American II: Unchained is the second album by Johnny Cash in the American Recordings series, produced by Rick Rubin. It was released on November 5, 1996.
The album features the California rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as backing musicians, and was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. It includes covers of songs by artists such as Beck, Soundgarden, and Tom Petty.
The song 'The Man Who Couldn't Cry' by Loudon Wainwright III was included, and the album received positive reviews, though it did not achieve the commercial success of its predecessor. The cover art shows Cash in a defiant pose, reflecting his attitude toward the music industry.