An under-appreciated classic
A. Christy | 03/07/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"På Österåker is deserving of recognition as one of Johnny Cash's great live performances, along with At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin. This Swedish prison concert, recorded in 1972, features a robust, lively Cash singing classics and some unfamiliar numbers, backed by an expanded band, including a piano, the ever-present Tennessee Three, and Carl Perkins. Tracks such as "Orleans Paris Prison," and "City Jail" offer a more upbeat take on the prisoner's perspective, complaining of the injustice of prisons and police officers in a devil-may-care style, delivered with a wink. På Österåker also features some more sombre tracks, written by incarcerated men, such as "The Life of a Prisoner" and "The Prisoner's Song," the latter of which was made famous by Vernon Dalhart, a proto-country influence on Johnny Cash's career. On the whole, the album is fantastic - Cash's voice is in top form, the band sounds great, and the audience is responsive (although the language barrier is occasionally evident). This album falls somewhere between the two most famous prison concerts - it is not as much of a Cash-driven performance as Folsom, nor is it an all-out spectacle of the entire Johnny Cash Show as was San Quentin. June Carter is notably absent, and the only other performer to solo is Carl Perkins, who is probably the most lackluster member of Cash' entourage. Nevertheless, it's an excellent album to have, and it holds its own when compared to Johnny's other major concerts."