This man is brilliant. This record is brilliant. No other country and western artist of his generation would have gone to see Black Sabbath (with the original lineup) and later describe it as "the most amazing concert" he had ever been to. Remember that Cash was covering Bob Dylan songs back when The Byrds were being panned by the critics and booed out of Nashville for their (rather bold) ventures into Country and Western.

He does like soft and pretty folk ballads (e.g. The One Rose and Memories are Made of This) and they are (although good) not the bright spots on this album. Don't get me wrong: these songs are very good, but they disrupt the listening experience as they seem to have been wedged in between some of the truly great tracks on this CD.

"Spiritual" (even with it's cliche, Lynyrd Skynyrd chord progression), "Mean Eyed Cat", "I've Been Everywhere", "I Never Picked Cotton", "Rowboat" and of course, "Rusty Cage" are the bright spots and "Southern Accents" might be the greatest... er... "Country and Western" song ever written.

These seven songs are worth the price of the CD even though the worst song on this album is very good and the rest are great.

Can we maybe get Steve Albini to remix it?


Johnny Cash Is Perfection   April 13, 2005
K. Fontenot (The Bayou State)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

"Unchained" is one of the best albums I've ever heard, and I personally own well over three hundred albums and listened to countless others. My private collection includes music from many genres, from gospel to gangsta rap to hair metal, yet few of them match the quality of music and the amount of emotion contained on "Unchained" and all of Cash's other recordings for the American label.

I don't want to come across as an eager fan of Cash, because other than his "Highwayman" collaboration with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings, I've never listened to a lot of his music or owned any of his albums. I always knew he was the man in black, but now I know why. His voice isn't the greatest, but it captures pain, pleasure, power, and weakness perfectly. He sounds like a man that's been through hell and back, and wouldn't mind another trip through if given the chance.

Just look at the lineup of artists who back him up here: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Marty Stuart, Flea, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsay Buckingham. He covers some great songs like "Southern Accents" and "I've Been Everywhere," then pumps out the Soundgarden tune, "Rusty Cage." All of this is packed neatly with some of Cash's own tunes. Somehow it all fits together and NONE of it sounds as if Cash sold out. He makes everything on this album his own.

Personal favorites include "Southern Accents," "Spiritual," and "I Never Picked Cotton." "Mean Eyed Cat" is another great tune.

Forget about all of the labels of "Country," "Rockabilly," and "Rebel" that have been slapped on Mr. Cash throughout the years. This music is Johnny Cash, no more, no less.

Highly recommended.


A Legend at his best!   August 4, 2005
G. Duggan (Newcastle, England)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Johnny Cash is a true legend of American music and this is undoubtedly some of
his finest work.
Johnny Cash's American recordings, resulting from his unconventional partnership
with rap metal producer Rick Rubin in the early nineties, have been nothing
short of phenomenal. The five albums currently released under Rubin's label have
become true highlights of Cash's career and after long deliberation I have
decided that 'Unchained' is the greatest of them all.
'Unchained' sees Cash backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, so clearly there
is a much rockier feel to this album than the other acoustically based efforts,
but it works like a dream! Apparently Tom Petty hailed this album as his band's
finest work and it's not hard to see why, they are ON FIRE!
'Unchained' blends Country and Rock 'n' Roll beautifully and the overall sound
created by Petty's band suits Cash's voice to a tee. And Boy, Is Cash in great
voice on this one! At the time of recording, Johnny's voice had matured like a
fine wine and lost none of its colossol power (unlike the later American
Recordings where illness added much frailty to the great man's vocals). Listen
to the end of 'Spiritual' and you will be blown away by the power in which he can
belt it out with so much control and emotion. I'm actually getting shivers down my
spine just replaying it in my head right now!
What is also amazing about this album is the variety of different material
contained and how well it all fits together. Along with original material, Cash
covers songs from country traditionalists such as Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Snow to modern and
alternative rockers such as Beck and Soundgarden. Cash has proven throughout his
recent recordings that he has the unique ability to take songs from almost any genre
and make them his own to the point where you could easily believe that the Man in
Black had written them himself.
It is difficult to select highlights of the album as I class it as a highlight
from start to finish. From the highly energetic, rock fuelled 'Rusty Cage',
'Country Boy', 'Mean Eyed Cat' and 'I Never Picked Cotton' (just to name a few!)
to the soulful and reflective 'Spiritual', 'Southern Accents', 'Meet me in
Heaven' and 'Unchained', this album goes places few could ever dream of!
If you love Johnny Cash, buy this! If you've never heard Cash, buy this and you
will love him! If you have heard him and don't love him, 'Man, What is wrong
with you?!?'





Unbelievable album - I am not even a Johnny Cash fan   August 1, 2002
George O. Hart III (Quincy, MA USA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I always thought Johnny Cash was OK, but never really got it. "Boy Named Sue" "Cocaine Blues" "Ring of Fire", fine, good stuff. But it never hit me. This album, from start to finish, just gets a hold of you. I stumbled upon it in my roommate's collection and threw it in the CD player one day and found a new favorite album. "Spiritual" is gorgeous, a highpoint. "Mean Eyed Cat" and "The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea" are both bluesy rockers that pick up side two and keep you going. "Southern Accent" was already a favorite when Tom Petty recorded it, but Cash's version, with Petty and the Heartbreakers backing him is as powerful a song as I've ever heard. There really just isn't a dead moment on the entire album. If you are new to Johnny Cash, this is where I would start, you probably won't stop there.