Incarceration is a frequent theme in American roots music. There are plenty of songs about hideous crimes, boastful escapes, self-pity, and remorseful pleading for a second chance in exchange for XYZ. Especially in old-time and early country music, we find good examples of the jail theme. One might think the motif may have been derived from pieces from the Anglo-Celtic tradition. Indeed, songs about murder, theft, and other sinful deeds are frequent in the British songbook, yet, jail, as a metaphor or as a place of self-reflection and transformation, is an American specialty: In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Evangelically Oppressed, incarceration serves as a mirror of the self. Jail is an implicitness, like death, heaven and hell. With Destination Jail, Bear Family offer a hodgepodge of hillbilly and rock & roll obscurities and classics dealing with life behind bars. The songs feature all the various elements of the US detention system: prison - county farm, prison, and penitentiary. Among the better-known highlights, we find The Hanging Tree by Marty Robbins, Ronnie Hawkins ' tragical ballad about the “red light bandit” Caryl Chessman, One Dead Man Ago by honky tonk pioneer Jimmie Skinner, and the passionate Midnight Train by the Johnny Burnette Trio. Top tunes of the obscure portion of the sampled goodies are Benny Hess’ morbid Walking the Last Mile, Helen Grayco’s haunting Lilly’s Lament (Cell 29), and the amazing Shot Four Times and Dying by Bill Carter. In between, Bear Family Records® offers many goodies by Skeets McDonald , Stonewall Jackson , Webb Pierce , Bobby Darin , and many more – and no Johnny Cash (yet his spirit is evoked by several tracks on the CD). Bear Family Records Destination Jail is an exciting and wallet-friendly introduction to the gangsta tunes of rockabilly and classic country.
01 Folsom Prison Blues / Billy Tidwell & The Chivells 02 In The Jailhouse Now / Webb Pierce 03 Alabama Jailhouse / Rod Morris 04 Shot Four Times And Dyin' / Bill Carter 05 The Ballad Of Caryl Chessman / Ronnie Hawkins 06 Jailer, Jailer / Jim Carter 07 Death Row / The Pierce Brothers 08 Walla Walla State Prison / Gary Williams 09 Midnight Train / The Johnny Burnette Trio 10 Liliy's Lament (Cell 29) / Helen Grayco 11 Crash Out / Jaycee Hill 12 Prisoner's Song (alt. take 2) / Sonny Burgess 13 Huntsville Prison Blues / Troy Crane & The Three Texans 14 Fort Worth Jail / Skeets McDonald 15 Chain Gang Charlie / Curley Money 16 One Dead Man Ago / Jimmie Skinner 17 Run / Stonewall Jackson 18 The Guard On The North Wall / Bobby Sykes 19 Jailer Bring Me Water / Bobby Darin 20 Folsom Prison Blues / Reb Allen 21 Lewisburg Prison / Johnny Starr 22 Riot In Cell Block No. 9 / Ron & Joe & The Crew 23 Chain Gang / Jimmy Young 24 Hey Sherriff / Johnny Rebb & His Rebels 25 Jailer Man / Bill Carter 26 Death Row / Jim Minor 27 Prisoner39's Song / Bill Monroe 28 Doin' My Time / Bill Flagg 29 The Hanging Tree / Marty Robbins 30 My Hanging Day / George Champion 31 Walking The Last Mile / Bennie Hess
Incarceration is a frequent theme in American roots music. There are plenty of songs about hideous crimes, boastful escapes, self-pity, and remorseful pleading for a second chance in exchange for XYZ. Especially in old-time and early country music, we find good examples of the jail theme. One might think the motif may have been derived from pieces from the Anglo-Celtic tradition. Indeed, songs about murder, theft, and other sinful deeds are frequent in the British songbook, yet, jail, as a metaphor or as a place of self-reflection and transformation, is an American specialty: In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Evangelically Oppressed, incarceration serves as a mirror of the self. Jail is an implicitness, like death, heaven and hell. With Destination Jail, Bear Family offer a hodgepodge of hillbilly and rock & roll obscurities and classics dealing with life behind bars. The songs feature all the various elements of the US detention system: prison - county farm, prison, and penitentiary. Among the better-known highlights, we find The Hanging Tree by Marty Robbins, Ronnie Hawkins ' tragical ballad about the “red light bandit” Caryl Chessman, One Dead Man Ago by honky tonk pioneer Jimmie Skinner, and the passionate Midnight Train by the Johnny Burnette Trio. Top tunes of the obscure portion of the sampled goodies are Benny Hess’ morbid Walking the Last Mile, Helen Grayco’s haunting Lilly’s Lament (Cell 29), and the amazing Shot Four Times and Dying by Bill Carter. In between, Bear Family Records® offers many goodies by Skeets McDonald , Stonewall Jackson , Webb Pierce , Bobby Darin , and many more – and no Johnny Cash (yet his spirit is evoked by several tracks on the CD). Bear Family Records Destination Jail is an exciting and wallet-friendly introduction to the gangsta tunes of rockabilly and classic country.
01 Folsom Prison Blues / Billy Tidwell & The Chivells 02 In The Jailhouse Now / Webb Pierce 03 Alabama Jailhouse / Rod Morris 04 Shot Four Times And Dyin' / Bill Carter 05 The Ballad Of Caryl Chessman / Ronnie Hawkins 06 Jailer, Jailer / Jim Carter 07 Death Row / The Pierce Brothers 08 Walla Walla State Prison / Gary Williams 09 Midnight Train / The Johnny Burnette Trio 10 Liliy's Lament (Cell 29) / Helen Grayco 11 Crash Out / Jaycee Hill 12 Prisoner's Song (alt. take 2) / Sonny Burgess 13 Huntsville Prison Blues / Troy Crane & The Three Texans 14 Fort Worth Jail / Skeets McDonald 15 Chain Gang Charlie / Curley Money 16 One Dead Man Ago / Jimmie Skinner 17 Run / Stonewall Jackson 18 The Guard On The North Wall / Bobby Sykes 19 Jailer Bring Me Water / Bobby Darin 20 Folsom Prison Blues / Reb Allen 21 Lewisburg Prison / Johnny Starr 22 Riot In Cell Block No. 9 / Ron & Joe & The Crew 23 Chain Gang / Jimmy Young 24 Hey Sherriff / Johnny Rebb & His Rebels 25 Jailer Man / Bill Carter 26 Death Row / Jim Minor 27 Prisoner39's Song / Bill Monroe 28 Doin' My Time / Bill Flagg 29 The Hanging Tree / Marty Robbins 30 My Hanging Day / George Champion 31 Walking The Last Mile / Bennie Hess