Van Halen » Tracks » Unchained

Van Halen – Unchained (3:27)

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About This Track

Unchained is the best-known song from Van Halen’s 1981 album Fair Warning. Considered to be one of the band’s signature tracks, it is instantly identifiable and one of the most requested songs on FM radio in the 1980s. Eddie Van Halen wrote the main riff at 4:00 in the morning with engineer Donn Landee while they were doing some overdubbing on the album. The song features prominent use of the MXR M-117 flanger, which has become a popular sound and a preset for the flanger setting was included on the EVH Flanger MXR later manufactured. It uses a dropped-D tuning down a half step with suspended fourth chords interspersed. The song is also 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. He thought David Lee Roth was getting too obnoxious and he jumped in. The band liked the way it sounded and kept it in the song.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Best of Van Halen, Volume 1
    Van Halen Play
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  • The Best of Both Worlds (disc 1)
    Van Halen Play
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  • Fair Warning
    Van Halen
    Buy
  • Best Of Volume 1
    Van Halen
    Buy
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  • peterbiltoutlaw

    the Roth Years are the Best

    19 days ago

  • xtwntraphq

    ░░░░█░░░░░█████░██████░░█████░██░░░█░█████░░░░░ ░░░░█░░░░░█░░░░░█░░░░░░░█░░░░░█░█░░█░█░░░░█░░░░ ░░░░█░░░░░█████░█░░███░░█████░█░░█░█░█░░░░█░░░░ ░░░░█░░░░░█░░░░░█░░░░█░░█░░░░░█░░░██░█░░░░█░░░░ ░░░░█████░█████░██████░░█████░█░░░░█░█████░░░ ♪♫

    last month

  • VoodooDahl

    Greatest rock riff ever?

    last month

  • JDCOMPACTMAN

    gotta love it

    February 2012

  • maplejet

    AWESOME!

    February 2012

  • tomba93

    Riff + the brown sound = Killer combination! [2]

    January 2012

  • edneoson

    Unchained!

    January 2012

  • edneoson

    Unchained!

    January 2012

  • DavCnuk

    all right! let's rock this tune! TURN IT UP!

    January 2012

  • onthewall2983

    Good for you to put your name on it, PorridgeGun :)

    January 2012

  • MIKEH3875

    riffilicious

    December 2011

  • rockandrolljoe

    Fat City Address

    December 2011

  • xtwntraphq

    Pre '84 cant agree any more

    December 2011

  • atomicpnk52

    Classic VH!! Unbeatable!

    December 2011

  • rushfan1

    This was the 2nd song I learned to play on guitar, the first being Stairway to Heaven. Nothing like old Halen-pre 1984!

    December 2011

  • ericshep

    fuck it aint nothin stays the same!

    November 2011

  • sixxdogg

    best riff ever, period!

    November 2011

  • PorridgeGun

    Mohr Stories brought me here.

    October 2011

  • boxofspiders

    Sweet. Back when Ed had the fire in is blood. The REAL Van Halen.

    September 2011

  • incesticide_

    umas das melhores do Van Halen! amo muito essa música <3

    September 2011
See all 96 shouts

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