Unchained (Johnny Cash album)
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Unchained, also known as American II: Unchained, is the second album in Johnny Cash's American Recording series (and his 82nd overall). Like all Cash's albums for American, Unchained was produced by Rick Rubin. In contrast to the first American Recordings album, on which Cash played alone, on the follow-up he is backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with guest appearances by Flea, bassist from Red Hot Chili Peppers, on "Spiritual", and Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood, both of Fleetwood Mac, on "Sea of Heartbreak". Unchained focuses more on covers and less on original material than the first album in the series. In addition to three of Cash's own compositions, Unchained contained songs by Tom Petty ("Southern Accents"), Soundgarden ("Rusty Cage") and Beck ("Rowboat"), The album also included a cover of the classic 1962 Hank Snow song, "I've Been Everywhere", written by Geoff Mack, and remakes of two songs Cash recorded early in his career for Sun Records: "Country Boy" and "Mean Eyed Cat". In comparison with the country folk sound of Cash's other American Recordings' albums this one has more of a hard, true country rock sound. The album was recorded over a six-month period with engineer Sylvia Massy at Sound City Studios, Ocean Way Studios, Rick Rubin's home studio and The Cowboy Arms And Recording Spa in Nashville, Tennessee.
Unchained received a Grammy for Best Country Album and Cash was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his version of Rusty Cage.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    link |
| Robert Christgau |  link |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rowboat" | Beck | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Sea of Heartbreak" | Paul Hampton, Hal David | 2:42 |
| 3. | "Rusty Cage" | Chris Cornell | 2:49 |
| 4. | "The One Rose (That's Left in My Heart)" | Del Lyon/Lani McIntire | 2:26 |
| 5. | "Country Boy" | Johnny Cash | 2:31 |
| 6. | "Memories Are Made of This" | Richard Dehr/Terry Gilkyson/Frank Miller | 2:19 |
| 7. | "Spiritual" | Josh Haden | 5:06 |
| 8. | "The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea" | Maybelle Carter/Anita Carter/Helen Carter/June Carter Cash | 2:32 |
| 9. | "Southern Accents" | Tom Petty | 4:41 |
| 10. | "Mean Eyed Cat" | Johnny Cash | 2:33 |
| 11. | "Meet Me in Heaven" | Johnny Cash | 3:21 |
| 12. | "I Never Picked Cotton" | Bobby George/Charles Williams | 2:39 |
| 13. | "Unchained" | Jude Johnstone | 2:51 |
| 14. | "I've Been Everywhere" | Geoff Mack | 3:17 |
- Notes
- Track 1: Originally recorded by Beck for Stereopathetic Soulmanure (1994)
- Track 2: Originally a hit single for Don Gibson (1961)
- Track 3: Originally recorded by Soundgarden for Badmotorfinger (1991)
- Track 4: Originally recorded in 1930 by Jimmie Rodgers, also recorded by Larry Clinton, Bing Crosby, Art Kassel (all 3 in 1937), George Morgan, Hank Snow, and Michael Nesmith (1970)
- Track 5: Originally recorded by Cash for Sun, appears on With His Hot and Blue Guitar (1957)
- Track 6: Originally a hit single by Dean Martin and The Easy Riders (1956)
- Track 7: Originally recorded by Spain for The Blue Moods of Spain (1995)
- Track 8: Originally recorded by The Louvin Brothers for Satan Is Real (1960)
- Track 9: Originally recorded by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers for Southern Accents (1985)
- Track 10: Originally recorded by Cash for Sun, appears on Sings Hank Williams (1960)
- Track 12: Originally recorded by Roy Clark for I Never Picked Cotton (1970)
- Track 13: Later recorded by Johnstone for Coming of Age (2002)
- Track 14: Originally a hit single by Lucky Starr (1959) and Hank Snow (1962)
Personnel
- Johnny Cash - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
- Tom Petty - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass, Chamberlin
- Mike Campbell - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Dobro
- Benmont Tench - Piano, Hammond B3 Organ, Vox Continental Organ, Harmonium, Chamberlin
- Howie Epstein - Acoustic Guitar, Bass
- Steve Ferrone - Drums & Percussion (1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,14)
- Curt Bisquera - Drums & Percussion (7,8)
- Marty Stuart - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass (1,4,5,10,11,12,13,14)
- Flea - Bass (7)
- Lindsey Buckingham - Acoustic Guitar (2)
- Mick Fleetwood - Percussion (2)
- Juliet Prater - Percussion (3)
Additional personnel
- Rick Rubin - Producer
- David Ferguson - Engineer
- Sylvia Massy - Engineer, Mixing
- John Ewing Jr., Greg Fidelman, Eddie Miller, Michael Stock - Assistant Engineers
- Gene Grimaldi, Eddy Schreyer - Mastering
- Martyn Atkins - Art Direction, Photography
- Christine Cano - Art Direction, Design, Photography, Inlay Photography
- Andy Earl - Photography
Chart performance
Album
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 170 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 26 |
Awards
Unused tracks
According to biographer Robert Hilburn, Cash recorded a cover version of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" during the recording sessions for Unchained, but it was not released.[1]
See also
External links
References
- ^ Robert Hilburn, Johnny Cash: A Life. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2013, p.564
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