Recorded live in San Quentin prison in 1968, this is as raw a piece of music that you will ever hear. Cash sings from bitter personal experience of the prison system and connects with his audience in a visceral way, bantering and dealing with hecklers as he introduces each song. There are certainly rough edges to this recording - Cash complains about the camera crew getting in the way (with an iconic photo of him flipping the bird in anger) and struggles with an out of tune guitar.
However, the songs are where this album shines. It opens with a cover of Dylan song and several classics, before Cash sings about his experience of being fined $36 and thrown in jail for picking dandelions by the side of the road, and the blazing fury against San Quentin prison itself which is a “living hell” that does nothing to make convicts better people when they leave. This song was such a hit with the crowd that he gave an immediate encore with both performances on this disc.
The full concert is available on YouTube and it’s well worth watching.
https://album.link/gb/i/824812884
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