Johnny Cash at San Quentin

It’s Johnny Cash, but it’s still country. I’ll give it an extra star because I liked the movie.

not as good as some others, but great with June there!

That was fun!

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.

The tracks on this album are enough to justify a 5, but I absolutely cannot get into live albums on this list. I don't care about the crowd work, and I don't want a repeat track - that's the beauty of albums, you get to repeat the things you want.

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.

I wasn't sure if we needed two Johnny Cash prison albums, and I was right.

Totally fine, but not essential.

Один з найкращих концертних альбомів, у першу чергу завдяки енергетиці яку можна відчути і на записі, що не часто буває з концертниками. Є на вінілі.

This one surprised me. Not that I don't like Johnny Cash, I just went into it thinking it'd be just fine, a solid 3/5. Ended up finding myself enjoying it quite a bit though to the point I put it on for a second spin.
Guess it just hit the spot.

My name is Sue! How do you do?

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

It's a bit slow picking up and not as song heavy as At Folsom Prison. However, the high points here are really great. The debut of A Boy Named Sue and San Quentin, both classic songs in his catalogue are here. Less songs also means there's more room to pick up on Johnny Cash's conversations with the live crowd and his humor. Johnny Cash is a real badass and does pretty much all the heavy lifting for country musics reputation.

Maybe not quite as good as the Folsom one but still...

God, this guy was the coolest.

4/5

Fairly similar to At Folsom Prison. Good banter between songs and I like that he played San Quentin twice in a row. A like country music when it tells a story and Johnny Cash is a great storyteller. Favorites were Wanted Man, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue, and Folsom Prison Blues.

Has anyone ever been cooler than Johnny Cash in 1969? He's certainly in his element here. What a blast, raucous and riotous, with an anti-authoritarian message that still hits hard.

That moment when a song is so magical, so perfect, that it has to be played again immediately. And it doesn't get stale. Cash takes a moment to make sure all the producers and TV channels clearly understand the "fuck you" he's giving them, too. Brilliant. The only person who can outdo Johnny Cash is Johnny Cash, and he does only on At Folsom Prison.

I remember reading the liner notes in my Johnny Cash boxed set booklet, and Cash describes the feeling in the room after singing "San Quentin" the second time through. The first time through it was a bunch of cheering, but the second time through, the inmates know the song and fall into a dark brooding mood. Cash says that the tension was so strong in the room that he could've told the prisoners to riot in that moment, and they would have.

First Time I heard this album it blew my mind. It is probably the best live album I have ever heard.

Not a great live album - I know they recorded in a prison but at least try to get the production into a listenable state.

It’s Johnny Cash. His voice is so special. But honestly all the time spent with Johnny kissing up to, I mean talking to, the inmates is annoying. And the pandering San Quentin song he wrote for them is played and needlessly included twice in a row. It’s a little like a show-off bad boy frat party. Of course he plays some hits, which are always good to hear. Because it’s Johnny Cash. So never a total waste of time.