Johnny Cash+Prison=Concert.....Hm...Sounds good to me!

From "Recollections of San Quentin" in the liner notes:
"My final recollection is that during the show when I walked around the mess hall to check the vocal sound, I stopped near the back wall and for some reason, I looked up. There, about five feet over my head was a fork with food still on it stuck in the wall. Who knows how long it had been there. It kind of summed up the feelings of those inmates who no doubt wanted to be anywhere other than where they were that night, at least until Johnny Cash got there." -Lou Robin, January 2000

Johnny Cash didn't go to San Quentin for his own kicks. Who would want to endanger themselves by going to a maximum-security prison and performing before all the inmates joined together? Obviously, Johnny Cash was tough enough to. But not many others would be. He went to give the prisoners something, to pull them out for a few hours. That's what he did too, as told in the quotation from Johnny Cash at San Quentin: 1969's liner notes. Johnny Cash went in as one of them, getting to their level. (Cash himself had been arrested 7 times, for disturbing the peace, up to that point.) And he captivated the audience there. And can still captivate listeners of the album today. Of course, it didn't mean as much to me as it would've if I was in prison and this was my only enjoyment for the year. I don't expect you to either. I do expect it to entertain and inspire you in a priceless, timeless way. Keep reading to find out more...

This wasn't Johnny Cash's first prison concert. Or his first recorded prison concert. Or his first concert at San Quentin. It was his fourth visit to San Quentin, and certainly the most far-reaching of any prison concert. Johnny Cash at San Quentin: 1969 occupied No. 1 on the charts for 20 weeks, while the previous recording of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, only kept the top spot for 2. I don't own the recording at Folsom Prison, so I can't give any opinion on which is finer.

Tracks:

1.Big River
2.I Still Miss Someone
3.Wreck of the Old '97
4.I Walk the Line
5.Darlin' Companion
6.I Don't Know Where I'm Bound
7.Starkville City Jail
8.San Quentin
9.San Quentin
10.Wanted Man
11.A Boy Named Sue
12.(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley
13.Folsom Prison Blues
14.Ring of Fire
15.He Turned the Water Into Wine
16.Daddy Sang Bass
17.The Old Account was Settled Long Ago
18.Closing Medley

Bad points:
Honestly, I can't think of much that is bad about this album. The biggest thing is sound quality. At times, it's hard to hear the lyrics because the vocals are drowned out by the music. (and cheering, but what can I expect at a live recording) It sounds like Cash is in a hole and yelling; it's a hollow sound. You can't ask for superb sound from a live recording of a concert in the 60's, so I may be being picky, but that's the worst part I could think of. The sound isn't terrible. You may have to turn it up a little more, but once you get used to the amplification (to be fancy) it isn't very hard to hear the songs, and you can enjoy it just the same. I would say it's not CD quality, but it's close to FM radio, not as bad as AM radio. So if that's not good enough for you, then suck it up, or don't get it.

Another problem, only minor, is some songs have lengthy lead-ins. Personally I like lead-ins. But in the case that you want to listen to "Starkville City Jail," you will have to put up with a 4 min. 15 sec. lead-in! I know that’s a long time. But the fact that the CD plays straight through, going from one song into another, justifies those lead-ins. Although you may not be able to start right in on a song you want to hear, you can listen to the whole album and it makes it just like a concert for you, with the accompaniment of the lead-ins.

Good points:
Like I mentioned, the uninterrupted style of music in this CD, makes it a lot more enjoyable. I oftentimes listen to the whole album, from 1 to 18. I do pick and choose a certain few to listen to at times, there aren’t any that I consistently skip over, and I credit that to the non-stopping style of the album. I think of it as one track, instead of 18. But you can pick any one of the 18 if you want! “A Boy Named Sue,” is presented for the first time ever, uncensored on this album. In some cases, parents may not appreciate that. But for die-hard fans of Johnny Cash, they may be relieved that his song is finally being done justice and included in its original, unaltered form.

This album contains some of Johnny Cash’s greatest hits! There are also vocals provided by: June Carter Cash, The Carter Family, and the Statler Brothers. Not to be redundant, but to name a few hits, there are: Big River, I Still Miss Someone, Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line, and A Boy Named Sue. The fact that Johnny Cash at San Quentin contains many hits, displays soul and admiration, as well as vigor and concern for others that is unparalleled in the 20th century, makes it well worth having and keeping for many years. It is valuable beyond money, especially beyond the $9 I paid for it. At least, it is to me.

“Johnny Cash at San Quentin,” is fun and inspiring. There are serious songs, joking songs, and religious songs. Unlike “Country Legend: Johnny Cash, 2 CD,” I would recommend this album to anybody interested in the heritage of country music, or a famous daring performance of Johnny Cash, not just 75-year-olds. This album is like a picture of your mama, once she’s gone. (Mine is still with me, and I’m grateful for that.) You look at it and you are joyful and inspired to go on. You think about what she would want you to do, how much she meant to you. In the same way, with this album, you can listen to it and be happy and sing along, be inspired by the folk songs, and go back to take a walk in the prisoner’s shoes. You can take a trip back, to a night in February 1969, at San Quentin State Prison, outside of San Francisco, where the prisoners got to take a few hours out of reality, just a few hours of music, to last them a whole year…when Johnny Cash came to town.