Unchained

by Cash,Johnny / Petty,Tom & Heartbreakers

Overview

After 1994's American Recordings revitalized Johnny Cash's career, he and producer Rick Rubin had to come up with an encore, and in some respects 1996's Unchained was the sort of album many were expecting American Recordings to be. Instead of the solo acoustic approach of American Recordings, Unchained paired Cash with a noted rock band Rubin had worked with in the past -- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, whose roots-conscious style and Southern heritage would seemingly make them compatible with the Man in Black. There's no arguing that Petty and his band sound fully committed on Unchained and deliver uniformly heartfelt and expert performances. However, part of what made American Recordings so effective was the opportunity to hear Cash's emotionally forceful vocals with only the most minimal accompaniment, and as good as the Heartbreakers are, in their presence Cash sounds a bit more restrained and less willing to push himself. Also, while having Cash cover Glenn Danzig's "Thirteen" worked unexpectedly well on American Recordings, taking on Beck and Soundgarden doesn't fare nearly as well here, and Cash's version of "Memories Are Made of This" may have been a better match in theory, but it doesn't quite make it in practice. But there are more than a few triumphant moments on this disc, including inspired recuts of "Country Boy" and "Mean Eyed Cat," a dignified and deeply felt interpretation of Petty's "Southern Accents," and a rollicking tear through "I've Been Everywhere" for the finale. If Unchained didn't seem like an event or an instant classic like its immediate predecessor, it confirmed Cash was still a vital artist with plenty of life in him, no mean feat for a man of 64 who'd been making records for more than 40 years. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	03/05/2002
Label:	American Recordings / Lost Highway
UPC:	0731458679127

Tracks

1. Rowboat
2. Sea of Heartbreak
3. Rusty Cage
4. The One Rose (That's Left in My Heart_
5. Country Boy
6. Memories Are Made of This
7. Spiritual
8. The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea
9. Southern Accents
10. Mean Eyed Cat
11. Meet Me in Heaven
12. I Never Picked Cotton
13. Unchained
14. I've Been Everywhere

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Johnny Cash   Primary Artist,Vocals,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Lindsey Buckingham   Guest Artist,Guitar (Acoustic)
Flea   Guest Artist,Bass
Marty Stuart   Guest Artist,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Bass
Mick Fleetwood   Guest Artist,Drums,Percussion
Mike Campbell   Bass,Dobro,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Tom Petty   Guitar (Electric),Bass,Vocals,Chamberlin,Guest Artist,Guitar (Acoustic)
Howie Epstein   Guitar (Acoustic),Bass
Juliet Prater   Percussion
Benmont Tench   Organ,Piano,Harmonium,Vox Organ,Chamberlin,Organ (Hammond),Vox Continental
Steve Ferrone   Drums,Percussion
Curt Bisquera   Drums,Percussion

Technical Credits

Michael Stock   Assistant Engineer
Michel Bassin   Composer
David Ferguson   Engineer,Producer
Gene Grimaldi   Mastering
Goran Juresic   Composer
Martyn Atkins   Art Direction,Photography
Charlie Williams   Composer,Composer
Eddy Scheyer   Mastering
Andy Earl   Photography
Eddie Miller   Assistant Engineer
Del Lyon   Composer
Geoffrey Mack   Composer
Mother Maybelle Carter   Composer
Rick Rubin   Producer
Eddy Schreyer   Mastering
Tom Petty   Composer
Marco Neves   Composer
Helen Carter   Composer
Hal David   Composer
Chris Cornell   Composer
John Ewing, Jr.   Assistant Engineer
John Carter Cash   Producer
Johnny Cash   Composer,Performer
June Carter Cash   Composer
Ronny Scaife   Composer
Richard Dehr   Composer
Anita Carter   Composer
Frankie Miller   Composer
Lani McIntire   Composer
Geoff Mack   Composer
Christine Cano   Design,Photography,Art Direction,Inlay Photography
Didier Breard   Composer
Beck Hansen   Composer
Bobby Boyd   Composer
Paul Hampton   Composer
Terry Gilkyson   Composer
Sylvia Massy   Mixing,Engineer
Bob McDill   Composer
Bobby George   Composer
Beck   Composer
Frank Miller   Composer
John Coltrane   Composer
Greg Fidelman   Assistant Engineer
Josh Haden   Composer
Jude Johnstone   Composer
Didier Serbourdin   Composer