Unchained (Johnny Cash album)

Unchained, also known as American II: Unchained, is the second album in Johnny Cash's American Recordings 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 – he is backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. There are guest appearances by Flea, bassist from Red Hot Chili Peppers, on "Spiritual"; and by Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood, both of Fleetwood Mac, on "Sea of Heartbreak".

Unchained focuses on covers. In addition to three of Cash's own compositions, Unchained contained songs by Jude Johnstone ("Unchained"), Tom Petty ("Southern Accents"), Josh Haden ("Spiritual), 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 release has more of a hard 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 and mastered at Oasis Mastering, Studio City, California.

Unchained received a Grammy for Best Country Album and Cash was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his version of "Rusty Cage".

Track listing

 * 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 Jude 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 organ, vox continental organ, harmonium, chamberlin
 * Rick DePiro – hammond organ, synthesizer
 * Howie Epstein – acoustic guitar, bass
 * Steve Ferrone – drums and percussion (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 14)
 * Curt Bisquera – drums and 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 (Oasis Mastering)
 * Martyn Atkins – art direction, photography
 * Christine Cano – art direction, design, photography, inlay photography
 * Andy Earl – photography

Awards
Grammy Awards of 1998
 * Best Country Album – winner

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.