Category Archives: Great albums

Jan 13: Johnny Cash recorded “At Folsom Prison” in 1968

 

Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison

 “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”

Johnny Cash recorded “At Folsom Prison” January 13 in 1968

“Folsom Prison looms large in Johnny Cash’s legacy, providing the setting for perhaps his definitive song and the location for his definitive album, At Folsom Prison. The ideal blend of mythmaking and gritty reality, At Folsom Prison is the moment when Cash turned into the towering Man in Black, a haunted troubadour singing songs of crime, conflicted conscience, and jail.”
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)

One of the best live albums in recording history was taped on this date in 1968, hell, it’s one of the best albums period. Today it is it’s 46 year anniversary.

Released May 1968
October 19, 1999 (re-release)
October 14, 2008 (Legacy Edition)
Recorded Live at Folsom State Prison, January 13, 1968
Genre Country
Length 55:56 (re-release)
Label Columbia
Producer Bob Johnston (original)
Bob Irwin (re-release)

Continue reading Jan 13: Johnny Cash recorded “At Folsom Prison” in 1968

Jan 11: Howlin’ Wolf by Howlin’ Wolf – 1962


hw album

“Howlin’ Wolf’s second album brings together some of the blues great’s best singles from the late ’50s and early ’60s. Also available as a fine two-fer with his debut, Moanin’ in the Moonlight, the so-called Rockin’ Chair Album represents the cream of Wolf’s Chicago blues work. Those tracks afforded classic status are many, including “Spoonful,” “The Red Rooster,” “Wang Dang Doodle,” “Back Door Man,” “Shake for Me,” and “Who’s Been Talking?” Also featuring the fine work of Chess house producer and bassist Willie Dixon and guitarist Hubert Sumlin, Rockin’ Chair qualifies as one of pinnacles of early electric blues, and is an essential album for any quality blues collection.”
– Stephen Cook (Allmusic)

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Jan 10: Muddy Waters released “Hard Again” in 1977

OLD post … You’re being redirected to a newer version……

…..Waters sings as though his life depended on it, Johnny Winter proves with every note how right he was to want to do this, and James Cotton–well, James Cotton doesn’t open his mouth except to make room for the harmonica, which sounds just great.
~Robert Christgau (robertchristgau.com)

This is Muddy Waters’ best “late” album.. Johnny Winter sure inspired the old blues legend to peak performance…. a wonderful record.

Mannish Boy:

Continue reading Jan 10: Muddy Waters released “Hard Again” in 1977

Jan 05: Bruce Springsteen released Greetings from Ashbury Park NJ in 1973


ashbury

Bruce Springsteen released Greetings from Ashbury Park NJ in 1973

“This boy has a lot more of the Dylan spirit than John Prine. His songs are filled with the absurdist energy and heart on sleeve pretension that made Dylan a genius instead of a talent.”

– Robert Christgau, Creem magazine

Greetings from Asbury Park NJ is the first studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1973. It only sold about 25,000 copies in the first year of its release, but had significant critical impact. It was ranked at #379 by Rolling Stone on its list of 500 greatest albums of all time. The album also hit the number sixty stop on the Billboard 200 albums listing.

The new release that is part of the new box-set (released autumn 2014) sounds amazing!

Continue reading Jan 05: Bruce Springsteen released Greetings from Ashbury Park NJ in 1973

Jan 02: Elvis Presley released “Elvis Country” 1971


Elvis Country

Elvis Presley released “Elvis Country” 2 Jan 1971

“Elvis has come out with a record which gives us some of the very finest and most affecting music since he first recorded for Sun almost 17 years ago”- Peter Guralnick (Rolling Stone Magazine 1971)

“…Elvis was at his peak when he cut Elvis Country. Actually, Elvis Presley was positively on a roll at the time. A decade after the end of what were thought to be his prime years, he was singing an ever-widening repertory of songs with more passion and involvement than he’d shown since the end of the 1950s…”
~Bruce Eder (allmusic.com)

 

Elvis Presley – Funny How Time Slips Away (Willie Nelson):

Continue reading Jan 02: Elvis Presley released “Elvis Country” 1971