At San Quentin

1. uuanted - 2 2. uureck - 1.5 3. line - 2 4. darlin - 1.5 5. ztarkville - 2 6. zan - 2 7. quentin - 2 8. zue - 2 9. valley - 1.5 10. bluez - 2.5

Pretty gold album in the jail series.

Johnny Cash is a cool dude and a music legend - no question - but it seems redundant to have this on the list since it came out after and is not as captivating a performance as At Folsom Prison. I’m not even really into the title track and he plays it twice back to back lol.

I love Johnny Cash. And this album really shows how big his heart and soul were. The connection he makes with his audience is intimate & empathetic. Musically, this is not his best work -/ it’s hard to get the best in any live venue performance, let alone in a prison hall. Also, the dialogue is all interesting and touching, but, if you’re listening for music, the talking becomes a distraction (think of listening to this album twice in a row). It’s a 3. I hope there are other Johnny Cash albums to review on this list.

Who's listening in 2025???? I'm usually not a big fan of live albums, it's ok.

Better than the Folsom Prison live album we had awhile back. Better songs, and generally enjoyed the repartee with the audience. The novelty song A Boy Named Sue (by She’ll Silverstein) was his highest charting pop Top 40 hit at #2, a far better novelty song than Chuck Berry’s only #1 hit My Ding-A-Ling, which we had in Heardle the other day.

Not a huge fan of a live album, but as far a Johnny Cash goes - Folsom Prison is the better. Not sure why this one was chosen (assuming FP isn’t also in the list). Great set list, recording quality comes and goes, it’s ok.

What makes this album unique is the banter from Johnny between songs. He's a heck of an entertainer, not just musician. I like the songs better on Folsom Prison Live, but this is a fun listen as well. 3.5/5.

Trop bien. Je ne connaissais ni ce live ni le premier du même genre at folsom prison en 1968. Et je réalise que l'excellent film Walk the line à déjà 20 ans.

Mixed feeling. I like the guy, I like his overall work but clearly this album doesn't do him justice. It's very short for a start, with a song that is played twice. Not the best material from Cash, a part from the famous "walk the line", but then again, the audio is crap. It's interesting though that he chose to do concerts in these tough prisons, long before Bertrand Cantat ;-p. I love the speech with sentences like "can you pass me the book with all the songs I stole" or a bit far fetched :"you kow they wanted me to do this songs aand that.. but no, Me, I want t do wat I want and what you want so.. Walk the line". Wanted man is Quite a nice song St Quentin. It's a nice touch to make a song specialy for them and it was ppreciated. But twice the same short song... A Boy named Sue, Great story, it coyld be made in a short moovie or a comic. The song was first sang on this concert, reading the lyrics on a paper as the band improvised. At the end what I was most disapointed about was that we can't hear - as often lives by the likes of the Beatles at the same period - the girls screaming. ;-p

Nice music, easy listening and what an atmosphere for this live in jail

cool

no no no

I like Johnny Cash. He's earned his place in the pantheon of great Country artists. His performances at Folsom and San Quentin are legendary. But on a fundamental level these recordings are only mildly enjoyable as a listener in 2025.

I guess we're doing the Cali prison tour. It's a weird album, he does one song twice and an abbreviated Folsom Prison Blues.

Not quite my tempo, vocal style is perhaps too twangy and not graceful enough for me.

He and his musicians had great energy at this concert, and the music is great as always. The talking parts were a bit too excessive, though, and the mixing wasn't the greatest either - I preferred At Folsom Prison to this.

Pretty classic Johnny Cash.

Pretty sure ive listened to that one a few times before. The awful sound distracts me quite a bit. But A boy named Sue alone is worth it.

13/02/2025

Неплохо, люди в восторге, но слушать я это не буду

Entertaining record of historical concert, but I wouldn't listen to it again as a complete package, except for "San Quentin" and "Boy Named Sue". Generally too much chatter and audience noise. Loses a star for bleeping out "rude" words.

shout out to the person who posted about this on Reddit the same day I had it generated Really solid live album although not as iconique as Folsom

I wasn't sure if we needed two Johnny Cash prison albums, and I was right. Totally fine, but not essential.

I found the album kinda boring, especially the repetitive base and Johnny's weird demeanor.

-1 for bleeping the rude words.

1. "Wanted Man" 3,4 2. "Wreck of the Old 97" 3,2 3. "I Walk the Line" 3,8 4. "Darling Companion" 3 5. "Starkville City Jail" 2,6 1. "San Quentin" 4 2. "San Quentin" (performed a second time at the audience's request) 3. "A Boy Named Sue" 4 4. "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley" 3,7 5. "Folsom Prison Blues" 3,4 Average 3,46

Good

Timeless 👌🏼 Loved it, easy listening even with two kids in the background telling me I have terrible taste in music

short and classic Cash

Johnny Cash sure does like to perform at prisons, doesn't he? This is the third album of his (that I know of) that was recorded at a prison. I guess it's befitting of an "outlaw country" artist. I've never been much of a Johnny Cash fan, but I certainly agree with his inclusion on this project. And while I have certainly had my fill of live albums on this project, I think there is something special about Johnny Cash singing live, at a prison. He seems to come alive in this setting; it adds and enhances the imposing air that was already a core part of his persona. There is a lot of funny and interesting interaction between him and the prisoners, as well. Anyway, not a fave, but certainly enjoyable.

nice storytelling kinda format. old man has a great voice

It was ok

I haven't listened to Johnny Cash before and I'm not a big fan of country music, but this album was actually alright. I love the banter between the songs. He had a great sense of humor

3.5

Cash er en af de få der kan tilføre country den nerve der gør at jeg syntes det bliver interessant. Langt fra alle hans sange, heller ikke på dette album, har det. Men når de har det, som Sam Quantin og A Boy Named Sue, så kan de noget helt særligt.

Great fun, low quality live audio

Wreck of the Old 97 reminds me of Charlie on the MTA Songs all kind of sound the same to me. Nothing that I love. Folsom Prison Blues is very good.

very enjoyable live album

A couple of stand outs, I ended up listening to the live version (37 min). Not really my thing but I can tell he was a great performer

wonderful voice

When this album arrived this morning my immediate thought was that I’ve had this one. But checking back that was the Folsom Prison album I’d had previously. Listening through I think there is very little difference between the two. But that is a good thing as the fun, banter, gallows humour etc just carries on. Even has Boy Named Sue on it which I covered when I reviewed Folsom Prison. My reservations about entertaining hardened criminals when they are in clink for a reason still remains but as this album as now reached historical value who am I to argue (and probably most of the participants be they goodies or baddies are now probably dead) 3/5 13/1/25

A classic sounding album. It doesn't really move me personally, but I appreciate it.

Great classic album and really cool that it was live at san Quentin. I've heard a lot of Cash before so not much more to write than that I really like it!

Schönes Album. Auch, wenn ich Livealben sind so zugetan bin.

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. 3.5.

Prefer live at Folsom

I hate live albums. I really hate live albums. I love JC, and really enjoy his interactions with the crowd, and some songs just sound right with him infront of inmates. I want to like this more than I do :(

Nice

More ragged than “Folsom,” seems to better capture a live event. Music otherwise the same.

Ja oké, goed live album, maar dan vooral voor de live versie van A Boy Named Sue. At Folsom Prison is tijdlozer. 3.1

As much as I love Johnny Cash, this record is just way too short on content, with long breaks between every song and one song being played twice.

Sam Quentin is a good album, but falls in the shadow of Folsom Prison. It just lacks a certain energy that Folsom had. I did still enjoy the album, however, and songs like A Boy Named Sue and San Quentin are certainly highlights. Best Songs: San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue, Peace in the Valley Worst Songs: Wreck of the Old 97

It feels more like an important historical document than an great album.

Johnny Cash. It must be good. Coming from someone who doesn’t love country music.

I can generally leave or take Johnny. I don't care much for live albums ... but this is good fun. It captures what must be a weirdly giddy atmosphere really well.

I mean I can see how this was important and maybe even ground breaking at the time, but I don't think I'll ever have to hear that again. Though I remember my Dad playing "A Boy Named Sue" for me years ago... So that has a fun nostalgia for me.

Enjoyed his interactions with audience.

Obviously a huge event (I’ve seen walk the line) and great voice, but music is more interesting for historical value than things I’d listen to again

Dude passed at 71 twenty-one years ago and his 72nd record came out this year. Respect! Great record, tense but also serene

Not a huge fan. Cash is obviously charming and his crowd work is exceptional. I think the songs are alright though they don't stick with me particularly.

Didn't we already listen to this? It's Cash. It's great. It's still not my thing. Once again surprised by the acoustics in the prison cafeteria.

most of this albums half hour runtime is just Cash speaking to the audience. He's good at it sure but I dont have any connection to him so Im mostly interested in the music, which is decent but far too short. Also the fact that there is a reprise of a song immediately after it is played just feels cheap. Maybe I would like this more if I was a big fan of Cash but Im not. I did enjoy a few songs but as a whole Im not very enthralled by this.

It was a good listen. 3*

Probably a little too short, and that includes the song San Quentin being played twice in a row, on the other hand it's a nice quick listen and Cash's interactions with the crowd is very funny at times

One of the better country singers with some very recognizable tunes. Still not a fan of the genre but he was a decent singer.

I mean it’s fun and it sounds like they are all having a blast. This is one album where the live part actually enhances the listening experience. It’s not something I’d listen to on the regular though. And as others have said, why are there two of his prison albums on this?

I need to be in a certain mood for this record, which I know well. On it’s day, it really hits the spot. Today maybe not that day, which is perhaps a general reflection of how I feel about it.

Another prison concert album? Did this man tour exclusively at prisons or something? I don't know a thing about Folsom or San Quentin prisons but why are criminals treated to a show and why was it recorded not once but twice and at two separate prisons? I have so many questions and not enough answers. Anyways, this one is fine I guess. Folsom was better. Any other prison concert albums I should know about?

A great artist and a great piece of history. The track list is pretty strong, but honestly I just don’t really like live albums.

I LOVE Johnny Cash. I remember listening to it on 8 track tapes in my dad’s car as a kid. To have a musician tour prisons to perform is so mind blowingly awesome. Imagining what those gigs must have felt like for inmates. Johnny Cash was such a proper bloke that understood the misadventures of men. Great to hear

3.5 good

Good. I think melodically a lot of the songs of carbon copies of one another, but man could he hold a room. And really hold his own in a room of hardened criminals. Really impressive charisma. My top 3: 3. Wanted Man 2. Starkville City Jail 1. San Quentin

I really like this album. The banter between Cash and the audience is the classic concert experience, but I must wonder does this list need two Johnny Cash prison albums? I can think of at least one or two Cash albums that could fit in here. 3.5/5

Classic, but live at Folsom Prison has ruined this one for me. Because that one is way better energy than this one.

not as good as the other one, but maybe im just in a bad mood

Americans getting boners - live

I think the talking between songs is the highlight of this live album. I don't know anything about Johnny Cash but that gives me a peek into his personality as a performer. Also what an interesting place for an album recording! Unfortunately the music was just alright, so this gets a 3.

That was such a cool conceptual live album. I don't like country music at all, but because Johnny was constantly engaging and interacting with the crowd, it felt more like I was listening to a western movie rather than a country album.

Boomer prison country

Bro chats a lot

Not a fan of live albums. Some great songs though

Felt historical, might not revisit but felt significant. 6.5/10

I'm not a big JC fan, but I enjoyed the between-song chat, captures the atmosphere so well.

This album was good fun and I really enjoyed listening. I much preferred it to the Folsom Prison album which popped up on here recently mainly because there were a few songs I knew already. Favourite song, Starkville City Jail..... $36 for picking dandelions 🤣

back in prison AGAIN! JK, this is good.

Great live album. Cash knows how to play to a crowd. 3.5/5

Liked the banter and can see why this had had the impact it did at the time

I had the Folsom Prison one just 5 days ago, and with that, I'm now done with all of the two Johnny Cash albums in the current edition of 1001AYMHBYD. Okay. Seems like Cash's music is only considered an essential listen with the help of a prison live concert's spectacle ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Which, frankly, I'm not going to disagree with.

Good album for sure, feels historic, but not my cup of tea.

Suspect this album is on the list because of the novelty of it's recording rather than the quality of the actual songs. Only a couple of these I'd class as Cash's best work. That being said I was impressed with the quality given it's a live album.

Je kunt er niet om heen om dit album te vergelijken met zijn voorganger, ''At Folsom Prison''. En om met de deur in huis te vallen, die is gewoon wat iconischer. Het assortiment aan nummers op die plaat is legendarisch, en bevat een aantal van mijn favoriete Cash songs. Deze is wat fletser, maar desalniettemin druipt het charisma van Johnny en de chemie tussen hem en de bajesklanten er vanaf. En zeg nou zelf, zou er iemand anders zo goed klikken met een zootje schurken en bandieten? Ik vind dat June Cash wel wat meer aanwezig mocht zijn, want die country ballads met haar zijn altijd wel speciaal. Desalniettemin staan er best wat sterke solo efforts op met 'Starkville City Jail' - die me deed denken aan John Prine -, 'San Quentin', en het hoogtepunt 'A Boy Named Sue'. Niet een onvergetelijke luisterbeurt, maar wat moest dit een lijpe ervaring zijn geweest voor het gevangenisvolk dat weinig had om naar uit te kijken. 6,5/10 Highlights: Starkville City Jail San Quentin A Boy Named Sue

Iconisch concert van Cash in zijn prison-reeks. Uniek idee en ook gewoon erg vermakelijk album. Zijn stem is natuurlijk fantastisch en hij windt de gevangenen met een paar kleine brom-grapjes om zijn vingers. Mooi om te horen, pure klasse. De nummertjes op het album zijn verder vrij simpel en niet super boeiend. Ik zal dit niet vaak voor de lol opzetten, maar krijgt een prima score. 7/10 Highlights Wanted Man Boy named Sue

more fun for his stage banter than for the songs necessarily, good tho

first: you pretentious boring **ck. then: ok, actually, you're quite funny and charismatic. and you play in a prison...

Great voice

This album is very unique and I can see why it's on this list. I enjoyed the live performance. Only wished they didn't bleep out all the cuss words lol

Cash had obvious charisma neutered by the variety show feel of this too-brief recording.

3.5 a classic if a little contrived.

More of a cultural artifact than a stunning musical performance.

The concept is a bold one and it teeters on the edge of acceptability for this list. But it is still a live album regardless of the location. Nonetheless this is more than fine example of the artist as a musician and a performer. It is clear that the audience are in thrall and it is down to the man.

Interesting to listen once probably not a repeat

Its mid 5/10

No soy fan del country, pero Juanito Dineros lo hace serio.

Pretty great.

Good for the grill party

Nice, but I think you should've been there

Historic gig but I much prefer Cash when he was old and broken

Love Johnny Cash, great songs but giving this album a 3 because I can’t get my head round the different versions so I have no idea which one I was supposed to listen to.

Another Johnny cash album and similar to the others , it's just ok . I don't feel it's either good or bad , though it is better than my last one, At Folsom Prison.

Sehr Johnny Cash, mir zu eintönig auf die Länge. ***

Seems even more radical now to release a series of live albums recorded in prisons.

Nobody does it like Johnny Cash straight up. I think I both love and hate live albums it's cool to hear the snippets between tracks of Johnny talking to the crowd. Though it'll hurt any relistens or playlist additions. honestly though. These are not definitive editions of these songs he has studio recordings of all of them so. Doesn't really matter I think. Was a cool album just wish it was a little more polished.

The crowd work done by Cash really carries this album. The vibe is almost haunting to me

7/8/24. Really fun live album that showcases Johnny Cash's unique sound and presence, among the signature backdrop of a prison crowd.

San Quentin

As someone who is very much not fan of live albums, this one at least has an argument for why it should exist. And the Johnny Cash Prison Album definitely has earned its place in history. Outside of all that, if you're going to make a live album, it has to mean something as a live performance, include improvisation, or be arranged and performed so that a live version on record still sounds good. This clearly hits two of those, so I'm putting it in the group of live albums that "work." I don't think any of the individual recordings can supplant his studio records, though. Which makes it pretty difficult to score.

he's cool, should check out other albums

Really cool to see an insight into these prison live shows. There’s something very real and raw, yet it also feels quite staged and somehow cinematic. The music itself is ok, but I guess the Folsom Prison recording is the more iconic and seminal piece of musical history. Fave Tracks: Wanted Man, San Quentin, Folsom Prison Blues 3.3/5

I love Johnny Cash, but somehow his live albums are not my favourite. It’s not bad tho

Decent romp, never been a huge fan of live albums but Cash sounds great on this.

first listen. I mean I've known all these songs before but this is the first time I listened to this record. It was ok but I'm not the biggest fan of live albums.

Very good

This project is making me appreciate country music. Mr. Cash is such a quintessential country sound and makes for an entertaining night. This record has me feeling as if I’m part of the audience. His charisma and candor are charming and irreplaceable. Great record.

I like Johnny Cash. This is ok.

This was interesting. More about his banter than the actual performance or the songs. I get he’s an icon but his music is pretty boring.

Good album. Really enjoyed the causal realness of Cash’s stage presence. Songs were mostly good. 3.5/5 Might listen again

3.5

johnny cash's older stuff seems so simple to me i dont understand what makes it so respected. its fun, sure, but every song has the exact same structure and rhythm. 6/10

live jonny chase rahhhhh

Favourite song - A boy named sue

"I wrote a new song that doesn't have any substance and could be about any prison really but you're going to like it anyway because I wrote it for you. Also despite it clearly being the weakest song in the set I'm going to play it twice." I don't know. The man has a few good off-the-cuff lines between songs, but the crowd seems to be feeding on an energy that isn't being brought by Cash, who sounds like he's just going through the motions. Maybe you just had to be there.

50% music, 50% yap

Half live record / half comedy record

This asshole out here pandering like he’s runnin’ for office.

Live album.

the first few songs werent that good but i liked his stage presence and how cheerful the prisoners were

Sooo good, loved the insight into his life when he was talking inbetween songs. I listened to it on the way home from work, and before going out with savanna and ellie, ellie requested we listen to A Boy Named Sue....magical coincidence. I'd never heard that song before Friday.

Un vivo de Johnny. Ameno, charlita, corta la bocha.

DNF. Es war nett aber ich glaube nach dem anderen Prison Album hittet das nicht mehr so doll

Not one of his best, but, not a bad album at all from Johnny Cash. His live albums are always fun.

Some good ole yeehaw! I am still not a country fan but Johnny Cash is alright - he is actually hilarious and my favourite parts were his audience interaction.

I've never listened to this album and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's well done, varied, if a little long.

Solid Cash. Playing at the prisons is such a randomly cool thing. Love A Boy Names Sue. I'll never understand playing 2 songs back to back though. I've hated when I've seen it live and I hate it here. Also the censors are a bit jarring. High 3.

I mean it's not that different to the Folsom prison album but it's still Johnny. It's more like a documentary of life on Death Row than a music LP. Riveting.

Not his best in the series of jailhouse concerts

Un poco rollo.

Another great live Johnny cash album, high 3.

I'd probably give this a 3.5, if I could. I love Johnny Cash, but I don't feel this is the best showcase of him. It shows his personality and attitude, at least at a certain time in a certain environment. However, I think there are many other albums of his I'd put before this one, including his recording at Folsom and the albums he did at the end of his life.

Un poco rollo.

This was fun, but probably wouldn't listen to again

Good album, but it is not for me.

This was unique. A stand up set in the middle of 9 songs, 1 of which is repeated back to back. Worth it for the listen, but probably not essential Cash.

Really good!

Hard not to like the man (the crowd certainly seems to), but the schtick does get a bit old. The title cut, written for the occasion, if one follows the meandering storytelling, is no great shakes and nearly as obvious as all the jokes.

OK

Johnny Cash does excellent stage banter + a couple pretty good songs.

The prison albums are cool to listen to every now and then and are generally recorded well, but all the stage banter prevents repeat listens. Still has any other artist had the guts to play for a crowd as rough as a bunch of men in prison? Who could? Only Johnny Cash had those balls. Those were his people. And despite their shortcomings he brought them a little bit of rebellious joy. These albums actually may have been better as movies so you could see the crowd interact. While it isn't something I'm going to necessarily pull up for repeat listens on a whim, the concept was unique enough to warrant a good rating and they actually sound decent. It's fun to transport yourself to a prison full of rough and rowdy cooped up men getting an hour of entertainment from one of the roughest country music singers in the middle of your years of imprisonment.

This kind of bouncy, alternating bassline country music really isn't my thing musically, BUT JC had a gorgeous voice and charisma in bucketloads. He tells a fine yarn, both during the songs and between them. It was clearly a memorable day for all.

Really enjoyed this journey into another time, another place.

Average Johnny Cash performance with a cool twist because it was performed at the jail itself for the inmates. Standouts: Starkville City Jail, San Quentin (Reprise), and Folsom Prison Blues.

Cash’s personality is on full display but the songs don’t hit as hard as I would like. I need to see the alternative reality where he pursued stand-up.

Not a huge fan of live albums and there was a fair bit of talking, but it was a nice album overall

This is conceptually perhaps the coolest album ever. The vibes are great and the banter is a lot of fun. But the music itself is just OK. Wanted to like it more than I do, ultimately.

I've listened to this a few times. Still prefer the Folsom album. He sounds a little rough on this recording but the band is on fire during this performance. Well worthy of a listen.

Folsomin vankilassa ja Mies tulee ympäri albumissa parempi tunnelma.. vaikka vangit huutavatkin hurjasti täällä... ja Cash on hauska... Ja kitara on epävireessä.. Ja tapahtuma on kerta kaikkisen lavastettu........................

This is pretty novel for the fact there's a bunch of rapists and murderers hollering in the background

I listened to a few but will likely watch the recording on yt instead. It sounded like standard Cash. 3.4

Fine for a live album, but much less enjoyable than Cash usually is.

3.4

I love me some Johnny Cash, but this is the third album on the list I've come across, one of which was a cover album and the other two are live at prisons. Hoping to get an actual album like One Piece At A Time and not a live from Walla Walla album on his prison tour.

What a shithouser!

Although I'm not a huge Johnny Cash fan, you've got to love this album. I love the under his breath comments he makes to the prisoners, you can tell he understands where they are.

At San Quentin is a pretty alright live album. The quality of the music was fairly high and Johnny Cash's stage presence was always fun and charismatic. My big problems with this album mostly stem from the fact that the songs aren't long enough and in most cases, don't give enough time to really sink in, and most of the other ones stem from the fact that this is a live album and it is at it's best when you were actually there but is kinda wonky when it is turned into an album. These problems are mostly givens when it comes to live albums so this is not an exclusive problem to this album so its not enough to really bring it down. Best Song: A Boy Named Sue Worst Song: San Quentin (Reprise)

I wanted to just listen to the music I didn't need all the bits in between, like I don't need to hear you asking if the guitar is in tune. Music when he played was good, but you can't play the same song twice in a row and count it as two tracks on an album. I feel like I had a visual recording of this I probably would have scored it slightly higher.

Being in my 70’s I have a different perspective on this album's place historically. Johnny made a habit of playing prison concerts for free which was cool a lot of his hits are available on this album and since it is also live with the usual interactions that happens with a live audience adds to the spontaneous nature of this show if I was a bigger fan of this form of country music I might have given it a 4 because of of its historical significance

This was fun to listen to and I think the stage banter elevated it. I thought the songs themselves were good but not great!

If I had a nickel for every album that I've gotten on here that involved Johnny Cash performing at a prison I would have 10 cents, which isn't a lot but it's kind of weird that it's happened twice. At Folsom Prison was album #13 for me, so back at it 146 albums later. This one came out a year after At Folsom Prison. A brief sidebar to note how odd it is that he decided to do a whole series of prison performances. And then write songs about how much it would suck to be a prisoner there. I can't even imagine the social media firestorm that would happen if Taylor Swift or someone decided to do a prison concert series today, the internet would explode. Like At Folsom Prison, I think there's a ton of value in this as a cool piece of history. Hearing him interact with the crowd in the live setting is a pretty interesting historical record to have. I think I like this quite a bit less than At Folsom Prison though. For starters, it's only 34 minutes total and I didn't count but probably 40% of that is random crowd noise or him talking. He also performs the song "San Quentin" twice, so there's only 9 unique songs on here. It comes across as really disjointed from a musical perspective. They also censored some of the songs on here with really annoying loud beeps, which I get probably wasn't his decision but is still jarring. On the positive side, it does have a few a couple of iconic Cash songs like "Walk the Line" and "A Boy Named Sue". He generally sounds good, though I read somewhere that he sounds "tired" on this record, and I think I agree with that. It feels a little less engaging than At Folsom Prison. I find these prison albums really hard to rate, since I think they're a little annoying musically but really interesting from a music history perspective. I tend to lean towards rating is as an album not a history piece, and I like this less than At Folsom Prison, so my rating reflects this. Favorite song: I Walk the Line Other: Wanted Man, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue 3/5/24

it’s a performance in a prison. music resonate with people in the jail a lot, everyone was really just having fun and laughing and enjoying a slight bit of humour in the strict life of prison really achieved one of the the purpose of music or performing, it’s to bring people together and make them feel easier about life and stuff

Música para hacer un viaje por carretera a un bosque alpino.

Good live album wanted more grit

Nice to know he would do that for the incarcerated

He's a great showman, he works the crowd well. The stories that preface the tracks enhance them a bunch. Cash's vocal feels pretty flat sometimes but it picks up as the show goes on. The backing is strong but not that diverse. It felt a bit underwhelming, though the big moments did shine. It felt heavily edited.

This album was a meh for me. wasnt fantastic but wasnt awful

While not as consistently entertaining as his previous prison live album, the legendary country singer knows how to create an engaging live scene, while appearing just as laid back as he is talented.

I like Johnny Cash, but I don't like live albums.

The audience certainly seemed to enjoy it! While I recognize the quality of this, it's not really my thing though.

It's definitely a different album than Folsom Prison. They are not the same album. It's good to hear a clip of Cash live and the cool stage banter, but I'm not sure what it provides beyond that? Is there something intensely musically important? American V seems like a better choice.

The songs were good and Cash has a great personality.

Really nice and wholesome record. It’s so cool how he engages with the prisoners and fully involved them in the act.

Good album, but At Folsom Prison is better in all aspects. It has a great rendition of I Walk the Line though.

i dont like live music albums but i do enjoy the music. its fun and lots of instruments. kind of repetitive, a lot of the songs sounded very similar

It must have been awesome to witniss such a concert in jail; listening to it as a record is nice but not more than that.

Fun recording. Dumb that they censored parts of it.

Honestly, I didn’t think I was a big fan of Johnny Cash, but I enjoyed this album. I liked seeing his personality.

Entertaining to listen to, but nothing I would play again for fun.

I usually prefer live albums, and I understand that this is from 1969, but not a fan of the quality of the recording. I know most of these songs and like the songs.

fun show!

This was a great listen! The toe-tapping, and handclapping was out of control! It sounds like it would have been an amazing concert to have attended. What a performer - I was familiar with about 1/3 of this albums songs and I listened to it all morning! Loved it!

I'd love to hear this if I was in prison - what an atmosphere he created! (fingers crossed in never go to prison though!) While I'm not a huge fan of the style of music or Johnny Cash, I did start to get into it on a second listen through. I found the bleeps a bit distracting and don't think its an amazing recording (which is fair enough, it'd be pretty hard within that kind of space and at that time I imagine), but that aside from that it was pretty alright.

I keep hearing more and more Johnny Cash and I like it a little more every listen.

Ok kantri album

So great to listen to in full, the way he interacts with the crowd is great. I don’t think any song particularly will stick with me too much, but great album in totality. 3

It's definitely unique that Cash was able to set up these performances in prisons. It's neat that the recording includes not just the songs but also the banter. Cash is really good at working up the crowd (pandering?). If he wasn't a musician, he could be a good standup comic. I know several of his songs and I think they're fine. But somehow it still doesn't rise above a 3-star for me. The music is 100% Americana, which I appreciate.

Country certainly isn't my favourite genre, but Cash's charisma and personality really stood out and captivated me throughout the album

Track 1: fun song. Track 2: I like the crowd interaction he has. Track 3: Classic song. Track 4: fun little duet Track 5: funny song and I like hearing the laughs in the back. Track 6: good song and applied to everyone there. Track 7: just the same song Track 8: okay song Track 9: I like the slow vibe to this one and the background guitar. Track 10: classic. Overall: 5.7/10. It’s a good album but it’s kinda just in the middle but Cash is definitely a legend.

Another fun live album.

Not as good as Folsom.

Love albums are not typically my thing, but I enjoyed the banter and the songs as well

Good stuff

Man there is a lot of interaction with the crowd.

I've heard songs from this album a lot but never really sat down and listened to it all in one go, enjoyed it even more that way.

Fulsom Prison Blues part 2. Good live album.

3.5

I'm sure it's a great album if you like the genre, but it's not my cup of tea. But I really enjoyed the spoken parts, made you feel like you were part of the audience.

Nice listen

Nothing against Johnny Cash's idea of recording a live album in prison, but it wasn't as exciting for me as it might been for the inmates.

Cash has a great voice. Deep and smooth. I can see why he is so well known in the country genre. I appreciate the lyrical content of the songs under the context that he's singing to a group of dangerous prison inmates. He controls the crowd well, is comedic, and has good energy. Where the set falls short for me is how simple the music is. A little bit of background vocals and a bass guitar. But it's mostly just acoustic guitar strumming and Cash talking/half singing.

As far as this style of albums go, its pretty good,

6.5

ok, not my favorite but I get it

Bit rambling

When i first saw it i didnt want to listen to it, but it wasnt half bad.

This doesnt have quite the fire that Folsom Prison does, though the reprise of San Quentin is nice. A Boy Named Sue is a great tune.

A Boy Named Sue is amazing. Told perfectly. The rest is kind of the same as what he did at Folsom. Good, but done before.

AJ: Legend. Legendary.

"San Quentin, I hate every inch of you." The audio quality of this album is good given the time and location. Thankfully the banter between Johnny and the audience remains. I can't add more to what is already been said by many. This is an important live recording. Overall: 6/10

It’s Johnny Cash singing about cocaine and prison time despite not spending any time doing time. Concept is cool for its time but not sure it holds up. Album did grow on me after a few listens specifically the songs “A boy named Sue” and “Darlin Companion”. I do think it is META to perform songs that’s like Fuck San Quentin Prison in San Quentin prison. In truth this is 2.5 for me but since I can’t do half ratings I’ll round up.

Johnny Cash comes off so cool on this album, man. He's quick to a joke, he is so blunt that his aggressiveness also comes off as super charming, and he just deserves the title of "the man in black." I do wish I liked country music as a whole more, as the music here doesn't grab me too much, but when it comes to being a live album, I can't imagine the audience to performer contact gets much better, and I just like it on that alone.

Fun, second to folsom prison blues. Boy named sue on it. 5/10

Couple great songs and the between song banter is pretty good but not as good as Fulsom.

Lyder virkelig som om at det var en fed koncert at spille og jeg kan måske godt forstå at den her plade er på listen..

A nice collection of live Johnny Cash songs, but as much as I enjoy hearing Johnny banter, there was way more talk than singing for my taste.

Finally a true country album. This album is fine, but I feel like it’s only held in any regard because of the Folsom Prison album, which is far superior. But Johnny Cash is a legend for a reason. And we get A Boy Named Sue. Carl Perkins is on this album and if you listen to the Legacy Version, you can hear a great version of Blue Suede Shoes.

For the good vibes but i wouldnt really listen to this again

more like a 3.5

There seem to be a surprisingly large amount of albums conserved to be essential that also happen to be live Johnny Cash albums. Live albums in general seem fairly sparse, so to have multiple all by one artist is very unusual. However, I have enjoyed each one so far, so let’s see how today’s goes. Songs I already knew: I Walk The Line, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues Favourites: A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues Although this album was enjoyable, I honestly don’t understand why both this as well as At Folsom Prison are both considered essential, when they both deliver very similar experiences. If I’d heard this first, I’d likely have enjoyed this a lot more and Folsom a lot less. Basically, everything in my previous review still stands. He has good crowd banter, a good voice, and good rockabilly sensibilities. I just don’t understand why both albums were released.

3 stars, I would have to listen more attentively to the lyrics. Folk is not my style aprarrently...

Starkville City Jail e A Boy Named Sue são ótimas! É notório que San Quentin é a favorita da plateia. O álbum é bem divertido.

Se que es bueno aunque no es mi tipo de musica

Leuk!

Decent album. Listened to this as a kids because my Dad had it. Usual tunes from Cash, but sound better live and with the environment they were in, sounds even better

It's a historical recording that's worth listening to of course. Yet I can't help feeling that having *Folsom Prison* AND *San Quentin* in such a list is a little overkill, as much of a fan of Cash's booming voice as I am. And if you had to select only ONE of his "prison concerts", *Folsom* is the one to choose, obviously. I also sense that Johnny's natural swagger sometimes becomes a little "forced" for that particular prison gig (Am I the only listener to sense this? I'd be curious to know...). I understand that he was wary of that English TV crew shooting the performance--to the point that he feels the need to mention them during the proceedings (and also flip the bird at them--at least according to that famous picture!). Somehow, my feelers tell me that Cash was a little ill-at-ease that day--as if the whole thing was much more of a burden to him compared to his previous similar experience. Maybe some listeners appreciate those confrontational undertones... But as far as I'm concerned, I think I prefer his more elated mood for the Folsom gig. Then again, the presence of June Carter and the other guests is admittedly a huge plus that *Folsom* can't boast about. So I'm still in two minds over all this--at least when it comes to *San Quentin*'s mention in a list of essential albums. But maybe i'm just in a bad mood as well today, who knows? Waiting to see if this record grows on me in the future... 3/5 for the purposes of this list (at least for now). Which translates to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 379 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 282 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 148 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 200

Maybe I've missed smth but this was not all that: it just seems like a pretty average live record to me. As country goes it's definitely one of the better albums, Johnny Cash himself is always a solid bet, it never caught my attention tho. From the start it sounded like some average vintage country music which you could find at any pub band night. Definitely was expecting more but overall it was slap bang in the middle, not good or bad.

Country but still some decent songs, wouldn't listen to them regularly though

I don't listen to live albums often and in this case I think it added to the experience rather than if it was a normally-recorded tracklist. Cash's charisma really shone through and the interactions with stage crew/band/audience were entertaining. I feel like I can hear the Shel Silverstein behind A Boy Named Sue. Want to be in situations in my life where I can kick back and throw music like this on. 6/10

Live recording give the album an energetic and intimate feeling. Political as heck.

I don’t love country. BUT this makes me think about my family history. I think I remember my mom saying that her parents listened to a lot of Johnny Cash. So it makes me think of them and the past. This album came out in 1969, when my parents were 4. Crazy. - I like I Walk The Line - The songs are nice and short 😂 - Darlin’ Companion is cute when his wife June Carter joins him - since it’s a live album, all of his commentary and the crowd etc is cool. A lot of commentary. He has an amazing voice even just speaking. So deep and rich. - I do see some of the common roots of country and blues. Some of the bass lines and tunes are quite bluesy - very interesting. I don’t know that I need to listen again, but I’m glad I did one.

Solid live album

I love that he did performances in prisons. Classic songs and excited audiences.

Cool to hear him live, and hear him talking with the inmates.

Wow. The most personal I’ve heard Johnny Cash. I guess maybe I’ve never listened to this in full, but his banter between his mumbling jokes about needing a drink or getting his dope are very unhinged. Love hearing him just go right into songs and telling stories. Not the best live record but fun to listen to in a car. Not something I’d want to put on at home often. This is a well known version of Boy Named Sue, which I had definitely heard this version before.

Pretty good album, not the most exciting or innovative though.

I like the idea of Johnny Cash, but the twang gave me a headache and I didn’t finish.

More interesting as a “moment” than a musical collection. It seems like Cash made a living playing prisons, and this is one of those shows. The interactions with the inmates are as interesting as the songs, but there’s an awful lot of random talk that doesn’t add anything. Even still this is only 34 minutes, and includes playing the song “San Quentin” twice. And an abbreviated version of “Folsom Prison Blues”. It leaves me wishing for more meat. Perhaps a bit more editing of the talking would’ve allowed some additional material. Overall OK, 3 of 5. I won’t be adding it to my collection. 3/5

Такая американская классика, что-то стереотипное, когда говорят про американскую авторскую песню Но прикольно слушать, как зал смеётся, живо реагирует, как артист разговаривает с публикой Мне сложно оценивать, поставлю серединку

A few cool little diddies. 5/10

While not as popular as the live at Folsom album, San Quentin is great in its own right. I particularly love the overdrive guitar tone and flourishes added to class Johnny Cash tunes. Wanted Man and San Quentin seem extra tough with it. The sped up version of some favorites isn't my favorite though.

Great performances and you can feel the special connection the audience has with the music. But I listened to the original track listing, and it really lacks in length. You can tell there’s a lot of the concert you missed out on. I’m excited to listen to fuller versions, but I enjoyed what was here already.

Ja. Johnny Cash. Niet echt wat ik snel zou opzetten. En dan ook nog live, ik houd niet zo van live albums over het algemeen. Ik vond Wreck of the Old 97 wel aardig, beetje tempo erin, fijn. Natuurlijk A Boy Named Sue, prima, maar gewoon niet echt mijn muziek. Het leukste vond ik (There'll Be) Peace in the Valley. Op een op andere manier moest ik bij dat intro denken aan een nummer van Chris Stapleton. Zijn muziek vind ik de laatste tijd wel erg nice.

3/5 Johnny Cash was a badass Riling up prisoners with basically stand up comedy San Quentin is easily the best track This version of Boy Named Sue us also the best

Johnny Cash is not a gimmick, but the live album playing at San Quentin is. I'll take the studio versions over live. I do appreciate some of the asides between songs.

This album marks a few firsts for me, with perhaps the most notable of those being my first country album of the project, my first 60s album of project, and my first live album of the project. I definitely enjoyed listening to this. This is kind of a similar thing to the previous album I reviewed, "Bossanova", where the experience of the album is better than listening to its individual songs. This is made even more prominent with this being a live album where you can hear the reactions of the audience during the transitions between songs. Honestly, the energy of the crowd and Johnny himself are what make this such a fun listen. The songs are pretty good, but they're a bit basic and not really my thing. I do really like Johnny's singing though. His voice is iconic for a good reason. What's potentially even better than the songs, however, is just the feel of the whole show. The way the crowd reacts during songs like "San Quentin" is pretty entertaining, and the way Johnny plays along, clearly knowing how the prisoners feel, is just as good. I don't like the censorship though. Overall, I liked the experience, as well as the context behind it all, but I don't really see myself listening to it again. I have a lot of respect for Johnny Cash, however. Perhaps I should've listened to the legacy edition instead. From what I've heard, the legacy edition content includes some pretty neat things involving other artists. High 3/5.

johnny cash :)

The best part of this album was the live aspect and Johnny interacting with the prisoners and the guards

Another classic that I won’t be going back to

Enjoyable but not my cup of tea

This was a right joy to listen to

awesome but makes more sense as a concert film because i don't really see myself coming back to any individual tracks

Honestly was dreading this but it wasn’t too bad! I can see why he’s influential and I didn’t hate this. His voice can get a little much after awhile, but I was okay.

Like the character of Johnny.

One of the original rebels... JC told great stories

decent album, but American IV is better

Tää liveyleisö kyllä tuo kiinnostavan lisänsä musiikkiin, vuorovaikutus on loistavaa. Eli: on hyvä meininki! Mikä ei aina edes livelevyistä välity. Hyviä kappaleitakin.

Fine sange men det er fra live koncert så der er meget klappen og diverse larm

Good concept for an album, not a huge country fan but I did find some enjoyment out of this.

Love the concept. Cool that this was recorded in a jail and was a prison blues album. For that, 3.5

Johnny cash is a classic. Really enjoyed this live set. Would give it a 3.8

It was a fun listen to. I actually recognized some of the songs on this one, so that was neat. I like the energy. My favourite song was I Walk The Line.

Gostei bastante. Johnny cash é muito irreverente e carismático. Em Sam Quentin é muito bom e deixa um gosto de quero mais.

Pretty neat. Didn’t love this one as much as his other stuff but this put me on to Johnny Cash

pretty good, relaxing and I liked the banter

Pretty good for a Johnny Cash record.

не знаю

Good

Favourites: • Wanted Man • A Boy Named Sue

Ambiance de fou

c’est juste du stand up dans les annees 50

Doesn't feel quite as full of an experience as Folsom Prison, but it's still a great listen. Part country album, part standup comedy. Hearing the crowd cheer at every vulgar lyric, or boo at any mention of the guards or wardens is hilarious every time.

6.5/10 version live. comprend pas le but de mettre des versions live. une chanson qui a jouée deux fois

Nice and interesting, because it’s Johnny Cash.

Some choose to play festivals, some choose to play prisons. I've now listened to both of the Man in Black's prison albums (At San Quentin & Live at Folsom Prison), and I enjoyed both of them. They're very similar in sound and set list, too. From the unique way in which crowds were recorded in 1969, to the bleeping of swear words, Johnny Cash's At San Quentin is a gem. I particularly enjoyed A Boy Named Sue and the song he wrote for the show, called San Quentin. Whether you were there short term, or for life imprisonment, I'm sure all of those prisoners worshipped Johnny after his show.

Enjoyed for a first listen. I wonder if the chat would be annoying on repeated listens. Liked the story telling

Cash songs tend to sound the same. He's more of a storyteller though. Easy listening album though with a good vibe and relationship between cash and the crowd. At around 30 minutes it's quite short so doesn't feel too much.

3/5. Johnny cash at his rowdiest. He did not give a damn this whole album, seemed like he had a grudge honestly, which it made it all the more funnier. The only issues I have really is that it was too short, and not all of the songs were super good choices, which made for an overall mid album. Best song: San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue

I think I enjoyed the Folsom one more

I don't usually like live albums but this one is entertaining as is the banter with the prison folk.

конъюнктурщина)) но в целом не так плохо - хотя бы не резкий вокал как у Коэна

Fun to hear Cash talk to the inmates and production was really good especially considering where it was made! Probably won’t repeat so giving it a 3.

Johnny Cash is the best