At Folsom Prison was recorded at California's Folsom State Prison on January 13, 1968, and released that year. Producer Bob Johnston supported Cash's plan to record a prison concert. The resulting album draws on two performances rather than presenting one show from beginning to end.
A functional, unadorned document of Cash’s early sound—recorded fast, mixed dry, released before the hits took hold.
American Recordings is Johnny Cash’s 1994 solo album for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings label. It was recorded mostly in Cash’s Tennessee cabin or Rubin’s Los Angeles home, with Cash accompanied only by his Martin Dreadnought acoustic guitar. Two tracks—'Tennessee Stud' and 'The Man Who Couldn’t Cry'—were recorded live at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. The album features newly commissioned songs by Tom Waits and Glenn Danzig, a cover written by Nick Lowe, and two re-recordings of Cash’s earlier material. Rubin granted Cash full creative control, resulting in a stark, intimate record that launched a late-career resurgence. It won the 1995 Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison is a 1968 live album recorded during two performances on January 13, 1968, at Folsom State Prison in California. It features Cash, the Tennessee Three, Carl Perkins, the Statler Brothers, and June Carter. The first show — at 9:40 a.m. — forms the core of the album; only two tracks ('Give My Love to Rose' and 'I Got Stripes') were taken from the 12:40 p.m. second show. Rehearsals spanned two days and included learning 'Greystone Chapel', written by inmate Glen Sherley. The album reached number one on the Billboard country album chart.
Johnny Cash at San Quentin (1969) is a live album recorded at San Quentin State Prison on February 24, 1969. It is Cash’s first album without Luther Perkins, who had recently died. Two songs — 'San Quentin' and 'A Boy Named Sue' — debuted live there. Producer Bob Johnston chose to include both performances of 'San Quentin'. 'A Boy Named Sue' was performed spontaneously, with Cash using a lyric sheet while the band improvised. 'Starkville City Jail' and 'Blistered' were unintentionally slowed by half a step. 'Jackson' and 'Orange Blossom Special' were performed but omitted from the original LP. The album reached number one on both Billboard country and pop album charts. 'A Boy Named Sue' reached number one on country charts and number two on US pop charts. It won the Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and was certified triple platinum.