Folsom Untold: The Strange True Story of Johnny Cash's Greatest Album by Danny Robins

Folsom Untold: The Strange True Story of Johnny Cash's Greatest Album by Danny Robins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm the mildest of Johnny Cash fans but I have found his persona fascinating and his place in American popular is legendary. I remember as a kid finding this album(they were among aunts and uncles collection at my grandparents house) and had wondered why a country album was mixed in with pop and rock albums of early 70's. Honestly I've only heard a few of Cash's songs and probably most I know about Cash's career can be summed up in the movie "Walk the line"(Joaquin Pheonix as Cash) which begins and ends just as he's about to go on stage at Folsom Prison. I did read his autobiography also many years ago to after seeing the aforementioned movie.

What this turns out simply to be is another audio-documentary about the classic live album of Johnny Cash's "At Folsom Prison". It was turning point in Cash's career in the late sixties. Coincidentally Elvis Presley, a friend and musical peer, also had a similar experience with career around the same time after a TV special.

The story narrated a sometimes the overly dramatic English author loses it's charm at times. Some of the more interesting facts is that this was not Cash's first prison concert as he had done("Walk the line" movie gives the impression it's the first one) as he had been doing them before but this was the first one recorded for an album which was a hard sell to the record company at the time. It features interviews and soundbites from the album.

A major part of the story was about Glen Shurley, a prisoner at Folsom, who's song "Greystone Chapel" was smuggled to Cash and was featured in the concert/album. After which Cash lobbied for his early release a time afterward. Upon release he did record an album and tour with Cash enjoying some success but it was short lived. After a falling out with Cash he fell into obscurity and tragically took his own life in 1978.

Perhaps the biggest bit of drama is about the title song(Folsom Prison Blues) itself in which we find out the iconic cheer after the line" I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die" wasn't real and was actually added in later in production.

It's an interesting story if you want to know a bit more backstory about the iconic album, Johnny Cash and Glen Shurley. The author does play up the drama but seems a little thin on actual substance but is still interesting at times.

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P.S. At the time of this posting this audio book appear to be unavailable on Audible and I'm unable to find out what this is about. This was a free offering as part of my Audible membership as an "Audible Original". If someone knows what the issue is feel free to post about it. Thank you ahead of time.