At San Quentin by Johnny Cash

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

3.78
Rating
27427
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Album Summary

Johnny Cash at San Quentin is the 31st overall album and second live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, recorded live at San Quentin State Prison on February 24, 1969, and released on June 16 of that same year. The concert was filmed by Granada Television, produced and directed by Michael Darlow. The album was the second in Cash's conceptual series of live prison albums that also included At Folsom Prison (1968), På Österåker (1973), and A Concert Behind Prison Walls (1976). The album was certified gold on August 12, 1969, platinum and double platinum on November 21, 1986, and triple platinum on March 27, 2003, by the RIAA. The album was nominated for a number of Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and won Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "A Boy Named Sue." There have been several releases with different songs and set order. The album cover photo by Jim Marshall is considered to be an iconic image of Cash, with Marshall Grant's Epiphone Newport bass guitar famously silhouetted in the foreground.

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I mean, if the songs don’t do it for you then there’s still an entire comedy act in between them all.

I have a T- shirt from this concert - a shirt with the photo of him giving the finger to the filming crew during the show since they were blocking the audience's view.  I have ultimate respect for Johnny doing the series of concerts at jails. He was likely the only person of substance who gave respect to inmates who he didn't know. Before "Don't Know Where I'm Bound"  Johnny says that an inmate wrote that song and gave it to him the day before. Johnny  played the song and gave the inmate songwriting credit. Respect. Zeppelin and others could learn from him. San Quentin is a powerful song about the problems with the prison system. Of course the inmates loved it. Johnny was able to give the hard message about the prison system while being careful not to blame the particular prison or disrespecting the guards.    It's hilarious how Johnny mentions to the crowd that he might play "Boy Named Sue" and gets no reaction. I guess this concert is when he first recorded it so the audience had no clue. Great idea to release the live version of this single since the audience reaction hearing it the first time  adds a special dimension. Johnny would know that the prison audience would relate more to this song than other audiences since a substantially higher portion of  prisoners are raised without their fathers.  Many headline artists get musicians who have independent careers to play with them on tour. Most, however, don't let them sing their own songs. Johnny not only had Carl Perkins, Statler Brothers  and Carter Family sing their own songs, but also left the stage so as not to distract the audience. Johnny still did this with his bandmates  when I saw him in the early 90s. When I saw him he also brought his reverend on stage and said anyone who was having problems with life could talk with him afterwards. He also introduced his reverend at San Quentin after "Outside Looking In".  The medley to end the show is amazing. Johnny lets the others on stage sing the final songs. June singing the first verse of Folsom is the highlight.  As much as I complain about drum solos, I quite like the quick solo in the medley. The show ends with Johnny giving a shout out to the prisoners who, probably for safety or disciplinary reasons, couldn't leave their cells to watch the show.  I give the album a 4 based on the music but  +1 for the respect he shows everyone (well, perhaps not the filming crew but to everyone else.)

Well, that's just a damn good album. Cash can be hit and miss for me but this was 100% a hit. Every track perfect and powerful. Even more so knowing his audience for this one. Just damn good. His reputation is earned. Elvis be damned. Cash is King.

On the face of it, the music is quite rudimentary. The atmosphere, though, is absolutely electric, and Cash sounds like he's having the time of his life. Incredible, we won't hear anything like this again

There's no question that this album is powerful, and the fact that he played at a prison, and the interaction with the audience of prisoners is beyond remarkable. HOWEVER, Johnny Cash released 97 albums in his career, 3 of which are on this list. Did 2 of the 3 need to be live albums from prisons?

Been way too long since I listened to this; I just love how loose and joyful it is. Interesting to listen now as I've been thinking more about prison abolition, decriminalization, etc. over the past few years. Johnny Cash was pretty damn radical and badass.

Great album already liked Johnny Cash. I did not like the bleep sound they used. My distaste for censoring in songs aside, it's an awful sound

Great albums transport you, this album transports you to a time and place like almost no other. Great tracks, great vibe, a true classic deserving of this list.

i dont care for the US, like, at all

The TV recording is off the scale brilliant. https://youtu.be/PSLsfwTbo4Q

Johnny Cash comes out swinging with a raucous album of outlaw country. Where ‘Live at Folsom Prison’ took a more contemplative tone, this album was high energy throughout. An absolutely exhilarating show

so cool — the cheer after “San Quentin, I hate you through and through”, JC singing “Peace in the Valley” to violent criminals, and the introduction of “A Boy Named Sue”.

Such great energy in this performance. What makes it so special is how much care and consideration Cash put into catering to his audience to give them the best possible show they could hope for. The song choices tell a story that surely rang true to the people he was playing for and that positive energy was returned right back to the stage.

I get why this album is included and it's significance, but the only thing worse than a live album is a live album from prison.

The Godfather Part II of live prison albums. The Man In Black sings a few too many slow, depressing tunes in front of his captive Folsom audience. This album is more of a party. Be sure to listen to the Legacy Edition, which includes many more songs, since Johnny not only brought June Carter to San Quentin, but the freaking Statler Brothers and Carl Perkins as well. Johnny must have liked the inmates at San Quentin more than the ones stuck in Folsom Prison.

The second album in Cash's "prison albums". This concert may be slightly overshadowed by the great "At Folsom Prison", but it's still great nonetheless. Cash is such a natural performer, his rapport with the audience makes you feel like he was a prisoner himself. Oh, wait, he was! They don't call it "outlaw country" for nothing, eh? He puts on a damn good show. You'll hear mention of Cash speaking of the cameras from the UK telling him what to do. Those very cameras would capture the famous image of Cash giving us the middle finger. You can tell, in that little bit of trivia, that Cash is a performer of the people. He doesn't care about the cameras, he cares about the people in front of him. It's a great measure of showmanship. There are natural highlights on the album: I Walk The Line and A Boy Name Sue are some of his best performances of all time. Even the lowlights are worth hearing too, especially the audience banter. This leads him to play the song "San Quentin" twice in a row, which is awesome. Yeah, this is an all-timer.

Clearly quite a show, but the music is a bit too 'gee shucks I'm an outlaw' simple country for me

Straight up, this shouldn't be on this list, its more audio book than album, and the same song is played twice...

He’s called the Outlaw for a reason. Imagine having the balls to perform and record a performance in a prison. Then go and do it again. I haven’t listened to this album previously, or its predecessor from Folsom. I did read some say that Folsom was better, and if that’s true, I definitely need to check that out because I thought this was great. Wanted Man was a smart way to kick this off. It is a straight forward song, but it instantly connects him with the prisoners. They are already way into this by the time he plays San Quentin. Twice. Amazing that he just wrote it the day before, and then he goes and includes both on the recording. Awesome, mainly because of the reactions from the inmates. And that’s really what makes this great. It’s not a massive feat in intricate songwriting. Quite the opposite, actually, but that’s not the point. The prisoners wanted someone just like them up there, someone to recognize them, and that’s exactly what they got. This is great because of the simplicity and all the interaction with the crowd. A must listen for anyone

Second live 60's Johnny Cash. I can't do this anymore. Please, let this be the last Johnny Cash.

Yeah, this album is fantastic. I like it even better than Folsom. The Legacy Edition is the way to go, with all the great bonus songs and performances by the Statler Brothers, Carter Family, Carl Perkins, etc. Johnny Cash was amazing as always. Cool and empathetic. And his band is so tight here. There are so many moments where they have to pivot based on Johnny's ad-libbing or to wait for the audience to laugh or cheer. Not easy stuff to pull off. One of the great live albums.

I guess I was enjoying it more than the Folsom Prison album. But it was only about 34 minutes, he spent a lot of time taking, and played the same song twice in a row. So how much did I enjoy? Like 10 minutes? Also, did Johnny Cash not know how to tune a guitar?

Country music in a prison is still country music. I knew some of the songs but I did not enjoy the songs. I have no need to revisit the album or really any of the songs again. It is better than some of the albums on the list. It is better than a one but not really a two. I will round down.

The way this man treats the inmates with such respect and honesty while doing a great live show makes this one of the best live albums in my opinion. And this from somebody who neither is American, nor close to a boomer nor listens to jonny cash outside of this list.

Wow! Super enjoyable. My favorite part is how real this feels. Crowd interaction is wild, Cash’s personality seems genuine and very “fuck you”, song selection is all suitable energy. I thought I would hate the same song twice (San Quentin), but it somehow worked? Amazed to say the least… and all in a 35 minute package makes this a 5 star country album to me

You could say it's CRIMINAL that this album is so short!

I mean, it’s Johnny Cash

al principio me gustó, pero ya después me cansó

77. At San Quentin - Johnny Cash 31 tracks. He might have needed a captive audience to listen all the way through this. I managed it, but only because it was on @1001_albums_gen It's just not for me. I generally don't like Country & especially don't like Johnny Cash. 2/5

I prefer Folsom Prison; it's rougher and ropier and a bit more dangerous. This sounds better rehearsed, even if Cash sounds exhausted. He is aware that he is creating his image and playing to the cameras ("coming up, my new single! We're gonna play it twice!"), although this is also where we got the iconic shot of him giving the camera the finger, so there's that. There are moments of energy -- "San Quentin, I hate every inch of you" or "My name is Sue, how do you do, now you gonna die!", the aforementioned finger -- that absolutely blow the roof off everything. They are some of the greatest moments of live performance ever captured on tape/film. Now, Johnny Cash had a long and illustrious career, so I find it weird that American IV made an appearance in one edition (but was subsequently removed) and yet two very similar prison albums recorded two years apart are left to represent his whole career. They are really great records and I own them both, but do you really need _both_ on a list of 1001 'must hear' albums, even in lieu of something that shows another facet of Cash? So, Dimery's list is problematic and San Quentin is not quite as good as Folsom, but it's still a fucking great record. 4.5 stars, rounding up for the iconic moments.

The original ten-song album didn’t really do the entire event justice, compared to the full concert. The original short version is fine to experience the album the way the world first heard it. This version is how it was meant to be heard.

10/10 - Johnny Cash, my beloved this has my favorite song of his, written by one of my alltime favorite people Shel Silverstein: A Boy Named Sue

The whole vibe of this album is electric. The crowd is into it. Johnny sounds confident. An absolute classic of the genre.

What else can I say? Johnny Cash already rocks, and for him to rock like this in front of an audience of prisoners is so powerful. Writing San Quentin and performing it to give these prisoners a voice when they feel they don't have one is just something else. The cheering from them must have been so cathartic. Perfect live album. The whole performance stood out, I can't pick just a few tracks.

A remarkable piece of history. Even though from reading about it, this isn't the full recording, it's well put together and has a real feel of being in the room and a slight air of menace even all these years later. Playing San Quentin and then San Quentin again straight after and positioning it as improvised is a masterstroke

Overall, "At San Quentin" is a must-listen for fans of Johnny Cash and country music. It showcases Cash's talent as a performer and songwriter, and captures a moment in music history that is both powerful and moving.

Johnny Cash does a great set for the lads at San Quentin, and there's a clear feeling of 'but for the grace of God' in the way he speaks to the prisoners between songs. I enjoyed listening to this very much.

At San Quentin is an album you can't help but love. First - it shows that it is full of soul, that Cash is singing from the bottom of his soul and that he is fully committed to the audience. But mostly, on Cash's country sounds, no matter how hard you try, you just can't get all parts of your body to stay calm, so you'll find yourself tapping your foot, or snapping your fingers, moving your head... An album that shows the true love for music in a raw way, and no matter how much you're not a fan of this sound, you just can't help but like it.

while not as good as folsom prison, johnny cash noodling with prisoners between songs is always a good time

This Johnny Cash album was recorded live at the San Quentin State prison in California in February of 1969. This was his second album of a series of live albums recorded at prisons, and it was also his 31st album overall. This album has been certified triple platinum. At this live prison show, Johnny Cash performed 2 new songs - "San Quentin" (about the prison) and "A Boy Named Sue". The former song was performed twice as an encore and both appear on this album. The latter song became a staple of Johnny Cash's music, and it's amazing to learn he premiered it at a prison show. The original release of this album was alright, but the reissue with 9 extra tracks was much better. Johnny Cash was a great entertainer and it really shows on this live album, because the audience were all inmates that liked to heckle. If you're a fan of live albums then give this one a listen, but if you just want to listen to Johnny Cash's music then you may want to try a different album.

How do you do..my name is Sue! Goddamn this album, and coming hard on the heels of Folsom! This was another one of those records you just "heard" everywhere you went. I got the gist of Boy Named Sue and San Quentin and loved the sound of this. Imagine the chutzpah to put out another live prison album after Folson and its as good! Different but as good, who is doing that? The story with Sue, written by Shel Silverstein who pops up in rock and roll almost as much as Brian Eno, was that he didnt tell the band he was going to play it, and he read the lyrics on a sheet of paper while the Three worked out how the heck to play, go back and have a listen to the band working out how to play it! What could I do, what COULD I Do! Mashallah I love this fucking record. In the mud and the blood and the beer...

I'm not normally a fan of live albums but this was GREAT. His little interjections with the audience are hilarious. I was actually laughing while listening it was super fun. The music itself is also great and the quality is perfect you can almost not tell its live.

johnny cash voice: now it aint any of my damn business if your.. gay or trans or goddang coyote...

4 for the music + bonus point for performance.

One of my all-time favorite Johnny Cash albums, easily a solid 5-star classic. That said, I'd skip the "Legacy Edition" entirely and go for the original vinyl (or standard release) instead. The bonus tracks featuring Carl Perkins, The Carter Family, and The Statler Brothers don't really add much value to the core experience.

C'mon, man. It's Johnny Cash. I didn't like this one as much as the original Live from Folsom Prison, but it's still so much better than 95% of everything else ever recorded.

The energy in that room is captured so well. The whole album feels electric.

Perhaps overshadowed by At Folsom Prison, this is another fantastic live set by the man in black. Cash sounds great here and his charisma shines with the imprisoned audience. You can tell he had a big heart and companionship with the incarcerated, and it elevates the recording.

I didn’t think I liked Johnny Cash… but then I got hit with Johnny’s charisma on stage interacting with then audience. But then i got my toe-tapping to the country tunes and the authenticity came through when he introduced June. But then I realised he was playing to inmates and his care for the audience was shown through his choice of songs. For me it peaked at San Quentin and it somehow didn’t incite a prison riot. The reason this is a 5 is not because of the music but because Cash was able to relate to one of the most downtrodden populations, it transports you to San Quentin itself and I don’t think there will be another album like this.

Now this is a proper live album. The atmosphere really comes across, Cash plays it perfectly and the back-to-back performances of San Quentin seal the deal.

There are live albums, and then there’s At San Quentin. It’s not just a concert — it’s a moment in time, the sound of a man who had been through darkness connecting with others who were still living in it. Cash’s empathy and defiance radiate through every note. You can feel the tension in the air and the way he channels it into something human and redemptive. I love that he plays San Quentin twice — it’s raw, unpolished, and perfectly in character for a man who didn’t care much for polish anyway. And A Boy Named Sue? Legendary. It’s one of my go-tos whenever I’ve got a guitar in my hands. The humor, the rhythm, and the way Cash tells that story — it’s everything that makes him great in one song. What really sets this record apart, though, is how it walks the line between rebellion and compassion. You can tell Cash isn’t performing for the inmates — he’s performing with them. There’s a shared understanding that music, for a few moments, can make everyone in that room feel free. It’s one of those rare albums that feels both historic and personal — and it’s easy to see why it still resonates.

Nobody else could’ve played San Quentin State Prison in ’69. The connection between Cash and the inmates pulses through every song. You can feel the tension, the humor, and the shared defiance in the room. Hard to think of a moment like this ever happening again. Pure, raw American myth captured on tape.

Absolute classic. Extraordinarily tight for a live album. Genius at work.

one reviewer bravely asked: “Johnny Cash released 97 albums in his career, 3 of which are on this list. Did 2 of the 3 need to be live albums from prisons?” And I would like to say yes. All 3 should be on the list and maybe 50 out of 97 should also be here

makes me wanna go to prison :/

This album is a masterpiece of storytelling; what it lacks in instrumental virtuosity is more than made up for by the lyricism and storytelling. Cash's unique baritone narrates stories of outlaw living and being behind bars like no other ever could. His songs paint vivid pictures of life as an outlaw, and he remembers to engage the crowd with often-entertaining banter. Country may not have the best reputation, but this shows just how good it can be when done properly.

There’s a staggering immediacy and intimacy to this album. It’s hard to believe it was recorded over half a century ago. Imagine writing a song for the audience (“San Quentin”), performing it for them (twice!), and the experience becoming a legend.

Listened on the way home. Awesome!

YES. I prefer the 2010 release that's "The Complete 1969 Concert." It's about an hour long.

When you have Johnny Cash preforming a live concert in a prison, you already know it is going to be gold. Something about Cash performing these kind of concerts always seemed authentic to me because he always preformed as though he was an outlaw dressed in black. Even though I never really liked country, his music really resonates with a city boy like me. I love these kind of albums that Johnny Cash made. Favorite Tracks: Wanted Man, I Walk the Line, Darlin' Companion, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue Rating: 5/5

It's a Johnny Cash album. Nothing more to be said.

another live johnny cash album, this one performed at the san quentin state prison, now turned rehabilitation center. this wouldn't be the first time he'd performed in a prison, but i would say this performance is much more iconic than the last. man, johnny, you're a ruthless one. he seems to relate to a lot of the inmates, the crowd cheering and whooping whenever he gets vulgar and brings up certain topics or critiques, especially about the prison itself. i wish i didn't have to dig a bit to find an uncensored version of the album, johnny occasionally swears like a sailor and all modern streaming copies have the poor guy bleeped out. i think this album was awesome. i love johnny cash, even if people like my mother think otherwise.

This is a guy who knows who he is, who knows that not everyone likes who he is and who couldn't give a damn.

I’ve listened to this probably at least 100 times through the years. Great example of “they don’t make them like they used to”. RIP Cash & RIP the sound of country that I hold near & dear to my heart. 10/10

Talented, entertaining & effortless artist- truly one of a kind.

Good energy, great charisma, album flew by, nothing I would change.

One of the definitive Johnny Cash records. Not only do you get some of the best renditions of his famous hits but his banter with the prisoners gives a fair insight into his personality.

Great album. Recall listening to this at a young age as it was one of my Dad's favourite albums. Remember the film really well - not sure why it has not been shown recently in the UK

A new favorite!! Love love love it!!!

What are the odds our group would get this album the day after we listened to Cash Live at Folsom Prison!? I'm trying not to let the fact we just heard Cash live from a prison affect my rating. It feels strange to have two live albums from Cash here, but I think they represent different things. Live at Folsom helped revitalize his career, and Live at San Quentin feels like a continuation of that success as his fame grew - British TV filming him, Cash still actin' gruff and wanting to perform for locked up men. Also where his famous middle finger photo was from! || I'd say both Cash live albums deserve to be on this list, as strange as it seems, because of how different they are! This one in particular is great to hear the crowdwork chat and some of the other acts.

Unassailably good stuff, but I still prefer the Folsom concert. The original version of this album feels very truncated; the full performance from the "Legacy Edition" is much better, but I get why the producers wanted to limit the overlap with Folsom.

Sets off with punk-like velocity before settling, Bob Wootton and Carl Perkins absolutely ripping the room with rockabilly guitar, this is a stunning band performance. Cash lords it, makes “A Boy Named Sue” his own, and more than on any other record I’ve heard broadcasts the wildfire personality of legend.

Incredible atmosphere. Folsom has this beat for musical content, but San Quentin wins the banter award.

This is cool, glad it was on the list because I wouldn’t have listened otherwise.

Classic JC. Sounds great live and fun to hear his personality and banter back and forth with the inmates!

Great, iconic songs. A Boy Named Sue makes a 3* album a 4* album.

Fantastic performance by a legend. He was candid, fun & engaging throughout all of it. I love Shel Silverstien ever since I read Light In the Attic, so I love his playful lyrics on A Boy Named Sue. San Quentin is great song as well Starkville City Person. Both shedding light on our broken prison system even back then. 4

Before listening notes: I had heard rumblings of someone having a legendary performance at a prison, thought it was Elvis but looks like it was Johnny cash. Looking at the track list I know some of these songs so high hopes. Right off the bat you can tell it’s OLD, but the recording of the first song is actually pretty good. Great opener, fits the situation as well which you have to appreciate. Find myself nodding along, good lyrics. Fun guitar solo too. Guitar is really good on wreck, but not as catchy as wanted man. Still a good song. I like the ad libs between songs, his voice is so buttery. I walk the line is a classic, it’s insane this is with 0 auto tune or anything of the like. I wish it was longer. Darlin companion is very 60s. Will never listen to again but not neccasarily bad. He’s a great songwriter/story teller. Starkville is fun. San Quentin is another fun one, but I’m starting to think a lot of these song sound pretty similar. Not a bad thing because it’s a good sound. I wish all of the songs were longer. I kind of love the back to back. Boy named sue is an all time classic. Great recording. No notes. Seems like a lot of thought went into the tracklist, peace in the valley fits with the theme so well. Not the best song not the worst, but needed. NEED more Folsom prison blues. Underwhelming ending because I really want more. Really fun album. 3.92

An electrifying performance full of grit, humor, and raw honesty. Cash is completely in his element here — charismatic, defiant, and unfiltered — with the prison crowd responding in kind. His gravelly voice, sharp wit, and songs like 𝘈 𝘉𝘰𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘦 and 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 make this one of the most vivid and unforgettable live recordings in country and rock history. When the audience demands an encore of 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯, Cash obliges with a rebellious grin — turning defiance into pure legend.

I liked it more than I thought I would. Pretty unique setting and glimpse into the world in this place, at this time, with this music.

If this was only Johnny Cash singing 9 of his lesser known songs, this wouldn't have been a very appealing album to me. Not a big fan of country music. But this is a prime example of an album being grater than the sum of its parts. Okay songs and a solid performance, but the interaction with and reactions from a room full of prisoners elevate the whole experience. Not a single song saved, but I might listen to the whole thing again sometime.

The man in his pomp! Not entirely sure why we needed live in San Quentin and live in Folsom in the same list though!

While I love attending concerts and shows, with rare exception, I do not particularly care for live albums. I’m not there, I don’t need to hear banter with a crowd I’m not a part of.

I don't like country music on the whole but there is something about Johnny Cash that I make an exception for. He's both serious and fun at the same time.

Really fun album. I'll admit country isn't usually my thing, but I enjoyed At Folsom Prison a bit more than this one. Maybe it's the recording quality (this one sounds more dated somehow compared to AFP) or just the song selection. Either way, the best part of listening to both of these albums is definitely the banter between songs. AFP is a 4 for me, so I'd give this one a solid 3.

Conceptually, I like the idea of this record. Musically, not as much. Not a Cash or country music fan. All of these songs sound the same to my ears. All I can picture when I hear these songs are those old time-y teeter-totter railroad car things. You know what I’m talking about? Two people stand on this small railroad “car” thing with a teeter totter bar and they take turns pushing the bar down to make the car move forward on the tracks…oompah, oompah, oompah…up and down, over and over. It can be quite maddening. If that’s your thing, more power to you…it ain’t for me. I’ll say this, though. Johnny Cash was pretty funny with his stage banter.

Classic Johnny Cash. Not as good as Folsom Prison?

Johnny Cash is fine but for me he’s just kind of boring. I like his deep singing voice but there’s nothing about him musically that blows me away.

boring

Not my favourite

not terrible, but also not my cup of tea.

Just another lame JC album. 1.5/5

Best Song: San Quentin. It was tough not to like it given how much the audience appreciated the song. Worst Song: Darlin' Companion. The song is just okay, and the prolonged talking goes on way too long. Overall: I understand times were different, but I cannot fathom why in 2022 I'm listening to hard, censored beeps over every bit of profanity. Were the originals lost? Regardless, the live setting here doesn't really help the overall presentation. It certainly feels like everyone at the show was having a great time, but the whole schtick of "they tried to tell Johnny Cash what to do but he don't listen to authority" just comes off as cheesy. The "casual" mentions to dope and song stealing also come off as pandering.

I personally wasn't that impressed by his songs. They were boring. Other people may be like the album, but not me.

we've already had johnny cash doing a gig in a prison. i don't get how both of them are essential listening.

BBC One- 8pm - Cash in the Attic. Johnny Cash hides in the attic of an unsuspecting celebrity, spying on their every move. This week Johnny observes Pat Sharp have an argument with a plumber and then maturbating furiously to a old polaroid photo of the Fun House twins.

pretty short kinda neat 2.5

the end couldn't have come sooner. his voice is v soothing but for some reason I don't like him. only liked 3 songs.

Most of the songs sound the same. I enjoy the hits, but even then he seems super low energy or perhaps he was on day 3 of a bender. Not his best.

Johnny Cash: "They're filming this for England. But I'm not here to do what they want. I'm here to do what you want and what I want! What do you want to hear?" Prisoners: "Jackson! Jackson! Jackson!" Johnny Cash: "This one's called I Walk The Line." Not as consistently funny as An Evening with Quentin Crisp. 1.5 This was a grim listen. Clodhopping guitar and drums while Cash half mutters over the top and that’s when there is an attempt to play music. A good portion of this record is Johnny Cash doing banter and inmates hooting and of course those things are why this record exists. The vicarious thrill of visiting one of America’s most notorious prisons. Millions of copies were sold. Rotten playing and near worthless music was transmuted into dollars courtesy of the nebulous hollering of incarcerated men. 1/5