At San Quentin

7.5 / 10

This was okay. However, if you want to hear an awesome Johnny Cash live album get Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison. Outstanding!!!

Too much talking to listen to whilst working. Prefer other cash

Not for me

Quite enjoyed this for what it is. Must have been quite a n experience to play in the prisons. some classic Cash songs.

I usually don’t vibe well with country music, but this was a pretty decent album

I don't really like his music that much but I do respect the prison shows Will I listen to again: 2%

Country migth be my least favprite genre ever. Its either super boring or annoying. This album is the best country album Ive listened so far but im not a big fan. The little sketch were the best part. "A boy named sue" was funny as shit.

Oppfølgerne bruker som regel ikke å være like bra. Gjelder her også.

Blir litt underveldet da plata ikke er like bra som At Folsom. Cash har fått to femmere tidligere så her er jeg litt streng.

Is this the most extraordinary music ever? No. But boy, it's fun, and holy shit what an incredible environment. Once again, only Johnny "Big Dick" Cash could pull off a stunt like this. I don't think this hits quite as hard as Folsom, even though he's clearly more comfortable here with a little more practice. But regardless, he's effortlessly cool, pays respect to a lot of guys who never get it, and keeps it tight. Fave tracks: - Starkville City Jail - San Quentin - A Boy Named Sue (so not PC, but so fucking funny)

Muy guapo, pero no llega al 4

An interesting concept for the album but you probably had to be there….. or maybe not…..

3.5/5. Johnny Cash’s San Quentin performance is often overshadowed by its older sibling live-album “At Folsom Prison” and if you ask me, that’s because Folsom is the much better option of the two. That being said, the San Quentin performance is still a good record with a handful of great songs, whether that be “a boy named sue” or “Starkville city jail.” I also love how Cash opts to play the song San Quentin twice in a row, and how when he thanks the staff of the prison basically the entire audience boos.

Ett skönt album att lyssna på med bra musik och humor. Sen om man har vetskap om bakgrunden så blir det ännu bättre.

Hard to be critical of this album. In the 60s to play in a prison was both daring and reckless. Cash had the songs to back it up though. The only downside is the sound and for that reason alone it does not bear repeated listens

3.39

Beautiful voice of Johnny Cash. Good interaction with prison audience. I was impressed. However, songs sound all the same to me. I only want to highlight Ring of Fire, I knew this song already.

Not bad by any means, but compared to Folsom, it’s less of a fun and interesting album, but still a great performance and a decently enjoyable listen.

I'm not so sure you have to listen to more than one Johnny Cash at such and such a prison.

Where is Liza Maneli at Sing Sing?? What about Lionel Richie says HELLO to Attica?? Instead we have two live (from prison) albums by Johnny Cash. This sure isn't Godfather 2. This is the cash grab sequel that is bereft of the emotion that made the first record captivating. There is a bunch of catatonic rambling that sounds like it was recorded by 2009 Johnny rather than 1969. I don't know if there was a switch from uppers to downers, but the finished product suffered. This was mostly just horrible stand-up comedy, sprinkled with a collection of decent songs. If this was the one prison album, it would be a nice change of pace but alas, we have yet another confusing (and repetitive) stepping stone on our trek up music mountain. 2.5-3 HIGHLIGHTS: Johnny Cash is here again?? Jeez I think I'll head to the hole.

Was a good listen

I’m not quite sure why both live albums need to be on this list as I’m not sure what it offers above and beyond the Folsom prison album. It has the same vibe - the feeling of authenticity I get from Cash performing here, for the inmates, rather than the wider audience. ‘San Quentin’ here obviously has much more poignancy, reflecting on the futility of their incarceration and appeasement of the wider politics surrounding it. The banter between the songs is the most interesting bit about it I found.

удивительно, что в конце я даже влилась немного. тоже есть мысли переслушать. хорошо, что это именно лайв альбом, потому что джонни кэш явно очень многое вывозит на своей харизме и юморе. буду честна, над "the boy named sue" даже хихикнула пару раз

A nice country album, one the series of "in prison" concerts he did. I always wonder how do those happen. I really liked that he genuinly seems to enjoy its time there. Favorite songs: I walk to line ; San Quentin ; A boy named Sue ; Ring of Fire

Very easy listen. Only 30 minutes. Great southern style storytelling mixed with comedy targeted at the inmates. Unique album for sure.

Decent stand up routine. Found it jokes that a bunch of cons were losing their mind at a swear word. Think if if wasn't live I wouldn't have been that arsed though

Cash is great, and this album is good. Folsom Prison is better, but not by too much.

Ohhhh… looking forward to this. I love Johnny. Old and new. Well… I love the concept. I love Johnny’s attitude. But musically - this just isn’t that good an album. I can’t go higher than 3. Boolean rating: yes, yes I am glad I heard this before I died.

It started a bit slow, but picked right up after Darlin Companion. Not a whole lot to say, I was looking forward to it and seems I was right to do that. Had a good listen, got some evocative American frontier type stories and lyrics and it's over now. Thanks, Johnny Cash, see you in Folsam. High 3.

I really enjoyed Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, so listening to the follow up At Saint Quentin was a lot of fun. Cash’s fun banter and personality come through on this album as well, and I enjoyed the different setlist, but if comparing them I’d say At Folsom Prison is the better of the two.

Good listen. An icon.

Foolishly i listened to this back to back with At Folsom Prison, which is far superior (likely a 5 star if/when it crops up). There are some great versions of great songs, but it feels somehow lacking as a whole album.

Johnny Cash is always good. This is a very short album, and it has the same song repeated twice (San Quentin) which makes sense in terms of why they did it Live - but makes for a kind of strange listen. Not as good as Live at Folsom Prison but still a really solid live album.

It was nice. The album is made so you basically listen to the entire concert.

Raw live country built on twangy guitars, steady rhythms, and commanding, deep vocals unfolds with a rough, unfiltered edge. Listening feels like sitting in a loud hall where constant cheering and talking interrupt the flow of the songs. The performance is energetic and authentic, but the live atmosphere feels distracting and intrusive.

5 - AVERAGE

not a fan of country music. couldn’t finish listening to it. annoying cuz i didn’t find the original album.

Yaper final boss

Pretty sweet, can't imagine I'll go back but it's a good reminder of how good country can be despite current trends

Ok, I can understand this one could be close to the hearts of some of our fellow American friends, but let’s be honest - it has zero cultural significance outside the US. Nought, null, ноль, शून्य. And I’m not even sure about the US, it’s important only because “man performing prison songs at prison”; purely musically - is there anything outstanding? Still, can’t really say it’s a bad record per se. I mean, it’s ok.

Good but populist playing to his audience an anti establishment establishment figure.

That was a fun album, more enjoy than I expected.

Johnny Cash, inget att klaga på. Spännande med livekonsert från fängelser. Han spelade tydligen på Anstalten Österåker på 70-talet också. 3/5

Solid. Ekkert út á þetta að setja en ekkert framúrskarandi heldur.

It's the harsh reality of life in a capitalist society that puts some people in a position where they're forced to make choices that'll ultimately ruin their present and future. 1969 or 2026, you'll find plenty of people in similar situations. Some things never change. However, I find his whole fascination with prison aesthetics unsavory and honestly, he'd been way too empathetic to a group that deserves none. Murderers and other scum. You can be dying of thirst and hunger and still won't hurt a fellow human being. And as usual with those types, there's themes of religion and redemption... I don't believe in rehabilitation. They didn't give a chance to their victims, so why give them one? And to make songs about their "predicament"? As for the music itself, looking past the context of it all... I guess it's alright for a country album. His voice isn't jarring to the ears at lest.

I like it but for me it matters how I feel when I listen to music and I felt this wasn't what I needed for the mood I was in today, still, good rhythm and sound, I haven't heard much of Johnny Cash in a long time and it was great to listen to him again to remind me of music like this.

Not as good as Folsom Prison, but not bad in its own right.

***A good album

On 2026.04.04 - Samedi Saint Album authentique au sein de la prison, échanges avec les prisonniers entre les morceaux, résistance de Van Morison contre sa maison de disque. Audio très moyenne mais écoute rustique.

One of my early memories is listening to A Man Named Sue with my dad. He said, boy, aren’t you glad I didn’t name you Sue? I said, dad, that’s super unwoke of you.

The stage banter is a lot of fun, but the performances really aren't anything to write home about. Also, apologies to Shel Silverstein, but "A Boy Named Sue" is fucking stupid.

My mans way feeling sassy on this one! Not nearly as good as Folsom, but just as entertaining. Listened to: shopping at target in downtown Denver. Favorite tracks: Wreck of the Old 97, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue

i can imagine situations in which this slaps, however, i dont see myself in that situation at the moment. its generally not really my genre of music either, country, bur the show was fun and entertaining to listen to! so im giving a three!

Cool style

The clapping and reactions of the prisoners is so vivid. Im not crazy about the music but this is a beautiful album and the emotions are so clear.

Short and sweet, a lot of rambling between tracks

If I remember correctly Johnny Cash’s two prison albums – this and At Fulsom Prison – were the biggest selling country albums of all time until Garth Brooks turned up. Personally, I think Fulsom Prison is the better of the two, though San Quentin has plenty of fine moments. The first being the opening number, a version of Bob Dylan’s “Wanted Man” - which he’d only learnt from Dylan the previous week. It feels custom written for Cash, and it may well have been. The song written specifically for the show “San Quentin” is pretty good, though no “Fulsom Prison Blues”. The inmates are suitably enthusiastic and insist on an immediate repeat performance. In fact, several of the album’s highlights are Cash’s interactions with the audience, which, once the novelty wears of, doesn’t make for repeated spins. 7/10

I like the album, normally I’m not a fan of “live at” versions of songs when listening online; however I didn’t know much about Johnny Cash and so this felt good. Also the fact that it was performed at a prison felt kind of special. I like the music, not my favourite and not sure when I would really listen to this type of music again, maybe in the car. Overall wasn’t perfect but was good. 7/10.

Johnny Cash live albums are fun.

Standouts A Boy Named Sue

This is very charming and lively, but I never did get into live albums that much, even if it's an interesting locale.

not my style but it’s okay, it was interesting to hear

Jeg liker ideen og attituden. Men å faktisk høre på musikken? Det er helt greit. Har ingen sterke følelser for musikken til Cash. Litt slitsomt at censorene har skånet meg for stygge ord med en høy pipelyd slik at jeg ikke kan la være å registrere at Cash sa noe jeg ikke burde få høre.

It is the context and atmosphere that makes this album so poignant.

it was alright, nothing special, decent live album

Johnny hebben we door deze lijst al eerder in een gevangenis horen spelen. Dat vraagt om een vergelijking. De setting zorgt in beide gevallen voor een bijzondere sfeer. In dit geval wil je daar niet perse bij geweest zijn. Maar het werkt zelfs op een schijfje. Bij het optreden in San Quentin zat meneer iets meer op zijn praatstoel. Niet erg op locatie zo te horen. Het publiek waardeert het duidelijk. Op het schijfje pakt het optreden daardoor net iets minder dan het optreden in Folsom. De aanleiding voor Folsom bestond al. Voor San Quentin heeft Johnny snel een tekst op zijn standaard geluid uit zijn mouw geschut. Sterk natuurlijk, dat hij iets speciaals doet voor de plek waar hij optreedt. Toch ook een beetje lui. En dat blijkt ook als hij het nummer herhaalt. Niet aan het eind van de set om het nummer van de dag te benadrukken. Nee, echt direct achter elkaar. Ach, het is het ergste niet. Maar als je het gaat vergelijken, scoort At Folsom daarmee wel net iets beter.

The bones are the money

not my cup of tea

pretty good

Not my cup of tea.

It's a decent live outlaw country album. Cash's voice is a bit tired sounding in parts but it just adds to the overall live vibe of the record. The song selections are good but a couple I don't really care for. Folsom is a much better album, not sure this needed to be included in the 1001 list.

Cool, but we can definitely drop this if we have At Folsom Prison

6/10

As with a good portion of live albums, this one is lacking the visuals that generate the vibe of live performances. Hearing the audience helps this one a little.

Biisien puolesta en varmaankaan antaisi kahta tähteä enempää, mutta tällä livellä on niin käsinkoskesteltavan kova meno, että kyllä siitä irtoaa vielä yksi ylimääräkinenkin pinna.

Johnny Cash loved performing in prisons, despite never having served time. Cash's most iconic performance is considered to be his concert at Folsom Prison, released a year earlier. He hadn't originally planned to record this show, but an English crew filming a documentary about prison life came to film it. The label accepted the bonus, and they were right – thanks to the San Quentin concert, Cash was nominated for three Grammys, one of which he won. The cover photo of the artist became one of his signature images, but this album gave us (and the owners of bootleg merch stands) an even more iconic shot, where Johnny clearly expresses his feelings about the cameramen (https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SnapGalleries180311.jpg) blocking the prisoners' view of the stage. A fine record, one of the pillars of country music. But whether a list of essential albums really needs two Johnny Cash prison concerts is an open question.

BEEP yeah!

Loved Starkville City Jail, San Quentin, and A Boy Named Sue. the energy in this show is so enviable, I want to be there. Johnny was very funny and charming. from -4 to 4, I give a 2.

Pretty great! I like live at Folsom prison better but you cannot beat Johnny Cash live at a prison. It’s where he’s meant to perform.

Johnny Cash, inget att klaga på. Spännande med livekonsert från fängelser. Han spelade tydligen på Anstalten Österåker på 70-talet också.

Fun and easy to listen to, it shows Johnny's mastery and great character in this live album. Liked it!

Pretty good! not generally a fan of live albums but this one was nice. The parts where Cash was interacting with the crowd and the overall vibe of it made it a nice one-time listen

I didn't score this one individually, because it felt more like a complete piece from being live. Favourite song(s): Folsom Prison Blues, San Quentin (Reprise) Least favourite song(s): I Walk the Line (though still love it, but loved all the others more!) I loved that you really feel transported in this album. Mr Cash you are a legend :)

Extra point for the vibe and the personality. Not really my music

The talking annoyed me ngl lol

Not quite as good as Folsom Prison, but still a fun show.

I would have loved to see one of these prison concerts live, but also not be in prison.

entero choro juanito efectivo no me gusta el country, pero su agresividad lo hace más interesante me gustó el concepto y la movida de tocar en cárceles, no la conocía

maomeno no ma, not my cup of tea bolas gigantes por tocar en la carcel oesi

The Concert at Filsom Prison was an extraordinary album. Cash was coming off a drug addiction and the first attempt at a prison recording came to nothing because Cash was too "tired and emotional" to go on. The Folsom Concert had the atmosphere of one man at the end of his tether talking to an audience of men at the end of their tether. It was raw, it was emotional, it was intense. The recording revived his career and was a huge success. It's become legendary in the years since. This San Quentin album has the slight whiff of another trip to the well. It's all a bit showbiz: bringing on the guest stars; the engineered encore of "San Quentin"; bringing on a guard with a glass of water (a repeat of a Folsom Prison bit) so the audience can boo; the fact that it was being recorded for British television. It just seems a bit more commercial and contrived than Folsom. It's also not nearly as good. Folsom has the killer set list of: -Folsom Prison Blues (I shot a man in Reno, he sings and the crowd goes wild - Cocaine Blues, about a man who murders his girlfriend after taking cocaine - 25 Minutes to go, about a man going to the gallows - Long Black Veil, about a man who goes to the gallows to protect his lover's reputation - Send a Picture of Mother (I mean, to prisoners in jail) - Give my love to Rose - about a Manet out of prison who is killed before seeing his girlfriend - Green Green Grass of Home, about a man returning home after getting out of prison - Greystone Chapel, written by a prisoner sitting in the audience. It's more a shared communion than a Concert. San Quentin is entertainment. Even the song about Cash's arrest is presented as a comedy about picking flowers. And then there's the pretty execrable Boy Named Sue. It hasn't aged well. Folsom Prison literally changed lives - Not least amongst them Cash's own. San Quentin made a lot of money and landed Cash a network deal for his variety show. It's all right, but it's not his best.

Step below Live at Folsom Prison, but the live versions of San Quentin and A Boy Named Sue are all good. A lot of monologuing for a 30 minute album.

Good man or bad man he's definitely engaging. Heartf lt honky tonk with a wry smile.

very clear sound for a live album. he did an extremely good job of catering for this specific audience. the atmosphere seemed so fun. I think bleeping swear words ruined parts of it and made it seem a little tacky. the songs were very simple country and yay America vibes which isn't my kind of music, but that aside it was fun. 7/10

Cool setting for a live performance. Not my usual listening so it was a nice change of pace. Enjoyed it and may listen again but wont be regular. 3/5

Ful kul k je live

The 99 minute Legacy album is better than the 33 minute vinyl release from 1969. You actually understand what they are talking about but the Legacy version is rambling, rehashes songs from the Folsom album, and is fine.

Another fun live recording from The Man in Black, though not as fresh feeling or as well recorded as Live in Folsom.

Probably a little more impactful for those (not me) with more context. But the songs are good!

Not my kind of music but loved the atmosphere. Highlight: Boy called Sue

Este va para mi amigo personal, Howard Cooper

"At San Quentin" — Johnny Cash, 1969 Для сайта Если "At Folsom Prison" был репетицией, то San Quentin — это уже настоящий взрыв. Кэш приехал в тюрьму Сан-Квентин второй раз, и атмосфера там была на грани бунта — буквально. Зал кипел так, что охранники нервничали, а Кэш подливал масла в огонь: он исполнил заглавный трек трижды подряд, потому что толпа требовала ещё. Это была не просто концертная запись — это был акт солидарности, где Человек в Чёрном смотрел в глаза системе и не моргал. Музыкально альбом сырее и злее Folsom'а. Bob Wootton на гитаре режет как бритва, June Carter Cash добавляет человеческое тепло в самые жёсткие моменты, а сам Джонни звучит как человек, которому нечего терять и именно поэтому можно говорить правду. "A Boy Named Sue" — написанная Шелом Сильверстайном буквально накануне концерта — стала неожиданным хитом и единственной песней Кэша, попавшей в топ-2 Billboard. Весь альбом — живое доказательство того, что настоящее искусство рождается не в студии с идеальной акустикой, а там, где что-то реально поставлено на кон.

70

Very fun album to listen too. Kinda feels like I'm immersed into the crowd in a way. They just sound like they're having such a great time

Aurally inoffensive.

No skips, every song is a classic. He's so charismatic and sassy. I love that he's performing in a prison, the crowd are off their nut and I don't blame them. There's the perfect amount of talking between songs and it adds so much to the set. He has beef with everyone at this show. This is the best way to listen to him, its raw and chaotic and you lose all that when its not live. It perfectly captures what made him so iconic. As an album this isn't going to be something i listen to a lot. It's more of a documented proof of character and the kind of thing you'd put on at an afters.

Jag gillar att albumet är live och publiken som skrattar åt vad han säger. Det verkar som om alla verkar ha en bra kväll och musiken är ganska bra och ger samma känsla som Elvis Presley och jag tycker att det är positivt. Det är också lungt och inte för skrikigt vilket är ett stort pluss. Älskar när han pratar och sedan går in på en låt!

So much character and charisma. Not something I would listen to all the time. But the man was a legend. Love that they kept all the banter in

It's cool to have this documented in full, historically interesting and great recording quality for an old live recording. Still not a big fan of country music, though. Too many songs sound soo similar to my ears. Fantastically performed, of course, a derserved entry in the list.

I love it, Johnny is such a great and funny person and the album is fantastic

It’s good, solid live Johnny Cash. Just what you’d expect.

Assuming At Folsom Prison is on this list, there is no reason to require one to listen to a fine, but secondary, Johnny Cash in prison record to fulfill this 1001 album sentence of life. Seek out the Freddy Fender at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) where he actually did time or Buck Owens at the LBJ White House instead.

Can you imagine a recording artist, much less one as big as Johnny Cash, performing a concert in 2026 in a prison for the inmates and the folks watching (likely on YouTube or Netflix today) from the comforts of home? I’m sure this was a significant logistical feat in 1969; today the idea would be dead on arrival. Has our world-leading carceral system really grown that much worse since that time, or do we just look that much more dimly upon imprisoned convicts and their need for entertainment and other gestures of humanity? Anyway. This is a rollicking good time when the music plays and the inmates roar in appreciation, but man, there’s a lot of extended between-song filler, which makes it hard to get a feel for the set. And it’s weird that “San Quentin” is repeated back-to-back. Also, and maybe it’s a bad YouTube mix, but holy high-hats, Batman — those puppies are front and center in the mix on “Wreck of the Old 97.” Never heard them so prominent in a song.

Enjoyed it, not revelatory.

Good but too short.

I mean it was just live at folsom, I dunno which one was first

My kids pulled out one of my copies of this album the other day so I played it while it was out. Yes I own mul

Look, it's not something against Johnny Case, but I don't really see the point in this album. "At Folsom Prison" was so good and the set list this time around isn't as great. I'll say 2.5 rounded up to 3 for Johnny Cash, but this seems like an unnecessary live album.

I'm not the biggest live music as an album fan, but I definitely enjoyed that addition to this album. It felt less like a recorded live performance and more like a man in the back of a bar playing his heart out.

This album has great energy and you can feel the electricity of the prison crowd reacting to every line. Johnny Cash clearly commands the room, and the rebellious spirit of the performance is fun to hear. But since I’m not a big country fan, a lot of the songs just don’t do much for me musically even though I can appreciate the moment and the atmosphere.

Cash is great, live albums can be tough

First time I have listened. Very cool. The banter is very funny considering the audience.

очень спокойный такой вайбовый альбом мне оч понравилось но в плейлист не добавил бы

Ah, my final Johnny Cash album and my final album of the 1960’s. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve reviewed an album by The Man in Black, so I’m glad to see him today. Johnny Cash isn’t the type of music that I normally gravitate towards, but I appreciate his artistry and what his career did for music. I was talking to a friend of mine last night, discussing a documentary about the prison system in Alabama, so it’s apt that I would get this album today. Time for a trip down to San Quentin. I thought this live effort from Johnny Cash was fine. I’m picky about country music, and this album was a bit boring to me, but the live aspect of it was great. The sounds of the prisoners cheering created a really unique atmosphere for this album. I can't imagine what it would have been like to perform for a bunch of incarcerated men, and trying to give them an energetic performance without blowing the lid off the place and causing a riot. How crazy is it that the only choice these men were probably able to make that day was which song they wanted to hear Johnny Cash play? I liked Johnny’s gentle ribbing of the guards, and his banter made this performance really unique. Of particular interest to me was Johnny talking about how he didn’t like being told what to sing and where to stand. I think it goes to show that record executives and other people on the business side of music have been shit heads for quite a while, sticking their noses into decisions that should be left up to the artists. When it comes to the actual music on this album, I wasn’t blown away, but I didn’t hate it either. “I Walk the Line” and “A Boy Named Sue” are classics, and it was great to hear them in this live setting, especially as Johnny chuckled his way through “A Boy Named Sue.” The song that stood out to me the most though was “Wreck of the Old 97.” The guitar work was fantastic, and I loved how the percussion sounded like a train chugging along. I feel like the live aspect took away some of the emotional weight of the more serious songs on this album, but on “Wreck of the Old 97,” that weight was still there. While this album may not be up to my personal tastes, I think it’s an important piece of music and pop culture history. Johnny Cash has become like a folk figure of sorts, and this album shows just why that is.

Favourite Songs: Starkville City Jail San Quentin A Boy Named Sue

This is fine but I am just not a huge fan of a live album

vibes were immaculate and the audience were immaculate-er.

Strange to think that gigs like this used to be played in prisons. Can’t imagine it happening now.

Pretty cool very interesting

The booing at the guards got me

Live albums don't really do it for me in general but this one is fun I have to say.

i love a good live album! johnny cash is a silly guy... i don't know if it's just the version i listened to but the censor bleeps took me out of it LOL. johnny's music has never quite been my thing and he seems very tired and frustrated in this one which, like, fair. a couple nice ones here of course

I love Johnny Cash and can respect his playing shoes for inmates but I’m not crazy about the recording and set here.

Was pretty good. 3.5

Songs are great but not a fan of live albums.

This isn’t something that I would put on just to listen to, I mean it’s ok as a live album, but it really feels more like an important historical document. Totally understand why its on the list, glad to have listened to it,

Not as good as Folsom but worth a listen

Very nice, upbeat. Singer has a nice, slightly old, sense of humour. Country isn’t exactly my thing, though.

Saved 4/31. His voice is incredible and I love the concept but an entire album hearing applause was too much. It took me out of the songs.

"so what do you want to hear?" A critique of 1001 Albums as a whole: I understood the significance of a johnny cash prison album from the other one I heard two weeks ago. I did not need to listen to two before I died.

I like his voice and the themes of the songs. Censoring swearing is so corny

everything kind of sounded the same, but country's not bad!

This is the first time I've listened to this kind of old-fashioned music, and it's quite positive and interesting in places. The live performance itself is memorable for the interaction with the audience. Rate 5/10

Great with the crowd

Iconic performance! But - as always - I rate it down just because it is a live album. 2,5

Lots of fun! I love how Johnny's character comes through in the recordings.

Don't like this style of country particularly. Very samey. Much prefer Johnny Cash latter output. That being said, it's a unique album and interesting listen between songs.

This is alright, though I definitely feel like I didn't need two prison-based live albums from the same artist. Plenty of the songs are good. The raucous energy of the crowd adds something. But then it gets kind of annoying having all the cheers after every bad thing Cash sings about their prison in "San Quentin". The in-between banter is mildly fun at best, and cringe-worthy at worst. "Huh, the record producers want me to stand in a particular spot, but I do what I want man" seems like a cheap way to get a cheer from your (literally) captive audience. It's a good listen overall, but not more than that. 3*

Johnny Cash’s singing and lyrics are amazing - the guitar on this album was just very boring. Like taking a Casio and pressing the preset beat and doing a full album to it. He’s witty and fun and great - and all the songs probably sound twice as good when recorded in a studio. For some this version might be their favorite! But not as much for me.

That was wild! This is the Johnny Cash I think of when I hear his name. Not sure I've heard another live album or an actual live performance, for that matter, where the same song was played twice in succession! I guess if the inmates are yelling at you to play the song again, you play the song again?

lots of talking but the songs on their own are good cash was a funny guy

Johnny Cash was such a good performer! A good album, but I question why there needed to be two of his prison series on this list when the man had something like 70 albums Fav songs: I Walk the Line

Nice change, interesting concept of an musician performing at a jail. Don't think that happens any more

Another album I would never, ever have listened to, if not for undertaking this listen of the 1001 albums. I probably won't reach for it again, but it was really interesting to listen to. I enjoyed the stories and camaraderie.

The prisoners are the stars of the show.

Definitely a good glimpse into why Johnny Cash is so revered. The songs can be a little same-y but the performances and the rapport with the audience and band are great.

Johnny Cash is on fire in this album and is quick with a joke. The music sounds good and his voice as well. I just wish I was more into country as a genre, it’s not really my favourite. And to whatever producer or engineer that bleeped out his swearing: f*ck you

It was a really fun and simple album, i love his style of storytelling. Now its not an album with songs i’d listen to on the regular, but they are for sure great songs

This album is not my usual type of music, and thought I would not like it when I heard the beginning of the first song. However, I really enjoyed the first song, Wanted Man, which really changed my perception of the album as a whole. I disliked the second song, Wreck of the Old 97, but I think that’s because it’s a more fast paced song as compared to Wanted Man. The third song, I Walk the Line, was better than the second one, but because of the fast pace of the song, I again did not like it was much as the first. The fourth song, Darlin Companion, was a duet with his wife, and I really enjoyed it. The two voiced meshed together beautifully and I really liked the calmness of the song. The fifth song, Starkville City Jail, was very good as well. The little background story Johnny Cash told beforehand was funny. I did not like the sixth song, San Quentin, was much, but to me, it seemed more of a monologue to appeal to the audience, and less of a song, similarly with San Quentin (Reprise), the seventh song. The eight song, A Boy Named Sue, was again, not a song I enjoyed very much. Majority of the songs seemed to be used as storytelling devices, which is something I do not particularly enjoy, which is probably the main reason why this album is not up my ally. The ninth song, (There'll be) Peace in the Valley, was a song I did enjoy. It was more musical than the other songs that I did not like, and I really liked the beautiful background vocals. Finally, the last song, Folsom Prison Blues was upbeat and fast paced, but surprisingly, I enjoyed it. It was a good song to end the album with. Overall, the genre and style of music was not to my taste, but I was still able to appreciate the album, especially after learning about the backstory and creation of it.

its just ok

Fav: A boy named Sue Very entertaining and visual album, felt like you were in the jail stomping along with him

Groundbreaking and a good storyteller, but better albums exists

Very enjoyable live album. Johnny at his peak and a great band keeping up with him.

I feel a bit underwhelmed. I had really high expectations because of how good the Folsom Prison album is, but I just feel like that was much better. There is some great stuff here, the songs are all great and Cash’s performance is strong, but I feel like it lacks that Folsom energy. It’s still a pretty good live album, though. 3/5

mta falação, mta alegria por parte do pessoal privado de liberdade… bão

mais uma dele na prisão, hein. novamente, bela setlist, apenas criminalidades e a plateia enlouquecendo. esse aqui parece bem mais divertido que o outro. o público e o próprio cash tão bem animados. mas ainda eh johnny cash.

Beautiful background story I didn’t know of yet but I discovered the country style here annoyed me a bit. For me the songs are too specific. But I enjoyed the interactions in the songs and discovering all about this initiative, really heartwarming. Such a legend.

Would sound better if it wasn’t all live

Cash is a master at storytelling

all the different versions of this have such different track lists, so I listened to the original which has bleeps on it when Johnny swears in front of the sensitive ears of San Quentin prison. I was born in 1989 so I grew up with Johnny Cash as a child and then when I came of independent musical taste age all Johnny Cash was doing was that awful series of cover albums with Rick Rubin's record label.

non penso la musica da cowboy faccia per me, testi troppi letterali e descrittivi; ogni canzone mi sembra uguale alle altre (?) ma forse solo perchè non sono appassionata e nemmeno me ne intendo di questo genere, forse è più divertente da cantare che da ascoltare; però il piede si muove nevertheless it's kinda starting to grow on me, sono come delle barzellette, delle storie cantate A boy named Sue kinda Olivia Rodrigo vibes nel narrare

Super fun! His live stuff is great, even the conversations with the crowd.

Live Interaktionen fand ich funny und der ein oder andere Track war ganz nice, aber irgendwie klingt Cash sehr müde und das hat mich etwas irritiert. Ich kenne das Live Album „At Folsom Prison“ und da wirken die Songs deutlich schwungvoller

This album is like when you are hitchhiking long distance and you get picked up by some reeeeeeaaaaallly sketchy dudes. The car reeks, there is a half empty bottle of whiskey rolling round in the footwell, and some alarming sounds are coming from the engine. The driver and the shotgun passenger seem oblivious to this. They don't really talk to you at all. You tell them you're heading to Wellington, but you know that is a long way, so any progress they can provide is great. They don't react to this at all, so you're pretty sure you are going to get murdered. You scramble to tell interesting stories to distract them, and hopefully put them off murdering you and leaving your corpse in a ditch somewhere just out of Pirongia. They seem to enjoy the stories, but you really do wonder how long you can keep this up.

muhe mõnusa häälega mees, kuulasin rohkem taustamuusikana aga meeldis arvestades et ma väga kantriinimene pole

A ouvir poesia

non sono una fan del country

pretty good, fav song was a boy named sue. i liked how it was live and you could hear the crowd and johnny cash speaking to them. but this also brought it down when a huge chunk of a song was just the crowd talk and not the guy singing

What are you doing to me here? Johnny's prison tour was an unheard of - before or since - statement through music. But the albums were largely trash. The correct answer is to put Folsom on here and leave the rest to the dustbin of history. But no, you want me to honestly rate this album not knowing if you're going to give me all 4 (please no) or just this one. And I'll have to drag The Man In Black. Diabolical.

Not sure we need multiple live Johnny Cash recordings on the list, but it's a solid album none-the-less. The banter on it is fun as well. 3/5

2.5

This is #day490 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my third and final Cash record, meaning I'm ticking off yet another artist. Cash must be the only kind of country I can actually listen to. What else can you say when I found my foot tapping to "I Walk the Line"? Is it the name? The voice? The charisma? Who cares? This is a good, fun live album, and I'm giving it a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day491.

I'm happy for the nice San Quentin folks who got the reprise, but I don't think I needed it. Fascinating hearing "fuck" bleeped in a live context!

Sprightly, shame the cussing is bleeped as I feel it will be more authentic. The man had some attitude and front on him, fun to hear.

Good!!

I'm just not a fan of live albums and this was no exception. I thought Johnny Cash showed a certain amount of chutzpah with his opening song of, "Wanted Man" in a prison. While I was listening to "San Quentin", I wondered if the guards were side-eyeing each other with uneasiness as I know if I was there, I would have been uneasy. Then Johnny did a reprise of the same song, what was he thinking? Best song: "I Walk The Line". Most known song: "A Boy Named Sue". Worst song: "San Quentin"

It's Cash, so obviously it's good. It's fun to hear his showmanship and interaction with the audience. The prison series was pure genius and marked him as a man of the people and a true outlaw country musician. It's ultimately marred by the censorship and edits. I'm sure the concert itself was excellent, but only the people who were there that day got the true experience. We the listeners at home have to be satisfied with fewer songs and a version of Folsom Prison Blues that is cut short.

It was OK. Big respect to Johnny for doing what he did playing at so many prisons. Some songs were pretty cool but I feel like there will be better JC albums down the line.

10 songs in 33 minutes and it seems 10 of those are chat - which is what this album has left me with, as JC comes across relaxed enthusiastic and funny. 1. Darling Companion 2. A Boy Named Sue 3. San Quentin

He knows how to connect with the crowds. His music is slow and lyrics makes sense for the time

Never loved Johnny Great atmospherics

I already heard his other live prison album, Folsom Prison. Didnt realize both that and this one would end up on the list. Not sure I'd say both need to be.

Good songs, but a lot of talking. Not sure this list needs two Johnny Cash prison gigs though.

Classic and rare live atmosphere

"At San Quentin" is the 31st album and second live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Country and rock and roll are the Wiki-listed genres. This was his second album in a series of four-conceptual albums performed in a live prison setting. This concert was where Cash famously flashed his middle finger at a British TV crew filming and blocking his view. Cash sings and played rhythm guitar and harmonica. Other musicians included June Carter Cash (vocals), the Carter Family (vocals, autoharp, guitar), Marshall Grant (bass), W.S. Holland (drums), Carl Perkins (guitars, vocals), Bob Woolton (lead guitar) and the Statler Brothers (vocals). Commercially, the album reached #1 on the US Top LPs Chart. Critics found Cash's vocals tired and off-pitch and the album overall inferior to "Live at Folsom Prisoner" but lauded his communication to the prison audience. The album opens with loud and raucous crowd noise and a short introduction of Cash. The band then begins slow and plodding in a cover of Dylan's "Wanted Man." A twangy guitar and backing vocals. Cash sings to his audience with a tale of a fugitive. A country-tinged guitar and loud cheers starts "I Walked the Line." Cash sings his famous song of a tale of love and pledge to his first wife Vivian. The second side has not one but two versions of "San Quentin." It's a song written exclusively for the performance about a prisoner's hatred and anger towards the prison. A plodding beat and the Carter Family on backing vocals. The highlight of the album is Cash's version of "A Boy Named Sue." Cash tells the tale of a man meeting up with and confronting his father for naming him a girl's name. Told from both the son and father's side, it's revealed that he was named Sue to make him tough. Even so, the son would never do that to his son. The one thing that stands out is the raucous crowd as Cash caters to them with his songs and stories. Cash's vocals are strained but not to to point of distracting from the songs. Bob Woolton is ace on lead guitar. I did find the dead time at the end of and between songs noticeable and kind of annoying. That coupled with two versions of "San Quentin" reeks of intentional filler. Overall though, I did find this album compelling and the songs themselves top notch. I find the previous live album "Live at Folsom Prison" a better album but this one has has worthwhile highlights to recommend a listen.

At times reminded me of stand-up comedy but in music form, he way he would tease and poke fun and got a response from his audience. Felt interactive and dynamic. Like the song “A Boy Named Sue”. Forgot how deep his voice can go, reminded during “I Walk The Line”.

Love Johnny Cash, never really listened to albums of his in full before though. Good album, a decent listen.

It's nice if a bit short. If you remove all the talking you are left with very little music. It's cool that it's in a jail but if you'd have paid for 20 minutes then you'd feel miffed. 3/5

A good live set.

The music is solid, and I love they went to San Quentin to have a concert, but I'm generally not a fan of live albums. 6/10

Good listen, not really my style but some good familiar songs.

I listened to this on a Friday evening after 1 pint. Which is why I think I liked it. Surprisingly this is a re listen. I listened to this in France, on a road trip with Harriet punt in about 2014. We listened on the way to a lake with her dad and brother in the car. I remember them laughing at I will eat out every in if you and me not understanding what that meant at a 13 year old. On second listen, I actually enjoyed it, but I don’t know if that’s just nostalgia. I think the commentary along side it because if the live element, it was easy to follow. I do usually like a live album though. I think it is more of a comedic album than Willie Nelson’s first album, which is story telling I prefer. Although country isn’t my favourite genre I enjoyed this. Kind of liked the mention of granada television. Sorry Alfie #itv Favourite song: San Quentin

Liked this more than the Folsom prison album. Great music, great performance, and the crowd energy was infectious. Did we need two live prison Johnny cash albums here? Probably not.

I like it but it's very clam

I can definitely see where the appeal would be, (there were some moments that had me grinning to myself in my room), but I really don’t think that this sort of music is for me. Like I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away by any means. Favorites: Starkville City Jail, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue

I don’t like live albums but this one’s alright

Good but there's some songs I don't particularly care about, he has better live stuff

Once, on a small domestic flight in the United States, I was the only East Asian passenger among older white Americans. As the plane began its descent, the pilot started giving an enthusiastic commentary about local landmarks and recent news, adding jokes that everyone else — except me, of course — clearly understood. When he finished, the cabin erupted in applause. I felt an indescribable loneliness — a sense of being completely outside of something invisible. That feeling stayed with me all through this album.

The Live in Prison concept is mind-blowing. But for me this is another odd choice. From a musical perspective, Folsom is a stronger album: Cash sounds much better, the band is tighter, the songs are better, the recordings are cleaner. And Folsom, as the first, is more historically important. Maybe, given this lists love of unnecessary redundancy, we'll get TWO live in prison albums from Johnny Cash.

Det kändes inte riktigt nödvändigt att plocka med två fängelseliveskivor på den här listan. Tycker mig kunna återanvända min recension från Folsom-skivan: ”Helt klart underhållande lyssning, även om det musikaliskt inte är helt fantastiskt. En del texter är rätt kul, särskilt i den här kontexten. Inramningen och att det är live är ju halva grejen.”

The crowd added a lot of energy, but the recording definitely suffered from it. Tough mix at a lot of points. Still very enjoyable listen though

Klassiker. Liker greit. Men sjansen for at jeg vil høre på det her på eget initiativ er minimal.

Johnny Cash тип, конечно, харизматичный, но впечатление портит запиканная матерщина (может, есть версия без цензуры), да и амплуа артиста очень уж американское для меня.

old school did not finish hahppy about the experience

Better than most live albums I've heard, still a live album

This is a good enough album but a great bookmark on a moment in time. Cash's stage banter, vocal presence and interplay with the live prison audience is the real magic here.

Another solid prison album by the Man in the Black, although it's hard to top "At Folsom Prison" (and this one doesn't really come all that close). This felt a bit more like a USO tour recording than Folsom's more dark and confessional tone, but it's still fun to hear Johnny Cash belting out tunes. I liked the train rhythm of "Wreck of the old 97"; having June Carter accompanying on "Darlin' companion" (as well as the extended monologue at the end); the powerful track(s) "San Quentin", made even more powerful from the prisoner's reactions (and striking how similar this song is to his much much later song "The man comes around"); as well as the largely unrehearsed "A boy named Sue" (another intriguing Shel-Silverstein-penned song). Given where it was performed, I'm glad I wasn't there, but I'm guessing everyone who *was* felt lucky for the time he was on stage.

Great songs but not the best renditions of them. Still, "A Boy Named Sue' makes it worthwhile (and reminds me, again, that Shel Silverstein is much more than a children's author).

The serving of the prison concerts. A little more contrived sounding but still a big impact. Sound quality leaves a little to be desired. But a classic.

I've only heard a couple Johnny Cash songs before, but I really do need to hear more of him. The songs were pretty good, just not a fan of live albums. San Quentin was really nice (although I could have done without the same song again, that seemed pointless). The rest of the songs were solid. Best song: San Quentin

What an entertaining listen! A great entertainer, Johnny Cash, especially in that setting, feels like he was made for it. My father showed me a clip of "San Quentin" when I was a wee lad, so it's fun to hear the whole thing now. Although, I sort of wish I'd seen the concert with video

I love the one two punch of the late 60s prison records. And I love how Cash sounds reckless, worn, loose. Wild energy on "Wanted Man" "Wreck" and "Boy Named Sue." I might prefer Folsom, but this is good stuff

C’est pas At Folsom Prison, mais la vibe est similaire. C’est juste pas la même énergie, le Johnny y semble fatigué

Aanstekelijke muziek, lekker tempo. Live opname met gejoel is leuke toevoeging

If I was in prison I'd fw it

This one was fun! I do always like a live album and while some of the tracks are very similar, I enjoyed it. I always thought it was cool that Johnny Cash played in prisons.

Reminded me of when I was in the clink

Yep. That's Johnny Cash 👍

Would love to have it as a record, would probs not listen to often but the quality of the recording was great

buena onda

Good album, wish it wasn't edited. Funny there is a song twice but also a little annoying for a recording

3.0 - Ok

A Boy Named Sue

Doesn’t quite capture the same magic as Folsom. Love the spirit of bringing music to the incarcerated but the energy is a bit low and the setlist is a little uninspired.

liked his little commentary but had to turn it off after a few songs because the music was driving me coconut bananas trying to work from home x

5/10

These live recordings are phenomenal.

Didn't I hear this already? Oh yeah, at Folsom Prison!

I don't know - it was just OK. Why two versions of the same song is beyond me. This could have used an editor.

Good album. I love the original Boy Named Sue, but kind of a bummer that it is bleeped out in this version. Not my favorite Jonny Cash overall.

Oh Boy; tossed me back to my Dad and his love of country music (and my distaste for most country music). Johnny was a staple on the radio when I was growing up. Johnny as The Man In Black was preferable to Conway Twitty (who I pray has no entries on this list). Dad would sing some Johnny here and there in his lovely voice. Miss that so much. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Wreck if the Old 97, I walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it.

The music is good. The yammering between songs is not. I don’t really think it was necessary to have the same song played the same way twice in a row. Maybe if you were there it would be more powerful, but it doesn’t work on an album. (The negative of that one is cancelled out by how good “A Boy Named Sue” is.)

San Quentin, yet another pretty good Cash album.

Obvious legend. Love the underlying tone that the rehabilitation system doesn’t/won’t work.

This is my first Johnny Cash album for this project. I generally prefer studio albums to live ones, but he sure did have a stage presence. Censorship is lame, though. Peace in the Valley made me cry. I got to thinking about my late Papa. He loved him some old country music. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it.

I do like Johnny Cash, and I certainly appreciate the significance of this album, and it's an enjoyable listen - between-song banter and all - but I doubt this is the album I'll ever choose when I want to listen to Johnny Cash. I see no compelling reason to abandon my live-album rating parameters for this one.

I love me some Johnny Cash. This is a good record. Not his best. You can feel, though, his appreciation, possibly affection, for the prisoners. And there's in retuen. Of course, this is pre-War on Drugs, pre-carceral state stuff. I can't imagine this happening now. Anyway, i'll probably lsten to this again. But, still only 3 star material.

3/5 - I needed to hear this once as a strong social statement and to hear how Cash commands and plays to the (literally) captive audience. Solid Cash songs as expected, but unlikely to revisit.

Country music isn't really my cup of tea, but the album wasn't bad, and the cover is fantastic

Nice blues live album but was a bit short with a lot of talking.

Classic. Not a fan of live recordings

Музыка: 7/10 Разнообразие: 6/10 Тематика и вайб: 7/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 6/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 8/10 Итог: 6.8

JC sounds great but his music takes a backseat on this record and you get a real sense of the man himself. Charismatic, irreverent, compassionate and funny.

- bem diferente dos outros albums por ser ao vivo - é uma música regional bem influente nos estados unidos - não é meu estilo favorito de ouvir particularmente

Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 👨‍💼🆒🟦 Production: 🥩🤨🆗 Music: 🔄👀🤔 Rating: ⛓️⛓️⛓️(⛓️)/5

2,8/5

Through this album I found out Johnny Cash played at a prison which is pretty cool. I am not a fan of live music on an album that I listen to in the car. I’m still pretty young and I thought the music was okay but he had a good voice.

I really enjoyed this album. The stories in the songs are very funny. I would love to watch a live show on YouTube and see Johnny Cash’s reaction to the crowd, and how he talks with them.

Not really into country, but i make an excepetion for them man in black.

Good live album

★★★½

isn't laid down in the order it was recorded. some of the story's are disjointed. as for the music, exactly what you would expect from Johnny.

For a “country pop” album that I definitely thought I was going to hate… I didn’t hate it. It was nice, it was calming, never really thought about skipping any songs.

Begrijp mij niet verkeerd, ik houd van Johnny Cash, maar tijdens deze liveshow wordt er meer gepraat dan muziek gemaakt, ik snap daarom ook niet dat dit album een must listen is. Echter, de momenten waarop de muziek wel wordt gemaakt is genieten, met I walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue en Folsom Prison Blues. Daarom kom ik op 3 reten uit.

Fun

I really appreciate the storytelling, but it all fell a bit flatter than I remembered hearing. Maybe because I was recalling at Folsom. The presence of hard censoring bleeps was disappointing but also a capsule to the time. Cash is incredible, but I'd rather pick up folsom

(65/100)

I enjoyed it. I don't think I'd listen to it regularly, but it was a nice experience. The audience interaction added to the experience.

I'm not shy about the fact I dislike live albums. Cash's prison concerts were special. But they're still live. It has it all: sections that are just Cash talking for minutes straight; people whistling and hollering during the music; we even get an immediate reprise of San Quentin. The album has its charm, but the live aspect is too much of a distraction for me. Ends up sounding more like a comedy act with music than an album. So even though I like the music itself, it's no better than a 3.

Vangeilla ollut kivaa. Mulla ei hirveen...

Enjoying

Very raw, can see why Johnny Cash performed in Prisons, he clearly has a lot of sympathy, though the album doesn't really follow much, though the addition of San Quentin as a bespoke song was interesting

3 Stars (8/15)

Am I Arthur Morgan? Siento que tiene mas ritmillo por ser un directo pero tambien creo que eso le ha aportado y quitado encanto por igual a algunas canciones, se acaban haciendo repetitivas la mayoria, pero esta guapo para tenerlo de fondo. La que mas me ha gustado creo que "San Quintin" y "(There´ll Be) Peace in the Valley", la segunda se va para la lista de Agosto 2025.

Lol making a song on how shitty prison is then asking thr guards for water

Fine. Too much live.

Conflicting biases going in Don't like live albums generally but do like Cash quite a bit. So torn on this one

More ladsy than expected. Music bit cringe but guess he was the original!

If you are compiling a list of 1001 albums that should be heard, then this album needs to be included, if for no other reason than the uniqueness of recording it in a prison with prisoners as the audience. Apparently this also was filmed for TV, which is another story. The music itself is average, although the interaction between Cash and the audience was interesting and something you rarely hear on other live albums.

OK, some real talk here: I've had an irrational dislike of Johnny Cash ever since his cover of 'Hurt' came out and 500000 people said "this is so much better and more meaningful than the original!", which of course I disagreed with because the original was super meaningful to ME and Johnny Cash, a guy I never heard of until then, meant nothing to me. Now I understand that (a) most people don't like Nine Inch Nails, so the cover was more accessible and (b) Johnny Cash dying soon afterwards added a lot of emotional heft to the song, especially if you already knew who Johnny Cash was (or maybe were a bit older than I was). Nevertheless, country music isn't my genre of choice, and I think it's natural to dislike covers of songs you imprinted on, especially covers that are more lauded/successful than the original (see also: 'The Book of Love'). Now, should I have carried this grudge with me for 20+ years? Maybe not. So, I'll try to give this album a fair shake. But wait, it's a live album. How can I give it a fair shake!? Live albums are for people who already like the artist (or maybe for jazz). I like that they over-the-top bleeped the swears though. So... is it cool that he recorded this at a prison and sang 'Wanted Man'? It seems kind of insensitive, but the crowd is clapping, so I guess they're into it. That's OK then. Unless they're being forced to clap. How does this prison concert thing even work? Can anyone do a concert at a prison? If so, shouldn't more artists be doing that? Maybe things were different in the 60s. Or maybe the prisoners would boo other artists who didn't have as many prison-themed songs. But they should play through the booing! The crowd clapping for the country of England was funny. Cash's got that Hank Hill accent in the talking bits, which is fun. But also his whole "I'm not gonna do what they tell me to do, man" isn't winning me over, I tell you hwhat. Maybe I'm misreading the vibe, but it feels performatively "tough". There's a cool study (Kiesling 1996) of how frat guys swear(&etc) more in their frat meetings than in the rest of their dealings in order to demonstrate masculinity/power, and this feels a bit like that. I do like 'I Walk the Line' though. It's a bop. Having the same song twice in a row on an album is crazy. 'A Boy Named Sue' is quite a rich text. Sue shoulda just gone by his initials or middle name or something. Something tells me this version of 'Folsom Prison Blues' isn't the complete version, which is unsatisfying. Anyway, the songs were OK to listen to, but not good enough for me to start liking Johnny Cash. Maybe if he has a non-live album later. Highlight: 'I Walk the Line' Lowlights: Johnny Cash, prison

Great album but the skits really kill the flow

Normally I find banter in a live album kind of annoying but this was pretty charming

Enjoyable if dated. My version was censored. 🤬

Fine. Not fussed either way about Johnny Cash.

Should have stick to the shorter version. Half this thing wasn't even Johnny Cash.

Not sure I like live albums.

Brilliant but live albums are cheating

Slightly generous rating. A fan of his music generally but a lot of these songs have better versions elsewhere and not many of the extra songs with the other musicians on it were particularly memorable

Standout Songs: Wreck of the Old 97 I Walk the Line A Boy Named Sue

Has some grand performances in the shape of A Boy Named Sue and Lovin’ Spoonful cover Darlin Companion as well as some top class bants in front of the prison folk. Overall package is a bit slapdash and unsatisfying though and it unravels a bit too abruptly with the last track. It could well be his best live prison album because the other one doesn’t have Boy Named Sue or any Lovin Spoonful songs. Light 3.5.

I like Cash, I have never liked live albums

Great sounds from the live crowd, country with a smoothie voice

A classy live country album, sounded a bit samey throughout

Cash's voice is definitely a force of nature. Much respect for him to do a concert in a prison. The "San Quentin" song was definitely something to hear. The cheers in the background felt intense.

• 3/5 • A fun listen and Boy Named Sue is great • I liked Folsom better

Not bad at all, but did we really need another live in a prison album from Johnny Cash on this list? And this one doesn't even have the memorable crowd of that record. Redundant.

the spoken word sections were really fun to listen to and the music was fun as well

Fint

The very first album I started this project with was Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison. Before even beginning At San Quentin I have this to say: I know that some artists are more influential than others. Better than others. I know that some artists have careers which span styles and decades. But also there are a limited number of entries on this list. With this in mind, do we REALLY need two albums of live Johnny Cash concerts recorded at prisons in the last 2 years of the 1960s? Are these albums SO different, SO influential, SO good that their inclusion is absolutely necessary? I think from my tone you can probably tell what my opinion before starting to listen is, but to give it a fair shout I am going to listen to both, back-to-back. I only gave At Folsom Prison a rating, no written review, so here is my second chance. Right, so, San Quentin is the better album, in my opinion, with more of Cash's famous songs and a better sound. Folsom Prison came earlier so I guess they made improvements. But these albums are very, very similar, I can't believe that both are must-haves. Cut Folsom Prison, guys, put in another Cash album if you have to, but we don't need both. A few observations about San Quentin: Did we need the song San Quentin twice? I get why he did it twice live, but for inclusion on this list it does seem like a waste of precious listening time getting your audience to hear it again in case they missed something the first time. Also Wanted Man was a genuinely interesting choice, a Dylan / Cash collaboration I never knew existed, and it was a fun song too, liked it a lot. Better than At Folsom Prison, but I can't find it in my heart to give it a whole extra star.

More a time capsule than an album…capturing the moment when a country singer eclipsed every rock star for title of coolest musician on the planet. The post-performance censoring of naughty words doesn’t mask the slight tension between Cash and the prisoners, but both sides also clearly respect each other. Even today it’s hard to imagine anyone else pulling this type of ‘concert’ off successfully. RIP Johnny Cash - The Country Badass. 5/5 for creating rock history at this venue. 3/5 for what we’ll loosely call an album