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List Price: $28.98 | | Label: Sony/Bmg Int'l
Salesrank: 267577
Released: July 15, 2008 |
| Our Price: $35.36 |
| Used Price: $46.60 |
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| Media: Vinyl |
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Unchained Track Listing:
1. Rowboat
2. Sea of Heartbreak
3. Rusty Cage
4. One Rose (That's Left in My Heart_
5. Country Boy
6. Memories Are Made of This
7. Spiritual
8. 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
Editorial Review:
UK only 180 gram vinyl pressing. The first four songs on Unchained come from the songbooks of Beck, Don Gibson, Soundgarden, and Jimmie Rodgers. What might look like absurdly unsupportable eclecticism in other artists, of course, is pretty much standard stuff for Cash. Unchained is hardly standard, though; it's more like the best album he's made since his 1984 departure from Columbia Records. Not only is this a stack of songs perfectly and idiosyncratically suited to the man, they're given door-rattling backing treatment by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who prove as fitting for Cash's music as his own Tennessee Two was back in the day. Rhino UK. 2006.
Description of Unchained:
The first four songs on Unchained come from the songbooks of Beck, Don Gibson, Soundgarden, and Jimmie Rodgers. What might look like absurdly unsupportable eclecticism in other artists, of course, is pretty much standard stuff for Cash. Unchained is hardly standard, though; it's more like the best album he's made since his 1984 departure from Columbia Records. Not only is this a stack of songs perfectly and idiosyncratically suited to the man, they're given door-rattling backing treatment by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who prove as fitting for Cash's music as his own Tennessee Two was back in the day. --Rickey Wright
Unchained Reviews:
personally, I expected more 
2008-12-16 - I absolutely LOVED Cash's first recording in the "American Recordings" series produced by Ric Ruben. When I learned that Tom Petty and the heartbreakers backed Cash on this second album, I had to have it! But I was disappointed... it did not live up to the standard of the first album. It is just "ok" but not "great" like the first one. We have to get all the way down the series to "the Man Comes Around" before we find another "great" recording series from this gang... at least in my opinion. However, I still own the entire series of recordings and you'll never pry them from my hand no matter how hard you try!
Marc Waszkiewicz
Bremerton, Washington
Few artists even compare to Mr. Cash... 
2008-12-06 - My little amazon review of this incredible album probably won't do it as much justice as it deserves. But when an artist like Johnny Cash comes along and sings for us, it's our job just to sit back and listen. A true artist is a modern day prophet of our time, and Cash is no exception. The heart that he has poured into this album stretches the very boundaries of what I had previously thought was possible in the world of music. As "manly" of a man that I try and make myself out to be sometimes, I must admit that I cried to three songs on this album: Rusty Cage, Spiritual, Unchained. But the rest of the album is obviously worth an ear as well, in my humble opinion.
Cash Unchained
2007-09-14 - If any artist did not have anything to prove in their later years, it was Johnny Cash. If any artist went out with a spectacular farewell, it was Cash and the several American Recording CD sessions he had. What makes Unchained one of the best of all these is the sheer power that comes from simple, acoustic grace accompanied by the low but serene vocals Cash was known so well for. Unchained spans a variety of songs that show Cash in probably his most energetic phase throughout the American Recording album releases. Just listen to the haunting, rolling melody of "Rowboat" that is followed up by the kinder, gentler "Sea of Heartbreak" and one can see that even though fifty years of triumph and tragedy has passed, he still has it and then some.
Cash absorbed many covers for his American Recording sessions, and the rock song by Soundgarden called "Rusty Cage" is one of the most exciting songs that could have ever been redone by the country western star. Cash's power as a man who was always telling a story that often had an unhappy beginning and ending is splendid with this track, and I would not be surprised if Soundgarden band members were enjoying it when they heard it as well.
Slower, softer moods are felt later on with many of the tracks and it only helps solidify this album as every bit a Johnny Cash treasure of modern day musical grace.
JC - Unchained
2007-07-05 - Love, love, love it!! I love everything about Johnny Cash!! His last 10 years of work are by far my favorite and this album is one of one them!
Memories are made of this 
2007-06-21 - I am not a fan of country music but I will make the exception with Johnny Cash who managed to transcend country music. I didn't really get into him until I heard American IV: The Man Comes Around with his haunting interpretation of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt". Since then I have made it a point to try to hear all of Johnny's work with Rick Rubin. I have to admit that "American IV" remains my personal favorite. Sadly to say "Unchained". I felt this album was not as strong as the last two albums Johnny did with Rick Rubin however it is not terrible as I might make it to be. I will say that on "Unchained" you can hear that Johnny was in better health. His voice is rich and full of life while the last two albums you can hear Johnny's exhaustion and grief (from the loss of his beloved June Carter Cash). The album does have plenty of songs that I liked. I think Johnny does a marvelous job at covering Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage". Just like "Hurt", he totally turns an alternative rock classic into a Johnny Cash song. Other favorites includes "Sea of Heartbreak", "Memories are Made of This", "Meet Me in Heaven", and "I've Been Everywhere". I wasn't too keen on "Rowboat", "Country Boy", and "I Never Picked Cotton". I just did not enjoy the melodies in those songs. Even though I consider "Unchained" my least favorite Johnny Cash cd w/Rick Rubin, it is still good and certainly a lot better than most country cds that are churned out day in and day out for public mass consumption.
