At San Quentin [Remastered] - Johnny Cash

...brother bought "Johnny Cash live at St Quentin" and it was a real eye opener, or should I say ear opener to me. Previously to this I had sort of heard him in passing but not taken that much notice. As a flighty teenager he had seemed far too old and straight to appeal to me. It took my advancing years to truly get a feel for the man and his music. However "San Quentin" was one of the first rungs on the ladder.

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Johnny Cash At San Quentin


"San Quentin" was recorded on February 24th 1969, two days before Cash’s 37th birthday, at a concert held in San Quentin prison for the inmates. It quickly became a bestseller and topped various music charts. This was the fourth time Cash had appeared and played at San Quentin, the first being on January 1st 1958. After a rain soaked performance in the prison yard in 1958, Cash ... more

Background

Johnny Cash had been recording and playing for quite a while before I came across him properly as an artiste. In the early seventies my brother bought "Johnny Cash live at St Quentin" and it was a real eye opener, or should I say ear opener to me. Previously to this I had sort of heard him in passing but not taken that much notice. As a flighty teenager he had seemed far too old and straight to appeal to me. It took my advancing years to truly get a feel for the man and his music. However "San Quentin" was one of the first rungs on the ladder.

My boyfriend at the time, and Husband to this day, bought the L.P before I knew him and so, among our differing tastes in music, this was one firm favourite. He has bought Cash’s music over the years right up to his final offerings and for me the music matured well along with the man.

When we were young we used to joke that "Johnny Cash played guitar with a boxing glove on one hand".‘ However that is really unfair and does the man no justice. His distinctive style, whilst not classical or great in the traditional way, is his own style. Couple this with his somewhat sad and mournful voice and you would know it was him singing easily. His genre is Country.

Johnny Cash At San Quentin

"San Quentin" was recorded on February 24th 1969, two days before Cash’s 37th birthday, at a concert held in San Quentin prison for the inmates. It quickly became a bestseller and topped various music charts. This was the fourth time Cash had appeared and played at San Quentin, the first being on January 1st 1958. After a rain soaked performance in the prison yard in 1958, Cash won the respect of the hardened criminals and was subsequently asked back to perform on more than one occasion.

At one the state governor of the day, one Ronald Reagan, and went on to be famous in the country music field himself.

This 1969 recording at San Quentin was also recorded for Granada television, in fraternityworld held there. To decide to try and entertain the prisoners, and give them something out of the ordinary, took guts. To take his wife and family along to perform could have been seen as madness.

However, thankfully it paid of and we are left with a marvellous recording and piece of history. This recording is so full of life, with the inmates enthusiasm, and Cash’s younger years it is still relevant today. All the tracks which have an * next to them are listed as previously unreleased bonus tracks.

Track One -Big River
This begins with the roaring crowd and Cash saying ‘Hello, I’m Johnny Cash’. It is classic early Cash.

Track Two - I still miss someone.*
‘It’s good to be with Ya-I’m glad to see you again’ states Cash along with his easy guitar. This is a gentle offering with a love theme.

Track Three - Wreck of the old 97
This is a racing fast track with the beat of a train and the accompanying train whistle.

Track Four - I walk the Line
A bit more chat from Cash about how good it is to see them. Granada’s recoding gets a mention here and the restrictions that have been put in place. He states he is there for the prisoners and asks what they want to hear. As one, I Walk the Line, is noisily requested. I love the many versions of this track which Cash has done over the years. Quite simply it states that his love for June Carter, his wife, is what keeps him on the straight and narrow, having had plenty of wild days before meeting her.

Track Five - Darlin Companion .
Before this track Cash announces that later in the show he will be singing his brand new composition San Quentin. Darlin Companion benefits from June’s much lighter and gentle voice. It is an easy to listen to love song written by John Sebastian, of The Loving Spoonful.

Track Six - I don’t know where I am bound.*
The lyrics for this song have been handed to Cash by a prisoner and he has put his mark on it and his own music to accompany it. It speaks of the writers restlessness and inability to feel as if he belongs anywhere.

Track Seven - Starkville City Jail
After saying he is going to be playing ‘A boy named Sue‘ he seems to change his mind. The crowd give a cheer for Luther Perkins his guitarist who recently passed away. Cash claims he was arrested recently for picking flowers in the street, which was very much a thing of the day, and so he decides to play this track as an account of his experience. The humour isn’t wasted on his audience.

Tracks Eight and Nine - San Quentin
Both called San Quentin.The roar along throughout, at all the relevant phrases. ’San Quentin May you Rot and Burn in Hell’, allows the prisoners to let out all their venom. After a seemingly brief performance, to an almighty cheer, San Quentin is played again.

Track Ten - Wanted Man by Bob Dylan.
This is an outlaw ballad of Dylan’s which the two have performed together. Dylan’s appreciation of Cash and his music helped make him popular with the youth of the day and brought him a much wider audience.

Track Eleven - A Boy Named Sue.
From here this song was released and became an unexpected hit across many countries. It made Cash known to a far larger audience than ever before. The humour of this song, as a brand new effort , went down a storm at San Quentin. It may sound corny now but it was fresh and different then.

Track Twelve - (There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley.
This is one of my favourite Johnny Cash recordings. It almost has the feel of a church hymn. The varying voices of Cash and the female singers are so restful that they must have been appealing to the prisoners serving life-sentences.

Track Thirteen - Folsom Prison Blues *
After Boos for the warden Johnny Cash’s ‘Ah you don’t really mean that‘ hit’s the spot. Folsom prison blues gives Cash a chance at the start to introduce all the band members, before it storms into full swing. It is a light-hearted quick paced track on a heavy subject and is a foot tapping tune.

Track Fourteen - Ring of Fire.*
Cash shifts quickly and easily into Ring of Fire. Another quick paced track .

Track Fifteen - He turned the Water into Wine.*
Johnny tells the prisoners about a recent visit to Israel and the history behind his writing this song. This track is a stirring religious offering about Jesus and the place which inspired Cash‘s song.

Track Sixteen - Daddy sang Bass.*
This Carl Perkins song has a lively beat about the childhood family all singing together.

Track Seventeen - The Old account was settled long ago.*
This is very much in the vein of a gospel song with all the performers joining in.

Track Eighteen - Closing Medley
This has a mish mash of music starting with June Carter singing Folsom Prison Blues. The Carter family continue with I Walk The Line. The Statler Brothers go on to Ring of Fire followed by Carl Perkins and a short rendition of Folsom Prison Blues.

Finally Johnny Cash plays a little of The Rebel-Johnny Yuma as he says his thanks to the audience. This includes the many prisoners who have only heard the concert via loud speakers set upd so they can listen in their cells. The music fades away with the prisoners yelling for more.

Conclusion

Johnny Cash at San Quentin was very much of it’s day. That does not mean it is still not great listening even now. It has a naivety and innocence despite the venue. Johnny Cash was recording up until his death in 2003. His last recordings showed the man was old, ill and sad, having lost his beloved June. The music was still great but in a different way.

Looking at San Quentin, now I am older I can see Johnny Cash was relatively young when he recorded this. It was the start of a huge career which stood the test of time. If you have never heard these early renditions from Cash see if you can give them a listen. With digital re-mastering the sound quality is not bad. Yes the boxing glove is there but so is a vast amount of talent.

My favourite tracks are:-
Wanted Man.
I walk the Line.
Darlin Companion.
Wreck of the old 97.
Folsom Prison Blues.
Peace in the Valley.

Updated 2009
(C) Eiley  

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