That Johnny Cash namely never his old boots is ridden, will have meanwhile spread. But "Unchained", his second album with the "American" label, showing that he does not even rode down his new boots. It's amazing how the grand old man in his later years turned up again, which he burned down fireworks with each new album. "Unchained" just, literally abandoned by the chain.
After masterfully Spartan back-to-the-roots album "American Recordings" 1994 Cash moved two years later completely different, but equally sonorous strings, this time with the active participation of so fundamentally different musicians as especially Tom Petty (including Heartbreakers) to Lindsay Buckingham, Marty Stuart, Flea various (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Mick Fleetwood and other rounder styles. But the focus is clearly this astounding voice, with all its power can act as a unified whole the whole album. She is still unbroken, but drawn, aged in dignity, with a kind of gentle pathos that would be embarrassing for a vocalist with less audible life experience.
As on all other "American Recordings" albums shows cash even here, the bandwidth included can be:
Classically beautiful country numbers like "The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea" or "I've Been Everywhere" and gentle folk are naturally onboard. And the same can hear where the hammer has to hang: Cash's version of "Southern Accent" at least an octave lower than that of Tom Petty then, makes a nice, catchy song a monument. In addition to stricter Rockabilly like old times: "Mean Eyed Cat" and "Country Boy", now without a boom-chicka-boom, but perhaps with even more drive. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers shred at least as good as the Tennessee Three blessed. Yes, and then this incredibly intense gospel numbers - "Spiritual" is an absolute highlight in this galaxy.
Whether cash plays his own compositions or foreign - a song that is gecovert of Johnny Cash, received the accolade. What is behind a musical instinct, you can only guess. Covers of Soundgarden ("Rusty Cage") to Dean Martin (wonderfully light-footed: Cash's version of "Memories Are Made of This") and Hank Williams, to effectively own compositions, and in a thoroughly rewarding, self-contained album - the to him only once a copy.
"Unchained" was the last album that Cash could still record with full voting rights - at full speed, it should be said better. Sure, it makes a not quite as abruptly as Blattschuss to the heart as the two subsequent "Solitary Man" and "The Man Comes Around", a skin not with the force of these two century-albums from the saddle. But infinitely more of heart and soul also in here, and a lot of rhythm anyway. And songs like "Rusty Cage", "Meet Me in Heaven", "Unchained" and "Spiritual" should let each listener awestruck.
By the way, the grand old man is here for the umpteenth time in his career the new serpentine, glattgefönten to faceless country boys from Nashville, which is music, and when he finished in "Rusty Cage" by Country Rap ("when the forest burns "...), then you can see it again: Cash, the eternally curious, the Verschubladung denied. - "A lot of people think of country singers as right-wing, redneck bigots, but I do not think I'm like that" (JC) - He can say that again. Better yet, sing.
