In The Groove EP.4: Johnny Cash at San Quentin

Hullo once again for another instalment of In The Groove, brought to you by Studio 1 Vintage Guitars and On Vinyl. I’ve been saying it all month, but for the best listening experience, curated vinyl range, all in pristine condition, be sure to head to www.onvinyl.co.nz

And if you head there you might win yourself a Martin DX Johnny Cash guitar? All you have to do is purchase a record from On Vinyl before December 20th to go into the draw. The winner will be drawn on December 21st and what a great Chrimbo bonus that would be! 

With this in mind we thought it a good time to talk about one of Mr Cash’s most well known records… This week we’ve been smashing Johnny Cash at San Quentin. The awe inspiring live recording from San Quentin Prison in California, released in June 1969. Prison concerts were nothing out of the ordinary for the Man in Black, and were often part of his touring calendar. He'd released Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison a year earlier and would go on to release more.

The cover sees Mr. Cash caught in the grainy haze of film, backlit by stage light, guitar slung over his back and mic in hand. His gaze is downward, perhaps looking at his wayward audience, regaling them with a sinister tale from his storied career. 

 To fully get in the zone for this one I also sought out the Granada TV live footage of the concert that Mr. Cash references during his intro. It shows Cash being escorted into the prison with June Carter-Cash and being given a simple stamp on the hand for admission. This in itself is mind boggling. He then swoops onto the stage like some archangel antihero, not before shaking half a dozen inmates' hands in the front row. This simple gesture humanises both Cash and the inmates, establishes trust and sets the tone for the ensuing hour of music. 

Like the consummate performer he is, Mr. Cash conducts his aural sermon, and captivates his congregation with tales of his own misadventures; for all in attendance knows he has dabbled with the devil himself. After every dark lyric or krooked story he is greeted with rapturous whoopin’ and hollerin’.

 A stand out song on the album has to be San Quentin, for no other reason than it was written for the occasion a day prior and the inmates go completely bananas for it. Using his thick baritone he issues lines like “you bend my heart and mind and you warp my soul” “and I’ll walk out a wiser, weaker man” to convey his pinpoint accuracy of understanding. After the song is done he coyly asks “if any of the guards are still talking to me, can I have a glass of water”? He is ruthlessly cool. 

Elsewhere, the dichotomy of the Carter Family sounding like angels in a prison hall on “Peace in the Valley” is a masterclass in harmony. The duet with June Carter-Cash “Darlin’ Companion” is a carefree romantic romp of devotion and something that the two of them had mastered together. 

I was stunned to learn that At San Quentin is Johnny Cash’s 31st album and he would go on to record many many more. It is a postcard from the heart of the underbelly yet it contains so much enthusiasm it’s brutal. It’s definitely worth having in your collection. 

Well, that winds up our monthly theme of Classic Singer/Songwriters. Come August we will be getting stuck into Americana as our theme so stay tuned for those.