''Unchained'', also known as ''American II: Unchained'', is the second album in

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

's American Recordings series (and his 82nd overall). It was released on November 5, 1996, by American Recordings. Like all of Cash's albums for American Recordings, ''Unchained'' was produced by

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

. The album received a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for

Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Country Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the country music genre. Honors ...

and Cash was nominated for

Best Male Country Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance was awarded between 1965 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes: *From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male *In 1968 it was a ...

for his version of "

Rusty Cage "Rusty Cage" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Rusty Cage" was released in 1992 as the third single from the band's third studio album, ''Badmotorfinger'' (1991). The song became an instant hit ...

Background

In contrast to the first album – on which Cash played alone – he is backed by

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer S ...

. There are guest appearances by country music veteran

Marty Stuart John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a ...

(additional guitar on more than half the songs);

Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...

(bassist from

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

), on "Spiritual"; and by

Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fl ...

and

Mick Fleetwood Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and occasional actor. He is best known as the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of th ...

, both of

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

, on "Sea of Heartbreak". ''Unchained'' focuses on covers. In addition to three of Cash's own compositions, ''Unchained'' contained songs by

Jude Johnstone Jude Johnstone is an American singer-songwriter. Her songs have been covered by Laura Branigan, Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler, Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks, Mary Black, and others. Johnstone wrote the No. 1 song "The ...

("Unchained"),

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...

("Southern Accents"),

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

("Spiritual"),

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...

("Rusty Cage"), and

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...

("Rowboat"). The album also included a cover of the classic 1962

Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music artist. Most popular in the 1950s, he had a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on t ...

song, "I've Been Everywhere", written by

Geoff Mack Albert Geoffrey McElhinney OAM (20 December 1922 – 21 July 2017), better known by his stage name Geoff Mack, was an Australian country singer, songwriter and aircraft mechanic. As a songwriter, he wrote the song "I've Been Everywhere" which w ...

. From 2003 to 2009 Johnny Cash’s version of "I’ve Been Everywhere" from this album ''Unchained'' has been used in several

Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality company based in Rockville, Maryland. The company, which is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, owns several hotel brands ranging from upscale to economy. As o ...

commercials and has been the theme for these commercials. Cash’s I’ve Been Everywhere has also been used as a soundtrack in Season 2 of the animated series

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'' is an American animated television series created by Maxwell Atoms for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. It follows Billy, an extremely dimwitted, happy-go-lucky boy, an ...

. According to biographer Robert Hilburn, Cash also recorded a cover version of Robert Palmer's " Addicted to Love" during the recording sessions for ''Unchained'', but it was not released.Robert Hilburn, ''Johnny Cash: A Life''. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2013, p.564 The album was recorded over a six-month period with engineer Sylvia Massy at

Sound City Studios Sound City Studios is a recording studio in Los Angeles, California, known as one of the most successful in popular music. The complex opened in 1969 in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles. The facility had previously been a production facto ...

Ocean Way Studios Ocean Way Recording was a series of recording studios established by recording engineer and producer Allen Sides with locations in Los Angeles, California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Saint Barthélemy. Ocean Way Recording no longer operates record ...

's home studio and the Cowboy Arms And Recording Spa in Nashville, Tennessee and mastered at Oasis Mastering, Studio City, California.

Previous recordings

Two songs on the album had previously been recorded by Cash. *"Country Boy" was previously recorded by Cash for his 1957 album '' Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!'' *"Mean Eyed Cat" was previously recorded by Cash for his 1960 album ''

Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams ''Sings Hank Williams'' is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It was released on September 5, 1960, by Sun Records after Cash had left the label and signed with Columbia Records. Despite the title, the album does not ...

''.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes. * Johnny Cash – vocals, acoustic guitar *

– vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, chamberlin * Mike Campbell – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, mandolin,

Dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early years Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin ...

– piano, hammond organ, vox continental organ, harmonium, chamberlin * Rick DePiro - piano, organ (8, 13) *

Howie Epstein Howard Norman Epstein (July 21, 1955 – February 23, 2003) was an American musician best known as a bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early life Epstein was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in a musical household. His ...

– acoustic guitar, bass * Steve Ferrone – drums and percussion (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 14) *

Curt Bisquera Curt "Kirkee B." Bisquera is an American drummer known for his extensive work as a touring and session musician. Biography Bisquera has worked with Johnny Cash, Josh Groban, Mick Jagger, Seal, Sarah McLachlan, Elton John, Johnny Hallyday an ...

– drums and percussion (7, 8) *

– acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass (1, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) *

– bass (7) *

– acoustic guitar (2) *

– percussion (2) * Juliet Prater – percussion (3) *

– producer * David Ferguson – engineer * Sylvia Massy – engineer, mixing * John Ewing Jr.,

Greg Fidelman Greg Fidelman (born September 4, 1965) is an American record mixer, engineer and record producer. He is a frequent collaborator of producer Rick Rubin, and has worked with many bands in various genres, including Metallica, Slayer, High on Fire, B ...

, 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

Charts

Album - ''Billboard'' (United States)

Certifications

External links

Luma Electronic's Johnny Cash discography listing

References

{{Authority control 1996 albums Johnny Cash albums Albums produced by Rick Rubin American Recordings (record label) albums Sequel albums Warner Records albums Grammy Award for Best Country Album Tom Petty Albums recorded at Sound City Studios Covers albums