Johnny Cash
At San Quentin
© Columbia/Legacy
April 19 - 25, 2026
Year of Release: 1969
Rating:
Big River
I Still Miss Someone
Wreck Of The Old 97
I Walk The Line
Darlin' Companion
I Don't Know
Where I'm Bound
Starkville City Jail
San Quentin
San Quentin
Wanted Man
A Boy Named Sue
(There'll Be)
Peace In The Valley
Folsom Prison Blues
Ring Of Fire
He Turned The Water
Into Wine
Daddy Sang Bass
The Old Account Was
Settled Long Ago
Closing Medley
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Johnny Cash returns this week, with his classic prison album Johnny Cash At San Quentin. The CD (2000) would
consist of the COMPLETE concert, with bonus tracks. Originally released in 1969, you could say the complete concert is
uncensored. When Johnny Cash had the idea of releasing a live concert album IN PRISON, his management was against the
idea. It would either make him or break him, with the concept of a prison album. Johnny Cash pretty much said "so be it."
His first prison concert was at Folsom Prison in California in 1968 - Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison. The Folsom
Prison live album became successful, and likewise, so would his second prison album at San Quentin was also successful.
From the San Quentin concert, the song "A Boy Named Sue" would be released as a single, and would become a #1
Country hit. The single would be a "censored" hit, with the "'Cause I'm the son of a that named you Sue."
When I was much younger, I had the 45, but not the vinyl album. The B-side of "A Boy Named Sue" was "San
Quentin," and having the original CD with both the A and B side is a plus. The album/CD would have the uncensored
"son of a bitch," of course. The complete concert also has Johnny talking to the prison audience as well. The songlist
on the CD release is different, with bonus tracks.
The Original Songlist (Vinyl): Side One: "Wanted Man," "Wreck Of The Old 97," "I Walk The Line," "Darlin'
Companion, "Starkville City Jail." Side Two: "San Quentin," "San Quentin" (performed a second time at the
audience's request), "A Boy Named Sue," "(There'll Be) Peace In The Valley," "Folsom Prison Blues."
The San Quentin concert begins with two bonus tracks: "Big River" and "I Still Miss Someone." "Wreck Of
The Old 97" follows. All three of these songs easily follow each other, with it's fast, train moving style. And,
it sure sounds like Johnny is having a great time performing. Johnny also enjoys talking to the prisoners, as he leads
into his classic song, "I Walk The Line." Johnny tells the prisoners how he's supposed to do this, and do that,
but he says he's going to do what he's going to do. So he asks, "What song do you want to hear?" The answer, "I Walk
The Line." Johnny asks his wife to come out, June Carter, as they sing (written by
John Sebastian, of The Lovin' Spoonful). "I Don't Know When I'm Bound" is next, a bonus track. Johnny talks
about "A Boy Named Sue" and "where's my guitar?" His language is quite unique as he tells he had just written
"San Quentin," as he leads into the next track, "Starkville City Jail."
performance of "San Quentin."
"San Quentin" is performed twice. The first, was the B-side of "A Boy Named Sue." Afterwards,
the song is performed again, at the request of the audience. Before the second performance, he asks one of the guards
for a glass of water. The prisoners boo the guard. A nice little drum solo is heard before the Bob Dylan penned
(with Johnny Cash) "Wanted Man." Johnny Cash had helped out on Dylan's album
Nashville Skyline.
"A Boy Named Sue" is one of Johnny Cash's greatest recordings. Also, to mention, there is a parody version
of this classic, by Jeffrey J. Jeffrey - "A Sioux Named Boy" - an indian boy (sioux), named Boy. "(There'll Be)
Peace In The Valley" (one of the greatest gospel songs ever written; Elvis Presley also recorded it.) Like Elvis,
Johnny Cash relied heavily on gospel recordings, as he was starting his music career. Just as Elvis did. The next two
songs are bonus tracks - "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Ring Of Fire." The warden comes out, and the audience boos again. Johnny asks
for his water again. he says his famous line, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." as he leads into another one of his best
recordings, "Folsom Prison Blues." "Ring Of Fire" does have the horn section, but it's not as loud as heard in the
original studio recording. "He Turned The Water Into Wine" is another bonus track, as Johnny tells the inspiration
of this song. "Daddy Sang Bass" (another #1 hit for Johnny) is also another bonus track. And another bonus track
follows, "The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago." Ending the complete concert is the bonus track medley of
"Folsom Prison Blues/I Walk The Line/Ring Of Fire/The Rebel-Johnny Yuma." June Carter, The Statler Brothers,
Carl Perkins join in on the various medley songs.
The complete concert could have easily been released originally on vinyl. But the songlist was changed and several
songs were cut, for space reasons. The concert was recorded for a live LP and a television documentary for the UK.
One thing is certain, that you can hear Johnny enjoying peforming for the prisoners. Likewise, the prisoners returned
the favor, and they certainly enjoyed the concert. "We had a ball, have we not?" I'd be curious to watch the documentary,
watching this complete concert, uncut.
Johnny Cash's At San Quentin is a classic concert performance. Johnny went ahead and performed not one,
but two prison concerts that were released as live albums. We all wished that Elvis could have done something like this,
rather than having Colonel Tom Parker make all his decisions. Johnny Cash At San Quentin is a classic live album.
A live album to add to the "Greatest Live Albums Of All Time."
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