'Johnny Cash at San Quentin' is a great concert album

I have a pretty long commute to work each day, and about the only good thing regarding this is that it allows me to listen to a lot of music. Lately, I have been wearing out Johnny Cash at San Quentin.

It is impossible to overstate Johnny Cash's contribution to country music. From his earliest recordings for Sun Records in the 1950s to the Rick Rubin produced music of his final years, Cash was a true original. Through his career, he held the titles of rebel, leader, preacher, crooner, outlaw, and more. All of these personality traits are apparent on this extraordinary concert album.

Johnny Cash at San Quentin appeared only one year after his landmark and classic live album Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. Because of that, the San Quentin album is many times lost in the shuffle when discussing his body of work. Though the San Quentin album may lack the sense of breakthrough of the Folsom concert, it nevertheless is an excellent concert recording.

Originally recorded at the prison for a British broadcast, the album transcends what live albums usually are. Many times, live albums are simply an opportunity for an artist to make easy money by running through the hits and then releasing it to the public with little personal investment. This recording, however, is a true living document.

When the album was originally released back in 1969, it only included 10 songs from the show. However, in 1999, the entire performance was restored and that is the version of the album that I have been wearing out lately.

Because Cash had problems with the law during his wilder years, it is obvious that he strongly related to the audience for which he was performing. At one point in the concert, he rebuked the British producers who wanted him to only play the hits for their broadcast. He then asked the audience for requests, and they responded passionately. For a brief moment, Cash allowed the prisoners to have input into what entered their lives, which is exactly the type of thing prison takes away. In addition, his story of how he spent a night in the Starkville, Miss., jail is priceless.

The only hit from this set was Cash's version of Shel Silverstein’s 'A Boy Named Sue.' Also, Cash dueted with his wife June Carter on two songs: the spiritual standard 'Peace in the Valley' and John Sebastian's 'Darling Companion.' He also performed my favorite song of his 'I Walk the Line' and delivered a strong version of Bob Dylan's 'Wanted Man.'

Though there are many strong songs here, it is the give and take between Cash and his audience that made this recording truly memorable. In an age in which music has truly gone corporate, it is highly unlikely that CDs of this type will ever be made again.