At San Quentin

Still great but I think Folsom did it better.

Good

I love Johnny Cash. I Walk The Line...a hit with audiences, both incarcerated and otherwise. There's something about him that just fits in these recordings. A Boy Named Sue, the greatest song ever written by Shel Silverstein. (There'll Be) Peace in the Valley is amazing. It's not as good as the show at Folsom, but it's good.

Pas hyper client, même avec une version live, sympatoche quand même

Fun. Not all the songs are great, but this was good.

Fucking electric. I love you big daddy Johnny Cash. Listened first, now I am going to watch the concert!

Johnny Cash’s *At San Quentin* is a compelling live album that thrives on the Man in Black’s raw, charismatic connection with his audience. Cash masterfully balances high-energy, relatable storytelling in tracks like "Wreck of the Old 97" and "Starkville City Jail" with iconic staples such as "I Walk the Line" and a powerful rendition of "Folsom Prison Blues." While some tracks like "A Boy Named Sue" and "Peace in the Valley" feel more like standard inclusions, the record succeeds because it captures Cash as an incredibly approachable figure; his genuine interaction with the prisoners adds a layer of authenticity that elevates the performance beyond just a concert. Ultimately, the album stands as a gritty, honest testament to his ability to humanize the incarcerated, making for a listening experience that feels both musically solid and deeply personal.

what a joy this was

Enjoyable live album with loads of personality, showmanship and humor. Some fine renditions of famous Johnny Cash songs with loads of charming audience interaction and funny banter. A prison as a live setting works strangely well for a live album, and while the song choices are clearly coloured by the setting, I feel like it adds to the charm. Johnny Cash is entertaining as ever, even when the songs sometimes are a bit unremarkable. Fun and easy listen. 4/5

There's no doubt that this is an amazing performance. Props to Johnny for performing in prison. The between-songs activity gives it a documentary-like feel. When I judge a live album, I want a solid performance and just enough audience that I wish I had been there. This brings all of that, even though the genre is generally not for me.

Good

I think I know this one. I know I had At Folsom Prison. And I think I had this at on point too. I wish it wasn’t censored.

Not really my taste but the album felt like u were really at the concert

Favorite songs: Wreck of the Old 97, I Walk the Line, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue, (There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me), Folsom Prison Blues

(Sir, there are two Johnny Cash prison albums on the list.) About the same as At Folsom Prison, it's pretty short unless you listen to the complete concert version. Didn't need back to back San Quentins. Good version of Boy Named Sue.

Johnny Cash is one of the best to ever do it, and I don’t think anyone in history could have brought the personality to these performances that he did. Easiest 5 stars of my life. The man just don’t miss

Cash has a real relationship with audience. Good live

Best thing about this album is that it's both a look into what Johnny Cash as a stand up comedian and a good representation of his hits live.

You can feel the connection between artist and audience. And considering the audience, it’s incredible. Plus, it’s maybe the perfect rendition of A Boy Named Sue.

Live albums are always gonna be tough for me, but the fact that this one is censored certainly does not help

I listened to this album as the sky was starting to get dark, looking out over a lawn full of people celebrating America's 250th birthday. So obviously the songs are great, they're classic Johnny Cash songs: he has a knack for country guitar playing and the perfect gruff voice to match. However, what sets this album apart is its status as one of the best live albums of all time. Cash's prison series is such an incredible concept executed to perfection, as his stage presence and charisma bleeds through the recordings. He's not only a captivating and skilled musician, but an incredibly funny performer, and his sense of humor makes this album such a unique listening experience. His interplay with the audience and the guards is the kind of unique element which I want in a live album; something beyond a mere by-the-numbers performance. Rather, it reframes these songs in an entirely new context, breathing new life into them and creating an experience which can only exist in the setting of a live recording. At San Quentin is an incredible work of art (even through its bizarre censorship), and I can't wait for this list to provide me with the chance to relisten to At Folsom Prison as well. Highlights: Wanted Man, Wreck of the Old 97, I Walk the Line, Darlin' Companion, Starkville City Jail, San Quentin, San Quentin (Reprise), A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues

I liked how he honoured his friend in the set. He gave the prisoners a journey throughout the whole performance too, every song had substance or a story behind it and he led the audience to that notion

Easy listen. Not necessarily a huge fan but a very listeneable and charming album. The fact that it’s live makes it more entertaining. 3/5

it was okay, i only liked the first track and the constant talking is not enjoyable even though it is a live preformance album

Not bad! Give it a three at least

I mean on concept alone this is exceptional. Johnny Cash?? Playing at a prison?? And he plays a song criticizing the prison?? And then he plays it a second time right afterwards?? I'm also a sucker for live albums where you can hear the audience getting super hype. Unfortunately none of the songs hit that hard for me outside of A Boy Named Sue.

Johnny rules at crowd banter. You can tell he had fun here. Do people still do prison concerts? I feel like we should bring those back.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t really see the point in live albums vs a studio recording as I find the sound is always worse and the experience just doesn’t translate to the listener at home. Now, that being said, I really enjoyed this. The novel idea that he was performing to a group of prison inmates and the simple, pared back sound that he has as an artist really helped to keep the songs clear and engaging. His asides to the audience were funny and well received…another fun album.

The fact that he was 25 is mind blowing. Short and sweet.

Loved Starkville city jail and how Johnny used humor to lighten the crowd with his songs. This album is powerful. I just love when people use their gifts to amplify issues—-in this case, prison reform. You can hear how much this probably means to the prisoners. I got a lot of respect for Johnny Cash. A boy named Sue is so fun.

This album makes me sad that I'll never get to see Johnny Cash live. This is one of the recordings from his legendary tour of prison shows, and while this isn't quite as legendary as his Folsom Prison album, it's just about as good. The recording does an excellent job of capturing Cash's incredible command of the audience. His between-song banter showcases his distinctly off-the-cuff sense of humor, and the raucous cheers from the crowd during San Quentin, a song detailing how terrible prison is, demonstrates his instinct for knowing what songs will appeal to what audience. The setlist is a perfect mix of some of his most famous songs and covers of artists of a similar stripe. Him and his band maintain a sense of infectious fun thanks to the live setting, but their musicianship and the recording quality make it sound just as good as a studio recording. That mix of professionalism and looseness perfectly capture what made Cash such a compelling artist, and make this the gold standard of live albums.

Great live record - excellent recording, awesome banter from Johnny, good vibe all round. Favourite tracks: I Walk The Line, Darlin' Companion, San Quentin (both versions!), A Boy Named Sue.

Easily one of the prettiest male voices I’ll hear in my god-damned life. The energy and tension of this recording sounds like there are lit firecrackers all over the room waiting to go off. Boy Named Sue is kind of a weird listen nowadays, but his prison songs cut as deep now as they did in 69.

Classic.

Classic but short and one song is done twice for the crowd.

Enjoyed his crowd work and storytelling. His music definitely isn’t something I would seek out but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy listening to this live album while cleaning the bathroom. Best songs in my opinion are the first and the song about Susie as a man also the one about being arrested.

This album existed. I had already heard Folsom prison blues and that’s great and this is more the same not in a bad way.

If I'm going to listen to country this is what I want to hear. This man absolutely was the real deal. We were lucky to have him.

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

3⭐️/5 06.12.2026

Good

Awesome...great entertainer

Otro album en vivo de este tipo. De nuevo tiene una onda impensada para lo que imaginaba de él. Este es muy country, un poco aburrido para mí. 4/10

Pink pony club, I wanna

More holy scrip. We could argue about which is better - this or Folsom Prison. But what would be the point. No notes.

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

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

I like JC and this album is good.

I like it b/c he is good at singiing. My peraerents now him.

i know this country music but its not that good for me i would not recommend it is because its full of things i feel like people should avoid.

Country isn't really my favorite genre, but this album was quite great to listen to. I really enjoyed the songs here.

I'm not a big fan of country music.

I think this album is ok but I don't really like country music and the sound so I'd give it 3 stars.

I kinda like it because I liked the background music and the lyrics quite a bit but I couldn't really connect with it.

Tikriausiai būti ten tuo metu buvo neįtikėtina, bet dabar man nelabai rūpi.

very good listen. charming bloke he was

GOATed live environment

My last week ended with Johnny at Folsom, and the new week begins with Johnny at San Quentin. Not a bad series of albums. One thing that strikes new about both albums is his crowd work. The music is fantastic, and his vocals are on point. But the crowd work is something else. He plays so well to the prisoners and seems to even get along with the guards.

Beautiful

the individual songs didn't really stand out to me. they all kinda sounded the same but not bad! i liked it still. and an electric live performance to boot. it's a good time fave track: darlin' companion

mm its not my thing i'm sorry

While the songs are musically pretty simple, Johnny Cash's lyrics tell stories in a straight to the point yet powerful way, and the crowd noise from the prison he's performing in gives these songs real character. Favourites: I Walk the Line, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue

This was the second Jonny Cash record live from a prison I found in this list. A bit redundant. Still, he is charming, reminiscent of simpler times when a big star as him could still be so close and personal with the fans during a live performance. The music is, of course, quite old. But the few words in between, the jokes, the feeling is what drove this live home to me.

I have a serious soft spot for Johnny Cash and this album, as well as At Folsom Prison. His story telling is unparalleled, the live aspect of this album only adds, where so many others take away from quality and energy, he is clearly tailoring his performance to the inmates, and even plays At San Quentin twice to piss off the guards even more. I can’t think of anyone else that has done anything quite like this, bringing in personal experiences and relating them to the men through the interludes and lyrics. A legend for a very good reason.

Toto country sa celkom dá...

I am a Johnny Cash fan but have never seen the appeal of the live prison albums. They mostly showcase Cash’s attitude and persona more than the music. Nothing too special here really except two takes at San Quentin and thirty seconds of Folsom Prison Blues.

Loved the song about Starkville

Boy named sue was superbly done. Fantastic live album from the man in black. Plenty of soul and rhythm and his life speaks through the music so beautifully

Johnny Cash at his most show-bizzy. (slagging off the screws, playing the same song twice and saying it's popular request). But despite the stage craft it retains a sense that things could go wrong. Crowd earn it an extra star they're raging and (on the vinyl at least) high in the mix and as important to the feel of this record as the drummer. At my first job after school my and this Goth girl used to go for a pint and a chip bap in the pool room of a local pub and play the jukebox. Rise by Public Image Limited, Iggy's Wild One and Johnny Cash's Boy Named Sue were played until they wore out. Johnny Cash and AbbA being the only act your parents liked that goths could stomach. It was the version from this lp and I'm pretty sure it's the humour and rage in the performer and crowd that made it so powerful.

"I tell you what, the show is being recorded and televised for England, and uh, they said, they told me, they said ’you gotta do this song, you gotta do that song, you know, you gotta stand like this and act like this.' I just don’t get it, man, you know? I'm here to do what you want me to and what I want to do, Alright, okay? Yeah. So what do you want to hear?" "We want to thank the officials of San Quentin Prison, all of the guards for helping us out. The warden, every one of them. Appreciate it." (Boos) "Aww, you don't really mean that now!" Was laughing so hard in between the colorful themes and lyrics. Cash is more emboldened than ever here. A class act. This is what a live album should be like.

“At Folsom Prison” tops it by far…

A triumphant live performance, I mean the applause from the audience really tells you everything. ‘Walk the Line’ was brilliant. Cash’s storytelling and humour on the providence of the ‘Starkville City Jail’ song was awe-inspiring. Cash’s performance of ‘San Quentin’ was truly a special moment; his raw, unfiltered lyrics on the flaws of prison institutions truly resonated with the prison crowd, so much so that with all the applause, he decided to perform it a second time. But, leaving everything else behind, ‘A Boy Named Sue’ was absolutely iconic, I’ve been listening to this song for a long while before finally getting the chance to listen to this album fully but it reached its full resonance with hearing it in this live album context. Folsom Prison Blues was a bit short-lived and could’ve been longer but it was definitely the right song to end with. Speaking on the topic of Folsom Prison Blues, I don’t think Live at San Quentin is as good as the Live at Folsom Prison Album. It’s not as lively and invigorating but that doesn’t take away from its worth, I think both are different and San Quentin gives a slower, possibly more-considered approach whilst retaining Johnny Cash’s penchant for charismatic storytelling and use of humour. Overall, I’d recommend this for anyone who likes Johnny Cash or even anyone who’s not familiar with this work. It’s a great album.

i was sad, and listening to this, i got happy. Basically because Johnny Cash was hilarious, and i didn't expect that. I find these prison concerts really engaging and meaningful. Knowing a bit from his story, you can see how authentic and genuine what he does, is and how deeply he can connect with the inmates. And the country songs, the stories, are good stories, parables even. A great artist.

Have in my collection. Not a regular on the table but nice to have.

Не знаю чи зайде, але цікаво. Мені не чужа його творчість. Трохи насторожує, що лайв, але розраджує що в тюрмі. Johnny молодець, вміє спілкуватися з зеками на расслабоні. Трохи дивно, що він притаскав до них свою жінку співати. Досить багато монологів, що цікаво для фенів, але тримати лайв на плеєрі не дуже, бо цілу дорогу з роботи додому можна слухати тільки його чьос. Плюс лайва: коли він співає "San Quetin I hate every inch of you..." публіка дуже задоволено вигукує і вибухає оплесками.

I like it for some reason ?

Not a fan of country but there are a couple of good tracks

Rating: 4.8/5 Short Review: Raw, funny, rebellious, and surprisingly compassionate. This isn’t just a live album. It’s Johnny Cash connecting directly with people society had written off. Favorite Track: “San Quentin” The moment Cash sings: “San Quentin, you’ve been livin’ hell to me” and the crowd erupts. That’s not a performance. That’s a room full of people hearing someone say exactly what they’re thinking.

Not my favorite Cash record. Just doesn't have the punch of Folsom Prison.

I didn’t even really listen to this album- i tried but i found out i really kinda hate whatever genre this is! At least it taught me that much! I guess the best song was wanted man? Idk why oldie likes this album

Not too bad, wouldn't care to listen again, some songs were good at the latter half but mainly boredom.

Loved the vibes. Very good

favourites: 1. I walk the line 2. "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley"

Really cool album listening experience. The history behind it is fascinating and hearing Johnny Cash speak is awesome

Solid live album. Much more candid and relaxed than Folsom try one year earlier. So many years ago, and he sounds sick as he banters with the prisoners. Surprised he lived for another 40 years. This is Cash at his best. Outlaw Country… bad ass!

Cool as a cultural/ historical relic, but not much to write home about musically

Great album - fantastic talent and historic gig

I’ve already sat through one Johnny Cash live in a prison album from this list, how did this make it as well? This one is arguably worse. His “banter” with the inmates is just terrible, but they’ve included all the cringey cheers and shout outs from the crowd on the record which makes it the worst type of live album. Some really bad songs on this too.

King

I don't really get the point of this album. I get that Johnny Cash playing prisons is historically interesting, but the recording quality is poor and there's not much going on musically.

If you can listen to this and not get a smile on your face, I think you are made of stone. Wonderful songs, wonderful man.

Sentenced to boredom

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

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

This was better because of the interaction with the crowd. Not as many of my favorite Cash songs, but still a good album

I'd probably say that my respect for Johnny Cash as an artist probably greatly outpaces my pure enjoyment of his music, generally speaking, but some great moments here. I think this one (like Folsom) is a lot more interesting because of the live interactions and the whole surrounding context of the record. A Boy Named Sue is great and was recorded live here for the first time, and I like the duets with June as well. As far as the music goes, there really isn't as much of variety from the backing band here as I would like, but a pretty ripping quick version of Folsom Prison to close things out. I like this as a live album that actually feels live, with the crowd, a few mess-ups, and spontaneous off the cuff moments.

If its gotta be country, then it needs to be Johnny Cash Musically, I do prefer his later work, but this is really more a piece of history than a musical performance Respect

7.5 / 10

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 (rounded up because come on) I was not expecting this to be my first five stars—like, at all—but I'll qualify it by saying this five stars is different from any I've anticipated. I am not a live album guy, but this feels like the difference between judging a painting and a photo, or music vs. a documentary about music. The fact that the album is live IS why it's so good, and the energy between Johnny and his audience takes a great set and makes it an experience, which sounds like ChatGPT but it's just true. I was like, "why I am moved by this Christian stuff," but it's because Christianity only hits when there's persecution it's resisting, and that's what makes this so great, you know? I think if this had caught me in a worse mood, I would've felt Cash's prison references were heavy-handed pandering (especially considering he'd never been to jail) and that turning "Folsom Prison Blues" into like a cheerful theme song sours the whole thing, but in whatever bout of sentimentality I'm in the midst of, it felt sincere and sincerely moving. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

Cash is great as always here. The live aspect of his jail house albums adds charm in my opinion.

the best

Absolutely legendary. Johny Cash is an absolute legend. Not just a musician, but an artiste, performer. I did even realize that he is per forming in the jail, until watched video version on YouTube lol — what a level of engagment with an audience ahah

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

Hello. One of the most formative and important albums of my life.

Country, rock and roll.

Another good prison album

Another very entertaining music-comedy-slice of Americana album from Cash. This one is the live version of "Boy Named Sue" and the picture of him flippin the bird at the camera crew for blocking the inmate's view.

super

"San Quentin I hate every inch of you" audience reaction is great

4/10 Folsom Prison Blues

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

Really enjoyed it. Proper showman and great storytelling. His interactions with the crowd are great. Everything you want out of a live album.

I loved his banter with the audience! Can you imagine this in a 2026 prison? Very enjoyable. I added “San Quentin, Reprise” to my playlist. 4/5.

The songs are simple but the live experience really makes this a great listen

Johnny was not a great role model of a man for how he led his life. But he also recognized that and was open and honest about his troubles. If gave him understanding of the men in that prison and what they lived through. He was unafraid to speak his mind to those in authority and that I respect. Certainly one of the great storytellers through song of my lifetime. Hate him or love him this is an iconic album of his work crossing several genres of musical style.

Johnny Cash Rules. More live albums at prisons please.

excellent album. really liked the "wreck of the ol 97","San Quentin", and "Starkville City Jail". a tidbit i found interesting: the song "San Quentin", when he played it, the audience was so emotionally charged that they almost rioted. the album's producer had to lower the audience's shouting and vitriol that he had to replace it with a "generic crowd".

Johnny Cash always have crazy set lists, and his greatest hits are all over the place, so in a way it's kinda cool because the more you listen to him, the more songs you hear, and it's very few that repeat across greatest hits or live sets. I'm listened to a lot of Johnny Cash and STILL half these songs I never heard before! I'm glad they didn't cut between songs and you can hear all the back and forth with the crowd. Makes you feel like you are there.

Awesome alblum. All songs are Kick butt. The Statler Brothers appearnce was a big bonus as was the performance of Jackson. Loved it

Nothing beats Johnny Cash live.

I really do love Johnny cash. This is the live joint he put out after Folsom Prison, which obviously is a classic in every sense of the word. This is shorter, and less storied, but still incredibly enjoyable. Classics such as “I Walk The Line,” “Wreck of the Old 97” “A Boy Named Sue,” and obviously “Folsom Prison Blues” are littered throughout the album, and it kind of has a similar vibe to “At Folsom Prison,” but like… less. Still has a June duet, still has a song about the prison, still has all the charm. I don’t love the fact that he plays “San Quentin” twice, but I think that it’s an incredible song, that really gets at a lot of problems with the prison system, even if it’s a bit inadvertent. The big problem is also that the rendition of Folsom prison blues, at least on this version, is like 2 seconds long. Which is very annoying. Also there’s only so much fake outlaw stuff you can take. I dunno. Still very great, but the B-side could be much better. 8.2/10

lowkey a banger

Very enjoyable album

I didn't spot this was the legacy edition at first so I listened to the regular version initially and couldn't see why it would have been included in the 1001 - songs are samey, a lot of talking for a short run time. The I checked the right version and baulked at the running time! But it's so much better. I'm not sure it's something I'd listen to often but it certainly won't me over. The short version would have got a 2 at best.

Even if one is not a huge Johnny Cash fan (and I'm just a mild one), you can absolutely feel the enormous atmosphere. The vibe is absolutely what makes this record. The crowd and Johnny's interaction with them is fantastic. 4.3/5.

I really liked this. I don’t usually like live albums, but this was fun. I liked the talking in between the songs. It had Walk the Line and A Boy Named Sue on it. I like both of those.

Favorite Track: San Qunetin

So fun, so much fun crowd work, the constant cursing is also so funny. Hes so authentic and in the moment in this performance and is doing very well. 4/5 or higher

Perfectly charming. A best example of what a live album can be

I'm torn. This is great, but I don't understand why this list needs two live albums recorded in prisons by Johnny Cash. There are so many brilliant artists - particularly women - who don't even get one album on the list, that this is just wrong.

Not for me

I like the activism aspect of this. I think the music is a bit monotonic but I guess that's just the style of JC

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

The version I found was live, this guy is very charismatic. Quite enjoyed it even though it's not my go to music!

I really enjoyed listening to this. It was fascinating to hear this snapshot in time. That said, I probably wouldn’t choose to sit and put this on.

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

Awesome album! Loved it

Great live

Legend of country music. The live performances at prisons helped review his career and not many could pull that off.

Really great album. Showcases him as a true entertainer, the band are super tight and you can really feel the atmosphere from the crowd

I love Johnny Cash and he will forever be one of my favorite artists. This is a good live album, but pales compared to Live at Folsom Prison. Still a top tier live performance and an album I own on vinyl.

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

waaaaaay to american for me

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.

Klarer ikke helt sette fingeren på hvorfor i lika den her mindre en at Folsom. Føler bare det mangler noe her. Sterk 4er

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

Langt mellom høydepunktene på denne. Alt for mye tradisjonell køntri.

These albums give such a good insight to how unique of a person Cash was. The energy of course is infectious as hell. It will always be a little less than Folsom Prision but great neverless.

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)

Este es un álbum de suma importancia por su historia y contexto. Admiro a Johnny Cash, principalmente por su relevancia; mas toparme con un álbum de hora y cuarenta es mucho. Quien no esté comprometido, verá a aquél más como un estorbo que como un disfrute. Para mi suerte, ésta ha sido agradable experiencia, pues gusto del rock n' roll y el country, y el sonido crudo de la grabación; y, aunque hubiese preferido ver un vídeo que me diera mejor referencia del entorno carcelario, sólo tengo palabras de elogio para Cash y su familia. No soy objetivo, lo sé, pero me es imposible no referirme con halagos a quien ha hecho un álbum en vivo como At San Quentin. No es, en definitiva, un disco para el melómano, para el que quiere endulzarse con melodías complejas y letras inteligentes -aquí soy inexacto, porque las letras de Cash son profundas; me refiero a que no es una obra magna de estudio, con concepto rebuscado y sonido igual; en cambio, es una presentación honesta y sencilla-, sinó para el que ve en el acto volitivo de Cash una muestra incomparable de valentía. Por cierto, la voz de June Carter es lindísima. Y la portada del álbum, espectacular. Si hay alguna canción que merece unas palabras, ésta es Folsom Prison Blues: brutal, directa, poética y hasta gangsta. ¿Otra? I Don't Know Where I'm Bound. Una más: Restless. Ambas con una comprensión clara de la psicología, o algo así, me es difícil explicarlo; tocan temas serios, y salen victoriosas. Para finalizar, hay algo mágico en la historia de A Boy Named Sue, y también muy íntimo, cercano. ¿Finalizar? Peace in the Valley no se puede dejar de lado, por su mensaje; y los acordes de Less of Me me dieron tal alegría... Lo poco que me disgustó fue el conjunto de mensajes religiosos; pero qué más da.

So much fun. Catchy songs. Johnny is hilarious. The prisoners booing the guards and the warden at the end. Fantastic listen

Muy guapo, pero no llega al 4

9/10

It's impossible to fault either this recording, or the TV programme of it.

q paja el country

I enjoyed this, Cash is a master of crowd work, a lot of modern artists could learn from his charisma in front of an audience. The series of prison concerts is such out-there idea, I can't imagine anyone else being able to pull this off The actual music is fine, Walk The Line and Boy Named Sue are 2 of his best hits. I am not sure I can give 5* to this because it's only 34 minutes and it feels like half of it is talking. Also one of the tracks is repeated, so the amount of 'music content' is a little light. But still as a thing to listen to, it's cool

The connection, and mutual respect, between artist and audience is absolutely palpable throughout this album. I loved every minute, and found myself crying for more at the end just like the audience did.

One of my favorite Johnny Cash albums. Funny and full of bangers. A classic that I'll always remember.

I dont rate this album dont really connect with it his other songs outside this album were okay but this one was not for some songs were kinda okay but I wouldn't listen to this again I give it 1.48/10

The production on this is truly terrible. But old school Johnny Cash, the feeling of it, well, it still gets a 4. Boolean: yes. Glad to hear it.

A great live performance. A little too short for me to give it 5 stars.

I don’t like live albums but this one has good reason to be a live album, performing for the prisoners and the passive aggression to the guards is just something else

Старина прокачал зеков по полной

A fun album, although I think I prefer At Folsom Prison more.

Loved this. Cash at his simple best.

Music with a heartfelt message and his famous middle finger. Protest music at its best

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

Not my favourite set of Cash's songs, but it's an incredible performance that makes sure you stay along for the ride. Almost as though he was one of the inmates. A slightly generous 4*

Johnny Cash live albums are a good time, I can’t deny it

I felt like I was one of the boys.

4.25 hard to top Johnny Cash Live

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.

Sebenernya suka sih country, namun sayangnya saya merasakan bosan dibandingkan kohesif dari album ini. Secara konsep juga yaudah.

Although a lot of his songs sound pretty similar, there's something about Johnny Cash's presence that's magnetic. And there is an intangible energy that the prison setting lifts the overall vibe. Very powerful.

One hell of a performance, Cash at one point makes 5 minutes of getting a guitar tuned entertaining. A real nice companion to At Folsom Prison on this list, I'm glad both are included. The echo off the prison walls was haunting

Haven't listened to much of Johnny Cash but this seems to show his personality so much, with his talks and jokes betweeen songs. Probably won't listen to it again, but really cool to hear such an iconic artist live with not cuts between, and to hear the audience listening/reacting (Especially when knowing who the audience is). Kinda like a time capsule of that specific culture and time.

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

I can appreciate what a talent Johnny Cash is, but I don’t think this album or genre is really for me. I’m still really glad I gave it a listen. I think my favorite part about Johnny Cash’s music is that he effortlessly identifies with “regular” people. A lot of popular songs these days are much more generic or don’t really resonate (I love rap and I don’t do drugs or have fancy cars, etc.). It might just be what I listen to regularly, but I also don’t hear a lot of music that tells stories the way Cash’s songs do. 4/5.

Fantastic! I've listened to Live at Folsom a million times and have no explanation as to why I've never listened to this album.

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

Legendary performance. Its a bit silly to have both san quentin and folsom prison on the list, as both recordings are pretty similar and either one will easily showcase Cash's talent and the message he was trying to share. But both are very enjoyable listens

3.39

Meh. Not a country fan but respect Johnny Cash. This live album just isn’t for me, though.

What a fantastic album! Great songs, vocals and some funny parts in there too Loved it 5 ⭐️

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.

Again I'm feeling _dragged_ by this project... I barely listened to Johnny Cash, I'm 28 and I say I love music, and never got around to listen to this moving artist. I have to admit my first exposure to Johnny Cash was the video from The One That Got Away by Katy Perry. I know, I'm Italian, my parents listened to completely different genres and they were more into Pink Floyd and David Bowie than into Johnny Cash, clearly. Anyways, back to this album, it was moving, and fun, and loved the intermissions where he's talking about the tour, and writing songs, and the crowd going crazy when he gets to the last songs. Beautiful beautiful beautiful, this is gonna get a full ass 5.

Prison shows are sick

the lesser of the two prison albums, but the man certainly had the motherfuckin juice

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.

First time listening to a live album and I loved it. Great songs and very funny interaction with the audience. Aged really well too.

Gran disco, sobre todo con las conversacines que tiene con los presos, buena selección de canciones, gran disco!

Good stuff here. Not quite as good as him at Folsom Prison, but I enjoyed it.

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 wondering if it was as good as his first prison album then in comes the back to back San Quentin

Was a good listen

I don’t think o liked it

Amaze amaze! I love it.

Excellent all the way through.

It’s great

Godfather of americana is nice, maar live stoort

stop me die fucking live albums...

It is less an album more an audio documentary. The songs being punctuated by messages for the inmates, their responses to certain guards names - all these things give a sense of the setting and give added power to the performance. Granted, there is a lack of variety in the songs but the performance is incredible. This is the same review as At Folsom Prison as it is basically the same album. I am halving my previous mark for that reason.

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.

Not a huge fan of

Peak live album fav track: Every song

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

Fun album to listen to. Also the interaction with the prisoners and guards :D

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

Фолк это интересненько и формат концерта необычный

Johnny Cash is so cool

Cashin livelevyt ovat olleet huippuluokkaa!

dang they give prisoners concerts in the 60s?

fantastic five stars

Love albums have become a new obsession for me. This one always was since first hearing it.

I'm not familiar with this but do know and own _At Folsom Prison_, which I prefer, but that doesn't make this bad. The inclusion of new song _San Quentin_ is a highlight, even performed twice at audience request. I enjoy live albums that are situational rather than pieced together and Cash is clearly comfortable and excels in these environments. His humour between the songs is as important as the songs themselves and the crowd lap it up both responding to and interacting with each other is what makes these special.

echt heel leuk, ook delen die niet leuk zijn maakt het verhaal af.

Joni Käteinen kuulostaa hyvältä, on aina kuulostanut. Mutta live-levy oli vähän meh.

Viiskauttaviis vankilahassuttelua, mukavan letkeää

En jaksanut kuunnella koko levyä loppuun. Johnny Cash kuulosti itseltään, ärsytti aggressiiviset sensurointipiippaukset ja ei ollut millään tavalla eilen fiilistä kuunnella kyseistä levyä. Ei omaan makuun.

Nice

Amazing

Personalmente no me gusta el Country, pero Jhonny Cash tiene una gran voz. De igual manera su musica me traslado a aquella epoca. Buen disco, pero no de mis preferencias musicales.

The sound of respect

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

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

album 5: An every man, making honest music for everyone. I went into this thinking that I wouldn't relate to Cash's music or world. But he really is just that down to earth, that good of a story teller and that good of a performer. The fact that this is a live performance makes it even more moving. An emotional journey, one that Cash somehow keeps light and engaging. A country album that never feels one note and explores its tool box thoroughly. favorite tracks: "Darlin' Companion" (Great June Cash Feature) , "Starville city Jail", "A boy named Sue" (fantastic story telling), "San Quentin" (just listen)

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.

8/10. It feels raw, real, and even more rebellious. it. Cash sounds completely in control, owning the moment.

Personally, I feel that the less presence of the audience and cheering there is on a live album, the better, so this album was not to my taste.

Based Cash, reminds me of the only few good times I had with my gramps— and I hated that chain smoking, binge drinking bastard. Sure the audio here ain’t great, and maybe the live performance isn’t the best, but you don’t tune into this one for either of those things. Closer to a 5 for me.

7.5/10

4/5. This is my second Cash album, my first being the live album at Folsom Prison. It's very much like the other. Cash is an iconic country/folk/blues musician, and he performs all his songs well. He works the crowd great too, just as in Folsom. You really get the live experience here. The heckling, the cheering, the personal anecdotes — there's even a reprisal of a song that the audience loved so much that they requested it once more right after it finished. Song selection is classic Cash. "I Walk the Line," "Folsom Prison Blues," "A Boy Named Sue," alongside a number of other good songs, well-known and seldom played (most interesting is a cover of a Bob Dylan song, "Wanted Man." The Wikipedia article explains that Cash and band learned the song less than a week prior. I want to disabuse any non-musicians that this is impressive or unusual for Cash — the man had this style down pat, so the worst he had to do was commit the chords and lyrics to memory, rehearse once or twice, and he likely had it done. A cumulative 60 minute investment, at most). It's a good album, all the better for its short and sweet length. Folsom's live album is a good 12 minutes longer, which makes a big positive difference when many songs share the same DNA. A great listen.

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.

What a great live album. It's vintage Cash, in a setting fit for his persona. The songs sound great, and the banter in between is top notch. I could listen to this over and over.

good

I can acknowledge that Johhny Cash is a great performer and a hugely influential musician. However, why is this album on this list? Most of the songs aren't from this record, I guarantee the studio recordings sound better than this live album, about 30% of the album is just Cash talking and dealing with hecklers, and one of the tracks is just a song from the set list played a second time. Maybe it being recorded at a prison is a bigger deal than I'm making it out to be, but I don't understand what makes this album so significant. I'm admittedly not a huge Johnny Cash fan to begin with; it's just too plain for my liking. Still though, I feel like this album is just taking up space on this list.

Cash wrote and sang some ballads I very much enjoy, but this is just cornball country music and Johnny cuttin' up for his prison pals.

Too tired to say anything but this is so essential. Cash is the coolest.

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.

fantastic music, surprisingly hilarious crowd work

feels like i was at his concert fr

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

es como elvis amoooo

One of the greatest performances ever. A man unleashed. He sings his guts out before the company of sinners.

Odd live album, short and played one song twice? Equal parts chatting and singing.

Yah Johnny rile up the crowd and play a song about how the jail sucks multiple times. Love u

5 de 5 Legendario en vivo grabado en la mencionada prisión de San Quintín, Cash se muestra como un intérprete crudo y desafiante, pero a la vez, también deja ver compasión y humor, siendo su voz y pasión, una imagen o estandarte de esperanza y rebeldía.

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

it was ok!

Yaper final boss

No me gustó

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

Malardo que es live muy cortado no me gusto, si no fuese live eran 2 estrellas pero live la re baja

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.

This is a GOAT. But much else to be said

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

A live album that bares all: Johnny's spirit, oeuvre, attitude, and his incredible singing voice. The double "San Quentin" run is the highlight for me.

The songs are great, the singing is great, the banters are fun and the vibe of the show is mindblowing. When he sings San Quentin twice, it's feels electric.

La voz de Johnny siempre me parecerá una de las más increíbles que existen; sexy, profunda, melódica… Me encanta él, aunque este album no es uno de mis favoritos

Johnny Cash in a prison. Badass.

Приємна музика, 3,5

What a great album!! Loved it!

Hello. He's Johnny Cash.

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

Not the best way to listen to johnny cash or even johnny cash in prison but it’s good and funny

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

Superb. Brilliant songs and very funny in between

San Quintin sucks i guess

This was so fun, I loved how much crowd interaction was captured on this.

Classic Johnny Cash.

Seems like a cool hang

I should listen to some random album he did that sucks because so far it’s just bangers. I do think having back to back the same okay song is pretty fucking dumb lol

Cash fucking rules, I can only think of one current country/americana artist who’s played a prison in the last decade. No skips.

You can tell by his voice that he had a big peen

7/10… country / wild west / *1969

No me cabe mucho el country mas que es un vivo del 69, osea el audio ahi decente pero me siento un viejo del antiguo oeste, igual jhonny cash leyenda

8/10

Fantastic, slightly inferior to Folsom Prison

Hann er sjarmerandi kallinn

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

#324/1001. Feels like I already treated it. Oh, it was Folsom's. Would it have been heresy to include a double album of both gigs? Now waiting for På Österåker.

Pretty good, cash is a classic

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.

No es de mi agrado el género de música

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.

No es lo mío, no me gustó 🤷🏽‍♀️

Que personajazo el johnny cash loco. Un disco grabado en una prision. Una hermosura. Los comentarios que se escuchan de los presos, los chistazos que se tira. Una alegría esto. Muy bonito. Guardado.

2.5 - Not bad but little re-listen value

***A good album