At San Quentin

A masterclass in crowd work, performance, and live recording.

Gets a 4. If it was some studio album or maybe any other live show it would probably be a 3 but because I enjoyed the back and forth and wholesomeness of him performing at a prison it gets a 4 for being unique.

very fun! This was great to go through, likely not something I would've looked for on my own

Leuk live album voor een kennismaking met Johnny Cash

The back to back San Quentin diss track went crazy

Love it

The next best live album we have heard on the list, 5/5 for the experience. Very cool, Johnny Cash.

i giggled when he said "i'm sorry i was talking" because the prisoners were being rowdy

Already talked about this one on my review for “At Folsom Prison,” so I don’t have much more to say. I did listen to it on an old scratchy record that I got at the flea market, so I experienced it as God intended.

This was fun, but I'm Johnny Cash-ed out, y'all.

I think it's better than Folsom, I'll say it.

Telling your venue to rot in hell is baller

If I didn’t know that “At Folsom Prison” existed, this might rate four stars for the idea. However, it really does pale in comparison to that album. It’s quite short in terms of running time, and also actual time playing songs, with a lot of time taken up by between-songs patter. And oddly, there is a repeat of the song “San Quentin” back to back. A full concert was done, so I am not sure why they couldn’t have plugged another track in there. Otherwise, there are a bunch of old country and one country gospel standards, and the surprise huge novelty hit “A Boy Named Sue”, apparently trotted out here for the first time. He apparently pulled out all the stops for this one, bringing along THE Carl Perkins, the Statler Brothers, the Carter Family, as well as wife June. So again, overall this is not bad, but given the number of glaring omissions from this list, we certainly did not need the inferior of the two Johnny Cash prison albums included on this list.

Enjoyed 'I Walk the Line' and 'A Boy Named Sue'. Didn't think much of the chat - and there was a lot of that. I do think the prison tour thing was a cool idea, but not sure we needed more than one album of it to be honest.

high 4 I dont approve of the glorification of crime in music, not everyone's a bread theif or a pot smoker. I wonder how many murderers and domestic abusers are in the crowd.... That being said mr cash simply has the magic. Charisma oosing out of every second of this, its a pleasure

Album #275 Johnny Cash: At San Quentin The second of Johnny Cash’s famous prison live performances, and considered by many to be the weaker of the two. Though I also would say I prefer Folsom Prison, I think that each album feels so different in tone that they serve much better as a part one and part two, rather than as competitors. Whereas Folsom Prison is iconic for its brutally honest and gritty demeanour, which really uses the prison’s atmosphere to amplify the songs, San Quentin feels like more of a hopeful and joyous affair. Folsom Prison tells of the prisoners' lives within the jail, and San Quentin reminds them that there is still joy to be had. A Boy Named Sue debuting on this album is indicative of that; I feel, a light-hearted and goofy song on paper, but one that still manages to resonate profoundly in its message. That is what is so special about Johnny Cash and these live albums: he truly was able to connect with the audience and allow them to feel as if he were one of them, while still commanding their respect and admiration. The way he riffs with the crowd between songs, as if they were lifelong friends just having a beer, is what made Johnny the voice of a generation, truly just an everyman with an incredible talent and undeniable presence. Personally, as I said, I would take Folsom Prison of this, and also The American Four, but when it comes to Cash’s discography, this is definitely next in line. Best Songs: I Walk The Line, A Boy Named Sue, Wanted Man Worst Song: Darlin Companion Score out of 10: 8.5

Johnny Cash live at a prison for a second time and still amazing. The crowd reactions to the debut of San Quentin are great. Definitely one of the best discoveries for me through this project.

This is a prison abolition album disguised as a lovely little country album! I don’t tend to like country, but my god I love Johnny Cash. I don’t think it’s as good as Folsom but it’s still pretty damn great

Heard before?:❌️/✔️(not entirely) Will listen again?:✔️

i didnt know he had a sense of humor

I could only wish to hold an audience like that. I love that he plays San Quentin a second time. Only Johnny Cash could pull off something like this and I love it.

Hard to give this anything but a 5. The atmosphere alone is incredible and Cash is an amazing showman

Normaal houd ik niet zo van live albums. Deze vond ik leuk. Grappige vent

Love the sound and songs - the chopped up performance / pacing seems a little odd. Keen to hear the extended version of the whole concert. Weird to be introduced to TVZ before this, a lot of the charm of this is very similar to the TVZ record I have. Super interesting from a politics perspective.

Just not for me.

Wow did not know Cash could work a crowd like this. The outlaw energy and bleeped out curses really make it an entertaining live album.

I love that Johnny went around America to different underserved people and provided them with a musical performance. It really humanizes the Prison system and hopefully provided some positive experience to the incarcerated who saw him. Every song was ironic and on the nose. Recording quality wasn't great but it's good for sound equipment set up in a jail common room. I had a good time listening to it. 7/10

I have not heard this before. Maybe I have. I know I heard the Folsom Prison one, and I think he did more prison recordings than these two. Live albums aren’t my favorite thing because they seem like greatest hits collections, but I did enjoy this. He works the crowd really well and they seem to be having a hell of a great time for being in prison, and all the songs are great and the band’s got a lot of energy going. Apparently it’s the first performance of a boy named sue, which the band improvised while Johnny read the lyrics from a sheet, which is cool. So I like this one.

learned a lot more about johnny cash from listening to this album then i thought i would

Aber sehr cool irgendwie

Несмотря на всю мою нелюбовь к кантри, я по какой-то непонятной причине не ненавижу этот жанр в исполнении Джони Кэша. Может быть дело в его голосе, может в харизме, что слышна в нем. Так или иначе меня не тянет к тому, чтобы скорее прекратить прослушивание кантри-альбома, когда это альбом Кэша

3/5

Yeah not my style. Listened to like 3 songs.

קאנטרי חביב לייב בכלא. סולידי 3/5

I just can't be doing Johnny Cash

Such a classic album. Johnny's voice, whether his is talking or singing, is the best. Loved when he chatted with the crowd or introduced his wife. Favorite tracks were: Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line, and Wanted Man.

Really cool tbf

This is a stand up set with music as a nice side, Johnny Cash is a beast

Buenardo, una peli

Typically not much of a fan of live albums. But this one is an exception. Johnny's charisma really shines through here. The series of live albums he did at prisons also just goes to show how cool of a person he was.

Why do live recordings from prisons make for such good albums? I’m not typically a fan of broody men with guitars but Johnny Cash may just be the sole exception to that. Can’t really find much to fault here, the songs are catchy and well performed. The comedic banter of everyone on the recording, and notably Cash, are excellent. Just a perfect snappy little record.

Yesterday I gave a-ha’s Hunting High and Low four stars. Today I am giving Johnny Cash’s At San Quentin three. This is why star ratings are not rankings of artists. Hunting High and Low is a funny little 1985 synthpop album made by three young Norwegians who had come to London with very little money and an enormous amount of ambition. It has mismatches, dated sounds and the odd throwaway, but it knows what it wants to be and, more often than not, achieves it beautifully. Johnny Cash is Johnny Cash. But At San Quentin has the particular misfortune of following one of the greatest live albums ever made. At Folsom Prison is, for me, the second-best live album ever recorded. It crackles with jeopardy. Cash, the Tennessee Three and the prisoners seem to be discovering the event together. The guitars are rough, the recording is rough, Cash scarcely appears to care whether his instrument is perfectly in tune, and the possibility that the whole thing might go somewhere unexpected is present almost constantly. Then it became enormously successful. Columbia had been nervous about the idea of recording Cash in a prison. He proved them wrong by making something extraordinary. The obvious lesson might have been: trust Johnny Cash. Instead, the lesson appears to have been: Johnny Cash albums recorded in prisons work. So sixteen months later we get San Quentin. Except now everyone knows what they are making. Columbia are recording it. Granada Television are filming a documentary. There are cameras and technicians around the stage. What had been an unlikely experiment is now an Event. And you can hear the difference. Cash sounds tired. Not insincere: that distinction matters enormously. His sympathy with prisoners feels genuine, as does his irritation with the television crew getting between him and his audience. But he sounds weary, and much more conscious of delivering a professional performance. The band has changed too. Luther Perkins had died the previous year, and his absence matters enormously. At Folsom his brutally simple guitar playing was almost part of the architecture: hard, repetitive, primitive in the best possible sense, leaving Cash all the room in the world. At San Quentin the band sounds more conventionally like a country touring band. At moments it edges towards the television-country world of Hee Haw: accomplished, entertaining and much less dangerous. “Wanted Man” never really catches fire. There is a guitar break where the snare doubles the lead figure which feels horribly over-emphatic. “I Walk the Line” sounds almost perfunctory. Cash stops to tune his guitar, which ought to be a completely meaningless observation except that Folsom felt like a place where stopping the momentum to worry about such things would have been inconceivable. Even the chatter works against it. This is an album barely longer than half an hour and yet somehow it rambles. Then “San Quentin” happens. Suddenly the electricity is there. Cash tells San Quentin that he hates every inch of it and the prisoners erupt. The sentiment itself is hardly revolutionary. Nobody imagines prisoners wandering around congratulating themselves on how enjoyable prison life is. What matters is the microphones. Everybody in that room knows the sentiment is leaving the room. Cash has taken something utterly commonplace inside the prison and said it into Columbia’s recording equipment and Granada’s television cameras. The prisoners’ roar of agreement is going to escape those walls and be heard by people outside. You cannot fake that response. Then Cash performs “San Quentin” again. This time the prisoners largely shut up and listen. They know the song now. They know they probably aren’t going to hear him perform it there again. The first performance is an explosion; the second feels almost like testimony. Keeping both on the album is probably its smartest decision. “A Boy Named Sue” has some of the same accidental vitality. Cash barely knows the song and Carl Perkins more or less jingles along underneath him while everyone discovers where it is going. I have never particularly loved the song — the censored profanity and comic violence have always struck me as danger with safety rails — but here there is at least genuine spontaneity. “Peace in the Valley” works beautifully in this particular room too. Its Protestant theology of redemption acquires enormous weight in a prison: society has judged these men, but human judgment is not necessarily the final judgment. Cash doesn’t have to pretend everyone there is innocent. The more interesting proposition is that guilt does not cancel humanity and grace is not reserved for respectable people. Then, inevitably, we finish with “Folsom Prison Blues”. Which is unfortunate, because it reminds you of At Folsom Prison. And underneath all of this is a queasier problem. I have little difficulty believing Cash’s motives. His concern for prisoners was real. The trouble lies with the machinery surrounding him. Columbia discovered that Johnny Cash + prison + prisoners responding to Johnny Cash made compelling and commercially successful entertainment. At Folsom they captured an extraordinary event. At San Quentin they attempted to reproduce it, enlarge it and document it from every angle. That creates a magnificent contradiction. The cameras and recording apparatus partly contribute to Cash sounding tired and irritated and make the whole enterprise feel less spontaneous. Yet precisely the same machinery allows the most authentic moment on the record — the prisoners erupting during “San Quentin” — to leave the prison. So yes, something can be authentic and exploitative at the same time. And an album can contain moments far greater than anything on Hunting High and Low while still deserving a lower rating. Because four stars does not mean “a-ha are better than Johnny Cash”. It means Hunting High and Low succeeds remarkably well at the peculiar thing it sets out to do. At San Quentin sets itself a much harder task. Whether Cash intended it or Columbia did, it inevitably asks us to believe that the extraordinary chemistry of Folsom can happen again. For most of these 36 minutes, it cannot. The setting has returned. The jeopardy hasn’t. That is why a-ha get four and Johnny Cash gets three. You can franchise the prison. You cannot franchise the lightning.

While not as spectacular as the one at Folsom Prison, it still holds as a superb interaction with a special audience... Making us feel part of the outcasts, and the outcasts the center of his attention, always being an active critic of the system and how when it's convenient they are war heroes, and when it's not, they are prisoners, but ultimately, means to an end; and systematic products of ultraprocessed meat consumption.

Johnny Cash really understood the saying "know your audience".

Historical album, can see the significance with crowd. Music is okay - dislike country

Johnny Cash is epic. Not as good as At Folsom Prison, but still a good live album. Shows his charm.

Pretty dang awesome. Charismatic and effortless. So badass that he was playing in a prison. Rating: 7.9/10

As somebody else already wrote... Cash released dozens and dozens of albums, of which three are on this list. But two of those three are live albums recorded at prisons and released within a year of each other. Surely it would have been possible to represent a slightly wider scope of his oevre. It's a fine album, but is it that markedly different from the Folsom Prison one? Nope.

Not bad

Oh man, I’ll tell you I don’t like live albums, and then contradict it with exceptions. This is one of those. Johnny Cash is worth a deep dive into not only his music, but the man in black himself. This album is a reflection of who he was, in a time where playing a live concert in a notorious prison for the inmates would have shocked a lot of people, Cash strapped on his guitar and almost started a riot. So yes, a very big exception and can’t wait to deep dive into the man with you.

Johnny Cash is altijd een feestje. Super goed live ook.

Toppie

Amazing live album.

He's definitely got character. All the songs kind of sound the same just has a different story attached to each one.

the bleeps and live crowdwork really grinding my gears classic johnny cash though obligated to say fav song: walk the line

Really enjoyed this!

I gave At Folsom Prison a solid 4/5; set list was good, crowd wasn't too crazy, and it flowed well. That is not the case with this Cash prison album. The crowd was rowdy as fuck, but not in a good way (they kept interrupting nearly every song), Cash was pissed at the TV crew that the studio demanded be there (the famous middle finger photo of Cash comes from this performance; it was directed at the TV crew that was blocking his view of the audience), and the performance itself wasn't very crisp. I get why the album is on the list, it was an important music milestone for such a popular musical figure to play concerts for prisoners, but the Folsom Prison album is a much better listen. I really dig Cash and his championing of the common man and treating prisoners like human fucking beings, but this album was OK at best. 3/5

mf did a live at carnegie hall at san quention prison and got it to be platinum

forgettable, boring performance recorded live. I'm not sure how this one gets so much attention.

ehh 2

Good

08/24 Pretty good. The balls on this man to not only perform a song dissing the prison he is performing at to the prisoners, but to do it TWICE in a row!

This album is ok. It's not his best recording, live or studio

I really like the album.

Now that was music history

Sounds like I'd imagine a Johnny Cash album :). Think I'll listen to it again. I like his voice an story's and he does the country thing without it being cheesy. It's interesting an frightening how the crowd treated him. He couldnt say a sentence without the whole crowd laughing their asses of. Kind of similar to Elvis Presley.

This brings good memories of my Mom and Dad who were Johnny Cash fans. They played his albums often as I was growing up.

A fun piece of history that highlights the tradition of the story song.

I generally dislike live albums and was initially disappointed that a live album would be on the 1001 albums. However, this live album very much makes sense. I'm not a Johnny Cash person, but I thought this was well done and I can respect the impact. 3.5

Regardless of liking country or not this is such a great document of a concert. The interaction with the audience, the humor and the spirit is outstanding.

4.5

Hell yeah man hell yeah

As previously said for the Folsom album, Johnny Cash grew on me. When i heard this years ago I really didn't care for it but now I did a replay.

I like the tear down of San Quentin and the bigger message it gives about how he cared for prisoners.

Live albums still rarely do much for me. The banter between songs is more of an experiential thing that is meaningful in the performance but loses its luster on repeated plays of an album. I get the significance of the performance and his ability to speak a bit of truth to power in these settings, but as an album it's not one I'll revisit. Prolific performer and showman, simple songs, lots of great albums in his catalog this isn't the one I'd reach for to listen to.

Johnny Cash was a good showman and knew how to handle an audience, or at least an audience of prison inmates. His songs are musically as simple as you can get, but he delivers them well. The audio quality is pretty bad, even by 1960s live show standards. This isn't an album I'd listen to more than once, but it's interesting as a historical document.

8/20/26-a fun listen during classroom prep time. I love a live recording.

something about prison inmates enjoying a live country music concert is kinda wholesome

Carl Perkins is the meanest guitarist ever!

⭐⭐⭐+ Den stora behållningen med det här albumet är inte i första hand låtarna utan konceptet att ge en konsert på ett fängelse samt energin mellan Cash och publiken. Det är skojfriskt och positivt och man blir glad att lyssna på det här albumet. Kul album som jag tycker och kommer komma tillbaka till men musikaliskt kanske inte så imponerande ger jag det en stark 3a. Bäst är Wrek of the old 97, I walk the line, San quentin, A boy named Sue

Cash has incredible hold of the audience and even though I'm not the biggest fan his performance and charm were enough to fully immerse me in the album. Very enjoyable

This is such a fun album. You could tell that Cash was a natural entertainer and storyteller, who didn't necessarily follow the rules, to put it mildly. In some ways I'm jealous of these inmates who got to witness this performance live...but then again, maybe it's a good thing that I'm not in prison watching a concert. Carl Perkins on guitar: a legend performing with a legend! Liked Songs Added: I Walk The Line A Boy Named Sue

i don’t really like this kind of music but i liked it. Cash had a great voice and a huge stage charisma. i won’t be listening this album again but it was fun.

Another great Johnny cash album. His voice was distinct but not technically great, his playing was good but not out of this world, but his story telling and the ability to put it all together are fantastic and what makes him so iconic.

Nicee. Ik denk de beste introductie da je kan hebben. Ten eerste gwn al een top sfeer en vibe van Cash en het publiek. Daarnaast mooie overgang en vol album met top hits. Faves: Peace in The Valley - San Quentin - A boy named Sue

very folksy, somewhat bluesy, quite nice!

I keep saying this, but wow, I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I was not feeling positive and then he was so funny and irreverent throughout the whole thing. The crowd was on a knife's edge (pardon the pun) the entire time. I felt like they were fully with him, but could have turned on him just as quickly. What a performance!

literally smiled from front to back. cash was amazing live.

Day954 - i know they’re a captive audience but he had them eating right out of his hand. that version of a boy named sue is so good

I mean, if you've heard one Johnny Cash album you've kind of heard them all. 4/5

Один из тех альбомов, что интересн для меня прежде всего историческим прецедентом. В общем-то, это причина, по которой я с большим уважением отношусь к Джонни. То, как он относился к заключенным - как к людям, при этом, не опускаясь до уровня дворового, мерзковатого блатняка, что поносит "мусоров" и превозносит романтику за решеткой. Человеческое отношение - то, чего так не хватает, хотел было сказать, современному миру, но нет. Пожалуй, её не хватает всегда и во все времена. Оттого такие люди как Кэш - на вес золота в любое время.

I prefer Folsom, but this is great Johnny live

Look, Johnny Cash will never be my cup of tea, but I have mad respect for him performing in jails and prisons.

Such a classic voice. His story telling his amazing. The songs sound old and nostalgic country. Only downside was I wish it wasn’t live, all the added dialogue diminished the overall album

Very confused at the inclusion of two Johnny Cash prison albums on this list. Surely At Folsom Prison already captured the magic of Cash's live performances in these arenas? This was obviously good because it was Cash singing a bunch of his hits, and I do think that his banter with the inmates on these albums is very charming. It was annoying though because I don't think this one offers us anything that At Folsom Prison didn't. If they wanted 3 Johnny Cash albums on this list it would have been nice if 2/3 of them weren't essentially the same album. I know it was the 1960s, but Let 👏 Johnny 👏Swear 👏!

lol I did not know that Johnny Cash did prison gigs p cool i’d heard boy named sue but i hadn’t heard darling’ companion which was sweet imo

Anstrengend.

A classic album, ive overplayed most of the songs for my own enjoyment over the years so it was a little hard to listen to. Johnny Cash is great and an american icon.

Some foot stompers on this one. The final song where they sing one line from all the others goes to show how iconic Cash is as a songwriter. Also goes to show how similar each song is in instrumentation. No better place to preach to the crowd than a place where people can't leave.

It's magical, a way to get to know the way concerts were made at those times.

There’s also a certain mythology surrounding Cash’s relationship with prisoners that deserves nuance. He wasn’t simply a fearless rebel who walked into prison and liberated everyone spiritually. His prison performances were carefully constructed entertainment, and Cash himself was a complicated man with his own mythology and contradictions. But that doesn’t diminish the power of what happened in that room. His greatest talent wasn’t singing. It wasn’t songwriting. It wasn’t even his stage presence. It was his ability to make outsiders feel like the center of the story. At San Quentin, that ability was operating at full power.

Really high quality and unique. RYM: N Saved a song: N

boy named sue is amazing

Love the interactions with the prisoners. Not exactly hard-hitting, musically.

Fantastic documentary fine album. He is so cool and charming here and it is a very exciting album - loved whenever the crowd would boo or cheer it felt really chaotic and dangerous in a fun way. Then he sings a song about how he was arrested for picking flowers… I feel like that was meant for the hippies not the prisoners. Other than that did not feel particularly cynical and calculated though. The music was just ok. Pretty sloppy and it’s so simple to start with. His voice is amazing of course. I would maybe cut out the second time he plays the same song. And maybe most of the songs. Just let me hang out with Johnny Cash and my prison friends.

Never super liked, neither disliked Cash. Music is a strong tgree for me, but then the setting... This is so damn rock'n'roll which makes this a five.

It’s great but doesn’t reach the same level of Folsom Prison

Not a fan of live albums in general but Johnny Cash is a legend.

Great album, and funny I'd never listened to it since I've listened to Folsom 100x. I love how Cash loves inmates.

Another Cash live prison album. Kind of pointless. Dull live versions, seems a pale rehash. 2.5 rounded up Heard before? Some Owned: No, 101/381 (26%) Will I get: No

Hello, my name is Johnny Cash, and I’m undefeated inside prison walls.

This is a legendary album for a reason. Usually I don't love live albums, but context matters.

This should be a 5 but the censoring and some heckling that could have been cut sadly drags it down a point for me. Otherwise Johnny Cash live is awesome and really highlights his ability to sing and storytell

i love johnny cash but this one didn’t grab me

This fairly cracks along! There is a bit of ‘i’m just like youse’ about the crowd chat but he’s got them on the hook. I wonder if he kept the songs up tempo so as to keep the crowd upbeat and not ready to riot as they probably could have been incited easily when he peaks with San Quentin. It feels like Johnny Cash takes the Oprey show to San Quentin. Lots of JC hits. But he’s probably the weakest part of this record. The drummer is superb. Carl Perkins’ guitar is so very good, the Carter’s close harmonies so subtle. There is a bit of a rushed and unrehearsed feel anout this record - the background singing is hilarious and almost an afterthought in San Quentin where the chorus is them meekly singing San Quentin once. But the main culrpit of things falling apart is Johnnny Cash for the main part. Back band fuggin nails it. Prisoners go apeshit. Great fun.

Excellent album, and the LP that brought "A Boy Named Sue" to the world. Not as good as Folsom, but still a great experience.

Nahhh

Good songs, some amazing, some ok, but the live vibe is great... 4.5

SO FUN hes so charismatic i feel like i want to be his friend

3.5

🥞

A fun concept album with an absolute CLASSIC in A Boy Named Sue.

Just like when his final album was served to me earlier in the list, even the weaker tracks here carried by his legendary voice and it's cool hearing the occassional electric guitar thrown into the mix too! 9/10.

8.5/10 I could never get bored of hearing Johnny Cash sing. Seeing him live must've been a treat.

Very good album. I appreciate the real outlaw renegade persona that Cash clearly had among the population at the prison. I don’t feel that way about him, but it’s very impressive what passed for a “bad guy” in the 60s

Feels like a dumb marketing ploy designed to make up for bad music.

78/100

I liked it, I'll have to give the expanded version a go next.

I like some Johnny Cash. I know this is a classic album, but it's kinda boring. I think the same song, repeated twice in a row, adds to that. I get why it was done for the live audience, but it didn't work for me.

This album is greater than the sum of its parts. No individual track is screaming at me to be included in a playlist. But as a whole, this is great album. And I’m not even a Country fan. But I like Johnny Cash’s unpolished persona and enjoyed hearing his banter with the inmates in this live recording. After hearing a ridiculously corny Country album yesterday from the same time period, this was refreshing.

One of the greatest

Fun listen, love a good prison shanty

Grew up hearing lots of Johnny Cash, otherwise I would probably wouldn't like it.

Bardzo fajne. Piosenki dobre i kontakt z publiką zarąbisty. Podziwiam. 4

Idk, not my style

Enjoyed this live album, Johnny Cash in good form

Moeten we ons zorgen maken? Dat deze man zo vaak opgetreden heeft in de gevangenis? Ergens wel mooi ofzo, ik vond Folsom Prison best wel nice, gewoon een goede stem van Johnny en het heeft iets. Het idee dat ie daar in een gevangenis aan het zingen is, ik zie het gewoon helemaal voor me. Helpt ook dat deze man zo'n sterke stem heeft en besluit om beetje schunnige grappen enzo te gaan maken als ie toch in de gevangenis staat. Heerlijk die blieps ook al Cash weer eens besluit om te vloeken. Of als hij in gaat tegen wat de producers blijkbaar wilden. En dat hij een aantal keer ook in de lach schiet. Beetje wat ik met Folsom Prison ook al had, deze live optredens zijn zo ontzettend vet omdat het ongepolijst is, het is duidelijk dat ie de tijd van zijn leven heeft en dan klinkt het ook nog eens goed. San Quentin is een hoogtepunt. Deze man geeft zo weinig fucks, het is heerlijk. Hij zingt een disstrack over hoe kut de San Quentin gevangenis is IN die gevangenis. Love it. Ohja; de muziek. Ja is prima, heb me best wel vermaakt, zang is goed, muzikaal is het niet super bijzonder. En het album is voor minstens de helft geouwehoer van Johnny, maarja, dat maakt dit album wel een stuk beter. FAVO: San Quentin, A boy named Sue

was that his thing, playing at prisons?

Ain't quite Folsom, but darn if it ain't good.

Legendary outlaw country music. Amazing capture of the rousing prison audience. But this is not the type of country I put up daily. I also tried the extended edition but that did not really help. I totally understand the status but the music is bit too simple in my ears. I do love the American Recordings albums though ⭐️⭐️⭐️

had a breakdown while listening in traffic so prob not fair. didn’t really standout from folsom prison

Great album

I’m usually not one for live albums but this gets a pass. Captivating performance by Johnny Cash. Coolest guy ever? Whole show is smooth like butter, the crowd interactions are great and very witty but not overdone. Brilliant songs and stories - I’m particularly fond of A Boy Named Sue. I never thought I’d give a live album 5 stars but I am happy to be proven wrong.

I wrote a big spiel and the lost it somehow. Johnny Cash sure know how to play to his audience.

no really my thing, It all sounds the same perhaps if I was in San Quentin jail and starved of entertainment it would sound a lot better.

People pretend to like Johnny Cash and you can't convince me otherwise. It's kinda catchy, but also shite.

I enjoyed this country bumpkin music

Johnny Cash says abolish the prison industrial complex.

The crowd are really hyped up for this. Great performance

Very cool in general and I understand why it was added to here, but live music is not something I personally like at all. Again, loved the energy of this particular crowd, but yeah.

There's a reason I'm proud to own this on vinyl. It's hard to imagine an album with more empathy and compassion for the downtrodden. Johnny Cash's wit and charm are on full display in this recording.

7/10

Johnny has such a great stage presence, it makes for a captivating listen.

Folsom Prison was such a smash hit, they decided to just do it again but with a somewhat weaker setlist.

Great live performance and nice complement to the Live at Folsom album,but the original album is lacking due to editing it down to fit on a single vinyl LP at the time. Wanted Man, Wreck of the Old 97 and Starkville City Jail with Johnny’s banter are some of the highlights…cutting off Folsom Prison halfway through the song at the very end was not great. This would’ve been five stars if I was listening to the remastered fully restored cut of this performance. Which I highly recommend after listening to the original

What a wonderful album! It starts off so strong with "Wanted Man" and keeps up that energy throughout. In fact, the album is so good I feel like I need to defend my not giving it 5 stars. The real problem I have is that there isn't enough of it. Only 10 tracks, but one song is played twice and one of the highlights - "Folsom Prison Blues" - cuts off at the one-minute mark. So it's really only 8 and a half songs. I think if I had listened to the "Legacy" 2-disc version, it would be an easy 5 stars, but that's not the nature of this project. In any case, "At San Quentin" is a real hoot (I love the banter in between songs), interesting, easy to listen to, and fun to sing along with.

straight ahh but folsom prison is always good

One of the best live albums I've ever heard particularly in the two renditions of San Quentin.

it's cool he played at prisons, but the "at folsom prison" album is far superior to this one. this album is primarily slower songs and banter. very interesting that of all his albums, two live ones make the cut (along with an "american" entry). if i had my druthers, i would remove this one and slot in "bitter tears: ballads of the american indian" - a collection of songs about the native american diaspora and addressing their harsh and unfair treatment by settlers. many radio stations refused to play it, controversial at the time.

Just a classic all the way around.

Quite an absent listen from me so can't fully give a true opinion - very interesting album either way though! I wonder who of current music is most likely to record an album in prison...

I think its easy for me to fall into the trap of rating an album based on "is this something I would crank in my car?" and this is not, but....BUT... this album is fucking great. He plays San Quentin back to back just to stick it to the prison. The crowd work is incredible and you can tell that he is playing to his people. Its rare for a live version of a song to be THE version of the song but that's the case for A Boy Named Sue and its fantastic.

Listening to this after "At Folsom Prison" which previously came up on this list for me. I gave Folsom credit for novelty, but... this isn't novel anymore. Somehow the interactions with the prisoners felt less special in this album too. Played the same song twice - which could be fine for the actual show, but for the album...? Music wise, this is so ridiculously bland, there's some reasonably clever lyrics but the rhythms are just so plodding and dull. Guess I still just don't like Country.

Including 2 prison albums on this list is a take I disagree with. So that already knocks a star off. It's impressive how Cash will laugh about something mid song and the band will adjust on the fly. Idk the novelty hard carried the album, also I think this one being televised apparently means they bleeped out the swearing so it just feels less authentic.

This album is brilliant. Johnny Cash’s personality completely shines through the whole time, especially with the way he talks and jokes around with the prisoners between songs. There is just something so special about his voice—you can literally feel his pure love for music bleeding through the songs. I still prefer At Folsom Prison as a whole experience. San Quentin doesn't quite reach that legendary level for me, it comes incredibly close. It's a high four for me. Legend

Wow! I never really listened Johnny Cash’s music, it seemed quite typical and unoriginal, but this album is brilliant! The banter between songs, especially with the prisoners, was funny and tragic at the same time, but I loved when Cash was thanking the warden and all of the prisoners booed! As for the songs, they were very enjoyable, I particularly admire Cash’s courage to play ‘San Quentin’. The entire song is simply complaining about the quality of prisons, describing them as “hell” and talking about those who die there. Knowing Cash’s stance on prison reform, this just makes the whole album 10 times better!

I love Johnny Cash but I dont think this is his best prison album. "Boy Named Sue" will always be a classic, though, and I appreciate it on any album.

374/1089 this just really isn’t my music. i don’t relate to, or get particularly excited by, it. That said, it was a weirdly easy listen, his voice carries it HARD imo but the atmosphere was good enough for this to not be a drag 50/100

This is why I hate country: they aren’t Johnny Cash. This ruled.

Certainly one of the two greatest live prison performances by Johnny Cash to make this list. Did we really need both? That feels a bit redundant. That being said, it is still Johnny Cash, so it still bangs. Shoutout to the only artist me and my 90 year old grandpa both like.

Not my favorite collection of Johnny Cash songs but I do love a live concert album and he really does have a one of a kind voice.

me apendejé y pensé que era el de folsom prison, que conozco bien y volví a escuchar para calificarlo, en vez de san quentin, que nunca he oido. no me deja dejarlo sin calificar ya habiéndolo calificado así que le dejo un 3 provisional en lo que lo escucho

Good

It’s weird rooting for the criminals, but I kind of was. I’m sure a couple were wrongfully locked up.

live album with lots of energy and casual comedic relief from the artists! love the dynamic flow between artists. Not the type of music I would normally go for, but I'm no fool, I know Johnny Cash is the business hahaha. Will put on from time to time now!

Good fun but i preferred the first live in prison album.

Um dos maiores e mais influentes de todos os tempos.. Esse live é bem bacana, apesar de eu achar meio vazio avaliar discos ao vivo. Mesmo assim, que artista foi o Cash. A presença de palco, as interações divertidas com o público e a qualidade impecável.. Sinceramente? Melhor e maior que Elvis.

I mean it's Johnny Cash so it's gonna be good. Don't quite like it as much as the Folsom Prison album but it's still a great album.

An excellent album. I don’t usually enjoy live albums but Jonny Cash is the exception. His energy can really be felt through this album. I just love it man

That was a really *bleep*ing good time!

I’ve learned from this list that I actually love live albums. Middling material can really be elevated by hearing people tear through it with passion and energy, and audience noise can really add excitement. I’ve been really up and down on a lot of country on this list; this one is up. I think his western kinda style also hits me better than the honky tonk southern style, at least around the 60s. All that to say, this album is engaging and really enjoyable. Must-listen #377.

Album and a show

Johnny Cash is the ultimate entertainer. Incredible. You get stellar music and a comedy show. Best Song: A Boy Named Sue Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4

Interesting setting for live recording with background and talking between songs

Guy who gets arrested so he can see Johnny Cash live.

At Folsom was way better

Confirmed. I don’t like Johnny cash. His flat voice and predictable guitar riffs are not for me.

Legendärer Geschichtenerzähler...

It's a vibe

This had a lot of the charm of the Folsom Prison album but it doesn't feel as essential. Again, he works the crowd in an appealing way and gives a good performance. I'm sure the prisoners enjoyed hearing San Quentin twice, but I'd have preferred some more variety. It's a pretty short record that feels inconsequential when compared with the original effort.

He plays into his folk hero mystique pretty well but the songs themselves are just ok

I’d be so pissed off if I were a prison guard and had to calm down the convicts after Johnny got them all riled up like that, but at least they got a free Johnny Cash concert out of it.

Short but amazing, Johnny could have started a riot easily

Está bien, todas iguales las canciones.

Another classic live album. Great stage banter. Crowd is basically a member of the band.

Peak country, and the vibes of the live performance was really great.

Nice, no other notes

Some many things to love about this, not least the audience interaction. Iconic album.

A slightly captive audience but still brilliant

Bit odd to have two prison live albums from the same artist on the list but this one’s great too.

ik ken live at folsom prison maar deze ook echt goed

ik hou zo erg van goofy country.. maar -1 omdat het live is..

Classic and almost timeless.

Haven’t listened to a country album in ages (not really my cup of tea), but I would say it was an interesting experience. The combination of country music played at a prison with the comedic breaks in between invokes a feeling of a more complete performance that feels quite authentic. Actually quite liked these segments. At first I didn’t feel the energy, but after the first half I started to get it more and more - but it was not as alluring as i thought it would be. However for me, the music itself didn’t really hit the nail on the head – seemed a little repetitive, and with the combination of the themes there was not one song that i liked fully. Still enjoyed it as a whole, was glad to listen to and experience it, but I wouldn’t say its something groundbreaking or something I would put on in my free time. Rating also +1 higher because of the history, certainly adds a whole another level to it.

good vibes in this, and added lore with it being performed in a prison

Meget snak. Folsom er bedre.

It unfortunately pales in comparison to ‘Folsom Prison’, but it’s enjoyable enough. Shorter and less intense than its predecessor. I did immediately put on ‘Folsom Prison’ when it ended to see if it was really as slight in comparison as I thought, and the difference had me bump this down to a three from a four. It’s hard to bottle lightning a second time. Cash is still funny between songs and the atmosphere is still fired up, but it simply suffers in the light of the *The* Prison Album.

hmmm zu viel country

Review - great country album, the live energy on this album isn't something you find on any other recording. And a better collection of songs than his other prison album (also on this list). Score - 7.5/10 Need to listen? YES

Folsom Prison is better, but the band is on fire here.

Ist was fun listening to him talking and the songs were good to, but the sound of it was a little repetitive.

I don’t enjoy live albums. I can appreciate Johnny Cash, and the whole story behind this album where he played for actual prisoners. It’s very clear those guys loved it. The sound quality was rough, and it would be better to watch in person. He’s a great musician and he was going for something on this album. It just didn’t translate as well as I’d hoped.

It's coo, this album is wayyyy before my time. I'm a gen z baby !

Engaging live performance playing to the audience. Of the songs new to me, enjoyed Wreck and San Q best.

Wanted Man - 9/10. Wreck of the Old 97 - 10/10. I Walk the Line - 10/10. Even better live. Darlin' Companion - 8/10. Very good, and the interplay in the live recording is fun. Mister Cash clearly always did a great show. Starkville City Jail - 8/10. Very good. San Quentin - 9/10. A great tune, in the right place. San Quentin (Reprise) - X/10. Reprise is unrated. Boy Named Sue - 11/10. As close to perfect as it comes. This one goes all the way to 11. Peace in the Valley - 9/10. Great song, beautiful and simple. Folsom Prison Blues - 9/10. Only knocked down because the song was cut short. Overall Rating - 4.61/5 (9.22/10). One of the iconic live albums. Great from front to back. The respect he has for the inmates, and the way he treats them like any crowd at a concert is a testament to the Man In Black's character.

The songs were good, but I didn’t love all the talking in between. Made me feel like I was at the concert which was cool, but I wouldn’t add something like that to the playlist.

*listened to the original version for review purposes* Really glad they put the full concert out at some point because you can just tell from the start that you’re coming in in the middle of things. I definitely plan on revisiting and getting a full account of things at some point. This was a great time and i think at least most of the people complaining that “he sings the same song twice in a row” are kinda missing some context ot aren’t listening to closely. Also jfc “this is country so it’s a 1” is the laziest thing. Like why are you doing this if you’re so ready to dismiss a whole genre outright.

This is a indeed a good album. However, I prefer the one at Folsom (which seems to be also included in this project). Favourite tracks here include "I Walk The Line" (obviously), "A Boy Named Sue", or "Folsom Prison Blues". Overall, this is a 4 star album for me.

Another great live album. And a unique one at that. Enjoyed listening but Jonny cash’s music doesn’t do a lot for me.

Imagine if Ed Sheeran just strolled into a high security prison to play a show to the inmates. Imagine he sang a new song he wrote literally the night before in front of tv cameras (then flipped the bird to the cameras). Imagine that song was criticising the entire prison system and calling for reform. Imagine the inmates cheered so much he played it again. Ed Sheeran. He’s sure as shit no Johnny Cash.

Dit is echt niet mijn muziek.

Fantastisch optreden in de gevangenis. Het maakt je bijna jaloers dat je niet in die tijd in de gevangenis zat en hier bij kon zijn. Ik had in de biopic al gehoord over dit optreden, de sfeer is magistraal. De muziek van Johny Cash sluit er ook heel goed aan met goede storytelling en grappige gesprekjes tussendoor. Dit is nou echt een album waarbij de live-experience echt iets toevoegt aan de muziek.

en in het algemeen niet de grootste fan van live albums maar in deze setting tilt het wel alles naar een hoger niveau. Cash in zijn absolute hoogtijdagen. Het is rauw en direct en de interactie met de gevangenen is erg close, je voelt de band tussen artiest en publiek op de plaat. San Quentin twee keer achter elkaar spelen op verzoek en dat op de plaat laten is wel hard. Fijne chaos. Het album is precies kort genoeg zodat het niet gaat vervelen. Cash is niet de grootste virtuoos maar hij voelt haarfijn zijn publiek aan. Ben benieuwd naar Folsom en hoe deze twee van elkaar verschillen.

Muziekgeschiedenis ten top. Voor het eerst kennis gemaakt met Johnny Cash sinds Walk the line uitkwam in 2005, nog ver voordat de biopic een echt ding was. Na het kijken van deze film was ik al een groot liefhebber van zijn muziek waarbij er op het laatst een scene is waarbij hij een vergelijkbaar optreden geeft in Folsom prison. Johnny Cash is een klasbak, goede teksten, mooie verhalen, goeie stem en vooral de interactie met het publiek vind ik erg tof. Het verhaal dat hij werd opgepakt voor het plukken van bloemen vond ik erg grappig, er wordt iets geroepen vanuit het publiek waarop Johnny vraagt 'Excuse me, I couldn't hear you because I was talking.' Het samenspannen tegen de cipiers vind ik ook erg leuk. hij spreekt dezelfde taal en brengt veel humor toe in zijn praatjes, maar zeker ook in zijn teksten.

Just don't like live albums

Johnny Cash just has the IT factor. Charisma through the roof, a "don't give a shit" attitude, and good tunes. This performance is legendary, and perfectly encapsulates the man and music in 30 mins. You get a dash of his troubles too, and for that time his dismissal of them. Great stuff

Finally, a live album that feels like it should make it on this list. I'm not a huge Johnny Cash fan, but I like him just fine. But this historical significance, the stage banter, and the music itself are all great.

did listen but like just three songs or less, not exactly my type of music

Wanted man goes hard…he played at a prison, it sounds super crisp despite it being live His voice sounds insane He’s a great showman He makes the crowd really feel the music He can get a bit repetitive with the way he phrases his music but it’s mostly an enjoyable experience This is the type of folk I can see myself liking better. It’s more tongue in cheek more for the people more direct more storytelling more playful more bombastic I think this was a 4/5 if not 5/5 experience somewhere in the between.

Yee haw

I usually hate live albums. I feel like the appeal to live music is being there, and the sound on any live album format isn’t super worth it. That being said, this was a very good listening experience. I enjoyed the talking a bit more than the music. As a listening experience it was five stars. Though, as an album musically, it felts something subpar of such a high rating. I’ll meet those in the middle and give it a four. Loved the experience, but probably won’t be revisiting it any time soon.

Famous, energetic and entertaining.

Love this - mad this might only be his second best live album !!!

I admire Johnny Cash for the way he distinguished himself from other country singers. If you ever ask the question, What's the point of a live album? the answer is right here. The idea that anyone would have the strength of character to make this record now, and would be allowed to do so ...

For one night only San Quentin prison was the place to be. It’s remarkable that the performance ever happened and even more remarkable that it was captured for posterity with such clarity and candour. I love it when I hear a live performance which would have been the best moment of many of the audience member’s lives. I can’t think of another live album for which that is more true than this one. Every song hits home but the song San Quentin has to be one of the all time greatest live performances, clearly better heard in this context than any other.

This Johnny Cash album is healing me after S&M (the Metallica album just to clarify), this is what I want from a conceptual live album, perfectly pitched, his comedy banter is worth the entry fee alone and the location and crowd appreciation contextualises his outlaw country perfectly, low 5

Country Nice ja Johnny cash e peak som vanligt

2026.07.10.

This must be a joke.

Fantastic! Listen to the legacy edition if you get the chance. Fun to hear the Statler Brothers, Johnny Cash and the Carter Sisters interact with the crowd. 9.5/10 Top song You pick but for me A Boy Named Sue

3. A fine record, nothing spectacular, but enjoyable throughout

absolutely incredible. perfect album. so funny. so entertaining the entire time. I'm so happy to listen to this. I think this is one of the best albums of all time.

Amazing album. I knew about his recording at Folsom Prison but didn’t know this was recorded and filmed as well. The whole thing is great, but the bonus recordings of opening acts, Carl Perkins, the Statler Brothers, and second generation Carter Family made it magical.

^_____^

Good vibes for sure f the system right!! This is what country should be

13/1001 O segundo álbum ao vivo de Cash não é tão lendário quanto o primeiro mas tem boas versões Wanted Man - 80 Wreck of the Old 97 - 80 I Walk the Line - 85 Darling Companion - 80 Starkville City Jail - 75 San Quentin - 75 San Quentin (Reprise) - 75 A Boy Named Sue - 80 (There'll Be) Peace in the Valley - 75 Folsom Prison Blues - 75 Media: 78

Love this

Johnny Cash just seems like the coolest guy ever.

Kind of an electric atmosphere, real slice of history. Songs still hold up too. The interludes between really paint a picture of the kind of guy Cash was. Definitely worth a listen.

mrdium

An absolutely electric live album that instantly transports you back to the late 60s. The Outlaw showing us for a second time how legends are made.

Never listened to a Johnny Cash record before, its a pretty fun introduction i think.

I'd listen to an entire album of just Johnny Cash talking to the audience. Come on, we're talking about a guy who'd have the guts to do a show in prison, and at the end of the performance still say, "I hope to see everyone here next time." That's Johnny Cash!

Curioso un directo en la cárcel. Buenos temitas, muy guay ver la interacción con el público, pero creo que es el primer disco de un directo que escucho, no me van mucho. Aún así ha sido un poco como viajar en el tiempo así que perfe.

Me jode que pongan un disco de un directo y por favor pido que pongan algo de este siglo para variar un poco... Dicho esto, me hubiese parecido muy adecuado para escuchar en un minibus de camino a una excursión con los del trabajo, que es lo que he hecho, si no se pusiese a dar tremenda chapa entre canción y canción. Conclusión: me jode.

Como show muy bueno, un concierto hecho a medida para su publico. Mucho carisma y mucho show. Pero yo no soy un preso de san quentin y no me hace falta que me repita la cancion improvisada 2 veces. Tampoco me hace falta 3 minutos de interludio con johnny cash afinando la guitarra como puede. Show bueno, disco no tanto. Habría que haberlo vivido en el momento.

In a vacuum I'd like this a lot but it's just an inferior version of At Folsom Prison. Same concept, same energy, worse set list, and worse execution.

this is good - of course it's good, even people too snobby to like country music like Johnny Cash - but man it suffers from comparison to At Folsom Prison. I think we really only needed Folsom Prison on here. other album slot could have gone to someone else or hell even a different Johnny Cash album. four for content, yet another frustration at the list

This one is hard. The recording is awful. The concept and execution are wonderful. Johnny Cash was the real deal. The legacy edition, full concert is both tedious and full of amazing tidbits. As a live album, it’s kind of incredible as a moment in history, as a double album… well it’s too long by a good piece. June Carter talks too much. But then she’s Johnny’s wife, so…. 4 Boolean: true

The atmosphere on this one takes it to 5 stars for me. Songs are great and fun but the interaction and life going on here just add a special sauce that makes it epic. Listened twice in a row.

Don’t think I’m the target audience for this one

Hey hey, vinyl day. Absolute classic right here. If forced to choose, I think I prefer Live at Folsom, but this is another phenomenal album.

in our world bones equal dollars that’s why they’re coming out tonight to get their bones from you the skeletons will pull your hair up but not out all they want is another chance at life

The songs are nice enough but I do find myself enjoying the banter in-between even more. The duet was super nice. Favourites: I Walk The Line Darlin' Companion

Played one song twice, two stars for that.

Johnny Cash another icon. What is it about that unusual voice that is so compelling? I like most of his recordings.

No es mucho mi estilo, sin embargo es animado y puede ser para un viaje

Deeply not for me. Unfamiliar with the studio versions so hard to appreciate live. Comes across like a bit of a loser during the banter bits. Not sure why it’s special.

Jakiś taki starszy gość skoczny taki miły do słuchania ale nie wysłuchuje sie w to co mówi to jest taki live show że słychać widownie w tle ranczo amerykańskie vibe 5/10

Right in between a 3 and 4. I wasn't really into it at the start of the album, but I felt like it ended strong with A Boy Named Sue and Folsom Prison Blues.

Having just explored the low depths of country with George Jones "The Grand Tour", getting this as the next album was such a wonderful contrast. A spectacular album, fun, catchy, irreverent. I'd listen to this all day long.

it is currently 40 degrees celsius where i live, this shit is not funny i'm actually melting and y'all are giving me country 🫩🫩🫩

Not really the kind of thing I enjoy. I recognised a few of the songs and wasn’t really that keen on them either. It’s ok, if you like Johnny Cash’s brand of country.

not a great fan of this type of music, although the lyrics were entertaining and made me smile. He certainly liked performing in prisons, maybe he liked a captive audience!

not having fun

I could feel the energy at this concert just through the recording.

Boring too much talk

Though I do not like country, Johnny Cash has always been an exception for me. His sympathy for people in prison is also greatly apparent.

Classic Cash, solid record.

Ok ok not my vibe, songs also felt ok, can understand it being phenomenonal but not for me

I have never listened to Johnny Cash beyond watching the biopic with Joaquin Phoenix. Listening to this, with it being outside my general genre choice, was surprisingly enjoyable to me. I miss this sort of simplicity in music with live acoustic instruments and nothing digital.

There is a reason why Johnny Cash transcends country music and is beloved even by people who wouldn't even touch the genre. Cash singing about being a wanted man as a crowd of convicts cheers on is one of the most metal things you'll ever hear on a country album. Cash's unflattering song about the prison gets such a great reaction, they scream at Cash to play it again! Cash's strong bass-baritone vocals demands attention and his humour and relatability wins over the crowd. The music here is admittedly rather basic, but this record is all about the rowdy atmosphere it creates.

The songs themselves are fine, but the bantz are so entertaining

Only knew Johnny Cash for Ring of Fire, but I was very interested in listening to more of his music. When I realised this album was performed live in a prison I was intrigued and decided to read more about him. Although I don't think the album was amazing, the back and forth between Cash and the audience was fun and it was piqued my interest about him and the rest of his catalogue.

Pretty cool album and definitely one that's got to be on the list for "history of notable music happenings" reasons. The songs are good but the environment and effortless charm of Johnny are what cement this one

Johnny is a legend for a reason and I really enjoyed listening to this album. Even all the talking bits were fun and a little insightful about what this dude was all about. That said, probably giving the album 4 stars just because it's a bit of a short tracklist and coupled with the sound quality I don't think I'll be revisiting it for a bit.

Struggled rating this one. It's awesome he actually went to a prison to perform a concert but the music wasn't his best. Not quite 5 but certainly not a 3.

3.5/5 Still not much my thing, but still better than I would've though it to be before starting this challenge. Not sad to be done with the Cash albums now, though.

Real cowboys listen to Johnny Cash! Amazing live album!

If I was at San Quentin hearing Johnny Cash perform San Quentin for the first time ever I would've rioted I would've killed a guard right then and there

too much talking ik it’s a live show but

5/10 I love Johnny Cash but I don't usually enjoy live performances unless I'm going out of my way to watch it. The songs he performs here are banger and I hope more Johnny Cash albums are in store for me.

You can't go wrong with Johnny Cash. He's the only country music act I actually enjoy listening to at this point. The live environment of the prison and the included interactions are both funny and electric. I did like the Folsom Prison one more (this one felt a bit too short and sweet), but this one is still good regardless.

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Masterpiece - This shows what a brilliant storyteller Cash was. The sections with him talking to the audience without music are just as entertaining as the songs themselves. Wanted Man is brilliant, you can hear Dylan quite clearly in the lyrics. The lead guitar breaks on Wreck Of The Old 97 are razor sharp and the energy is fantastic. The story about being arrested picking flowers in Mississippi going right into Starkville City Jail is incredible. San Quentin is great and A Boy Named Sue is wonderfully fun. This is as good as Folsom Prison and one of the all time great live albums.

Maybe it's just because the Folsom album got to me first but I slightly prefer that one to this, but that's not to say this is by any means a weak album. San Quentin twice was a delight. Hearing the crowd reactions is a large part of what make these albums so successful.

Legendary Album. This is how you show your appreciation to your listeners. Extraordinary Artist and an unforgettable evening.

It was fine.

He's an entertainer, at home in front of the crowd, even if it's a rough one.

some real outlaw shit i perfer his sadder more melancholic stuff but this cool. really different vibe from american IV

Better than Folsom... perhaps my favourite live album ever. Thrilling