Unchained (Johnny Cash album)

Background

On Unchained, Johnny Cash traded the stripped-down sound of his first album with producer Rick Rubin for full band backing from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The record features a roster of guest musicians: country veteran Marty Stuart plays additional guitar on more than half the tracks; Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea appears on “Spiritual”; and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood join in on “Sea of Heartbreak.” The album leans heavily on covers, including songs by Jude Johnstone, Tom Petty, Spain, Soundgarden, and Beck, alongside three original Cash compositions. It also includes a rendition of Hank Snow’s 1962 hit “I’ve Been Everywhere,” written by Geoff Mack. That track later became the theme for Choice Hotels commercials from 2003 to 2009, appeared in a USPS ad from 2021 to 2022, and was used in season two of the cartoon The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Biographer Robert Hilburn notes that Cash recorded a cover of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” during these sessions, but it never saw release. For this album, Cash revisited two of his own older songs: “Country Boy,” originally from his 1957 debut, and “Mean Eyed Cat,” first recorded in 1960. The album was cut over six months at Sound City Studios with engineer Sylvia Massy.