tell them I said thanks for waiting for me? Tell my boy to help his mom at home, tell my Rose to try to find another.” - Give My Love to Rose “It takes a ring of keys to move here at Folsom, but the door to the House of God is never locked. Inside the walls of prison my body may be, but my Lord has set my soul free.” - Greystone Chapel “Well they’re hanging Joe Bean this morning for killing a man in Arkansas. Funny thing about it, Joe Bean never heard of the man. In fact, Joe Bean has never been to Arkansas. On top of that, today is Joe Bean’s twentieth birthday.” - Flushed from the Bathroom of your Heart *Find me on RYM @annainaz!

One of the most raucous, alive live albums ever recorded. Johnny was never more of a rockstar here, and you'll rarely hear a happier audience. More punk rock than punk rock.

I grew up listening to Cash, my mom is a huge John R Cash fan and I am too. The idea of preforming/recording a live album for inmates in a prison is awesome, the energy of this is special in my opinion. Somehow I own multiple copies of this album, not intentionally but through the years people have given me records they were unloading so I own at least 3 copies. I did not know about the 3 disc and 5 LP sets, will probably have to look into acquiring the latter. 5 stars, no question for me.

Significant for the live element, and the audience reaction. The lyrics are all the more poignant for those list lives listening.

I'm not a country fan but I always have time for Johnny Cash

Classic. No skips.

From the iconic self introduction through the ending visit to Greystone Chapel, we get an intimate tour of life at Folsom Prison through the eyes of Johnny Cash. The album isn't just a perfect representation of prison life though, it also serves as a perfect self portrait of the man himself. The tough guy deals with loss and despair. He faces mortality, and addiction. He brings June out to sing with him and compliments her, exposing a lighter side and the importance of family. His on stage banter is humorous and profane and shows his connection to his audience. You learn everything there is to know about Johnny Cash during these 45 minutes, encased in these classic songs. I don't know what has happened to bring about the suckification of country music since the times when this was recorded, but my guess is Mr. Johnny Cash would gladly give his middle finger to it... This is an essential work and thankfully it is recognized as such.

Terrific showcase of Cash, the original punk rocker

I have grown up listening to Johnny Cash. I loved this album. The man is true legend and the staple of country music.

Legend-fucking-dary! Quintessential live album

Badass! Listened a couple times and plan to listen a couple times more. Freakin legend!

Dude is a legend! Not necessarily something I would say I’m longing to hear…for his time and the culture he made this music he was cutting edge and pushing the boundaries of popular music and culture! The music is simplistic but yet great! Love the lyrics! This guy pushed forward change! Easy 5 stars!

I am one lucky bastard for drawing this one on my first day. I might be biased, because I love the man in black more than I love my own father, but alas, what a masterpiece. One of, if not the, best live albums ever.

Très bien. À réécouter. Matin Magic puis dépose voile génois et bibliothèque pour livre de math. après midi Marc, ps4 Astérix et lecture

JOHNNY CASH.

One of the best albums of all time probably. I’ve probably listened to it upwards of 300 times. In my top 10 of all time, maybe top 5. Nothing to else to say really. I pretty much like every song the same amount.

Best album to fit its audience ever!!!!

Real, Raw, Cool

OK, nice It's a 10/10 Have a great day (If you have a hard time feeling something lately, just go and listen to "Give my Love to Rose", thank me later)

Johnny sounds great, the prison crowd adds an element, and June is one of a kind.

This is incredible

I think a way to tell if an album is good (or a concert) ... is that it's over before you want it to be. I was enjoying it so much, I didn't realize it was over ...

Safe to say that the legend of Johnny Cash continues to carry the "Nashville sound" to this day - and a huge part of that legend stems from this album. Absolutely electric performance from Johnny and his band, not to mention a lovely duet performance with June Carter.

A phenomenal concept executed to perfection.

One of the greatest live albums, incredible from start to finish, great energy

This is probably the most important country/western album ever recorded. It's also probably the most important live album ever recorded. That it's also really fucking good is just icing on the cake.

Why does anyone give a shit about live albums? If you're purchasing a record, you should be judging that album on its own merits. Otherwise, if you're just looking for a few great songs, you should just pick up the greatest hits compilation. Personally I think the answer is the same reason anyone gives a shit about live shows: hypothetically you'll be getting the most perfect version of any artist on record, but with live music there's always the tension that something could go wrong at any time. Of course, on a live album, that tension can be manipulated the way it can't with an in person concert. But even as a live album lover maybe no album better manipulates that tension than At Folsom Prison. You hear it immediately with the alleged, certainly edited prison applause roaring for “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die” followed immediately by the at least slightly more off the cuff bleeped-out swearing incident on “Dark as the Dungeon”, and later with the loose laughter of “The Long Black Veil”. What can’t be manipulated is that, in spite of it all, Johnny Cash sounds best at his rawest, and here he sounds raw as hell with the Tennessee Three backing him for some hard ass honky tonk. The bonus comes from the added support of Carl Perkins and June Carter Cash, who all may as well share star billing with Johnny the way they bring their absolute A-game. I’ll give special credit to June, whose wailing on “Jackson” sends shivers down my spine every time. But, ultimately if any great album puts you in the headspace of its sound for its running time, any great live album should put you right in the moment of when that show happened, and in spite of any trickery that happens, goddamn does it put you right in Johnny Cash’s shoes in 1968 California.

immaculate vibes

This is a classic for a reason. The background audio including announcements throughout adds to the ambiance and authenticity.

Great albumv9/10

thank you johnny cash

Funny, a few days ago I wrote in my review how much I dislike live recordings, but I guess the audience for this one makes it a bit more special. Enjoyed it a lot, Cash is the rare country star who I adore.

One of the few live albums which is actually excellent.

I've always enjoyed Johnny Cash, but this album is just another level. It's live, so the recording isn't amazing, but the rawness of it just shines. Extremely good. Great songwriting. The album is 45 minutes, but has 16 songs, so it doesn't feel like anything drags on.

5/5 really liked the album. would rate higher

I liked the interaction with and responses from the audience--that makes this album. Songs have a lot of humor but are a little same-same at times. I'm not a country fan at all, but this was fun.

This is a great live album. The recording, even though it’s done quite a while ago, makes you feel like you are there. In the joint, the clink, the slammer. Peak Cash before his heart was broken. Then he peaked again. Choice cut: Cocaine Blues

This is the perfect live album in my opinion. Great songs, great recording, and I love the interaction with the crowd.

Classic Johnny Cash.

5 stars just for novelty alone!

I met Johnny Cash once. In Utah. He was hitchhiking. I picked him up. We smoked cigarettes and talked about Bigfoot and I dropped him off at a little honky tonk just west of the salt flats. Just kidding. 5

Memories abound with this album.

So simple yet so powerful. The live aspect at Folsom Prison, especially hearing the cheers of the inmates, adds immeasurable depth. Makes me want to re-watch Walk the Line.

Such an awesome live album – it was being played in a cafe I went to this morning too which was a weird coincidence.

What can you say that hasn't already been said. This and San Quentin are two of the best live albums of all time.

The best.

Хороший добротный кантри, под который хочется двигаться. Глубокий и пронизывающий голос Кэша. А многие и не знают, с чего он начинал

I have said before I am not a fan of live albums. But let's be honest from the second I hear "Hello, I am Johnny Cash" I knew this was getting five stars. Does that make me a hypocrite? Maybe, but I don't care. This album was awesome, Johnny is awesome. 5 stars.

Yeah this feels like a mandatory listen.

Johnny Cash has long been one of my favourite artists and this is in my top 10 albums of all time. When I was 8 years old, I loved ‘Cocaine Blues’ so much that I changed my status on MSN Messenger to “Lay off that whisky, and let that cocaine be” - I was fortunate to have parents who had faith that the developing mind of their child would not be moulded by violent hyperbole in music. To this day, I have not yet woken up one morning, snorted cocaine, then shot a woman down. I’m proud of that fact. At a time where the courts in the United Kingdom are stipulating in the bail conditions of budding rap artists that they must not release music with any violent lyrics, I yearn for the type of societal understanding that placed Johnny Cash at the heart of Folsom Prison to play for the inmates and I am thankful that this was recorded for posterity. It is a true testament to artistic freedom of expression. The songwriting is 10/10 - it can be violent but also funny, or moving and sad. In my view, it will always be the best live album ever recorded because the cheers of the inmates create a palpable energy. And finally, Johnny Cash has a unique talent for covering songs where he can make you forget about the original completely - the cover of The Green Green Grass of Home is one of my favourites.

timeless classic album.

5 egg sucking dogs out of 5

Hello, I'm a legendary live album.

Cash Money. Incredible man, incredible record.

LEGEND

so good.

jhonnnyyyy

Was only ever going to be an instant 5. Best way to do a live album. Johnny doesn't waste much time talking and he sounds just as good as in the studio

Perfection by the man in black.

Salvation lies within.

Johnny Cash is the original punk rocker.

i didn't know how I was going to feel about it, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I find it fascinating that there are only two modes for women in old school country though-- they're either bad bitches that deserve to be shot or the steadfast and beautiful object of affection.

Fantastic piece of historical music, recorded live in a prison. Johnny sings directly to his primary audience with an absolute banger of a setlist. I have nostalgia for this album and enjoyed growing up with appreciation for it. The man in black never disappoints. Production value is pretty darn high for 1968 too and the mix is quite literally perfect for this style of music and on analog from this era.

Whoever told him to have his first live concert at a prison and let him sing songs about murder in front of all these prisoners is a genius. Ngl the whole concept was funny to me. The entire album was so engaging. Those prisoners were having a blast. lol

Performing a song about murdering a man in Reno to the wild applause of actual convicted murderers. Thats dark, dark as the dungeon that held them...

Fun album Johnny cash western icon.

One of the best live albums ever. Loved just sitting down and listening to the whole thing.

Che piacevole sorpresa. Di solito non mi piacciono i live, ma questo è speciale e autentico. Alcune canzoni me le sono salvate nella mia playlist

I haven't heard this album since I was young. I remember riding in the back seat of the car (not wearing a seat belt and probably fighting with my brothers) going to visit my Grandma after church on Sunday and listening to this on 8-track. She lived about an hour away, so plenty of time to listen to the entire album. I have so many memories associated with this one. And the banter between songs, during songs, the prison announcements, and the crowd's reactions just help make this an extraordinary album. This is Johnny at his peak. Favorites (then and now): Folsom Prison Blues, 25 Minutes To Go, Send a Picture of Mother, Jackson, Give My Love to Rose, Green, Green Grass of Home

This record somehow manages to make the listener part of the prison crowd. It's a little rowdy, a little gritty, feels off the cuff. A fun slice of americana that we would do well to appreciate.

Legend

A classic Johnny Cash album. I'd only heard the original release of this, but I listened to the Legacy edition this time. It was perhaps a little too long--it could have done without the outtakes at the end. But it does add some flavour that the regular one lacks. But anyway, the original is great, and is Johnny Cash at his prime. I'm not a country fan at all, but Cash is the man.

Listening to this record, you'd think Johnny was at the peak of his popularity. It's interesting to learn the back story, but even on its own, it's a classic concert full of energy and excitement that nobody bought a ticket to see. It's a thoughtful set list with a couple of JC hits and a bunch of tunes chosen specifically for this audience, sequenced beautifully (not sure if that's how it happened for real, but on the record it's just jim-dandy) so that even the two jokey Cowboy Jack Clement songs have an impact. You can just feel how he's somehow both simultaneously invested in the stories he's telling and how the audience is receiving them... how he can get caught in a laugh during the dirge "Long Black Veil", how he knows when to crack wise or go for the tear-jerker. The humanitarian shines through. For those that don't know, the last song was written by a convict and a tape of it was played for Johnny the night before the show by the prison chaplain, and Johnny insisted he learn it and teach it to the band that night and play it the next day. How incredible. The inmate's story ultimately is a tragic one, which I suppose isn't surprising. Glad to have heard this record all the way through after only hearing bits and pieces through the years (and hearing "Folsom" repeatedly). Cool cover too, with the sweat running down his cheek. Johnny was a special one.

Even better than the San Quentin live album!

The best reason to be in prison

Bob Dylan described Johnny Cash as having a "voice from the middle of the earth". That's true, his voice is elemental. The prison setting is pretty unique, and it makes this record an incredible document. B.B. King, Big Mama Thornton and the Sex Pistols apparently did live albums in prisons too, but this might have been the first? 5 stars.

First time hearing and it’s clearly a landmark recording. Cash’s delivery is unparalleled and the unique recording location cements its legacy.

I didn't realize this was JC's first live album. Feels like such a perfect pairing. I wish more artists did live recordings outside of music venues. The atmosphere adds so much texture. Undeniable!

I’ve been listening to this album since I first knew what an album was. This is a top 10 best favorite album of all time for me, but I haven’t thought about it in years. It’s weird to hear it all together now, instead of having to flip the record or the cassette in the middle. The inmates cheering is thrilling. The interruptions of guard announcements, the jokes between Johnny and the inmates makes me feel like a tough guy too. What did these guys do to get in there, and what do they think seeing Johnny now? Were there other concerts in jails? Was this a common thing? Were there uso shows in jails? Did anyone in the audience know cash when he was locked up there too? It’s hard not to get lost in thought about where and when and for whom this album was recorded. It’s exciting. The fraternity between Johnny and June and the inmates is joyful. This has got to be the best live album ever recorded no second place. The song list is a best-of album, every song was a part of my childhood. the inmates booing the warden gives this album a wildness that is real and tangible . I love it.

I had San Quentin but have never listened to Fulsom before. In some ways it's more raw, and the combination of songs and crowd is really powerful. I've marked down live albums here a few times because they don't offer anything extra but this is about the whole combination and experience and it's an incredible moment to have preserved.

Makes me feel like a felon

I guess I like country music now! Johnny Cash is so funny, charming and charismatic here in both song and talk, what a delight. Favourites - title track, Orange Blossom Special, and Give My Love To Rose

Story telling is off the charts and relatable. Beacon of joy for prisoners and a live performance worth listening. Individually I would not listen to most of the album but listening to as a cohesive piece makes it enjoyable and catered to the prisoners’ lives

Incredibly unique, amazing storytelling. I can’t believe I haven’t listened in full before. Truly one of the best albums of all time.

It was so good, I want to give you a 10. But that’s not possible, so I give you a 5.

They don’t make prison albums like they used to

Johnny Cash at his best and one of my favourite live albums. When I hear the studio versions of some of these songs, they just don't sound right without the prison announcements.

Banged up the slammer.

Absolutely incredible - no notes

Anna - There's a reason this album is iconic. The music is humble, the lyrics witty, and everything in-between makes it so special. Dan - simplicity and brilliance

Imo one of the best folk/country albums ever

Live recorded albums rule forever. Also. Wow first time listening to Johnny cash ever; this rules

Absolut ikoniskt album! Musikaliskt är det kanske en stark 3a, saknar ett antal av hans bästa låtar. Men allt runt omkring albumet förhöjer det så otroligt mycket. Svårt att komma på andra situationer som skulle vara jämförbara. Någonstans mellan 4a och 5. Känner mig generös

Amazing idea to go into a prison for a live concert! Really impressed by this record. It's one of those, where the songs are already pretty good on their own, but it is the context and the vibes that just carry it through the roof. Many songs are a bit samey and Cash's performance was far from flawless, but taking the circumstances into consideration, this is certainly not that important. A weak 5.

It’s one of these albums were the context is more important than the musuc

A great piece of rock and roll history.

This is one of the greatest live albums off all time. Do you hear a train a comin'? No, that is just the steady tones of Johnny Cash. This album is a piece of America herself!

Best album of all time, Folsom prison blues is just aura.

One of my favourite live albums. The whole thing is dripping with atmosphere, between the crowd, Johnny's jokes and anecdotes and the warden announcements. There's something darkly funny about him singing "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" and doing coke and shooting his wife and the crowd going wild, whistling and applauding. All of this could've detracted from the album but it actually tops it off and completes it The actual performance sometimes isn't perfect either, but that just adds to the genuine atmosphere and the character of the whole thing, especially when Johnny laughs in the middle of a song. A lot of the performances on here are the definitive versions of these songs, like Folsom Prison Blues Highlights: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Jackson

5 estrelas

Man of the people. Prisoners deserve entertainment too.

Classic Johnny Cash.

Supreme set from a legend. Funny, moving, sassy, and a great lesson in how to work a crowd. Surely this and San Quentin must be in a tussle for best ever live album. Masterful.

Just the best.

So great. The presence of the audience noise is additive rather than distracting, because there's so much chemistry between Cash and the inmates. It's so humanising, in a scenario which is anything but. One of the best live albums I have ever heard.

Johnny Cash at his iconic best.

Most badass live album ever recorded.

Some live albums make you wonder if the live element makes an actual difference. That is not the case for At Folsom Prison. Raw, alive and at times chaotic - there’s just no faking the energy of Cash and the inmates of Folsom Prison.

i love to say that all live albums are bad except for the grateful dead but Folsom prison and san quentin are of course also exceptions to the rule

Johnny Cash at his flawed best. Probably one of the best live albums, the crowd (inmates) are like another instrument and add a depth to the recording often missed in other live recordings

This album is awesome. Have never heard of the concept, and the live album brings you back to the time. You hear the flaws which makes the album special. It is basically listening to a concert, and feels like you should listen to the whole album at once, which is what I think makes a strong album. Also singing about some crazy stuff!

I’ve generally been indifferent to the live albums on this list as even if the music is good I fail to see why I’d want to listen to a concert over the studio versions. But hearing the way Johnny banters and jokes with the audience and how the audience reacts to him really adds something to this. Like I feel like I’m transported to this performance in a way. Plus, it’s Johnny Cash music. Easy 5

vicces, hogy az outlaw-tapasztalat mennyire a középpontjában van a countrynak meg a bluesnak is, aztán ő volt az első, akinek eszébe jutott, hogy ez a zene hova való. nem vagyok nagy rajongója a fiatal Johnny Cashnek, ez a koncert mindblowing ❤️

One of my all time favorites

When seeking authenticity in music, this title says it all. Not only was Cash an artist who brimmed with authenticity, but this album was a high water mark for him. A novel idea he'd been knocking around for over 10 years and finally sober enough to pull it off, this lives on as a document of rebel-country's anti-authoritarian stance as Cash relates and connects with his thrilled audience of inmates. The music is pulled off well but this is as raw as you'd expect it to be, with all the shit talking, jeering, and sneering banter you'd want. It didn't matter what these inmates did, their sentence length, or the overall functionality of their moral compasses, it had been a long time since someone came into their walls and treated them with the dignity that any human deserves. Not every inmate deserves their freedom, but music doesn't discriminate. This album captures that shared understanding between Cash & his audience, a circumstance that elevates this live album so highly beyond the great caliber performances and content of the songwriting alone.

Good stuff

Awesomee

The music itself gets a 3/4, but the concept of performing a concert in a prison is fucking awesome. The whole idea of it and the interactions Cash had with the crowd add to the album. Absolute fucking comedy when they started cheering when he sand about shooting a women

What can I say? I love Johnny.

I hadn't realized Johnny Cash had done two prison albums, and mistook a previous album for this one. Excellent as all Johnny Cash albums are

Absolutely JR.

Loved it. A great. A great live album.

Spectacular. The measure by which all other live albums, outlaw country albums and singer-songwriter comeback albums should be judged.

I don't often wish I was in prison, but this album is enough to make me consider the possibility. What a tremendous voice, and what a charismatic performer.

Nobody can ever find any fault with this album

PEAK ONE OF THE BEST LIVE ALBUMS EVER

Great album, Perspective from a criminal and being in jail is mint storytelling wise then actually being there singing is top notch

Now that this album is over and done with, I hang my head and cry

forgot how much i love this album!!! So good!

"I shot a man in Reno, Just to watch it him die". When you're not a murderer but in honky tonk show business and you sing that to a crowd of actual criminals, and they rejoice and welcome you in their ranks, allowing you to give one of the most entranced performances ever put to tape. Gangster rap, please take some notes here. Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've went over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 432 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 256 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 316

Probably the best live album of all time. Impossibly cool and made even cooler by having the prisoner announcements included through the album and by playing a song written by a Folsom inmate to close out the album.

I love this album!

One of the rare live albums that I can 100 percent imagine being in that place, listening. And the concert is perfect entertainment. Moving from one familiar song to the next, throwing in some completely unknown ones. And June Carter coming in for a few songs to add richness to the text. Best of all, it is a concept album. The songs were collected to be identifiable to the prisoners, so Johnny chose songs about people askance of the law, whether guilty or innocent. Both upbeat and dark, collectively powerful. 4.5/5

great record from the master of dark country / Americana

Badass

Hey, the hype is real: A live album that's made better by being live! I think Johnny Cash is a) a legend and b) pretty one-note, musically (with notable exceptions) but this album is fun to listen to. That says a lot. I think any other Johnny Cash album would probably get a three from me, but this seems like an easy 5?

How badass do you have to be to perform in prison, intimidate and gain the admiration of inmates? Simple answer: You have to be Johnny Cash!

Despite always recalling to mind Krusty’s “Just Visiting Springfield Prison,” actually this is a terrific record. Not just a gutsy performance, but heartfelt, multi-layered, both exciting and peaceful. They’ll never let anyone do anything like this ever again.

This one's an all timer. I generally don't listen to country music, but I'll listen to Johnny Cash.

Masterpiece! Powerful and meaningful live performance

Great live album

As per my other reviews, I am not a live album fan but this one hit it out of the park. Johnny had fun with the crowd and it shows.

The audience reactions are almost as good as the songs. 5/5

One of the best live recordings of all times. Besides „Live at San Quentin“ this is a masterpiece.

If you're gonna own one Johnny Cash album, this is the one.

This is probably the most hardcore album on the list.

Wow, what an album. Easily one of the best live albums I've ever heard. I love all the crowd noise and Johnny's banter with them.

4.5☆/5 10.27.2024

I don’t usually love live albums, but this one is just so much fun. Johnny Cash has so much charm and humor and an authenticity to him that is winning. Fun to hear the reactions and listen to clever lyrics, even if the tunes are a bit repetitive.

Making this a live album really gets this to a 5/5. Engaging to hear how charismatic Johnny Cash is and how much the audience is vibing with it. Also him breaking and laughing and making comments is a ton of fun.

I'm not a huge fan of live albums, but this is just about as iconic as you can get.

A classic and formative to my taste in music.

Loved this

What a fun album! I really enjoy listening to live albums, and enjoyed this live album as well. Johnny Cash is solid - all of his songs sound very similar to me (at least all the Johnny Cash songs I've ever heard) but it worked for this album and these live shows at Folsom. Very cool to read about the history of this album and it's reception - I think I would throw this on for a Fallout NV playthru for sure.

This is what a live album should be, it captures the ambience and what it might have been like to be there. Johnny's personality comes through and the audience is right there with him the whole way. And then the music, well, it's just great.

Favorite Track: Folsom Prison Blues

Awesome. On both idea and executikn

Can you imagine going to prison and finding out a day before your arrival Johnny Cash performed a concert there? And then getting to listen to this album and finding out what you missed out on? Christ that sounds more miserable than getting a sentence.

Super nice

Sooooo ein gutes Live Album! Ich kannte bisher nur einzelne Lieder, ich liebe albumsgenerator. In einem Gefängnis aufzutreten war eine crazy Idee.

Songs are good but the story behind its creation is what makes the apbum

I love Johnny Cash! This album was a lot of fun to listen to, and it wasn't a chore to listen through the whole entire album. It flew by pretty quick, but each song was memorable enough to not be boring or forgettable. It's super hard for me to choose a favorite, because I like all of the songs quite a lot. But if I had to choose, my favorites would be "Folsom Prison Blues", "25 Minutes to Go", "The Long Black Veil", and "Green, Green Grass of Home".

Wow. So let's get it right out of the way: I'm not a country guy and Cash's performance is flawed. But WOW. Many rightly feel that this is one of the greatest live album ever. This album is an artifact. It is not only a collection of songs, it is a place, in a time, with a forlorn and forgotten crowd, and the Man in Black who fully understands his audience. The authenticity jumps off the recording and pulls you into their world; you can't avoid it, you can't look away. Meanwhile, Cash is singing about killing, drugs, and prison life to a crowd of killers, pushers, and prisoners. Some songs are good, some are almost juvenile. The juxtaposition of the music and banter, and the visceral atmosphere with cheers for killing and boos for the warden is palpable. This album (series) cements the legend of Johnny Cash and, while perhaps not exceptional for its pure entertainment value, is a major museum piece worthy of its own wing in the museum and serious academic study. In fact, I know Cash has his own museum in Nashville. I give it only 4.6 because I would need to hear only a few songs again.

Hall of Fame.

An absolute classic. Listened to this album several times over. A real banger

There's something about this record. A son of a bitch like Johnny Cash singing songs written with the perspective of a prisoner in a prison in front of inmates cheering. To make it better, the performance is sublime to me. This is the definition of aura.

Histórico e irrepetible. Cada canción que habla de las condenas y la cárcel, vitoreada por los presos de Folsom, hace temblar el alma. Extraordinario.

Possibly the best live album ever. Or possibly the second best after San Quentin

Another classic!

Never mad about having an excuse to listen to Johnny Cash!

This one’s great, full of terrific songs and banter. And June!

A classic for a reason. Folsom Prison Blues is five star, and there’s some other top notch songs on here. I’m not sure this quite gets to five star for me.

1001 Albums Generator recently assigned me At San Quentin, and it didn't do anything for me, so I went into this one unenthusiastic for more of the same. My impression was quite mistaken. This has better sequencing, tighter pacing, livelier energy, stronger performances, better songs. This is everything a live album should be.

Awesome live album, awesome concept for an album?

Sleeper hits here include "25 Minutes to Go" and "Flushed From The Bathroom of Your Heart".

Sings: I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die Crowd: woooo! Incredible record. A masterclass in live performance. What a moment in American history.

Excellent. Definitely worth repeated listens to parse the lyrics and to hear the inmates' reactions. Tres cool.

I couldn't ask for anything more from this album. Peak Johnny Cash, in fine form, playing to an enthusiastically appreciative crowd. Glad I didn't listen to this around the kids--Johnny knew his audience and brought songs the convicts would relate to. He didn't seem at all intimidated to entertain a crowd of inmates. He was as smooth and charismatic as ever. The songs were simple in structure, but he and the band served the songs capably, effortlessly, naturally, hitting that perfect point between polished and spontaneous. The setting and crowd brought a lot of character to this live recording. The entire prison concert concept fascinated me and made me want to learn more about how this project came to be. I have a vague memory of seeing some video footage from this performance long ago; I'll have to track it down (if I'm not confusing it with something else).

Classic.

<3 Johnny Cash

Classic! Love it

solid live album

Great album! I'm not a massive fan of live albums but this one is so unique. Hearing the prisoners cheering and Johnny Cash joking about with them - it made me feel like I was there And of course the songs were great, and it's Johnny Cash so an easy top score for me 5 ⭐️

I’ve genuinely lived my whole life thinking I hate Johnny Cash — I’ve only heard American IV so far. Boy was I wrong. This album is incredibly badass. The fact that it’s a live album allows the listener to get a sense of Cash’s sense of humor as well as his stage presence, and I ate it up.

Man, I love this guy. It's not often that I enjoy the little spoken skits and interludes in an album, but this time they could well be the album's highlights. When Cash declared to the audience that they were recording an album and that none of his band members should even think about saying "hell" or "(bleep)", I gained at least a year of life. His little bouts of campiness during tracks like 25 Minutes to Go ("And now I'm swingin' and here I go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o") and Cocaine Blues ("Hopped and he coughed as he cleared his throat / He said, *cough cough* *obviously with an obstructed trachea* 'Come on you dirty heck into that district court' *cough cough*") are fantastic. And the audience at Folsom Prison is clearly having a blast. The main critique I have is that the music is very simple. As in, simple enough that Cash can go completely off-script ("...hehehe did I see somebody applaud that lyric? hehe. anyway,") and the instrumental remains entirely intact. But even then, I have trouble really faulting the music for this. The musical simplicity is made up for – even complemented – by the audience interaction, the humanness of Cash's singing and the backing instrumentalists, and the music's incredible rawness and "instant classic" energy. Quoting one of the top reviews here: "This dude is up there singing about murdering dudes to applause from murderers." Can't get much more badass than that. 5/5 Key tracks: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Orange Blossom Special, Greystone Chapel

Cash on top form belting out the hits and entertaining the inmates.

No notes. Live album perfection.

No question, 5 stars. Dad LOVED this man and all of his songs. I have as much respect for Johnny Cash as I do for my mom's favorite singer, Frank Sinatra.

First time listening to the entire thing. It’s great. It’s a living album.

5* obviously, but the one thing this album does, which is great, is that it shows country music can have all the urgency and passion of any other genre. Sometimes I feel country music is thought of something dower or downbeat and this is certainly not.

I cannot listen to Johnny Cash without thinking of I Think You Should Leave. The bones are their moneyyyy So are the woooorms

As a millenial my closest connection with Johnny Cash are the American recordings. Objectively looking however I feel this period of his life is where his best recordings are. The Man In Black persona begins to manifest. Nothing but respect.

This is one of those classic albums that you just get as soon as you hear it. This doesn't capture one of the best musical performances of all time because the performance itself is not important what it really captures is the atmosphere and the period of time. You can learn so much just form this recording about how people behaved, how they expected others to behave, what was so appealing about Johnny Cash, why was it so important to perform at prison. What really shines through for me on this albums is his personality. You don't just see why people loved his music, you can see why people loved HIM. He was so charismatic and passionate, everything he's saying in his songs just floats right from his mouth and into your being, he was just simply made to capture people and he chose to do the right thing with it and used that gift to fight FOR people. A deeply troubled but great man, one whose legacy it feels simply can't die at this point.

5 - the man in black! The type of old music that I like, and an amazing performance

My mom played this all the time in the car- loved it

My favorite Album by Johnny.

This was great. Such a unique concept. Live at an actual prison? That’s cool

This is the quintessential live album. Johnny Cash is at his most genuine and sincere while also putting on a good show. He just knows how to play to this audience. On top of the fun crowd, he plays great songs. This is a top tier live album. Best Songs: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, 25 Minutes to Go, Jackson Worst Songs: NA

OH YEAH!!! J Cash is the man and prison blues is top 5 country/blues album of all time. Such a legendary and ground breaking album 5/5

Coolest live album ever. I miss outlaw country

An album like this runs the risk of making prison seem like a funny good ol' time. However, it's silly when it needs to be and somber at striking moments. "Give My Love to Rose" is perfectly timed for it to be drenched with sympathy and emotion.

If ever a live album belonged on this list, this would probably be the one. The environment adds greatly to the storytelling of the album, and the themes ring out strong from Cash's iconic voice and masterful instrumentation. Even the errors and interludes serve as an important element of this intensely human album. Favorite track: "Folsom Prison Blues"

Finding out how very much NOT overhyped this album is was a genuinely moving experience. Really cool energy from the crowd and a consistently fantastic performance. It is probably the greatest live album ever recorded, or at least among a very small few. An essential listen, that I hate myself for not hearing before today.

A Country album that is good and worth listening to again? Yes, it can happen when you are as funny, witty, and talented as Johnny Cash. This is what I like, someone pushing the boundaries and doing something different with a genre of music and turns it black. Unlike those vanilla guest dinosaurs on that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who just couldn't have an original thought between them. Once Id got past the a whoopin' and a hollerin' from the audience, I was hooked. Then later, I was laughing out loud to '25 Minutes to Go', great song, even with the irony of the venue.theres always a gem in a pile of a dogshite genre and Johnny Cash is it. 5 stars.

Johnny Cash. Incredible.

Cash is king

How could you not love Johnny Cash. Has the best voice.

It's stunning that this album got made at all. Can you imagine the pitch? Johnny says, "I want to record an album in a prison and shit around with the warden." Maybe it was inevitable that the resulting album would be unique, but it's hard to imagine it coming out so good. Listening to Cash's songs as an album, I was struck by the fact that the main character in his songs is dying or dead most of the time - Johnny had a pitch-black sense of humor and a soul to match. This is the catchiest and funniest suicide note I've ever listened to.

10!!!! 10! DIEZ!!!! 10! 10!

Amazing album, full of legendary moments. The Legacy Edition is even better.

Pretty sure the first time I listened to Johnny Cash was the "Hurt" cover (2002!!?). Then he passed and the movie came out. Somewhere around then is when I started listening to more of his work.

Literally the invention of outlaw country taking place in real time. I assume in some corner of some Smithsonian museum there is an interactive exhibit that recreates the electric scene at this show. When he makes the guard get him a glass of water, I like to think he wasn't actually thirsty as much as he wanted to juice the prisoners. Truth be told, my favorite Cash jailhouse rock is his version of Shel Silverstein's Boy Named Sue on the San Quentin record but in any case this is a fantastic performance featuring a fabulous duet with June on Jackson, among other highlights. An essential American artifact. Fun fact: Luther is Carl Perkins' brother.

What a great album. And probably one of the greatest live albums I've listened to; they did a great job capturing the feel of the performance and the crowd (including the reception announcements), and it seems like a perfect touch to end the (original) album with the inmate-penned "Greystone chapel". (And what a sad story for Glen Sherley, unfortunately.) I also enjoyed listening to the unreleased "The legend of John Henry's hammer" from the prison concert. As a comeback album of sorts, I'm also really impressed how much better this is than the Elvis comeback album I listened to recently in this collection ("From Elvis in Memphis"). A fascinating turn in Cash's career.

What a terrific album! I love the energy and his voice is amazing. June Carter also sounded great, as did whoever was playing the harmonica (Cash?).

American music’s heart…except the dog shooting I guess

Legend. It’s every bit better because of the audience. Such a crazy, bold thing to do. And a great listen.

"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash". Iconic!

I mean, what is there to say that hasn't already been said? The atmosphere is fantastic, the crowd in great form, and the little flubs Johnny Cash has as he's performing make it all the more endearing. Favorite tracks: "Jackson", "Give My Love To Rose", "Cocaine Blues"

Have on vinyl. Great songs done live in a prison - there's a real rapport with the audience. One of the best live albums ever released

The songs he chose for this are incredible. Not sure why there are two prison albums for Mr Cash but this one is superior for live performance and song selection IMO.

I love his music, this idea and his comments in between.

Johnny Cash being Johnny Cash! 5 stars or A rating obviously.

Best Song: 25 Minutes Worst Song: --- Right, I like every song but maybe it's egg sucking dog, it's funny but come on leave that dog alone

I am not a Johnny Cash fan, but this album is wonderful. If you are commuting somewhere or working, put this on in the background and let this man take you away. I see why it is a classic, and rightfully so. No stand-out performances, but that is alright, I enjoyed listening to the entire thing.

Awesome. Great vibe, great flow

Did we do this one already?

One of the best overall live albums ever, specifically because of the inclusion of the entire prison environment throughout and Johnny's interaction and performance within every aspect of it. Not giving a fuck, singing to prisoners about murder, cocaine and mayhem, throwing the middle finger to the label by mocking the profanity restrictions, and interrupting his own songs just to engage with the audience in spite of the recording, Johnny Cash is a bad ass. And despite it being basically a greatest hits album, it's still one of my all time favorite live albums, so I'll give it a pass.

Perf

Incredible. Johnny almost sounds at home and the crowd is in heaven.

Legendarisch album is legendarisch. Vette nummers, ongelofelijke setting

Songs about crimes, sung in a prison. 👍

Banger of an Album.

É um álbum extremamento visual, a interação entre Cash e os prisioneiros e a ambientação sonora dos eventos promovem uma série de imagens sonoras.

I don't like country music, but I love this album. I can't really give a higher compliment.

Die Idee ein Album in einem Gefängnis aufzunehmen ist schon gut aber genial ist wenn Texte, Stimmung und Musik zu einem Gesamtkunstwerk verschmelzen. Neben dem Startsong „Folsom Prison Blues“ überzeugen „Cocaine Blues“ durch das Tempo, „The Long black vail“ in dem er einen Schluck Wasser erfragt und sich mit seiner Alkoholsucht selber aus Korn nimmt und am Ende das von einem Insassen geschriebene „Greystone Chapel“. Selbst die Weltgeschichte hat Bezug auf das Album, am Abend vor dem Konzerten besuchte der kalifornische Gouverneur Jonny in einem Kleinen Motel; es war „Ronald Reagan“. Das Album ist eine 5-Sternstunde der Musik, ob man Country Musik mag oder nicht 😊 🐎.

I love this

Great heartfelt concert

Wow what an album

A classic by the Man in Black.

How have I never listened to this before, my god

One of the greatest live albums ever to be recorded.

Hell yeah, Johnny Cash. This is as raw & real as it gets. It's also very metal & punk, so I never understand when people say they don't like country. Have y'all heard this album?? Johnny talking about cocaine, murder, and whiskey is hardcore. I'm a big fan of old school country & Johnny Cash, so this was an enthusiastic listen. A memory of his passing also crossed my mind. I happened to be living in Nashville, and the entire city was buzzing with a mix of sadness and reverence - it was a strangely beautiful thing to be a part of. God Bless Johnny Cash.

Espetacular

Good lord, I was right to be excited when I saw I had this album. It's really incredible. Usually not big into live albums but the crowd, and hearing Johnny Cash interacting with the crowd really adds something special. I know it's been said a million times before but it's absolutely brilliant of him to be singing these songs in prison.

A great record, but a little difficult to understand why it’s been singled out as the all-time classic that it is. Maybe its revolutionary status is connected to its late 60s origin. There are a number of boundary breaking, genre bending records this good or better, but most were at least a few years later. Within a few years Waylon and Billie Joe Shaver and Townes Van Zandt would make this sound quaint.

10

Good wholesome fun and Johny Cash, cannot complain. The live aspect of this album made it even more enjoyable.

Awesome live album. One of the best.

Classic!

johnny cash always had a special place in his heart for misfits and those with a “sordid past”. his empathy shines through, his songs often first person fictional accounts of criminal activities. he has the audience in the palm of his hand, they are fully engaged. i can’t say enough good things about this album… in my opinion, it might be the greatest live album of all time. highlights: “folsom prison blues” “cocaine blues” “25 minutes to go” “orange blossom special” “jackson”

Of course.

yeahhh i guess this is a five maybe yeahhh i guess... lets just leave it at that, shall we?

What you see is what you get with Johnny Cash. A real performance captured in all its glory. Even has a song penned by the late, great Shel Silverstein. Singing to prisoners about the very crimes they're in the pen for. Singing about executions, suicide, losing the love of your life... Fuckin' metal, dude. The very template for punk rock. 🤘🏼

Fun little folk album themed around songs for woes and tales behind bars.

Part two of a back-to-back: Now this is more raucous! Carl Perkins is the king of Rockabilly. No spirituals like Peace in the Valley that made At San Quentin a sadder affair. The chuckles during "Dark as a Dungeon" sum that up perfectly.

No one can make you listen to a story like Johnny Cash. For some reason his voice stops everything. His clear charm and connection with the prisoners is amazing. He’s the only person who could’ve pulled this off and we got it on tape. Simply amazing. This album is a place, time, vibe, that will not exist ever again. Americana at its finest.

Classic live album

So great for so many reasons

Day156 - the perfect live album

Classic Johnny Cash!

I think I remember feeling more energy from the live performance during the San Quentin album, but still loved this!

Even better than the other Johnny Cash prison album on here.