Unchained

iTunes Review

If 1994’s American Recordings introduced Johnny Cash to a new generation, 1996’s Unchained solidified the relationship. Less austere than its predecessor, this album turned Cash loose in a roots-rock setting (with able assistance from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers). The force of his personality unites its disparate material — and, with few exceptions, the tunes are fully worthy of the artist. Cash’s feel for threads of connection between musical genres enables him to re-imagine Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” and Beck’s “Rowboat” as time-honored folk ballads. From the vagabond anthem “I’ve Been Everywhere” to the reflective ballad “Memories Are Made Of This” and the redemptive title song, there’s a sense of mature wisdom and acceptance pervading these tracks. Amidst all the sober ruminations are good-humored moments like “Mean Eyed Cat,” a tune Cash first tackled in the ‘50s. The album doesn’t have the feel of a comeback effort — there’s no desperation to sound “relevant” here. Unchained is the work of an archetypal artist making music for the ages as well as for the moment.