Johnny Cash and the Rolling Stones prove themselves in live albums

Drowned-out vocals, unmatched tempos and acoustic feedback aren’t usually desirable, but if… Drowned-out vocals, unmatched tempos and acoustic feedback aren’t usually desirable, but if music is genuine, it stands to reason that its performance should be, as well.

To this day, I test my favorite bands by their ability to play live, even if their “live” music comes pre-recorded and through a set of speakers. There’s simply something about spectacular concerts (whether they’re exact historical records or overdubbed into oblivion) that can move my musical heart in a divine way.

Though many bands have put out worthy documentation of their concert experiences, there are two live albums (both recorded during the musically loaded year of 1969) that show that even the passage of 40 years can’t dull the power of the “in concert” experience.

Johnny Cash’s At San Quentin, also performed in a prison, was recorded about a year after his more famous concert at Folsom State Prison. But with the additional support of some of country music’s most respected talent and a tightened setlist, the country album out-rocks most heavy metal.

This is not the country music of today. Carl Perkins, The Statler Brothers, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters and Cash with his Tennessee Three backing band delivered a candid and powerful exploration of the human condition to many men who, to say the least, had lived it. Cash’s humble demeanor and love for the people around him shines as his enthusiastic (and possibly dangerous) audience adds to the sensational concert experience.

The Legacy Edition recording of the concert not only delivers Cash’s signature tunes in fine form, but the other performers shine with defining renditions of songs that send shivers down the spine just as much as Cash’s classics. The Carters’ “Wildwood Flower” is delivered in its proper context as the national anthem of country music, while Carl Perkins proves himself to be a master of the electric guitar on par with the free-associative shock of Lou Reed and the technical proficiency of Chet Atkins.

Mid-way through the concert, Cash delivers a stinging criticism from the view of an inmate through a song entitled “San Quentin.” Immediately after its first performance, it receives such a wildly enthusiastic response from the seemingly ravenous inmates that Cash promptly plays it again.

Cash ends with several more spiritually grounded songs (“He Turned The Water Into Wine” and “Daddy Sang Bass”) that — with his ensemble including a chorus of eight — are simply haunting.

Just a few months later, an English band that some say defines American music would create a live documentation that seminal rock critic Lester Bangs famously — and rightly — called “the best rock concert ever put on record.”

“Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!”: The Rolling Stones in Concert was recorded in New York and Baltimore during the first Stones’ tour of the United States since 1966, three years prior.

The band came with the increased vitality of guitar virtuoso Mick Taylor (who earlier that year replaced ailing founder Brian Jones). They also brought a setlist that showcased not only the Stones’ well-known classics delivered with compelling sincerity (“Honky Tonk Woman,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”), but also covers of early rock and blues songs that are redefined by The Rolling Stones’ masterfully orchestrated electric sound.

A cover of Robert Johnson’s “Love in Vain” reaches new depth with Charlie Watts’ sensitive drumming and Taylor’s aching slide guitar, making any listener want to weep right along with the song’s unrequited speaker. The nine-minute plus “Midnight Rambler” shimmers as a powerful mini-rock opera with changing tempos (accentuated by Keith Richards’ hypnotic rhythm guitar), blistering harmonica solos and every bell and whistle that manages to feel like the concentrated ecstasy of rock ’n’ roll. By the time “Street Fighting Man” hits the speakers, there aren’t many who couldn’t be moved to believe “the time is right for fighting in the streets.”

Although they’re only about 110 minutes together, At San Quentin and Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out are documentations of their creators’ significance. When people say they love Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, country and rock music, these albums are the reasons why. I, however, just listen for the great music.