1001 Albums Generator
At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

1968
3.96
Rating
30365
Votes
1
2%
2
6%
3
21%
4
36%
5
35%
Distribution
Genres: Country Styles: Live

Reviews (page 6 of 15)

cash is great this was fun to listen to all the way through

Great live album. Highlights: "Folsom Prison Blues" and "The Long Black Veil"

The man in black ... In a prison ... Singing murder ballads ... To murderers ... That is all

Between the ad libs, the small talk, the choking on water, moving songs, and the background noise, I don't think you could get a better album. Especially with the context that this was really his redemption album, I can see why.

This album relaunched Cash's career and was an interesting promotional concept. Recorded across 2 shows the same day it does capture his energy across a mix of mainly country songs. Not heard all the way through before and was worth a listed, even is a bit hyped by music critics.

Thought it absolutely phenomenal. The energy and jovialness of the performance just radiated throigh, and the songs are great

I don't know that I've actually listened to this full album before, despite liking Johnny Cash. I know albums aren't big anymore, and I've listened to a lot of Cash, but I was surprised that more of the songs on this album weren't more energetic like Folsom Prison Blues, and were instead slower ballads through the middle of the album. Fantastic though.

It was ok, nothing amazing, nothing terrible.

The only live album worth paying attention to. Still country tho, sorry Johnny.

At a prison! Neat. It seems like a very important album for Johnny Cash and for the prisoners but it wasn't much to me. I didn't connect with the songs and the vocals left a lot to be desired in my opinion. 2 starts since Johnny Cash is classic, but not much of a Cash fan myself.

Almost as good as BBNO$. Based album. 5/5 for being good and important.

I get that this is an absolute classic, and he was appealing to the crowd of inmates at Folsom, but I wasn’t overly moved by it

i liked it, especially (an unusual one for me) the meaning behind some of it

This album is great. The location, the prison crowd really bring something to this. Especially how prison life just continues with interruptions in the show for things. I really like when they boo the guard and the one in charge is like “ok settle down”. It’s prison but one of the better days there for some.

I love Johnny Cash. This album is good, but inconsistent. It would have been incredible to experience it live (without being incarcerated). It doesn’t exactly translate to recording however.

mid like all his music

He seems like a cool guy

lsitened

seltsamer künstler: 2x auf der liste, 2x ein konzert im gefängnis - und es gibt noch zwei weitere solche! musikmässig ist es country, entertainementfaktor hoch.

Ein Klassiker, und was für einer!

Not usually into live albums but it's Johnny Cash, so...

Johnny Cash basically said ACAB over 50 years ago

Such a great entertainer. Must admit I enjoyed "At San Quentin" more though

Good but too long

The first country album I bought on my own. I went through a long period of time where I didn't like country. Turned out, I didn't like Nashville Fiddle-Pop. Country... hard music by hard people... was and always will be a worldwide staple. Always a joy to listen to this again.

the songs here are good , maybe not amazing, but very good but you cant escape the extraordinary setting in which it takes place and the context it gives everything.

2nd Cash prison album from the generator. It was way better than the other one but I still just don't care. I had fun for like 1/3rd of the album and then I got bored 2/5

nobody’s doing it like this anymore, country music without the boot licking is so class. southern people get back to your roots asap.

Imagine waking up in your cell one day and getting to see Johnny fucking Cash, what kind of “punishment” is that supposed to be

Wow, what a ride this one is! I was aware of this existing, but had never listened. To my mind, live albums have never really counted as proper albums for some reason, and why would I want to listen to Johnny Cash in a live venue with crowd noises when I can listen to Johnny Cash in the studio? Little did I understand that the presence of the crowd - the atmosphere in the room - is what makes this album so good. Johnny's banter with the inmates, the choice of a whole lot of prison themed/gallows humour type songs... Thematically it's such a clever idea, that is pulled off flawlessly. The music itself is classic country stuff performed exceptionally well, with an almost effortless feeling imbued by just how funny and relaxed the whole thing is. Johnny is a real comfortable entertainer, and this album is nothing if not entertaining.

I guess the greatness of this one is lost on me. I didn't really think it was all that special outside of the setup and the banter. The music was fine and the performance was fun, but it never really did anything impressive. I think that's in line with the nature of Cash's music, though; so much of it is structured in the same way. It just gets a tad old after a few songs. And I say that as someone who generally likes his music. Also, it's a live album. It is missing half of what makes it special. I do think this was a much more interesting instance of the live performance recording than most others I've gotten on here, but still. At least the crowd reaction/interaction was preserved well. I'm sure it was pretty awesome for them to be part of it. I just can't say the same based on my listen. Overall: 2.1/5

I don’t know. Didn’t like this as much as the top reviews hyped it up to be

Great live album has great interactions between performer and audience

# Album Name: At Folsom Prison # Artist: Johnny Cash # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Not bad. Didnt grip me the first time round. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? Ill give it a 2nd listen.

Listening to men cheer about dead women is an ick. But listening to Johnny Cash reminded me of my grandpa and that was really nice

I had always known about this album and its history but this is the first time I listened to it and I was blown away! Not just musically, of course, but I love the ad libbing, the background noise, certain inmates being called over the intercom…it really places you in that setting, in that period of time. Excellent!

Not too many stand out songs just really solid overall

This was an amazing live album - probably the best I can think of.

Neat musical artifact

Perfection!

the reno incident...

This album makes me want to travel back in time, get into a bar fight and get thrown in jail in California just so i could watch this show. Johnny Cash does not screw around, mince words or waste time.

This is the album that got me into Johnny Cash. I really wish I could have seen him before he passed. What a missed opportunity. This is an epic live album. The mood is so intense. You can hear how starved-for-entertainment these guys are; they're so happy to be having a good time, and their vibe is infectious. All the between-song banter is great, especially the bit about the cup of water. And then at the end they bring up the warden and everyone boos him, and the album then just kind of ends unceremoniously as everyone is dismissed to go back to their cells. It would've been great to be in the crowd for thi----actually, maybe not.

This is great, full stop. While I've heard this before, I'd forgotten about the banter between songs and announcements from prison officials peppered throughout. "Folsom Prison Blues" is an all-time classic, "I Still Miss Someone" is among Cash's best, and there's plenty else to like here. The mix of sentimentality, humor (gallows and otherwise), and Johnny Cash's authenticity makes it charming and real. What a legend.

Oui pas mal mais pas fou

Great lore, great concept, and Cash seems to deal with the audience reasonably well (though my ears detect a slight fracture in his cool occasionally) resulting in a fascinating and successful document of a genuinely interesting happening. Musically speaking, I’m not particularly moved by it; rock'n'roll was so well established by 1968, its reach would’ve extended even to prisons and it feels like this should rock more. No matter how appropriate the songs might get and however many times Cash mentions prison and gets the crowd’s undivided support, the music, even at its most raucous, comes across as quaint. I can’t help feeling Chuck Berry might’ve done a better job.

Miglior disco live di sempre

A masterpiece of humanity, humour, grit and love. An incredible album from a beautiful soul.

i thought this was supposed to be legendary/amazing. it's fine.

Masterclass of classic country. The fact that you can hear Johnny engage with the audience and clearly have fun performing adds a unique charm to the album.

The prisoners all cheer any time Johnny says he shot someone

One prison album is enough. Frank started his anti JC campaign and his seeds of doubt are starting to sprout. Is Johnny full of shit? Might be. I don't think you can argue he has a great voice, presence and found an interesting lane. More interesting than most. He can tell a story. Had to compare this to San Quentin and the first track "Wanted Man" jumps out as better than what's on here. More energy and some cool backing vocals.

This idiot had more than one prison album? Fuck Johnny cash. Fraud bitch.

Like the last live Cash, im diggin’ the crowd banter and improvising that keeps this album from being corny and instead more of a fucked up, but authentic experience (what Johnny wouldve wanted). The Long Black Veil and Jackson were fantastic. That said, this is definitely an album to play in its entirety

As others have said, definitely don't need two prison albums on this list. This was really only a bit that worked in its time - the music was folksy and I imagine the crimes were romantic - like robbin' banks and racketeering. Imagine Benson Boone with his little Gen Z dangly earring front flipping off tables in the mess hall surrounded by a bunch of confused Latin Kings.

Another Johnny Cash prison album on the list? Ok This one's better. Song selection is insane. Again, didn't hate it, didn't love it.

Incredible stuff. Cocaine blues in particular. This whole album is fantastic.

FIRE FIRE FIRE One of the greatest live albums and I've never really listened to Johnny Cash before. bro was COOKING on that harmonica god damn 8.34/10

Didn’t expect to enjoy this as I don’t usually like live albums very much but this one was so good, and Johnny cash just comes across as so suave and charismatic!

1. It reinvented Johnny Cash’s career By 1968 Cash was struggling — declining sales, drug issues, industry doubts. This album completely revived him, becoming one of the greatest live albums ever and repositioning him as a folk hero. 2. It captures a raw, unrepeatable atmosphere This isn’t a polished live record — it’s a man singing to inmates who see him as one of their own. The tension, laughter, gallows humour, and intensity create a documentary-level snapshot of America. 3. It pushed country into darker, more honest territory Songs about: prison murder addiction regret institutional brutality …were not mainstream country subjects. Cash made them human, not sensational. 4. It’s a masterclass in shaping a narrative live The pacing is perfect: jokey openers classic hits outlaw storytelling quieter moments (Greystone Chapel) It feels like a one-act play, not just a gig. 5. The mythos is real Cash wasn’t a prisoner, but he was an advocate. Recording here built his outlaw image and turned him into a symbol of compassion for the marginalised — a legacy still alive today.

Fun, cheeky, slightly comedic live album with a really cool concept and idea of performing at a prison. The recording quality is also considerably good. Johnny cash surprised me with the level of performance he has with this record. I definitely wasn't expecting to end up kind of enjoying his singing style, but it does grow on me. He knows how to get the crowd moving and laughing...at a PRISON no less. The songs themselves are silly and allegorical in that classic country way but still good throughout. His backing band is great and pleasant to listen to. His slower ballad songs are also very nice with their slight introspections and such. Honestly a good listen. Wouldn't single out any tracks to listen to by themselves but I didn't hate it by any means. All that holds the score back is taste!

I felt the connection between the music and the public. Each song told a different story - but there were some that really shed new light on emotions that I believe are often neglected when thinking of prison. "I Still Miss Someone" is about solitude - not necessarily related to prison - but most certainly what a convict might experience on a daily basis. "Flushed from the Bathroom of your Heart" can be read as a song about abandonment and rejection dealt with a great deal of irony. "A long black veil" was the most compelling of all: a man refusing to tell the truth - that he "had been in the arms of his best friend's wife" - thus receiving capital punishment. Was it love that pushed him to this decision? Was it shame? A combination fo both? The song leaves these questions unanswered and lets doubt transform into fascination

Not as good as at San Quentin

An exercise in knowing your audience. Many of the songs are either about serving time, killing, doing drugs, or staring down your execution. Cash's voice starts cracking by the fourth song, he intermittently coughs from there and then finally asks for a glass of water by the seventh song. It fits perfectly with the panicked nature of Cocaine Blues and the helplessness of 25 Minutes to Go. Jackson, the duet with June Carter, is also a highlight. The inmates hang on every word and respond enthusiastically to every song and bit of banter. Cash cracks up multiple times throughout, whether at the reaction of the crowd, something said by someone in the crowd, or the lyrics he's singing. It is the platonic ideal of a live album, and reminds me of Sam Cooke's Harlem Square Club recording.

Probably some of Johnny Cash's best -- magnetic

This is my second live Cash album. I gave San Quentin 5 stars, and this is somehow even better. With SQ I had no idea what I was going to hear, with this one I roughly knew what to expect but it's still just delivered so we'll. The songs are perfect for the environment. The announcements, the boos for the lieutenant, the side comments and jokes. It's brilliant.

I imagine for fans of Cash this album is probably the holy grail. The problem is I'm not a huge fan, it's just not my thing for the most part. To me, a lot of the songs sounded samey and I felt not much to differentiate between them. I will say that Cash has a good way with lyrics and storytelling in his songs - often with a kind of gallows humour. Cocaine Blues, 25 Minutes To Go, Give My Love to Rose are ones I liked more. Also his version of Green Green Grass of Home was a nice surprise.

Hear the cheers of prisoners as Cash emulates their plight. It is beautiful and soul-crushing to hear that last note ring out before it’s back to prison business. Still, Cash left his mark with one of the greatest albums to ever be recorded.

Ich glaube, ich werde Fan von alten live-alben

4.3 - Leider klingt einiges zu gleich, aber die Aufzeichnung sprüht nur so vor Energie und Freude, dass der große Teil fantastisch ist. Highlights: Folsom Prison Blues, Orange Blossom Special, Jackson

Really cool music

Adding to my list of great live albums

Incredible performance with a legendary history. The crowd sounds and interspersed commentary really add to the overall atmosphere and the accompaniment by June Carter was a terrific surprise to a first time listener.

10/10 classic album for a reason. The concept is really fun.

Should I be rating the music or the atmosphere or the absolute madness of a live recording in a prison? As a complete package and for it's uniqueness I am really tempted to give it 5, but some of the actual songs are a little forgettable. Cash sounds like such a charismatic guy.

This man was telling stories.

Is this punk? Absolutely!

Briljant bedacht om eens een liveplaat in het gevang op te nemen. Want het publiek is toch, euhm, anders. Rauwe klanten aan wie je nog eens een sterk verhaal of een grof grapje kwijt kan. En die überhaupt blij zijn dat ze een verzetje hebben. Sympathiek, dus we gaan helemaal klaar zitten voor Saint Quentin en voor A boy named Sue. Maarrrrrr... uiteraard is dit het 1001-boek, dus we krijgen niet de bajesplaat die we allemaal kennen, maar zijn voorganger. Ook nog leuk, met al die mededelingen voor de gevangenen en alle andere ongein, maar toch frustrerend vanwege de snobkeuze.

Ik heb een paar maal genoemd dat het opnemen van live-albums valspelen is. Toch wil ik hiervoor een uitzondering maken. Ook dit album is een soort best-off. Zo dateert de aanleiding om de gevangenis te bezoeken volgens wiki uit 1955. Toch biedt het een meerwaarde. De man werd door een film geïnspireerd tot het nummer over deze gevangenis(bewoners). Onder de gevangenen wordt het een geliefd nummer en dan treedt de man op in dezelfde gevangenis. Je hoort dat het wat doet. Voor het optreden zijn wat minder brave nummers op een rij gezet. Het varieert wat, wat betreft de stijl. Ik kom nauwelijks door het sombere Dark as the Dungeon heen en val hierna bijna in slaap bij I still miss someone. Maar de catchy / bluesy nummers trekken me dan weer naar het album terug. Als ik alles uitmiddel kom ik op een 3,5.

Dit is een periode waarbij we lekker de keuzes vd snobs aan de kaak kunnen stellen. Natuurlijk is Johnny Cash mede beroemd geworden om zijn live-uitvoeringen in de Amerikaanse gevangenissen. Dus op zich vind ik het niet erg als er dan een live-cd van hem in staat. Maar er staat dus geen 1 'normaal' album van hem in. Ik heb ook geen idee welke je dan zou moeten kiezen hoor, want ik had volgens mij die live at St Quentin op mijn mp3-vergaarbak staan en een vd eerste Greatest Hits. Dit is dan het andere live-album, dat de snobs gekozen hebben. Samen met die St Quentin versie. Maar goed, op zich is dit degelijke Johnny Cash. Het St Quentin album vind ik beter en iconischer. En dit heeft wat kabbelende liedjes en is wat mij betreft een overbodige keuze. Ik mis de echte krakers, die Johnny wel heeft. Vergeetbare 3.

Not a fan of live albums, but Cash has a way to deliver that makes this at least listenable.

This album isn’t going to blow you away musically, but it is such a cool snapshot into music history. I love Johnny Cash, I love this record. So much energy and charisma. This record belongs in the pantheon of great American records.

Hot Dog those inmates really loved the harmonica!

Not my cup of tea

Undeniably great. Loved the little asides and interruptions from Johnny Cash. This album was just cool as hell.

Abolutely love it. Excellent vibes, everyone's having fun, the songs are short and to the point. Great!

Powerful

The definitive live album that sets the pace for the rest.

Great live album, but my unpopular opinion is that Johnny Cash is a bit overrated. 3.25/5

Love this album. Read Johnny’s autobiography and the story behind this. Great music. Great recording. Great story.

Outstanding, especially for being a country album, one of the most boring genres ever invented by humans. But the story behind it, the fact that he was singing those things in that place, the raw energy of the performance, and how the audience reacted to it and interacted with him make a fucking masterpiece out of it.

Really good, but the live albums are tough, so I'll give it a 4

I was hanging off every word of this like it was a play. SO, SO GOOD.

It’s pretty much one song - and it’s a good song - sung over and over with some slight change to the tempo and some different chords. I like it, but there’s only so much you can do with one acoustic guitar and drums.

I never used to like Johnny cash. I still don’t I could never see the appeal of out of tune singing and dreary lyrics. Waste of time listening to it. It must have been bad enough being in jail, it was nothing short of cruelty making them listen to this.

Great album. Also great myth-definont show.

An astonishing album. The fact that it was even made amazes me. I'd be surprised if anything like this is ever done again. Added that it's one of the all-time heroes of music, this is a 5-star album.

Literally a captive audience. What a unique concept of an album, sing a bunch of songs about drugs, booze, murder, incarceration and death row to a room full of inmates who have been there and got the t-shirt.....genius.

Charming and a lot of fun - can see the raves. Funny that people will listen to this, give it a 5* and then refuse to listen to NWA or something because of the subject matter but that's a problem someone else will have to deal with.

Excellent. He's a master doing his thing in his prime. It's simple I IV V stuff and not my go to music choice but its the top tier of what it is.

Przesłuchałem już, dobre

Damn good record. Felt like I was in the audience, between the jokes, the boos of the jailhouse staff, and the laughs where their should have been lyrics. What a fine time to be recorded. Fav track: greystone chapel.

There isn't many voices that are as good as Johnny Cash's a true one of a kind talent.

I am in jail. I am being held on a bogus charge of transporting virtual big game meat through modded Euro Truck Simulator maps. I argue that I didn’t know the hippo flank steaks were the product of poachers in the Savannah and I was just accepting a contract in Botswana for “meat transport.” I will beat this. Oh, it appears a young music artist has arrived. Let’s see what he has to say. “DO A SONG ABOUT OSTRICH MEAT!” This prison is LOADED with poachers. Folsom Prison Blues - The man who cheers about a man getting killed for no reason should probably have been checked on. Oh well. This is the best performance of this song ever, but how mad would you be if you’re serving 30 years for a having a joint on you (USA USA USA) and some celebrity comes in and sings about not being free? Yeesh. Dark as the Dungeon - We’ve got hellacious folk songs about working in mines. WOOOO. I Still Miss Someone - The calm before the storm Cocaine Blues - The aforementioned storm. Jesus Christ this thing RIPS. I think he may have actually taken a shot of the titular substance before belting out this rendition. I also love how quickly the person in the story confesses. “If you’ve got a warrant; read it to me, uhh I shot her down because she slowed me down.” Way to go Bobby. 25 Minutes to Go - This had to have hit pretty hard if you were, you know, on death row? This is another fantastic, personal performance with some fun yet devastating lyrics. Orange Blossom Special - This one just made me think of Terry’s Chocolate oranges. Mmmm that’s good orange. Yes, this is a sponsored review. Buy Terry’s Chocolate Oranges. They’re Terry-ble. The Long Black Veil - More execution ballads and I’m all here for it. Cheaters getting hanged rules too. Send a Picture of Mother - Damn. Prison romance into a weary request The Wall - Hey, this isn’t Pink Floyd. Dirty Old Egg-Suckin’ Dog - Animal abuse anthem that influenced Terry Funk’s legendary insult of Dusty Rhodes. What a fun little track. Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart - This is bordering on a comedy record at this point. It’s such a raw performance. Other than the devastating reality of being in literal prison, this was probably a once in a lifetime event to have been at. Jackson - They brought this poor woman into a prison, and it was Johnny Cash who objectifies her on record. Wonderful. This is a fantastic track though. The female singer’s voice is out of the 30’s. Crazy. Give my Love to Rose - seemingly the track requested by the label. No nonsense here. I Got Stripes - Then we are back to prison. Green, Green Grass of Home - A nice semi-main event. It’s not a wrestling card. It isn’t? Greystone Chapel - Man. I’ve heard band announcements near the end of concerts, but bringing out the wardens to be booed is fucking nuts. What a weird album. This album feels important and like it actually needed to be love. A lot of live albums are just sloppy studio records with applause and wooing from idiots. The wooing idiots are here in force, but there is a catharsis in it, as these are obviously people who never get to see anything but the grey walls of their prison. You might anrgue that these are bad people, but knowing how prison works in the states, there is no way that all of these people are bad or even guilty of the crime they’re paying for. Johnny Cash was free to make artistic choices here that we wouldn’t have been allowed to make if this was a straight studio release and this is one of the best live albums to ever be released. Can’t keep this one behind bars. Let it out. Justice for Johnny. 4 HIGHLIGHTS: Folsom Prison Blues, Dark as the Dungeon, Cocaine Blues, Jackson

Johnny himself comes across really likeable and I love the little meta touches of the live performance, the music just isn’t always to my taste

Johnny Cash miał zajebsite te albumy więzienne. W ogóle ciekawa sprawa, że nagrał aż 4 albumy w więzieniach, a samych koncertów zagrał o wiele więcej. Podoba mi się to, jaki dystans Cash ma do siebie i swojej muzyki. Kilkakrotnie się potyka, traci głos (cały czas słychać u niego chrypę), przerywa w połowie wersu, żeby coś powiedzieć do publiczności. To nadaje całemu albumowi autentyczności. Myślę, że gdyby nie fakt, że album został nagrany w więzieniu, to aż tak nie przykułby mojej uwagi, ale ten fakt w połączeniu z tekstami Casha w stylu outlaw country tworzą z tego koncertu fantastyczną mieszankę.

Amazing concept for an album, and a perfect recording, complete with coughs, banter, and audience reactions. Legendary stuff.

Klässikkk but ain't for me

I’ve been hearing about this storied album my whole life, it seems. Johnny’s baritone and songwriting are compelling, and the tangible gratitude of the prisoners is moving. The songs didn’t fully hit for me, the vantage point of the outlaw got a bit repetitive. Still, that gravelly voice and plucking guitar satisfy.

A milestone album for an iconic artist. Some of the songs are real bummers, but one can’t deny its impact.

I never like live albums. It’s just one of those things that I find quite hard to listen too without having been there to actually see and hear it. Like a second hand viewing where you know it’s just not going to be as good as the way someone else got to see and hear it. But come on, it’s Johnny Cash. I feel that even if you don’t like the genre of music, there a general charm around each song and they make such a pleasant listen that you’re happy to pretend you were there in the first place. He just has this undeniably cool aura that is just impossible to shift. And fair play, I really enjoyed the listen.

This is one of the best live albums I've ever heard, and it just makes me love Johnny Cash more and more. From reading up a bit, this was after he got clean from his drug addiction and was a turning point for his career, he even said so himself. He had been inspired from a film to write 'Folsom Prison Blues' and he always wanted to do a performance at a prison and so Folsom Prison was the obvious choice. To start his live show with that track is perfection ('I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die'....wow), and he keeps up the use of prison and law breaking tracks throughout which, again, is brilliant. Can we talk about Cocaine Blues though??? Not only is it great bluesy country track that keeps you bopping throughout but to hear Johnny singing to inmates about taking cocaine and shooting his woman down, and to hear them whooping and hollering. Just great. I am a big fan of 'The Wall', and the reception he gets from his audience is what makes it. Talking about the warden and getting the response he gets and then Johnny not being able to keep in his laughter or replying to them is why we listen to live albums I think, because it takes you right there and you can imagine exactly how it was to be there. The silence that follows from the audience though too is just as loud to me, as you remember these are all men in prison who probably have all had the dark thoughts in The Wall. Ending the album with a song written by an inmate, and then we hear from the warden himself with an announcement - a perfect ending. The album captures it all, and keeps going when the crowd is leaving. You are right there and Johnny has put smiles on faces that even though we have no idea why they're in prison, I can't help but being glad Johnny went and did this.

Not really sure which way to go here, I think the concept is good, seems like cash in his prime yelling for a glass of water, easy to see his appeal, and this albums place in history. But musically, it was rough for me, Him and june did not sound good and the music is very simple, but catchy.

I can appreciate why this is such an important album, samey but classic

Good stuff.

funny as hell and catchy

Not quite my taste - but i get why people might like it

The whole thing sounds like 'Folsom Prison' - which is pretty sweet. 'Jackson' is great one that I forget about.

Loved the interactions with the audience. Favourites: Folsom Prison Blues The Long Black Veil

A real slice of history, the Man in Black belting it out live at Folsom Prison. What a voice, what a stage presence. Some great catchy tracks, Folsom Prison Blues and Jackson (ft June Carter) the standouts. Plenty of topical jailhouse material including a few songs penned by inmates, and lots of banter from the great man.

Was cool but silly and a bit boring

God damn, but I love me some Johnny Cash!

One of the most iconic recordings of all time, I could listen to this forever. The swagger, the focus on the underclass, the unleashed rebellion that is this album - just the very fact that it happened - incredible. This is a monument to how music should be.

Fun enough to listen to for me to give it a 4.

More than half is covers... again. Those are the most interessting ones.

Johnny Cash money

Favs: Folsom Prison Blues; Cocaine Blues; Orange Blossom Special; Greystone Chapel

the best

Phenomenal. Easy 5 stars

60er Blues, ist ok zum einmal hören. 2/5

Bannar omtrent like mykje som på At San Quentin. Fine båe to.

Though country as a genre often feels dull and uninspired, Johnny Cash proved its true power with one of the most emotional, funny, and electrifying live albums ever recorded. At Folsom Prison isn’t just a performance; it’s a raw, honest conversation between an artist and his audience, stripped of pretense and full of soul. This was the first album I ever bought on vinyl, and I don’t regret it for a second. 9.5/10.

Great but San Quentin beats it.

The Blues, good country album. Live Johnny Cash

Best start to this app for me - loved this version and the asides/interactions with the crowd included throught

Very nearly a five from me, but a few songs blurred together a little. I’m not a huge country fan but this album was a lot of fun to listen to, and the atmosphere added by it being recorded in Folsom Prison really just made it. A great listen.

I haven't listened to this for ages but what a weird concept and what a cool album. June Carter's voice on Jackson is really something else!

Good but don't love live

You can feel the rawness of the experience and the energy in the room. Although Johnny Cash’s style has never resonated with me, personally, I can appreciate the emotional impact this must have had on everyone involved.

👍👍👍👍👍

I'm not a big fan of country music and I've barely listened to Johnny Cash's music before, but this was so fun. The idea of singing this particular selection of songs in a prison; the stage banter, the engagement of the audience especially during funny moments... this is a very special live album.

It’s pretty tough to not like Johnny Cash. And this record showcases his charm and his storytelling. It’s a classic. I do think it’s funny though, and I only noticed this time through, that like the first 6 or 7 songs could all be covered by polka artists pretty easily. But that’s neither here nor there. Great album. 4.5/5

listened to this as I study for my chem midterm tomorrow, then realized that I lowkey don't like country music, then realized that Johnny cash is lowkey a vibe so....watch me crash out over chem 1A to Johnny cash and his funny jokes in between songs.

This man was completely unhinged. I love this, even though country is not my favorite genre of music

Listening to At Folsom Prison feels less like a legendary live album and more like being stuck in a room while someone rehearses old hits. The prison setting doesn’t exactly make the songs any more interesting, and the whole thing drags along like it’s trying too hard to feel “real.”

Feels incredibly American. The concept is powerful, and the sound (the reverb, the interruptions, the crowd noise, the banter) reinforces it at every step. I've heard a lot of these songs before, but listening all together nearly brought me to tears.

I love that he made this album! His voice is fantastic.

Enjoyable. I love hearing the public react to the music. I am not a fan of Johnny Cash, but I appreciate this album.

I understand some of the appeal of Cash, but for me it's more style than substance. In that I mean that the mythology around Cash is bigger that the substance of his records. He has limited vocal range and it shows. There are plenty of better country artists, if Cash is even Country. I like a few of the songs here and even like this album, but I don't think it's worthy of the iconic status that it has.

This album out 1968 and so casually cocaine chatting… who knew it was such a timeless vice? Actually quite enjoy the ladsy Cash banter. Why is he so obsessed with jails & singing there?

Oli sen tuntua että siellä ollaan kuuntelemassa Johnny Cashia. Oikein hyvä livelevy. Juttelua yleisön kanssa ja ollaan Johnny.

it was okay, some bangers, some sounded the same

This made me stupidly emotional. It’s so raw and real. The fact that it’s live and you can hear the prisoners cheering is gut wrenching in a way. But also touching. Give My Love to Rose was heartbreaking.

Not for me

Great voice and crazy stories, but the album is boring

A very unique album in which you can heafrlive performances instead of recorded songs. The prisoners were treated too well

What an artist! Cash knows how to incorporate humor into his songs. He knows how to play the audience and isn't scared to joke with them. This has to be one of the most unique settings for such an iconic live album.

Piece of music history! Taylor Swift would never…

Hands down 5 ⭐ one of the best country albums ever

Loved it. Obviously there’s a slight question mark over whether he’s exploiting prisoners and he clearly plays up his own ‘outlaw’ status but the music is amazing, the energy brilliant, and June’s vocals are also on point.

First Johnny cash album I’ve taken the time to listen to. Not usually a fan of liveplays but his performance and banter add to a sort of intimate nature the songs have. His sultry voice makes me jealous I am a little bit tired of that folk guitar/ sound. It was very intriguing and fun but after a bit I needed a break His ballads hit

An album to go to moreso for the charm of it than the music alone, and Johnny Cash has plenty

Equally as good as 'At San Quentin'

15/10/2025 Really rate Johnny Cash and really rated this album. Spotify listeners: 12.3 million

Aye great

Good stuff

GET THAT MAN A GLASS OF WATER

PTSD not withstanding, to me it's peak Johnny Cash. The most authentic the band sounded, probably the best lineup too. Class versions of Cocaine Blues, Long Black Veil and Orange Blossom. Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog is great craic

Fair fucks to Johnny Cash for going into a prison and singing songs about being a prisoner despite never having been to prison except for to sing songs about being in a prison. Enjoyed this, great start and end, middle was a bit samey. Found myself wanting to go back in time just to tune his guitar

Johnny Cash.

Like a shot of adrenaline from the moment Johnny opens his trademark introduction. This goes down as one of the bravest live performances ever, especially with the reputation of the Folsom prisoners and the genuine safety risk the show was for him, June and the band. Johnny isn’t perfect, which makes it all the more interesting - this isn’t seasoned performer Johnny Cash, it’s him finding The Man in Black and entering his new persona. He gets the giggles in the middle of “The Long Black Veil”, introduces some of Shel Silverstein’s wackier tunes, and closes with a song from a prisoner. It’s a show that could only be given by a man like Johnny Cash, and one we’re not likely to see again.

Every song is pretty much the same, the lyrics are sometimes good but most of the time just okay, mediocore.

Knew of this album and had heard parts of it but never all of it. And now I know June was there with him for the recording.

Ah, bonzinho. O cara tem uma voz muito bonita, manda bem e tal, mas... é...

I think an argument can be made that this is one of the best live albums of all time. The scope of this recording is just beautiful and a penitentiary seems fitting for the Man in blacks dark signature delivery. The collection of songs has heartache, straightforward frovk and American country as well as levity. Pretty damn good man.

I was never country music fan. Yet Johnny Cash some how was and early crossover type. This album is an amazing record of a bad boy singing to a bunch of other bad boys. The prison crowd loves it and so does Johnny. Probably one of the best live albums ever recorded.

today i tried not to self harm under great frustration. everyone will leave me in the end. happiness is fleeting but the pain is eternal. i might have messed up my socialization although i should understand its generally the problem of wanting other people to be online 24/7/365. anyway why won't people just listen to trent's original version of "hurt". its infinitely better. and stop making sense is better. although its not by the same artist but stop making sense is still what i consider as the apex of live albums. i would compare every live album i have heard to SMS. i am not being let down and i didnt hurt after listening. 4/5

It’s an interesting concept for a live album but I still don’t think they should be on the list. I dont mind JC but this isn’t a great set

Very entertaining, well played and recorded, and frequently humorous glimpse into the legendary Man in Black. The interruptions by the warren as well as inmates being paged added to the realization that this concert actually took place in a prison.

2.5 stars Not a bad recording for an old live album. There’s good energy to the music and it’s a good historical document of a certain kind of thing. But I wouldn’t really listen to this for fun.

Great intro to Cash at the very peak of his original popularity

Surprisingly, I love this. Songs are tight, voice is unreal, audience interaction and theme of the record work.

Very good classic album

Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison is a classic album. For those new to country music or seeking to delve deeper into the genre, this album serves as an excellent introduction. Its cultural impact was profound, as performing for inmates was unheard of at the time.

Não gosto de country, mas este disco é relevante por sua representatividade histórica na carreira conturbada de Johnny Cash. As baladas são as faixas mais interessantes do álbum.

God, daar gaan we weer hoor. Oprecht trouwens, want Johnny Cash heeft een fantastische stem. Cocaine Blues is best wel een lekker nummer, maar het feit dat de hele gevangenis helemaal losgaat bij elke zin draagt bij aan de beleving op dit album. Fuck, ga ik nu enthousiast zijn over een live album? Ik ben daar normaal totaal niet van, maar ik vind het toch wel vet dat dit in een gevangenis is opgenomen. Johnny Cash komt op mij altijd een beetje over op een nette man, daar heeft ie dus volle bak schijt aan hier. Hij zit ook heerlijk te kutten met het publiek. Ge-wel-dig dit. Ja dit is easy 4 sterren. Geen 5, daarvoor heb ik hierna toch net ff te weinig behoefte om meteen nog een keer dit album te luisteren, maar ik heb me echt uitstekend vermaakt met dit album. FAVO: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Orange Blossom Special, Greystone Chapel

In the 2007 video game “Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock”, there is a sequence where your band plays a gig at a prison. The prisoners (and even the warden) are thrilled to watch your band play “La Grange”, and even more thrilled when Slash shows up to battle you and then play “Welcome to the Jungle”. Unfortunately this album does not contain Slash, but it’s pretty clear here where Guitar Hero took their prison level from as inspiration. This is the kind of live album where the crowd adds to the recording—especially with the announcements from the warden, Cash’s calls for water, and the whoops of the prisoners. It makes me wonder why GH3 had no Cash songs for this section of the game, as Folsom Prison Blues would have been very fun to play on plastic guitar.

Johnny Cash will never not be a good music choice.

Even though he’s not a convict in the least bit, my grandfather is a rugged country dude, and this album always reminds me of him. Similar energy. Tough as nails. Cash embodies a surefire manliness that just doesn’t exist anymore. He sings about killing a dog for chrissakes. Seeing as how this is all held at a prison, and most of these songs aren’t hits per se (with the exception of the opener), but are in fact purely songs about murderers and lowlifes, there is something completely Wild West about this. You wouldn’t see this type of glorification much of anywhere else in this time period, celebrating the miserable and the rotten, the cocaine users, the convicts. It’s hard to fathom how crazily influential this album was across all genres, in and outside of music. Dude was a beast. Metal before metal’s time. Giving this a four because it’s not something I’ll typically put on, although I respect it.

i love this album!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹❤️❤️❤️❤️ i would go to prison for you jobnb ty

Johnny Cash’s famous song

Great Johnny Cash

An incredible live performance by an incredible person. Music aside, it is a selfless and empathetic performance. Definitely a deserves the 5 starts.

he’s just as good as everyone says he is

so moving and also funny. nothing like a live album and he has such an amazing and unique voice that tells a story of its own. singing a song from one of the prisoners is the cherry on top. i already loved jackson but loved 25 minutes grey stone chapel and green green grasses of home

Han har jo bare heilt sykt fin stemme. Føle eg kanskje hadde relatert merr om eg va av tiden eller hadde sotte i fengsel? Fin musikk då Beste sang: Folsom Prison Blues

Of course I love JC

Not my type of music

Just really good, solid country. Good covers, good voice, good instrumentals.

positivamente surpreso tá inclusive é de uma beleza absurda o cash cantando sobre passar a bala num camarada e o público indo a loucura bom álbum tá

tenho que parabenizar a setlist escolhida a dedo pra cantar na prisão aqui. só canção de assassino, trambiqueiro, traficante, coisa boa demais. a plateia animadaça também é bem bacana de ouvir. mas ainda eh johnny cash. bom pra quem gosta. vou dar 3 estrelas só pela qualidade da produção e pelo pessoal animado na plateia!!

Listened to this over a number of listens. I love the ambiance, the sound quality, the crowd interactions. It transcends the musical content to become a piece of history. I hope there's more Johnny Cash in this list. His storytelling and song composition is incredible. I would choose to listen to this album start to finish any time. - I've listened to this one before, excited to listen again with new ears - Iconic. Even better than I remember, and WOW that sound quality for the 60s - Such a romantic voice - The crowd manages to add to the record! There's a real live presence here. Feels like reliving history - Spent a long time debating this one as a 5 star. Decided it was. Even if some of the songs are not the easiest to connect to, The album as a whole is awesome and there are some serious top-quality songs.

It isn't bad. It isn't for me. My guess is the people rate this a 3.02.

Superb album

This is amazing. Recommended if you're human. You can hear the catharsis in the room, the communal release, what Cash's being there means, the quips, the mistakes played off with jokes, the place the time, how the event was managed. I think you could genuinely say that there's no record like it. Much of Country has put the music back in its truck in the showroom or with the wheels taken off, that doesn't move anywhere meaningful or say anything. Cash stood for living folk song, and Faith and music in the darkest places. Its the ultimate demonstration of walking the walk not just talking the hokey talk. Essential, a record full, of life, hardship, joy. One of the best gigs of all time.

*picks up water* J'ai pas vraiment réussi à me concentrer sur la musique à cause du public. Je kiffe pas trop les albums live je pense.

Il chante bien le salopard

Très dark, très je parle de tuer ma femme et de prendre de la coke devant des prisonniers qui ont sûrement fait ça. Pour le coup j'ai trouvé le public un peu dérangeant car trop présent, et j'ai aucune musique qui est ressortie.

My grandpa almost always played Cash when we rode in his truck, so this listen came with good memories. This album is live (obviously), and there’s a lot of chatter in between songs, but I feel the chatter between Cash and the prisoners is part of the album’s charm. Only a couple of his hits are on here, but he definitely created the set list special for this show, as damn near all of the songs told stories about prison life and pining for home and freedom. Cash had a great voice and understood the plight of the common man, and he’ll always be a legend worth listening to. A strong 4/5

This is so good. A man out of one of his primes clawing back in and performing at a prison is so sick. Him playing a song that a prisoner wrote? Sick. The quality of this recording? Sick. Just a great recording of a great live performance that rightfully helped catapult Cash back to the top of the game. I think it's hard to be negative about this at all. He's funny, he's a great player, he's a great vocalist, whatever. 5.

Good album.

Leider ned so lust gha uf de johnny “sweat-drop on my cheek” cash

Johnny ca$h Gib mir bitte Geld, denn performi für dich ‚i need a dollar‘ im slip. Classy altbekannti nummere woni nie iehglosst han (ussert es wär scho eimal es album cho da im klöpp). Gschadet heds nöd, chönt ez mitrede falls mi i de nacht am 1 e biz verhangte knacker uf de kamzlei ahspricht: hei hei du, känsch de johnny cash? Ich so: ja voll, hani eimal es album glosst. Er so: ah geile siech. Ich so ah geile siech. Ok 3 sternlis

legendary

Johnny Cash is simply larger than life… it feels like you know him when you listen to this. 4.5

Classic Cash

One of the best live albums ever. The band is great and Cash’s voice is iconic. The prisoners’ cheering and reactions are some of the best parts, it’s one of the few live albums of the time to give focus to the audience. Even though it’s not a perfect performance, Cash’s comments and chuckles as well as the crowd reactions make the album sound so alive. 5/5

An "outlaw" country star singing songs about outlaws to outlaws in an outlaw penitentiary. Based on the concept alone, the album promises to be fun and an enjoyable listening experience, and that's exactly what it is. While music and performance are not the strongest aspects, the reactions from and interactions with the audience certainly justify the rather poor sound quality of the live recording. My only criticism is that the album is quite front-heavy. Not only are the first songs subjectively better—Folsom Prison Blues and other rather fast, cheerful tracks—but the audience also mellows down and becomes quieter toward the end.

The greatest live album of all time. The song choices are perfect, the crowd interruptions and announcements actually add to the listening experience, it's basically a concept album. This is how you do live albums. 5 Stars.

Hard not to compare to At San Quentin as I just listened to that recently, definitely enjoy this much more. Hits the right balance of songs/banter with the audience. A prison-themed album recorded live in front of prisoners is already a great concept, the quality of the songs puts it over the top.

good enough for this list, but some of these songs are literally the same song

An album recorded in a literal goddamn American prison full of songs about murder, death, betrayal, capital punishment, and it's fun as hell. We used to build things in this country, dammit.

Incredibly vivid storytelling infused with an unexpected amount of humor, and an abundance of surrounding context to boot. Though Johnny’s voice doesn’t always hold up to some of the vocal demands, you can tell that he (and the crowd) are all having a blast. Also, I’m totally going to start calling lists “idiot sheets”. Listened to: walking through Brooklyn. Favorite tracks: Dark as the Dungeon, Cocaine Blues

This is such a fun record.

Oh man…

So much spirit in this album

One of the greatest albums ever, period

It took me until a few months ago to finally watch Walk the Line, so even though I'd grown up listening to Johnny Cash, I never really appreciated his mythology until now. To listen to Folsom Prison without context seems like you're missing half the story. There's a whole meta narrative in the lyrics, set list, and banter that encapsulates Cash's anti-authority shtick and actually seems to say a lot about the prison industrial complex and predatory penal system. So that's neat.

Summer 2013 I got bored and browsed through my parents DVD collection to find something I hadn’t seen before. I was 17 so I “legally” could watch R rated films now (like the police were going to show up or something ??? Idk I’ve always been a weirdo). Anyway, I grabbed “Walk The Line” and not only was I mesmerized, I watched it like 20 times that summer. I then spent every moment I wasn’t watching that movie, diving into Johnny’s discography. I love how electric this live album is. I always have. Johnny laughing in Dark as the Dungeon - you can’t help but smile. The rumble of his bass timbre, the explosion of the crowd, his explanation of it being recorded. So cool! I love the decision to play “outlaw” songs like Cocaine Blues, I Got Stripes, and Greystone Chapel - the latter written by an inmate at Folsom prison.

Musically it all kind of sounded the same to me and it's not really a genre I'm into but the story telling is great. I really liked 25 minutes to go and flushed from the bathroom of your heart

This album was a fun experience. I don’t always love live albums but you get a feel for Johnny in this album. These songs all tell great stories.

FUCK YES! As much as I claim I love Johnny Cash I don’t think I’ve listened to many of his albums the whole way through, this one included. I saw Walk the Line at the perfect time in my life to have Cash be a musical idol. I like his voice and I like the song but I think I fell in love with the mythos. In a musical world where stars pride themselves on being “outlaw” Johnny has always felt like he carried a different kind of fuck you to everyone. He doesn’t have the approachability of Willie, the boogie of Waylon, the sparkle of Buck, the songwriting of Kris, the madness of Jerry, or the down home feel of Merle. He feels like something of his own, The Man in Black. Fun fact I heard: Merle Haggard was in San Quinten during this concert and he became the most popular dude on the block cuz he knew how to play guitar. I love that his setlist is a bunch of prison songs sang to prisoners. It’s like Akon opening his jail show with “Locked Up” because OF COURSE you open up like that. Johnny feels so comfortable and effortless on stage with these folks. Next time there’s a complaint about modern music being meaningless, I’m going to remind folks of Dirty Old Egg Suckin Dog.

really enjoyed this

Second Johnny Cash album for me, after the San Quentin album, not too long ago. This one is more famous, I believe; however, I thought it was pretty unremarkable compared to the San Quentin album. Still good, though, just not as good as the 4-star San Quentin one. 3/5

Standouts Folsom Prison Blues Dark as the Dungeon Cocaine Blues 25 Minutes to Go The Long Black Veil Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog

this is a golden album imo

On the short list for the greatest live album of all time. Country music was so fucking COOL. If only we could send Morgan Wallen to Folsom Prison

Country music by criminals for criminals. Go jump in the creek with your limp dick try that in a small town ya Nashville cocksuckers.

Come for the Cash, stay for the crowd work

I don’t usually count live albums and proper albums but I’ll let this one slide. Sonically a little one dimensional due to sparse instrumentation but Cash’s charisma and storytelling carry it.

It is less an album more an audio documentary. The songs being punctuated by messages for the inmates, their responses to certain guards names - all these things give a sense of the setting and give added power to the performance. Granted, there is a lack of variety in the songs but the performance is incredible.

Does a good job of capturing the ‘lightning in a bottle’ that this performance had. Not generally a fan of this kind of music but I can see the relevance of the performance to the inmates there and the authenticity of which Cash seems to have performed it.

Now this right here is the stuff! Johnny Cash whooping it up with a raucus show in front of incarcerated inmates at a prison is the stuff of legend. Doesn't hurt that the songs, and the stories they tell, are absolutely excellent too.

All time classic country.

Sounds like Johnny Cash

Great live album performed by a captive audience.

Historic, legendary!

7 Truly there is no one who says ‘hello I’m Johnny cash’ quite like how Johnny cash says hello I’m Johnny cash

I'm still against live albums on this list, but Johnny Cash is great. I wish I could have seen him live.

dad used to say he shot a man in reno just to watch him die all the time

I love Johnny Cash.

classic banger

He spent so much time asking for and then drinking a glass of water. Get to the songs already! When he was singing, it was good.

Brilliant, gutsy

This album is obviously iconic, and it's nice to hear The Man in Black joking around and having a good time. But ultimately, this didn't hit for me enough to make me want to revisit, especially the songs where he sounds super rough, as much character as his broken voice might give. 3.5 rounded up because of the Jackson duet with June.

Man in black. What more can be said? He got his audience, and they got him! I can hear his empathy through his deep frog-horn call. The duets are soul rendering. I also think the recording has a genuine feel, you can hear the wardens calling for individuals because they had visitations. Overall it’s beautiful: a five star for me.

Voce faina!

I think it's a little unfair to have a live album on this list because it adds to the aura of the album. This is very very good, and I wouldn't consider myself a fan of this genre of music.

Well geez what is there to say about this masterpiece. Great voice, great songs. I had heard almost all of the songs but maybe mostly studio versions because I didn’t remember any of the stage patter except his intro before Folsom Prison Blues. His easy camaraderie with the prison audience was impressive. I loved when he cracked up when somebody applauded “I’d been in the arms of my best friend’s wife” in Long Black Veil. Some of the stuff I was wondering how he got AWAY with playing/saying at a prison. Like The Wall, which is a prison escape song(!) I mean, unsuccessful, but still. And at one point he was singing about the guards and laughs and says, “Them mean bastards, ain’t they?” I salute you, sir.

Not my favorite kind of country music. 2.5

Great live album with outtakes that make it feel genuine and loose and a good time all around

Johnny Cash's charisma really shows through this recording. From him cracking jokes, laughing with the crowd and the general amusement in his voice and performance, it was nice to hear him enjoying this performance as well as hearing the crowd's enjoyment. Favourite Track(s): Jackson, Folsom Prison Blues Least Favourite Track(s): Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog

Nem a kevencem a country zene.

Pretty cool

What a great live album!

A classic for sure.

Context makes it good

It's a strange feeling to look back with nostalgia on a live album played at a prison, where Cash sings about murder and gets cheers from the crowd. For some twisted reason, you can help but smile at it. Cash uses his talent, fame and relatability to put you in the same seat as the prisoners, bringing some light to them, and also showing the rest of us that even in among the worst of places, there's humanity to be found. And the craziest part is, I can play it in the car with my 3 year old!

The cheers (for Johnny), the jeers (for the associate warden) from inmates, the official prison announcements between songs, and a legendarily cathartic performance from The Man In Black all cement this as one of the most vital live albums ever recorded.

Absolutely fantastic. Such a well crafted album.

I really don't like live albuns butbI can see why this one is on the list. The historical gig of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. What an amazing album! The songs were tailored for audience with amazing storytelling and a voice that captivated everyone. An easy 5

The music is enjoyable to listen to, but the lyrics are not. He was quite the musician, but seemed to have a hard life and was not that great of a person.

Ugh! Still do not like Johnny Cash. This album showcases the things I hate in music and which abound in classic county music: violence against women, whiskey, cocaine, murder, running from the law, romanticizing lawbreaking, death row, hanging, gun violence and even a lousy dog owner threatening his poor dog. The only good song on the album is Green Green Grass of Home (which I heard across my entire childhood)….and Cash sings it badly. If you want good versions of this song, listen to Merle Haggard, Dean Martin, Tom Jones, Elvis and Roger Whittaker. Every other version of this song is better than Cash’s version. Ouch! Will not listen to this album again.

A damn well done live album. This got me thinking more musicians should play prisons these days. But more than the cool setting, it's a great showcase of Johnny Cash's live work. He was such a great performer and songwriter. His banter with the inmate crowd here and there is so natural, and his music as always is great.

In the 2000s, visiting friends who had emigrated to London from Northern Ireland meant learning that my jokes didn’t travel. In Belfast, you could trade black jokes about bombings and kneecappings across the Protestant–Catholic divide and find yourself, oddly enough, closer to your opposite number. In London, the onlookers would respond to our ironic exchanges with polite horror. What was to us the hiss of air escaping from a pressure cooker sounded to them like we were tapping the cooker with a hammer. Gallows humour is a form of intimacy, and intimacy can be terrifying to the uninitiated. That, for me, is the shock of Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison. The songs land with the jarring force of jokes overheard at the wrong table. 25 Minutes to Go turns the countdown to the gallows into a comedy routine. The Wall leaves its protagonist in a heap of suicide and barbed wire, with applause in its wake. Cocaine Blues is less a morality tale than a barfly’s boast, like something an oul fella might roll out at the Felons, knowing he’ll be indulged. What we hear is not a series of moral lessons, but the jokes prisoners tell each other about the things they’ve already seen, already done, or already survived. And when I listen in, I don’t know whether to laugh, flinch, or call a meeting. There is certainly some gross about it. The effect is not unlike the “Ooh Ah Up the Ra!” chorus at the Féile an Phobail. Politicians clutch their pearls, commentators scribble furiously, but the singers are not holding a seminar on constitutional politics. They’re singing a song they half-mean and half-don’t, and the power lies in the ambiguity. Cash’s prison record anticipates the same dynamic that later scandalised America with gangsta rap: the pantomime of menace, grotesque bluff dressed as authenticity. The audience knows it isn’t entirely sincere, but neither is it entirely insincere. That’s the point. It’s not sociology; it’s supposed to be a good time. For someone, anyway. Of course, not everything fits neatly under the banner of gallows humour. When Cash drops the word “bitch”, it doesn’t sound like black comedy at all. It sounds like my Uncle Francie, who unfailingly referred to his ex-wife as “The Bitch” and meant it with the sort of commitment you could only envy if you were in a particularly bad marriage yourself. There’s nothing survivalist about it, no wink of complicity - just plain nastiness. I didn’t like it when he was alive and I don’t much care for it now. The performance of nastiness easily becomes the performing of nasty acts: the tit-for-tat murders of the East Coast/West Coast feud are testament to that. One suspects, though, that the in-group, whether prisoners in Folsom, festival-goers in the Falls Park, or gang members in Compton, aren’t terribly bothered about the out-group’s opinion. They’ve already seen enough to treat disapproval as background noise. That leaves the listener - or me at least - adrift. How do I engage with the problematic elements of the performance? One way is to treat them as pantomime, to recognise the performance as performance, bounded by humour, held within the magic space of art. So, is Johnny Cash, then, exploiting his audience - the authentic prison response - to heighten his outlaw persona? Or is he humanising those men, letting us hear their laughter and their recognition? Perhaps both. By singing Greystone Chapel, a song written by an inmate, he cedes the microphone for a moment, allowing that inner world to speak. Yet, at this remove, far from California in 1967, and – for me – far, too, from God, the song’s appeal to redemption can sound unconvincing. And yet, for all the gallows gags and criminal boasts, the loudest cheer on the album comes not for the blood or the bluster but for Jackson, the hit duet. Maybe that’s wishful listening on my part, but I swear I can hear it. Marital squabbles, thwarted egos, love that doubles as war… suddenly the private jokes of prisoners become the shared joke of everyone: not universal, perhaps, but less insular, less bound to the survival rituals of a closed world. In that moment, the salt circle opens up (yet will be unbroken). Everyone knows what it is to argue, to boast, to love. Indeed, for my money, Cash gets better as he gets older and ages away from the outlaw Man in Black performance and becomes the husband and widower of June. A kinder partner than my Uncle Francie. Perhaps he achieved the redemption of Greystone Chapel himself. 2 Prisons are like holiday camps these days. Books, paints, games consoles. We need another Johnny Cash to step up and remind these crims that it’s a punishment. 1/5

Niet veel over te zeggen, steady JC met wat leuke interacties met het publiek.

Niet weer

Classic for a reason. I still revile modern commercial country music but The Man in Black is the real deal (and quite funny to boot). I also like he went back to the prison concert well repeatedly.

From the idea of playing a live album in a prison through to the completion, this album is amazing. The interstitial quips to the audience of inmates are an amazing glimpse of both Johnny Cash and the audience. This may be the best live album of all time and top album overall.