Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

At San Quentin (Columbia/ Legacy)

Walk the Line may have given a cinematic face lift to Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," but live At San Quentin produced the definitive, iconoclastic image of the Man in Black, his middle finger forcefully bucking the system. History, like Hollywood, has a tendency to distort such moments: that bird was actually shot during a rehearsal session toward an annoying cameraman, which is exactly why this 2-CD/1-DVD reissue is so important. It captures both the historical and emotional significance of the 1969 prison performance. The 13 previously unreleased songs develop a sense of intimacy and continuity for the entire Johnny Cash show. Former Sun labelmate Carl Perkins makes the jailhouse rock with opener "Blue Suede Shoes" and later "Restless," while adding electric flair to Cash's closing numbers, including the one he composed, "Daddy Sang Bass." The Statler Brothers share "Flowers on the Wall" and the Carter Family digs deep with "Wildwood Flower." What's truly remarkable is the way Cash blurs the line between audience and performer in this otherwise hostile environment. From his own experiences in "Starkville City Jail," to that of the inmate who penned "I Don't Know Where I'm Bound," Cash embodies the prisoners' woes in "San Quentin" before embarking on a communal, spiritual journey with "He Turned the Water Into Wine" and "The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago." That connection can't be broken; just consult the accompanying documentary DVD or ask Merle Haggard.