Reviews (page 5 of 13)
Cada canción suena especial. Cash canta como si cada tema fuera sobre él. Puedes sentir la energía. 5/5.
This is the kind of album that makes me glad I started this project. This is clearly a significant album, but one that I might not have heard if it weren’t for this generator! I loved the way the audience interactions played into the live recordings and Johnny Cash is such a talented musician - makes me realize that I need to listen to more of these old school country artists.
Great entertainment
5 Stars (14/15)
Great songs, great performance, great recording, bonus points for being a live recording of songs about prison inside a prison, great stage presence and crowd work, great audience response. This record was just about perfect
There's no going wrong with Johnny Cash. What a great album - my faves were all the ones familiar to me; Jackson, Give My Love to Rose, and of course Green, Green Grass of Home (I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying)
What a classic!
Cash is King.
These lyrics are hilarious. And what a \"storyteller's voice!\" This is brilliant.
Can you imagine this getting made today? IN a prison!? Such great story telling and just great short, snappy songs. 5/5
Great album and one I was already very familiar with.
Classic. Grandpa Bowron's favorite, apparently. Long Black Veil is great.
Such a great idea to record live at a prison. Authentic idea and also great for marketing. It adds an exciting element! So fun to hear Johnny talk in-between songs. Reveals his character.
This album is awesome. The idea alone is incredible. Johnny Cash is awesome.
Listened to the extended version (19 songs). Johnny Cash is funnier than I thought. Many crime songs, which is appropriate given the setting. Rumbling, ragged baritone sounds great. The recording is very clean and clear: you can tell it’s live, but the audience noise isn’t intrusive and the acoustics are generally great. The acoustic songs are cleaner.
Excellent Johnny as always 10/10
I really enjoyed this album! I love Johnny Cash and his incredibly somber lyrics with a touch of dark humor. This was a surprise and I am glad I had an opportunity to listen to it. I loved so many songs in this album. I highly recommend the "Man in Black"! Favorite Song(s): "Folsom Prison Blues", "Dark as the Dungeon", "Cocaine Blues", "The Long Black Veil", "The Wall"
Superb
Own
One of the all time great recordings by one of the all time great artists.
A fantastic live album, plays like a greatest hits, with all the charm of Johnny Cash. Repeats: folsom prison blues, cocain blues, long black veil, green green grass of home Skips:25min to go
May have been worth doing a stint at Folsom to witness this. The tension in the room really comes through with the crowd and how he interacts with them. Even the announcements and interruptions add to it. I feel like Johnny could’ve started a riot any time he wanted. Sounds great for recording in a prison in the 60s too.
4.9 I would like to hear a reason why this wouldn't be a 5 star album.
Recording a show for prisoners was a great idea and this was a great pairing. Johnny Cash was never in prison but he had been in jail multiple times. He was a man who had struggled in his life, had been a broken man who had reached the bottom of the barrel and had come back from a drug addiction. He was a man the prisoners could relate to, he sang songs that the prisoners could relate to and Cash tailored his set accordingly. While I never wanted to spend a single night behind prison walls I'm very happy to have been able to hear this concert, it's a classic.
Okay, so I'm not a fan of this genre of music. That being said, I completely appreciate genius at the height of its power......and that is what I just listened to.
The quintessential Johnny Cash album. Outrageous at the time. Who goes and plays a concert for convicts? The Man In Black. That’s who. Singlehandedly started the whole outlaw country genre imo.
A classic. Love the chatter
5/5 Such a special experience.
I love this album. For being recorded in a prison, there is so much pure joy contained in the sounds - from Johnny's singing and jokes between songs to the raucous laughter and cheers from the crowd, there are very few live documents that truly capture the power and energy of being there. Of course, the songs are all incredible, and that voice is on full display. Absolutely the album I would play for someone who says they 'don't like country music'.
classic album that stands unwavering in time
Excellent. The extended version with all the other performances by Carl Perkins and the Statler Brothers is even better in my opinion.
Not a country fan but this was amazing, managed to create a great atmosphere while in a prison
How have I not listened to this full album before, or heard the Green, Green Grass of Home?
a classic
The full recording with Carl Perkins, Statler Bros, etc is even better. Hearing Hugh Cherry instruct the audience really puts you there.
This album is not only exquisitely recorded; the circumstances are bound to give any listener chills for the entire duration. Interspersed with announcements for prisoners to report to other areas of the prison(I have to imagine some of those inmates ignored their message until the concert was over), the subject matter of the songs makes it shocking that this was allowed at a maximum security prison. As my dad said when I was a kid, “I would love to know that guy’s story” when someone howls in jubilation after the line “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die”; you can’t help but wonder about some of these guy’s stories. Give My Love to Rose must have been a devastating song for some of these men to hear. Hearing songs about spitting in the warden’s face before being executed must have been exhilarating. And has anyone in the history of mankind had a bigger surprise than Glen Sherley? I don’t know if it resulted in unwanted attention from other prisoners but that must have been a truly unbelievable moment for him. I don’t know that the setting, content and quality of this album could ever be exceeded. But it’s certainly the best live album on this list and that I’ve ever heard.
What an idea: sing a bunch of murder songs and songs about criminals to a room full of convicts. The set and setting lend authenticity to the music and I'm sure won over many a life-long Johnny Cash fans. No one did it like Cash, and this is proof that he was a one of a kind. His easiness here is a man at the center of the stage fully committed to the project. The little breaks and 'mistakes' are nuggets of joy and discovery: it reveals further the connection Cash has with his audience. His banter is full of piss and vinegar, his singing is classic Cash, and the band gives each song just what he needs: simplicity and a soft bed for the star of the show.
classic country tracks, but it's really the energy of the live performance, johnny's charisma, and the context of the concert that really make it feel so much more than just a country album. 9/10
"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" going straight into Folsom Prison Blues. Doesn't get any better than that
Cool
fucks right out of the gate. what an insane listening experience. johnny cash is lowkey metal as hell which was not a surprise but definitely welcome skip(s): none favorite track(s): they're all genuinely so good. maybe Cocaine Blues
One of the original - if not THE original - "outlaw country" albums.
One of the greatest live albums and consummate Johnny Cash.
Such an authentic and cool album. Johnny Cash is just cool. The end.
Great recording, awesome rapport with the audience, iconic voice. Enjoyed this a lot.
"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." Sincere, deep and low — Cash has a proven appeal to criminals and citizens alike. Which one are you?
Loved this Johnny a cash is the best I felt like i was there in the prison
Nobody knows, nobody sees Nobody knows but me
I'm gonna bring my whole family to the next prison concert.
The best country music and probably one of the best live albums of all time 5/5
Awesome, 2nd time listening to Cash and i liked it more.
Great performance. And as performance art, from a meta point of view, twice as great. For a total of 15 stars.
Such a cool album, a cool concept, and I really dig the amount of chatter they left in. It feels so real.
Insane how perfect this is.
12 bar blues variant to start with
Johnny Cash interage tao bem com os prisioneiros que parece que ele passou um tempo na cadeia tambem
Echt heerlijk. Typisch zo'n voorbeeld waar het geheel beter is dan de nummer op zichzelf. Én waar live echt wat toevoegt. De bijzondere setting helpt natuurlijk erg. En Folsom Prison Blues is een fantastisch nummer. Ik zeg 5 sterren.
Fantastic. And I hear he did this album from a jail? Someone should make a movie about that.
Fuck yeah. Prison rules.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. Excellent songwriting and performances. I think this is very much enhanced by the liveliness of the crowd and Cash's interactions with them. Can't believe I'm rating a country album this high...
What a gem. So fun to listen to. Pretty sure my dad had this album as many songs were hauntingly familiar. Was surprised that there were so many prison-themed songs on there. I mean, I know he was singing at Folsom, but still … Also kind of crazy it charted in 1968 with some of these lyrics.
Well, this is a classic.
I'm not a fan of live albums but I'm a fan of this. 10/10 no notes.
5/5
Wow, on just the first track, the aptly named “Folsom Prison Blues,” the energy is palpable and unmatched on any other live track I’ve ever heard! To think these prisoners got this experience, how they must have felt! The little aside in “Dark As the Dungeon,” when someone swears in the audience is so endearing—it just sounds fun and shows Cash as the consummate performer he was! The cheering at references to murder, drug use, and violence might seem morbid—I see it more that these prisoners were feeling represented in a way they rarely felt in media. After all, isn’t that what we all want? Cash was in a sense “one of them!” And the occasional announcements for prisoners to go to the counselor, the booing at the introduction of the warden, the instructions to the prisoners on how to exit the space, the hollers and chatter in between songs—it’s an album like no other! I’ve never been particularly keen on modern country, but this early country that feels more born out of folk and Americana is much more appealing to me. The story telling, the simple production, and Johnny’s gruff baritone are intoxicating. Amazing album, so glad to listen to it!
Great songs. Love the interaction with the inmates.
Loved the concept, loved the performance, loved the closer written by an inmate. A unique and landmark live album.
What an incredible piece of history and a fantastic album. Will definitely be looking for this on vinyl.
Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.. what it lacks in recordings quality, it makes up as one of the benchmarks for live music.
Absolutely brilliant. He is blessed with a voice that makes you believe anything he sings. Love the Baritone on dark as a dungeon. Only down side I had this on cd for years and have played it to death
Fantastic album, surely one of the best live albums out there. I enjoyed the storytelling in the songs and the connection with the audience throughout, the sense of it taking place in an otherwise ordinary, functioning prison that Cash and co were a part of for that brief moment. Not 100% on the whole romanticising being imprisoned or committing crime aspect but it provides an excellent backdrop for a wonderful performance. It seems like it's from a completely different time. The music is top notch and Cash is a cool as they come.
it’s a revolution, it’s a revelation - come listen to this declaration.
Absolutely wonderful
I know this fantastic album well. Loved it
Great album!
One of my favorites
<3
It's funny this is the first album I've been presented with because it's one of my favorites.
Classic
Wow! Johnny Cash defied my expectations with this one. I thought it couldn’t get better after I listened to San Quentin. I prefer this over that now! The songs might blend together at times, but the tracks are memorable that it balances that out. Amazing performance from cash, I applaud!
Classic by a classic
I mean its Jonny Cash, iconique
What an amazing record - and a snapshot into the utterly incredibly performer snd person Johnny Cash was. I mean to play a set of songs to inmates, giving them a good time, peacefully - threading the thin line between not getting them over exciting, not pissing off the prison staff, but being emphatic, honest and real and even connecting - this record just culminates in a rousing record with strong songs and a Swiss watch makers precisión of a balancing act. A Masterpiece of a show and a masterpiece of a record.
One of my all time favorite recordings.
An out of the box idea that was more than just a cool concept. You can feel the energy of the room, the curated set list added to that. Johnny Cash is iconic, something about hearing him live is spectacular. Great album.
I didn't really get Johnny Cash before listening to this album. I must admit that in general, I tend to focus more on the music than on the lyrics. Cash's melodies are quite simple in most songs, which prevented me from really listening to anything he ever did. I tried to focus more on the lyrics for this listen and I have to admit, I was shaken. I can see why people tended to recognize themselves in these songs. It's also probably the best live album by a country artist, ever.
Amazing. Folsom Prison Blues is one of my favorite songs of all time. I had not heard all of these, but I am glad I have now. Probably a 4.5 our of 5 stars in reality, because it is not as deep (relating to the number of all time favorites of mine) as other albums, but this one is really good. Best so far.
I really enjoyed this album. Simple melodies yet grabbed me from the very beginning. Had to listen to it about three times in a row. I love the country and blues
What an album!? I've been a fan of Johnny Cash. Especially the older stuff with Rick Rubin, but I hadn't listened to this in a while or since I can remember. This is just raw and amazing. It is all heart, emotion, and simplicity. Fuck! 5/5
Obscenely wonderful voice.
Brilliant. Just brilliant and transports you there.
I like Johnny Cash; to me he’s emblematic of that rugged, old-timey country sound, while also somehow retaining a level of cool and credibility that many of his peers don’t. Despite this I wasn’t sure a whole album of his would sustain my interest. I thought I’d probably end up giving it a respectful 3 stars, like a lot of the jazz albums the generator serves up. But… I think this is great. It seems JC really came into his own performing live, and At Folsom Prison does so many things that a great live album should do. It captures an iconic and unusual concert (well, apparently Cash did loads of prison gigs in his career, but this was the first to be recorded), and the setting is very conspicuous throughout. You can sense it in the raucous crowd noise, the warden’s notices, the chatter between (and during) songs, and the excellently curated setlist, which is a good mix of up-tempo, funny and poignant numbers - a surprising number of which overtly reference prison life, or even Folsom itself. The fact that the last track was written by one of the inmates really seals the deal - this wasn’t just any old gig. It’s the classic greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts record. The individual tracks, the fact they’re mostly covers, and the fact it’s a live album wouldn’t usually get me excited. But the whole package in context, and the fact it even exists? Pretty legendary.
I liked at San Quentin better but this also great
Second live prison album on the list from Cash and this is so much better than the tired and worn out San Quentin - Every song is full of energy, Cash is in the form of his life, and the whole thing feels electric.
Such an iconic album. Johnny Cash has been a musical staple in my life since I was a child. My grandfather was a huge fan which may color my opinion in this album, but it is by far, my favorite live album by any artist ever.
I wouldn’t give a 5 to just any Johnny Cash album, but this book picked them really well. This is a classic live album; one where the songs have more energy and the artist’s full personality is on display. Seriously, just the sheer charm of his talking and monologuing is just so entertaining. Doing an album at a prison as a country artist is just a great idea, too, and it’s made even better by being the prison from one of his greatest songs, garnering lots of applause and enthusiasm from the inmates. Wow, I was surprised at how much I had to say about this one. Anyways, in conclusion, just one of the greatest live records ever to be put on wax.
Awesome
It's Johnny Cash live in a prison singing for prisoners. How more badass can you possibly get?
Второе очевидно? Ладно, история которая царила вокруг просто пушка бомба. Безумно люблю альбом и фильм который сняли в рамках записи альбома
çok çok içten ve güzel bir atmosfer , şarkılar da mahkumlara göre hazırlanmış aradaki hatalar (şarkının ortasında gülmesi) bence çok daha güzelleştirmiş mahkumların tepkileri ve aradaki duyurular da noktayı koymuş. country türünü ne kadar sevmesem de johnny cash çok güzel bir şekilde ön yargımı kırmayı başarmış.
Not all live albums capture the essence of both a performer and a audience completely engrossed in the performance and the songs, but these country songs of love death and more are perfect in A live setting. This is a an amazing album, Johnny Cash is in his prime.
wasn’t expecting to be a huge fan but i listened to this twice back to back
best live album ever? maybe! great performances from cash, carter, perkins, and the tennessee three, some really funny interludes, and just a solid overall sound! it really sounds like he says "have to change harmonicas faster than kiss a duck" on orange blossom special and i really have never figured out what he was trying to say and it kills me Favorite Tracks: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Greystone Chapel 4.5-5/5
Jaaa! Leuk leuk leuk. Dit is een fantastisch album
A remarkable record, the intimacy of the recording is a joy.
One of my favourite live albums of all time
This is classic cash but I never knew that this literally saved his career. I just thought it was him continuing in his prime or something. I’ve loved Folsom prison blues, cocaine blues, and Jackson since I was a preteen and 25 minutes and egg suckin dog were new favs. I also really appreciated how great of a performer he was here with the little skits in between songs as well as how he sings some of the lines in each song. There’s a good amount of filler songs in here but the highs are so high I think I’m gonna give it a 5 more out of respect than anything.
This is such a banger of a record. Cash's attitude and balls to sing those songs in front of those men is beyond epic. Johnny may have been a country singer, but he is more metal than most modern metal bands.
The greatest live album of all time. Intimate and explosive. Cash’s taunting of the guard folk is hilarious, juxtaposed with the astonishing ending audio of chains rustling as inmates are led back to their cells. Jackson is my fave Cash track.
Amazing. A classic masterclass in storytelling.
The man in black.
It's no surprise that this is considered one the best live albums of all time. Johnny Cash's ability to keep a crowd engaged is really interesting to hear. You can hear the energy ramping up as the music moves faster than the studio versions. This album is like a whirlwind and it proves Mr. Cash was the best in the game. 5
Why come I like johnny cash and johnny cash music so much, but get bored out of my skull by most of his peers
I AM A JOHNNY CASH LOVER I DONT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE
You can hear him having fun and ramping up into the energy. Great mix of comedy and heartfelt songs. A really interesting slice of history.
I think this will be the first time I have purposefully listened to Johnny Cash. I'm familiar with this album for the cultural / historic significance. Respect where it is due; this is a great live album. Great performance and mixing with some fun stage banter mixed in to give a feel for the man's personality. While this isn't something I will go out of my way to listen to it is clearly a great album for what it is. Highlights for me: Cocaine Blues > 25 Minutes to Go, Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog
Great live performance. Really enjoyed banter between songs.
I wish I could have been there (but not incarcerated)
He killed a man in Reno, just to watch them die… and you think some of audience probably genuinely have. Best live album ever, and then June Carter turns up half way through and it gets even better Faultless
I liked it.Good folk with a lively crowd.Not one song I didn’t like.
Something bigger than music
The best of Johnny Cash's classic albums.
Great the whole way around
Always loved this album
Yesssss
This was a 5 star album before I even listened to a song this morning. I am very familiar with Johnny Cash's music, and this album in particular. The story around how this live performance came to be is a great one. Johnny had finally dealt with his drug and alcohol abuse problems, and was cleaning up his act. He settled down, and married June Carter, and finally started taking control of his music career again. In 1965 he decided that he wanted to finally play a live show at a prison (this idea had been floating around in his head since he released Folsom Prison Blues in 1955). His record label at the time wouldn't hear of it, but in 1967, his manager changed, and Bob Johnston was all for putting a show on for the inmates of Folsom Prison. Johnny rounded up June Carter, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three and proceeded to put on two shows for the inmates (most of what is featured on this record is from the first show, except for 2 songs which are from the second show). I love how they left in Johnny's jokes and banter along with the cheers of the crowd, and even announcements from the sheriff. All of these "flaws" really maintain that intimate feel for the listener. The show featured a new, unreleased single which was actually written by one of the inmates of Folsom Prison, Glen Sherley. The song was titled Greystone Chapel, and Johnny surprised Glen by performing it live. Overall, this is a phenomenal record, and may be one of my favorite live albums. I've listened to it many times before, and love the "outlaw country" genre that he helped create. Favourite songs: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Orange Blossom Special, I Got Stripes, Jackson, Dark as the Dungeon, Give My Love to Rose, Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog, "Green, Green Grass of Home", Send a Picture of Mother, The Long Black Veil, The Wall, Greystone Chapel Least favourite songs: 25 Minutes to Go 5/5
A legendary album that is fantastic to listen to!
Klasika. Badass jak sviň. Skvělá atmosféra 10/10
Wild concept, but very charismatic performance. Standout: Jackson. 5/5
It's one of the best live albums ever. I love the story behind it, how Cash recorded it at a prison and how it sounds so 'live' - the reaction of prisoners after and between the songs, Cash's talking etc. Musically it is a really great country, rockabilly album. Lyrically Cash was tougher than metal bands later with his lyrics about killers and crimes. This album is closer to a perfect 5.
everything about it. the songs. the commentary. the story. amazing
Listened Before? Y Oh yes! An all-timer. This album is spectacular. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Folsom Prison Blues
One of my favourites. Just fantastic!
5/5
This album is legendary. At Folsom sounds like manhood from another time. It's Johnny's big bassy voice that half sings, half talks which does it. It creates a whole bad, almost mythical world of bootslinging, gun toting and moonshine running action. If recordings of this survive in hundreds of years time I think they'll be used to understand what it meant to be an American. What happens on this album isn't complex but it also isn't simple, that's why no other country/folk/record sounds like it. Sidenote: a few weeks ago I watched a Youtube recording of this performance cut between confessions from Folsom prisoners, would strongly recommend. A wild watch .
A very strong live album where the audience is well-integrated. Standouts are Folsom Prison Blues, Dark as the Dungeon, Cocaine Blues, The Long Black Veil, Green Green Road Home, and Greystone Chapel.
An absolute classic. I’ve heard bits and pieces of this throughout my life but it was really cool listening to it all the way through.
JC IS KING ! 🤴 !
This is just an amazing album
It just feels like he reached into the brains of prisoners and pulled out all the stuff going through their head
Less an album than a whole living, breathing, experience. You want to be there and live it.
This is one of those albums that is pretty hard to listen to objectively, die to its ubiquity and large footprint. It might be Cash’s most famous album and it also might be his best. One of those instances where the live versions of the songs are the definitive versions.
The best of the best. Vocals, lyrics, Johnny’s voice and easygoing dialogue. 6 stars if I could. Love this!
Love it
Zalige live! De humor naar de gevangenen toe is fantastisch, en ook dat af en toe iemand ergens naar toe wordt gestuurd maakt het enorm authentiek
Livealbum van Johnny Cash in Folsom State Prison, California. Tracklist bestaat vooral uit standards van Amerikaanse country met het thema gevangenschap. Cash symphatiseerde sterk met gevangenen en haalde duidelijk voldoening uit het optreden, met herhaaldelijk casual contact met het bajespubliek. Leuke nummers, fantastische artiest, legendarisch album. leukste nummer: Folsom Prison Blues Het daverende succes van het album - onverwacht van een drugsverslaafde, afgezakte country artiest - leidde ertoe dat Cash's carrière een doorstart maakte met o.a. zijn eigen tv show. Hij kickstartte ook de carrière van Glen Sherley, gevangene in Folsom waarvan Cash een nummer speelde.
Absolutely iconic live country album when Cash was in his prime.
It's a classic. Cash gets so much love and energy from the convicts of Folsom Prison that it propels him to o0ne of his best performances. It is the definitive Johnny Cash album, let alone live album.
The most Johnny Cash move ever
Probably the best live album ever? Johnny is on fantastic form throughout and the atmosphere is inimitably electric
One of the all time greatest live albums, Johnny Cash delivered one of the greatest performance for a group of individuals that society choose to forget.
Really great live album! I love all the banter and the prison announcements in between tunes. Send picture of mother is such a great sad song. Love hearing June Carter on Jackson.
This is incredible. So cool that they played one of the inmates’ songs. Such a great band, Johnny and June are awesome. Sounds amazing for being recorded in a prison.
Is incredible how the venue is captured here. I love when Johnny laughs and makes comments. He’s so cool. His voice also sounds incredible.
obviously a classic. the opening minute of the opening track gives me chills
Love this album. Listened to so many of these songs when I was in high school. It was a great time to get into these songs because it's very much a fuck the system album. Wish I could go back in time to see how controversial in the moment the album was and the setting of it.
Love me some Johnny. I’d shoot a man in Reno just to listen to this album
LP
Delightful album. one of the few live albums that really captures a sense of audience and interplay there. Dark and cheeky, solemn and wisened. Gave me a whole new respect for country music.
Brilliant live album, very interesting.
‘At Folsom Prison’ is an excellent live album, featuring a cracking set of songs. Johnny Cash is at the top of his game here, winning over the crowd (i.e., inmates) with his tales of murder and imprisonment in a charismatic and effortless performance, ably supported by his band, Carl Perkins and soon to be wife June Carter. The lack of edits with Cash sometimes breaking mid song to have a laugh or crack a joke, along with the occasional wardens’ announcements to the prisoners really lend the album and air of authenticity and danger which add to the overall atmosphere.
Incredible album. Cash's voice is like silk, belting out this combination of originals and covers in a way that only Cash can do. In the spirit of other truly great live albums, the energy of the performance and the crowd comes through time and time again, making one feel like they're actually there. The way Cash jokes with the crowd, or occasionally stumbles in songs as he laughs at this and that is so incredibly engaging. This music is just brilliant, classic country - 'Folsom Prison Blues', 'Cocaine Blues', '25 Minutes to Go', the moody 'Long Black Veil', the inspired duet cover with June Carter of 'Jackson', the touching 'Green, Green Grass of Home' - there's just so much to love here.
Fire
“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” Best live album ever?
The man in black gets a 5.
I heard this album about 15 years ago with no real experience with the man in black and I absolutely loved it on my first listen and has since taken a regular spot in my library. It remains as amongst the top echelon of my favourite live albums. The stories of how came about and him befriending one of the inmates all just adds to the feel of the album. Also I would like to make it known that no....it was not Crister Ronald who invented Suey! It was in fact Mr Cash. Go to the opening track 'Folsom Prison Blues' and skip to 1:12 and you'll see my point proved. Messi & Cash > Cristen Rolando
“I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die” - is there a cooler line than this? Is there anything more hardcore than recording a live album in a prison? Answer to both is no. This album rocks.
Maybe my favourite live album
Such a good one
Essential country listening Amazing raw album Fascinating insight into the live gig at Folsom prison
Incredible. Love the back and forth between Johnny and the audience. The songs were wonderful stories. Such an iconic album. A concert in a prison. Classic Cash
Johnny on mighty form
5 out of 5, of course. Listened to it many times and it always puts a smile on my face.
what a guy, so down to earth
"I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" PREFS : TOUT MOINS PREF : RIEN
Without a doubt, my favorite Cash album. His best? Probably not, but it's the one I've continued to listen to over and over again my whole life.
The greatest country album of all time. Favorite track: I Got Stripes
Prison Blues is super cool song.
so cool
I have 2,278 albums in my music library that I sometimes shuffle. I feel like a song from this album pops up every few days. My favorite part is when Johnny has to read official prison announcements. 5 stars.
Amazing. (COME BACK TO)
Great album and just so cool to have done this
Death, Cocaine, Misery and Whiskey in a good way.
Can’t go wrong with Johnny cash
Surprised. In our carefully crafted modern culture I had no idea you could have a prison concert and jokingly sing about killing people and dogs. The songs were strong, the live set fun, and the irreverence elevated it.
I'm not sure why but I loved this album.
Top live albums ever made. Gave me chills hearing his smoker lungs sing
I’d go to prison for a Johnny Cash concert
"At Folsom Prison" is the first live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Cash had been interested in recording at a prison for a few years after recording "Folsom Prison Blues." Backed by June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three, Cash performed two shows at Folsom Prison from which this album was created. He was looking to turn his career around with recent limited commercial success and personal drug issues. And it did, hitting #1 on the Country Charts and #13 on the Pop Album Charts. What type of music? Well, this is poster child of outlaw country. An album that the Library of Congress added to Nationsl Recording Registry in 2003. "Hello I'm Johnny Cash" and a thunderous applause from the prisoners propels the start of "Folsom County Blues." It's hard to think of a more iconic album-opening moment. Cash's unique voice. The Tennessee Three rolling. "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die." Another giant ovation. A line he had to remove for the single. He tells the story of a man arrested in Juarez, Mexico for cocaine and killing his wife in "Cocaine Blues." Talk about knowing your audience. Needless to say, another crowd favorite. Cash adds a bit of a humorous tone to the grim tale in "25 Minutes to Go" which tells the minute-by-minute story of a man headed to the gallows to be a hung. A Preacher. Waiting for the never-coming pardon. His neck in the noose. Yet somehow, Cash adds lightness. A simple ballad "Send a Picture of Mother" begins side two. Just an acoustic guitar. Not all the songs are about prison. June Carter joins Johnny in "Jackson"." Great interplay between the two. Going to Jackson to get married. "Give My Love to Rose" is a sad love song. Great story telling about a man in prison sending a letter to his love Rose and their son. The last song on the album is appropriately "Greystone Chapel," a song written by Folsom inmate Glen Sherley. More traditional country music. The backing vocals giving a soulful feel. Great guitar solo. A hopeful song about God and faith. The actual album ending is the associate warden telling the inmates to exit through the doors and you hear them exit. Very eery. I don't think you'll find a live album where you're just as interested in the audience reaction as the music. Or a better connection of singer to audience. Or just a performance overall. A one of a kind live album which he would repeat on several subsequent albums and an album everyone needs a listen to.
Fantastic live album
Not usually a fan of live albums but this is excellent. The context of the performance adds to the whole experience too.
At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash is a good album
literally the definition of country, cunt-try if u will
Johnny Cash is a stone cold badass and he once said "You know who would love to hear my music? MURDERERS AND CRIMINALS AND SHIT" and he just went and sang a bunch of songs about DEATH AND BEING HANGED to STONE COLD MOTHERFUCKERS And we get to listen to it today.
Nice sounds, I hate the British.
An album so good he then did one at Sam Quentin
Don't like country, don't like live albums but by god this is good. strangely jolly but also so so sad. You can hear the audience hanging on every word. They're almost an instrument in themselves at times. It's best when Cash is just telling a story - "the Wall" & "Joe Bean" cut deep This is music as it should be no matter the genre - talking directly to people.
Best country album of all time. Favorite track: Cocaine Blues
Really entertaining - one of the best live album atmospheres I've heard captured on record. Started off thinking it might make a interesting listen but nothing more and ended up being the fastest I've bought an album from this list. Great stuff
stage presence
A classic
This is a great album from Johnny Cash, probably one of the best live albums of all time.
This actually is legit an album that everyone should hear at least once. Incredible. 5/5
Probably the best live album of all time. The atmosphere is great. Such great performances
Johnny Cash is a badass. What else is there to say? Two Cash albums in (American IV being the first) and I am now a fan. Please excuse me as I look up where to watch his biopic, check YouTube for interviews & concert footage, and blast his greatest hits on Spotify. Standout tracks: At Folsom Prison, Cocaine Blues, 25 Minutes to Go (and a lot more, to be honest).
A-
A live album with all the character of Johnny Cash distilled into less than hour
Probably one of the best live albums I've heard. I love how the audience participation is just as important as Johnny's performance (which needless to say, it is really good), and is so funny to see how they interact with, cheer and joke around in a way that feels almost personal. Johnny also seems to have a lot of fun, singing the prisoners' own compositions and cracking up jokes ("please don't say s****, this is being recorded!" *proceeds to sing about a man killing his wife because of his cocaine addiction*) 10/10, I wish I was a male prisoner in 1968...
Johnny Cash at his best.
I loved this project. I had heard many cuts from it before, but never the whole thing from start to finish. I look forward to playing it again and again.
Really enjoyed, first intro into Cash
Johnny Cash is a treasure and this album sums up the guy pretty well. If modern country music sounded like this, maybe I would listen to it.
Somehow better than I imagined
It's a great album. Hard to put anything less than 5 for what it means and how it sounds.
One of the best live albums I've heard. And I usually don't like live albums
One of my favorite live albums
I'm not going to lie I was shocked. I always thought Johnny Cash was overrated because I basically only ever heard Hurt and Ring of Fire. After listening to this all the way through I can see why he was as big as he was. The voice and the music was very very talented.
This is one of the most amazing live albums ever recorded. I don't have the right words to describe it, but it's incredible to hear these simple folk/country songs performed by this incredible talent for this unique audience. The appreciation they have for it and the bond between performer and audience are apparent. I miss the days when we could acknowledge that even the lowest among us, including convicted criminals, were still human beings. This album is a good reminder of that. Truly a special experience listening to this. 5 stars.
What can I say about this album that hasn’t been written before. Perfect, just perfect. Also inspired me to watch the Johnny Cash episode of Columbo
This man’s portfolios are ridiculous. The interaction with the crowd, the live mistakes, the warden announcements… and that’s before you consider the music & lyrics
I can’t think of another live album which so viscerally places in you in the setting of a concert. Perhaps more than any other American singer, Johnny Cash embodies the struggles of this country-and the ideals we aspire to.
Classic
Honestly enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I respect Johnny Cash and admire his influence, but in general wouldn't voluntarily listen to much of his music. It's not really my cup of tea, even if I enjoy a lot of the country music today that was inspired by this sort of thing. That being said, the atmosphere created (singing about crime in a prison to a pretty engaged audience, in a pretty engaging way) was remarkable. I teetered for a bit...4 or 5? But by the end I was sold.
I'm loving these Johnny Cash albums. He's a great performer and knows how to work the crowd. The songs feel carefully selected for his inmate audience. Most of the songs are about imprisonment, loneliness, betrayal and guilt. He keeps them short and sweet too; sometimes I get the impression that he wraps up a song and moves the show along to make sure he keeps the crowd's attention. June Carter has similar crowd-pleasing instincts too. She's not on the album much but she really goes for it on "Jackson." She wants to make sure these guys get a good show. Johnny Cash is a great singer but I can't say enough what a great performer he is. He handles interruptions from the crowd with humility and humor. Like on "The Long Black Veil," one of the saddest songs I know, he pauses to laugh at the reaction to the line "I had been in the arms of my best friend's wife." There's a lot of humor in the songs too. "25 Minutes to Go" is really fun and "Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart" has some great one-liners.
His wit and banter really make Johnny Cash a one of a kind performer, totally meant to have live albums like this. I love how he caters to his audience in every way, and handles everything with humor. 5 for the music. 5 for the charisma.
After reading Steve's review of Cash's "At San Quentin" I realized that there were several of these live-in-prison albums so I was gushing over a different one when I meant to be gushing over this one. They are both fantastic though and I think deserving of their spots in this 1001 list. This album is excellent and has everything that I would want in a country folk singer songwriting record. I love the energy, the banter, the recording quality, and the performance overall is stellar.
Interesting. First Johnny Cash album
This album was already in my heavy rotation list, but I'd never really taken the time to think about the end-to-end album (and the event itself) all that much. It's really quite remarkable that a well-established artist from any musical genre would opt to setup inside of a prison and perform a whole show for the prisoners. I very seriously doubt there is any modern musician with an established career and the courage to do the same (especially any country musician). I could be wrong, but I doubt I am. So, then the show gets started, and instead of rolling off a series of radio-worn popular tunes, the band plays a setlist of songs that tell the tales of criminals. Each song honestly, and often sympathetically, portrays the personhood and humanity of the criminal, without romanticizing or pitying. And in an amongst all of it, Johnny is chatting up the crowd and making jokes just like it's nothing. It's an enjoyable and voyeuristic musical experience, with a very subtle underlying tragedy that, when explored enough, challenges the listener to think of the humanity of the people that have been locked away from society.
This is just wonderful. So much humour, so much love.
Ahh, Johnny. Love Johnny Cash. Truly the kind of artist that makes people question if they really hate country music after all (for the record, I don't, but it gets a bad rap thanks to racist fans--looking at you, Wallen stans). But for real, this whole album is incredible. Johnny Cash is an excellent storyteller with the perfect voice for country lore. I love the fact this was recorded live at a prison, and that he devoted so much of his career to making music that everyone loves. Everyone deserves good music and he knew that. Fave track could be Folsom Prison Blues or Cocaine Blues. You can't go wrong with any track here, though. No skips.
5 stars. Love this one, listened to it lots. Love how simple the songs are and the ambiance of the prison audience. The announcements here and there are just great. This works as foreground and background for me.
An album I already own - and it's a corker. Shame that this list also includes the San Quentin set - really, amidst the 1,001 albums to listen to before you die, how many Johnny Cash jailhouse performances does a body need? Nonetheless, taken in isolation, this one crackles with a rare electricity. A lovely setlist, and Cash sounds like a man fully in command of everything he surveys, even when he cracks up during 'Dark as the Dungeon'. What a voice, an Old Testament voice.
This was awesome - even better than "At San Quentin". Loved the strong narrative many of the songs had. Fave track - "25 Minutes to Go" - morbid!
I dont usually like live albums but these are great songs and a great performance. Johnny was a master of his craft and just had so much charisma. A very interesting idea for a live album as well. A real gem.
Loved hearing the commentary in between sets
What an awesome album, Johnny Cash is a fantastic performer and musician. I was completely enthralled by his excellent story telling and sense of humor. I loved this album.
Incredible.
One of the best live albums ever. Great songs and you can feel the atmosphere
Legendary. Enough said.
This is the album that captured Johnny Cash the icon best for me. The song selection given the setting is superb.
Extremely well executed. Cash is charming, funny and sincere in this performance and I wish I could have seen him live. The stories in these songs are great and while sometimes the arrangements were a bit too sparse for my taste, I have to say they were well crafted. I’d probably give this a 4.5 if I could but I can’t.
As lively as a live album can be. You can’t help but feel the excitement of the prisoners cheering at Johnny Cash singing “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die”. A joy to listen to
Sån banger... ett av de mest effektiva live-albumen jag nånsin hört.
I don't think there's an artist in the world, past or present, that could make an album like this. Probably the most crowd interaction you will hear in a live album. The whole thing feels so natural, as if the whole show was meant to be.
This is one of the best known live albums of all time. It's great. I prefer the live album he did at San Quentin, but you can't go wrong with either.
what an awesome album, 9/10 I mean some of these songs fit so perfectly for this performance, they had to be written for this I don’t know, just a really enjoyable experience I saw Walk the Line and I think it’s really cool actually getting to hear what actually happened as if you were there, it’s awesome
Hello I'm Jimmy cash
This album top to bottom is legendary to say the least. From the bone chilling cheering and clapping from the prisoners to the down to earth moments that Johnny Cash has with the audience. The singing is magnificent and the song writing is perfect. Ive always loved this song, ever since i first listened to it on my record player. This album is truly one of a kind, not only because it was played in folsom prison for the prisoners, but also because of how incredible his singing is despite it being live recorded. You feel like you can just reach out and touch him. The album has so many slow sad songs, faster paced light hearted songs, and an underlying theme of being imprisoned in some way shape or form. I cannot say enough good things about this album.
Grande cash!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Classic. Such a great album.
The most fun live album I've listened to. I love Cash's banter, June Carter's guest appearance, the inmates' cheering and other minor sounds present in the audio, like coughing and laughter.
I really really dig it
You know it.
9/10. But we love us some Johnny Cash.
5/5. Legendary. Iconic. Thanks Johnny 🤠
Favorite live album.
Sounds really good. This is prob worth the 5 stars.
Super album and great to hear the banter between Cash and audience
Johnny Cash plays a few country songs for a bunch of convicts. He's charismatic, devilish, and killing it. Classic album.
Live albums have never been my thing but this will always be the exception.
10/10 amazing energy , cash and his backing band both giving legendary performances
10/10. This was so heavy, even compared to at San Quentin.
I really liked this album, Johnny cash is quite good and very charismatic during the live performance. Parts of the album were funny and the songs were all nice to listen to despite it technically being country music.
Great album throughout- was very interesting hearing the banter with the audience and the prisoners. Great country album and his voice is iconic, will listen to again.
Hello, I love this album. This is classic Cash, punchy, full of attitude and humor, but also tinged with faith and sadness. Cash has a mindfulness of where he is and a clear sense of purpose toward his audience. The love between Johnny Cash and his audience is genuine and it radiates through these songs beautifully. It's a joy to hear. The enthusiastic roars and hollers from the crowd (sometimes at inappropriate times) brings a gallows humor and an exuberance to these songs that doesn't always exist in the studio versions. Cash is charismatic, in excellent voice and the band has great energy. June Carter's presence is an added delight. There is nothing else quite like this in music, and it's a strong candidate for best live album of all time. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Jackson, I Still Miss Someone, 25 Minutes to Go, The Long Black Veil, Orange Blossom Special, I Got Stripes, Dark as the Dungeon, Green, Green Grass of Home, Greystone Chapel, Send a Picture of Mother, Give My Love to Rose, Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog, The Wall, Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart
Great live album, very entertaining. What worked really well was the rawness of the recording, showing the engagement of the audience and Cash' personality as a performer, and including mundane announcements by the prison management that had nothing to do with the concert itself.
This guy bucks, the cocaine song was good
This may just be the greatest live album of all time. From "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" to the closing bars of Greystone Chapel and the announcements that follow, this is essential and engaging listening. The recording somehow transports you into the room in Folsom Prison. The energy from the inmates is palpable and it's clear that they are hanging on every Cash's every word. 5/5
I've loved this album since I got it in a 3 for £20 at East Kent's legendary old record store, Sound House. I said of San Quentin that it's great, but it lacks the driving energy of this superior (if slightly better behaved) live set. And listening today, it holds true A joy from start to end.
What a guy
Essential country/live album. Need I say more?
Fantastic album. Live albums are a hit or a miss for me, but this one is totally up there for intensity, passion, fun, and great sound.
So many live albums on this list. I'm not complaining, especially if they are ones of the calibre of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. This is the album I would tell people to listen to next if the discovered Johnny Cash through his NIN cover or the bio movie. Really nice cross section of the Man in Black's career until that point. None of his other recordings capture the underlying humour of Cash's music, something that is often overlooked about his work. San Quentin is a perfect follow up to this release so check it out if you haven't already.
Hello, I’m Johnny Cash. Iconic. Absolutely brilliant album!
One of the greatest live albums, heck, albums in general of all time.
Man, this album makes me remember that we're all human. This guy is over here singing songs about "shooting a bad bitch down" while all the inmates cheer. He cracks some jokes, laughs, asks for water - Johnny Cash just seems like such a down to earth guy. I don't even like country but the book was right for once.. I think my ghost would have been a bit upset if I died without listening to this. Also, I never knew that this album is from 1968. I always thought it was from the late 50s or so.
One of my favorite albums. It's raucous and full of energy, with a songlist that hits on some of the best of his work. I never get tired of listening to it.
Very much a jam. I loved 25 Minutes to Go and I loved the bit after The Long Black Veil.
immediate love for this album
Such a classic!
One of the greatest comeback albums of all time. Johnny Cash did not shy away from the uncomfortable and wasn’t afraid to share his spotlight with those cast out by society. This set showcases Cash’s empathy, skill as a live performer, and ability to connect with an audience. June Carter’s appearance is another highlight.
Wow, it was was something very different - for album 2, for name +1, for idea +2, so in total 5 due to a good idea where to play and record.
one of my faves
The Godfather of live prison albums, which in my book, means that it pales a bit to The Godfather Part II of live prison albums. But the original Godfather is one of the best movies ever made, just as this is one of the best live albums ever released. The best moment - oh hell, there are a lot of best moments - comes after Cash sings "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die" when a Folsom inmate punctuates the line with a triumphant cheer. It's a vocal cheer that says that guy knew exactly what Johnny Cash was singing about. An excited "been there/done that" affirmation. That recorded moment alone puts this baby at a 5. And I'm pretty sure that same inmate is the one getting a little too excited during certain parts of Cocaine Blues.
Such a good album! Love Johnny Cash!
GOAT
An outstanding classic.
Such a cool concert, the connection between Cash and the audience is great to hear. And the songs fit with the atmosphere so well.
Classic
Brilliant album, one of my dad's favourite artists. Folsom prison blues, give my love to rose, the hilarious flushed from the bathroom of your heart, and, of course, Jackson are awesome songs that I just keep coming back to
Exquisite! I am truly impressed that he was able to do this and that it didn't incite a riot. Great energy in the performance and the song selection is dynamite.
Un classique qui mérite amplement ça note. 5
Wonderful piece! The setlist, the energy, and the way how Johnny and his audience interacts make this album perfect. It’s like a modern ritual. Even the cover shows some type of intimacy: Johnny looking at you from above with his sweat dripping. I love it
So much character. Incredible country music recorded pretty well all things considered. Johnny Cash Highlights: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16.
Live, in una prigione e comincia proprio con 'Folsom Prison Blues' che parla di un assassino: brividi! Poi un live che non sia in uno stadio mantiene sempre una certa qualità, ma include comunque il pubblico e i commenti dell'artista che gli danno fascino. Le prime 5 sono una più bella dell'altra. Comunque tutto lo stile blues in accordo con la caldissima voce di Johnny Cash è fantastico. Jackson con June Carter <3
I love Johnny Cash and liked most of this album a lot. The songs about executions (the long black veil, 25 minutes to go) are pretty disturbing to me though, and I skip through them. Fun to hear the prison crowd and songs they liked. Struggling between a 4 and 5 on this one. Going 5, cuz it’s The Man in Black.
Not all of my favorite Cash tunes, but some real greats, and the story and legacy of playing for prisoners at prisons and just how cool this and Cash is brings a 4 of an album up to a 5.
Cool story behind this album. Great music, love Johnny singing the blues
Brilliant album - real, honest & fun.