Johnny Cash At San Quentin (Vinyl - CBS, 1969) *****
Genre: CountryPlaces I remember: Real Groovy and Lewis Eady's in Queen Street.
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: San Quentin is an extraordinary document of a moment, and Darling Companion on SQ with June Carter is a definitive version.
Gear costume: Cocaine Blues, Jackson on Folsom.
Active compensatory factors: Ordinarily I would not go out of my way to buy a Johnny Cash album. Greatest hits, maybe, but not a regular release.
Except...these two. If I had to keep one only - San Quentin gets the nod. His attitude is more in your face (the banter more pointed), the cover is better, the songs are tighter, better chosen for the album, more atmospheric and there are only 8 of them (16 on Folsom). Less is more, remember.
Not that Folsom is bad but the vibe is darker and the humour of Flushed from the bathroom/ Egg sucking dog is weak. A trimmed down version would have been better, I feel.
Where do they all belong? They are unique in and of themselves. Very much of the time. Love these? Try one of those Greatest Hits from the bargain bins.
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