Which Johnny Cash album began his American Recordings era in 1994?

Which Johnny Cash album began his American Recordings era in 1994? The answer is American Recordings.

Released on April 26, 1994, American Recordings was Cash’s first album for producer Rick Rubin’s label, then known as American Recordings after its earlier Def American branding. The project helped revive Cash’s career after years of declining record sales and an unsuccessful period with Mercury Records.

Rubin deliberately stripped the sessions down: Cash often sang and played acoustic guitar alone, recording in Rubin’s living room in Los Angeles and at Cash’s cabin in Tennessee. That sparseness brought the focus back to Cash’s voice, phrasing, and song choices, including material by contemporary writers as well as traditional sources.

A common mix-up is confusing this album with Unchained, also known as American II: Unchained. Unchained followed in 1996 and featured backing from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. American Recordings, by contrast, is the first album in the later American series and the release that launched Cash’s acclaimed collaboration with Rubin.