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Various Artists

Destination Jail: Vol. 2 (24 More Songs From Behind The Bars)

Review by Gary Hill

Bear Family Records consistently releases stellar collections of vintage music. And they always include great booklets in the digipacks. This is no exception. I think I might like this one better musically than some of the others, too. Its mix of jazz, blues, R&B and old rock and roll just works so well. Being incarcerated is no fun, but this collection manages provide a lot of entertainment.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025  Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.
Track by Track Review
Sonny Knight– But Officer

With a spoken skit-like beginning, this works out to a track that features wailing saxophone. The vocals on this are sparse and feature a man talking to a police officer. It ends when the jail door closes.

Wynonie Harris – Good Morning Judge

A bouncy jam that has a lot of blues and jazz in the mix, this is a fun romp.

Frankie Lymon – Jailhouse Rock

This song might be best-known by Elvis Presley, but personally I prefer this version. It’s got a great energy and groove. It just feels so lively and fun.

Smiley Lewis – Jailbird

Jazz and blues merge on this bouncy romp. It’s quite strong.

Danny Cobb – Hey, Mr. Warden

A fun, rock and roll stomper, this is another highlight of the set. Lyrically this is about using impossible requests for your last meal to avoid the electric chair.

Lonesome Sundown – My Home Is A Prison

This is a full on blues tune. It’s also a definitely highlight here. It just oozes emotion and cool.

Eddie Boyd – I'm A Prisoner

Guitar blues is on the menu here. It’s a little more downhome in terms of arrangement than the last song was. It’s no less classy, though.

Ottilie Patterson – Jailhouse Blues

Slow and mournful, this has a lot of blues in it along with some hints of Dixieland. I like it but it’s a step down from the last couple tunes.

Roosevelt Sykes – Jailbait

A driving old school rock and R&B styled number, this is very classy and entertaining. 

Billy Boy Arnold – Prisoner's Plea

This guitar and vocal rocker has a lot of bluesy style. The guitar is really what sells it for me. It’s always on the move.

El Pauling And Royal Abbit – Jail Bird

More of a garage rock kind of number, this is fun.

Josh White – Ball And Chain Blues

Acoustic guitar brings this into being. The cut has a real old-school, down-home blues vibe at its core.

T-Bone Walker – Prison Blues

From the sailing saxophone to the tasty guitar and mournful vocals, this blues tune just works so well. It’s another highlight of the set.

Wynona Carr – Please Mr. Jailer

The jazz and blues vibes at the heart of this are just saturated with style and emotion. This is another highlight of the disc for me. It just has so much passion and class at its heart.

AndrĂ© Williams – Jail Bait

The horn and the pleading vocals lend something special to this track. Overall it lands in the vein of jazzy blues. It’s another winner.

The Robins – Riot In Cell Block No. 9

Old-school rock and roll and blues merge on this number. It has its charms, but I don’t like it as well as I do some of the other stuff here.

Joe Jones – The Prisoner's Song

Classy, bluesy rock and roll is on the menu here. This is fairly strong, but not a standout. 

Sonny Knight – Jail Bird

Playful and bouncy, this is a poppy rock and roller. I’m not overly impressed with it, but I do like the horn soloing a lot. Overall, the song is solid, but not a highlight by any means.

Willie Nix – Prison Bound Blues

Featuring harmonica, this is a guitar oriented blues rocker. It’s another strong tune, too.

Magic Sam – 21 Days In Jail

This has some smoking hot energy. It’s a killer retro rock and roller.

Theola Kilgore – Chain Gang - The Sound Of My Man

This has a soulful groove. The rhythmic grunts really don’t work at all for me. The strings lend a bit of an over-produced angle, too. This more of a contemporary pop tune. It’s also the weakest thing here in my opinion. If there’s a track to skip, this is it.

Fats Domino – Prisoner's Song

The piano and vocals are the featured elements here. This is exactly the kind of bluesy number I expect from Fats Domino. It’s the kind of quality I expect, too.

The Prisonaires – A Prisoner's Prayer

A balladic number with blues and gospel built into it, this one doesn’t really do much for me. I think it’s a step up the Theola Kilgore song, but not by much.

The Larks – When I Leave These Prison Walls

 

Piano gets us underway here. Then some doo-wop styled vocals join as that instrument continues. This is more of a ballad, too. It’s an improvement from the last tune, but its contemporary pop vibe leaves me wanting a little more meat and passion
 
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