Cheap At Madison Square Garden [Expanded] (Music) (Johnny Cash) Price

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Customer Reviews of At Madison Square Garden [Expanded]

Classic unreleased 1969 live show
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!

Columbia CASHes in, still good though.
I love Jonny Cash, but was unfamiliar with this album when I saw it on the racks. After the success of his prison recordings, it seems to make sense that many of his performances would be recorded, a small investment for another potential hit album.

The copyright says 2002, and I was curious as to why this hadn't been released earlier. If it was another raucous, rocking Folsom style performance, surely it would have made sense to release it decades ago.

I rated it three stars - but I want to make it clear, those are 3 Johnny Cash stars - it's still good, but just different from other live releases. It doesn't showcase the things I personally enjoy most about Johnny Cash, and while I'm sure there are plenty of archived performances that would blow my socks off, this isn't one of them.

Negatives:
His voice doesn't seem to be in great shape. At one point, he apoligizes, "I'm sorry, my voice..." and it trails off, whether he thought twice about bringing attention to the fact, or it was edited later, I don't know. He sings mostly in his lower register, with quite a bit of his unique quavering. Songs where it's most evident he just can't muster the melody or energy that I've heard on other recordings are :
I Still Miss Someone
Wreck of the Old 97
A Boy Named Sue

Bob Wootons guitar doesn't have the punch of the San Quentin recording. In my opinion it's less unique sounding, and more typical. I don't have the album handy to see who was playing lead on that track, but it's a phenomenal guitar line, with energy that isn't equalled anywhere on the Madison Square Garden album.

The overall feel of the concert is more sedate, so "Blue Suede Shoes", and "Flowers on the Wall" seem out of place to the point of being misplaced.

Positives/Miscelaneous:
He plays a good number of ballads. So if that's your preference, than this is a good pick. I still think that even the softer songs would benefit from Cash breaking out a few higher notes, but he plays plenty of melancholy songs at this show, and the Carter family songs go well with this atmosphere.

It's packaged pretty well, with enough photos of Mr. Cash as well his band and the guest performers. Photo Credits include "archive", "Getty", one by George Kalinsky, and some by Don Hunstein, none really remarkable.

All in all, a decent disc for those who prefer his ballads, but there are many other albums to choose from, over 100 albums from 1957-2002.