Against the Grain (Phoebe Snow album)

Professional ratings

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]

Songs written by Phoebe Snow, except where noted.

Side One

1. "Every Night" (Paul McCartney) – 3:31
2. "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (Chips Moman, Dan Penn) – 4:08
3. "He's Not Just Another Man" (Clyde Wilson, Brian Holland) – 2:59
4. "Random Time" – 3:39
5. "In My Life" (Patti Austin) – 5:02

Side Two

1. "You Have Not Won" – 4:22
2. "Mama Don't Break Down" – 3:06
3. "Oh L.A." – 3:17
4. "The Married Men" (Maggie Roche) – 3:44
5. "Keep a Watch on the Shoreline" – 4:39

• Phoebe Snow – lead vocals (1-5, 7-10), backing vocals (1-3, 5, 7-10), acoustic guitar (4, 10), all vocals (6)
• Barry Beckett – acoustic piano (1, 9, 10), keyboards (2, 4, 5, 7, 8), synthesizers (4, 5, 8, 10)
• Richard Tee – electric piano (3, 10)
• Dave Grusin – keyboards (6)
• Steve Burgh – lead electric guitar (1, 3, 10), electric guitar (2, 5, 7, 8), acoustic guitar (4, 9), slide guitar (7, 9)
• Steve Khan – electric guitar (1, 3-9), acoustic guitar (4), electric guitar solo (6), electric 12-string guitar (10)
• Hugh McCracken – acoustic guitar (1, 2, 4, 8, 10), electric guitar (3, 7, 9), acoustic 12-string guitar (5)
• Jeff Mironov – electric guitar (6), acoustic guitar (6)
• Warren Nichols – pedal steel guitar (1)
• Will Lee – bass (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10)
• Hugh MacDonald – bass (2, 5, 8)
• Doug Stegmeyer – bass (6)
• Rick Marotta – drums (1-5, 7-10), Syndrums
• Liberty DeVitto – drums (6)
• Ralph MacDonald – percussion (2-4, 7-10)
• Jon Faddis – flugelhorn solo (4)
• Michael Brecker – saxophone solo (7)
• Corky Hale – harp (5)
• Michael Gray – backing vocals (2, 7)
• Margo Chapman – backing vocals (3)
• Linda LaPresti – backing vocals (3)
• Lani Groves – backing vocals (5)
• Gwen Guthrie – backing vocals (5)

Horns (Tracks 2, 3, 7 & 9)

• David Matthews – arrangements
• Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone
• Tom Malone – saxophones
• George Young – saxophones
• Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
• Wayne Andre – trombone
• Sam Burtis – trombone
• Keith O'Quinn – trombone
• Randy Brecker – trumpet
• John Gatchell – trumpet
• Lew Soloff – trumpet

• Barry Beckett – producer, remix engineer, mixing (1-5, 7-10)
• Phil Ramone – producer, mixing (6)
• Glenn Berger – basic track engineer
• Jim Boyer – engineer (3-7, 9, 10)
• Elliot Scheiner – engineer (8)
• Burt Szerlip – overdubbing
• Steve Melton – remix engineer
• Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
• Paula Scher – design
• Benno Friedman – photography