Against the Grain (Phoebe Snow album)
| Against the Grain | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1978 | |||
| Recorded | A&R Recording, New York City | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Phil Ramone, Barry Beckett | |||
| Phoebe Snow chronology | ||||
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Against the Grain is the fifth album by singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow, released in 1978.
Overview
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
| Smash Hits | 6/10[3] |
At the time of the release of Against the Grain, Phoebe Snow called it her "rockiest" album, "a deliberate turning away from the jazz influences" of her earlier recordings.[4] Peter Reilly of Stereo Review recognized the album's intent to "mark [Snow's] entrance into Outright Rock-&-Roll", dismissing it as "merely a paraphrase of real rock" and lamenting that "a singer who...has shown a real flair for projecting a lyric with poignancy and feeling has made such an awkward and clumsy turnabout."[5]
Rising no higher than #100 on the Billboard 200, Against the Grain became Snow's second album to seriously under-perform, ending her association with Columbia Records. Snow would have one album release in the next ten years, which was Rock Away, touted as her move into "rock-&-roll".[6][7][8] In interviews concurrent with the 1981 release of Rock Away, Snow would label Against the Grain a "disaster":[9] "[it] tried to be a rock album but had too many opinions. Everybody who played, sang or cleaned up the studio produced that album...Putting [Paul McCartney's "Every Night"]" - which afforded Snow a hit in the UK and Australia - "was the one idea of mine that filtered through."[10]
In a retrospective review for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlmann wrote of the album "The decision to add Barry Beckett as co-producer with Phil Ramone helped add an R&B depth and fervor, but 'Against the Grain' was just a more impassioned effort than its predecessor."[1] Robert Christgau wrote of the album; "this time she dies on the non-originals...Paul McCartney's Every Night' shows up the hooklessness of almost everything else."[2]
Track listing
Songs written by Phoebe Snow, except where noted.
Side One
- "Every Night" (Paul McCartney) – 3:31
- "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (Chips Moman, Dan Penn) – 4:08
- "He's Not Just Another Man" (Clyde Wilson, Brian Holland) – 2:59
- "Random Time" – 3:39
- "In My Life" (Patti Austin) – 5:02
Side Two
- "You Have Not Won" – 4:22
- "Mama Don't Break Down" – 3:06
- "Oh L.A." – 3:17
- "The Married Men" (Maggie Roche) – 3:44
- "Keep a Watch on the Shoreline" – 4:39
Charts
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] | 9 |
Personnel
- Phoebe Snow – acoustic guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Barry Beckett – keyboards, acoustic piano, synthesizers
- Dave Grusin – keyboards
- Richard Tee – electric piano
- Steve Burgh – electric guitar, slide guitar
- Steve Khan – 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitar solo
- Hugh McCracken – 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Jeff Mironov – electric guitar, guitar solo
- Warren Nichols – pedal steel guitar
- Will Lee – bass
- Hugh MacDonald – bass
- Doug Stegmeyer – bass
- Liberty DeVitto – drums
- Rick Marotta – drums
- Ralph MacDonald – percussion
- Michael Brecker – saxophone, sax solo
- Jon Faddis – flugelhorn, flugelhorn solo
- Corky Hale – harp
- Margo Chapman – backing vocals
- Michael Gray – backing vocals
- Lani Groves – backing vocals
- Gwen Guthrie – backing vocals
- Linda LaPresti – backing vocals
Production
- Barry Beckett – producer, mixing
- Phil Ramone – producer
- Burt Szerlip – engineer
- Steve Melton – remixing
- Ted Jenson – mastering
- Paula Scher – design
- Benno Friedman – photography
References
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Against the Grain > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (March 8–21, 1979): 25.
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer 13 December 1978 "Phoebe Snow is Reborn in a New Image" by Christine Arnold p.53
- ^ Stereo Review Vol 42 #2 (February 1979) "Popular Discs & Tapes" pp.116-117 (review by Peter Reilly)
- ^ Detroit Free Press 29 March 1981 "Solid Judgement - Pop" by John Smyntek p.75
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer 27 March 1981 "Pop Rock - Albums" by Jack LLoyd p.83
- ^ Stereo Review Vol 42 #2 (July 1981) "Best of the Month" pp.72-72 (review by Noel Coppage)
- ^ Allentown Messenger-Press 2 July 1981 "In the Groove - Phoebe Snow Interview" by Steve Wosahta p.6
- ^ Tampa Bay Time 10 June 1981 "Phoebe is Proud of Picking Her Hit Songs" by Mary Campbell p.58
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 280. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
