Rick Rubin

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Lore & Background

The recording sessions for Unchained took place over a six-month period at Sound City Studios, engineered by Sylvia Massy. Unlike the first American album which featured only voice and guitar, Rubin oversaw a full band arrangement featuring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The lineup included guest appearances from country veteran Marty Stuart on additional guitar for more than half the songs, Flea (bassist from Red Hot Chili Peppers) on 'Spiritual,' and Fleetwood Mac members Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood on 'Sea of Heartbreak.' Rubin also produced versions of two older Cash songs: 'Country Boy,' originally from his 1957 debut Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!, and 'Mean Eyed Cat' from the 1960 album Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams. The production focused heavily on cover songs written by other performers, including tracks by Jude Johnstone, Tom Petty, Spain, Soundgarden, and Beck.

In Their Own Story

While the first American album was defined by its sparse instrumentation, Unchained embraced a fuller sound under Rubin's direction. Cash recorded new versions of 'Country Boy' and 'Mean Eyed Cat' alongside original compositions like Jude Johnstone's title track 'Unchained.' The album featured songs from diverse artists such as Tom Petty ('Southern Accents'), Spain ('Spiritual'), Soundgarden ('Rusty Cage'), and Beck ('Rowboat'). A notable inclusion was a cover of the 1962 Hank Snow song 'I've Been Everywhere,' written by Geoff Mack. This specific version later gained significant cultural traction, serving as the theme for Choice Hotels commercials from 2003 to 2009, appearing in a USPS commercial between 2021 and 2022, and featuring as a soundtrack in Season 2 of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Although biographer Robert Hilburn noted that Cash recorded a cover of Robert Palmer's 'Addicted to Love' during these sessions with Rubin, that track was never released.

Reader's Guide

To achieve the sound on Unchained, Rubin utilized engineers Sylvia Massy and David R. Ferguson at Sound City Studios. The personnel list reflects the deep collaboration between Cash and Tom Petty's band: Mike Campbell played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, mandolin, and Dobro; Howie Epstein contributed acoustic guitar and bass; while Benmont Tench handled piano, Hammond organ, Vox Continental organ, harmonium, and Chamberlin. Drumming duties were split between Steve Ferrone (tracks 1–6, 10, 12, 14) and Curt Bisquera (tracks 7–8), with Mick Fleetwood adding percussion on track 2 and Juliet Prater on track 3. The album's art direction and photography were handled by Martyn Atkins and Christine Cano, with mastering completed by Gene Grimaldi and Eddy Schreyer at Oasis Mastering. Rubin's role as producer ensured the integration of these varied talents into a cohesive record that balanced Cash's legacy with fresh musical contributions.

Did You Know?

• Unchained was Cash's 82nd overall album.
• The album features guest appearances by Flea on bass for the song 'Spiritual'.
• Cash recorded a cover of Robert Palmer's 'Addicted to Love' during these sessions, but it remained unreleased.
• Fleetwood Mac members Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood appear together on the track 'Sea of Heartbreak'.
• Cash's version of 'I've Been Everywhere' was used in Choice Hotels commercials from 2003 to 2009.