Search - Johnny Cash :: At Madison Square Garden

Classic unreleased 1969 live show

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 09/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having released live albums in 1968 ("At Folsom Prison") and 1969 ("At San Quentin"), this previously unreleased 1969 live show from New York's Madison Square Garden still manages to illuminate another side of Cash's performance. Given the pressure of the prison shows, not to mention their tailor-made set lists, this recording finds Cash less on-edge, providing a more accurate rendering of his then-current stage show. Everyone but a very pregnant June Carter Cash is on-board, including the Tennessee Three (Marshall Grant, W.S. Holland and Bob Wooten), Carl Perkins, Tommy Cash, The Statler Brothers and The Carter Family (including Mother Maybelle, and daughters Helen and Anita).The set list covers many of Cash's most beloved songs (including a quartet of prison tunes, and a barn-burning take of "Wreck of the Old 97"), plus a generous helping of historical and folk classics, including Jane Bowers "Remember the Alamo" (recorded throughout the '50s and '60s by The Kingston Trio, Donovan, Willie Nelson and others). He provides contemporary commentary about the Vietnam War ("when you watch the helicopters bringing in the wounded, that might make you a dove with claws") and sings Ed McCurdy's "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (a standard of the '60s folk revival, sung by The Weavers, Chad Mitchell, and Simon & Garfunkel, among others).The ease and confidence with which Cash presents himself on stage is astounding, and more in evidence than in the live prison recordings. Spoken introductions to songs like "Five Feet High and Rising" pull everything together into a seamless presentation. Similarly, Cash's generous revue staging allows his compatriots -- each headliners in their own right -- to shine brightly. Carl Perkin's blazes through "Blue Suede Shoes," The Statler Brothers sing a lively version of their crossover hit "Flowers on the Wall," and the Carter Family performs a beautiful pair of songs from A.P. Carter's catalog ("Wildwood Flower" "Worried Man Blues"). Cash's sister-in-law, Helen Carter, provides a wonderfully warm introduction to the Carter Family segment.The closing medley provides each member of the troupe a chance to give their twist on a Cash landmark. Johnny and his brother Tommy sing "Do What You Do, Do Well," The Carter Family sings "I Walk the Line," The Statler Brothers take on "Ring of Fire," and Carl Perkins finds the rockabilly heart of "Folsom Prison Blues." Cash closes out the show with a snippet of "The Rebel - Johnny Yuma," and yet another reprise of "Folsom Prison Blues." The crowd's thunderous applause draws an encore of "Suppertime."This is a beautiful (and generous: 77 minute!) stereo recording of a stage master at the peak of his powers, singing and speaking to an enthusiastic sell-out crowd. It is at once incredibly intimate and incredibly grand. The only improvement would have been to release it 33 years ago!"

Even Johnny Cash couldn't Improve on this one!

Birdman | Minnetonka, MN USA | 01/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This superb, live 1969 recording has such indomitable spirit and steady musicianship, I wonder why Sony took 33 years to release it. The program is a slice of history and the record of a musical occasion we may never see the likes of again. There are 26 songs here (30 if you count all the tunes in the final medley) and I couldn't find a bad one in the bunch. "Big River" is a stunning opener, and this particular rendition is one of the best I've heard. Cash's anecdotes of prison life, his visits to the Holy Land and memories of the combat zone during the height of the Vietnam War dovetail with powerful versions of "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream," "The Ballad of Ira Hayes," and "Were You There When They Crucified my Lord." The upbeat songs are stunning too, from Carl Perkin's rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes," to a raucous performance of "A Boy Named Sue." The guest performances are all worthwhile, from The Statler Brother's nostalgic "Flowers on the Wall" to Maybelle Carter's take on "Wildwood Flower." While her vocals lag a half-beat behind the musicians, it adds even more poignance to the song. This is country, gospel and bluegrass of the first order performed by musical legends. The recording is clean and balanced for its era with a decent stereo soundstage to boot. The only negative is that once you hear it, you may hunger for the past, and that may hurt a little. But I'd rather hurt knowing that December 5, 1969 happened, and that someone had the good sense to archive this extraordinary event. One of my all-time top-100."

Cash and family playing at their peak

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 09/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cool! An entire album of prevously unreleased live Johnny Cash goodies from his commercial heyday in 1969, repeating the success of his earlier concert albums, but here performing for the city slickers in the Big Apple. Johnny is joined by the reconstituted Carter Family, brother Tommy Cash, the Statler Brothers (who he was a patron of...) and fellow Sun Records veteran Carl Perkins (as we hear on a track intro at the very end of the album, June Carter Cash wasn't able to attend as she was six months pregnant at the time...) It's an efficient, professional presentation, yet one that gives some nice glimpses into Cash's inner life, mostly through the spoken introductions that accompany many of the songs. The most telling is the intro to "Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream," in which Cash addresses the thorny issue of the Vietnam War. Stumbling nervously, hoping not to offend anyone one way or the other, Cash recalls how he and his show went to entertain the troops overseas, declaring, "I may not be a hawk... But maybe I'm a dove with claws..." He also introduces a few songs with asides about his down-home background; back then, these monologes may have been a bit hokey, but they've added resonance as Cash has gotten older and his legend increased. Also of interest is an angry, emotional reading of his Native American rights protest song, "As Long As Grass Shall Grow," which is one of the most powerful performances of Cash's career. There are also plenty of religious tunes, which he also puts his heart into. There are some rushed moments, but on the whole, this is an album well worth checking out, and certainly a delight for longtime Cash fans who have never heard this material before."