Unchained (song)

"Unchained" is a song from Van Halen's fourth album, Fair Warning.

"Unchained"
Single by Van Halen
from the album Fair Warning
A-side"Unchained"
B-side"Sinners Swing!"
ReleasedJuly 1981
RecordedEarly March-early April 1981[1]
GenreHeavy metal
Length3:29
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Edward Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth.
Producer(s)Ted Templeman
Van Halen singles chronology
"So This Is Love?"
(1981)		 "Unchained"
(1981)		 "(Oh) Pretty Woman"
(1982)

Writing and composition

Vocalist David Lee Roth's working title for the song was "Hit the Ground Running". The song features prominent use of the MXR M-117 flanger, which became a popular sound and spurred sales of the pedal. A preset for the flanger was also included on the EVH Flanger MXR pedal. It uses a Drop D♭ tuning with suspended fourth chords interspersed. The song is notable for being producer Ted Templeman's only vocal contribution to the band when he says "Come on, Dave, gimme a break!" during the interlude of the song.[2]

Reception

Chuck Klosterman of Vulture.com named it the second-best Van Halen song, writing that it "merely feels like insatiable straight-ahead rock, but the lick is freaky, obliquely hovering above the foundation while the drums oscillate between two unrelated performance philosophies."[3]

References
  1. "AesthetiX Choice: Top 20 Van Halen Songs". Listal.com. Listal.com. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  2. "Unchained". Van Halen News Desk. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  3. Klosterman, Chuck (October 6, 2020). "All 131 Van Halen Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best A look back at the band's formidable legacy". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.

Further reading
  • Van Halen Guitar Anthology. Van Nuys, California: Alfred. 2006. pp. 101–12. ISBN 9780897246729. OCLC 605214049.


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