''Rock Away'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter
Phoebe Snow
Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "San Francisco Bay Blues", "Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited g ...
, recorded in 1980 and released in 1981.
Background/recording
Following her massively successful 1974
self-title debut album, Phoebe Snow had seen her fortunes dwindle over four subsequent albums over four subsequent years. In 1979, rather than recording the fifth and final album due to
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
, Snow had asked the label for release. Snow negotiated with
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
in the spring of 1980, but would in fact sign a two album deal with newly formed
Mirage Records
Mirage Records is the name of multiple music business entities, the most notable of which was an American record label founded by Jerry and Bob Greenberg in 1980. The label, also known as Mirage Music or simply Mirage, was distributed first by A ...
in October 1980, having reportedly commenced recording sessions for her sixth studio album over the summer.
Snow's aspiration for her album ''Rock Away'' was what had been the failed aspiration for Snow's 1978 ''
Against the Grain'' album - and would remain Snow's purported lifelong aspiration - : to trump her "wintry pop-folk-jazz chanteuse" musical persona with that of a "red-hot blues-and-rock-belting mama". Produced by
Greg Ladanyi
Greg Ladanyi (July 6, 1952 – September 29, 2009) was an American record producer and recording engineer of Hungarian descent, known for his work with many musicians, including Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, The Church, Caifanes, Anna Vis ...
- who had notably helmed albums by
Jackson Browne
Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States.
Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
and
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician.
Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Tho ...
- ''Rock Away'' featured Snow covering
R&B-style songs - including her personal choice of the
Don Covay
Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer-songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s.
His most successful recordings incl ...
number "
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is a jazz song written by Joe Zawinul in 1966 for Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and which appears on his album '' Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club"''. The song is the title track of the album and became a surprise hit i ...
"
[''Tampa Bay Times'' 28 May 1981 "Phoebe is Proud of Picking Songs" by Mary Campbell p.81] - and vintage
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
("Gasoline Alley") as well as introducing three Snow originals (Snow judging that two of the five songs she wrote for the album were subpar).
The Snow originals include the title cut which - despite being entitled "Rock Away" - is a "sparse acoustic song
ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
a genuine pastoral feel
...the only
rack
Rack or racks may refer to:
Storage and installation
* Amp rack, short for amplifier rack, a piece of furniture in which amplifiers are mounted
* Bicycle rack, a frame for storing bicycles when not in use
* Bustle rack, a type of storage bin ...
featuring Snow on guitar
...significantly, it's the
lbum'sonly understated song".
The majority of recording sessions for ''Rock Away'' took place at
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
's Power Plant and featured members of
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
's band: Joel's wife Elizabeth Joel was then managing Snow, although that association had ended by the release of ''Rock Away''. "Games", the track released as advance single in February 1981 was recorded at
Record One (LA), featuring such stalwart LA session players as keyboardist
Bill Payne
William H. Payne (born March 12, 1949) is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano roc ...
, drummer
Russ Kunkel
Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Da ...
, and electric guitarists
Danny Kortchmar
Daniel "Danny Kootch" Kortchmar (born April 6, 1946) is an American guitarist, session musician, producer and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, ...
and
Waddy Wachtel
Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Kim Carnes, Randy N ...
.
Critical reception
''Rock Away'' was released in March 1981 to mixed reviews: Jack Lloyd of the ''
Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'' opined "Miss Snow departs sharply from her long-standing pattern with this one
...And the results are generally pleasing. There is a hard edge that borders on rock in much of the music. Among the high spots are 'Cheap Thrills', 'Baby Please', 'Games' and 'Down in the Basement'. The harder-hitting songs are balanced by ballads that come close to Vintage Snow: 'Something Good' and 'I Believe in You'
inspirational_
inspirational_Bob_Dylan">Contemporary_Christian_music">inspirational_Bob_Dylan_number.html" ;"title="Bob_Dylan.html" ;"title="Contemporary Christian music">inspirational Bob Dylan">Contemporary Christian music">inspirational Bob Dylan number">Bob_Dylan.html" ;"title="Contemporary Christian music">inspirational Bob Dylan">Contemporary Christian music">inspirational Bob Dylan number The one number that is most ill-advised is 'Gasoline Alley',
hich
Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
simply does not suit Snow's voice." Don Reynolds of ''Dayton Daily News'' assessed ''Rock Away'' as having "its weak moments, but
...still a delight.
erunique, husky voice
...in fine form
Snowshows excellent taste in choosing cover material
...But the real gems here are a trio of Snow originals, two gorgeous ballads
...and the darkly humorous rocker: 'Down in the Basement'."
Critiquing ''Rock Away'' for Newhouse News service, George Kanzler would write: "
now'stalent
asfound its best expression in ballads and soft rockers, songs with space for Snow to stretch out her amazingly supple and expressive voice
hich
Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
has the ability
...to get to the heart of a song and to pull those heart strings in herself and in the listener":"Snow is not a very good rock singer, and her continued attempts at the genre are a profligate waste of prodigious natural and developed talent." Similarly Steve Libowitz of the ''Bridgewater Courier-News'' opined: "
now'sinitial foray into" "a more rocking style" - the 1978 album ''Against the Grain'' - "
idnot
owell artistically or commercially. 'Rock Away' is her boldest step yet in this direction, and it's just as misguided
...As a balladeer, Snow is almost without peer, but she should leave rock-&-roll to those who can handle it.
ercompelling timbre has been replaced by a grating wail. There's no reason to tackle this sort of material when you have the equipment for much more sophisticated styles."
''Rock Away'' also disappointed ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' critic
Geoffrey Himes
Geoffrey Himes is an American music critic who has written weekly for ''the Washington Post'' since 1977. He also wrote for '' No Depression'' as a contributing editor in its first print era in the late 1990s to the early 2000s and has written for ...
, despite Himes sharing Snow's own belief in her rock music acumen:
(Geoffrey Himes 1998 quote:)"
hough Hough may refer to:
* Hamstringing, or severing the Achilles tendon of an animal
* the leg or Tibia, shin of an animal (in the Scots language), from which the dish potted hough is made
* Hough (surname)
Communities United Kingdom
* Hough, Alderle ...
Snow
s perceivedas a sensitive singer-songwriter""because she had a hit with
...the
Mitchell">oniMitchellesque "
Poetry Man
"Poetry Man" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow. It was written by Snow, produced by Dino Airali, and first appeared on her 1974 self-titled debut album.
Composition/ recording/ release
"Poetry Man" was the second song writ ...
"
...her real talent
as proven to befor
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
-like vocal interpretations of rock and soul songs." Himes' evaluation was that on ''Rock Away'' the "powerful, persistent emotional impulses
f Snow's voice
F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''.
His ...
are roped in and weighed down by the easy-listening sentiments of
erproducers
hosaddle Snow with the kind of pop-rock that plods along without disruption or challenge. Fortunately, Snow is able to escape their restraints to create some special moments on the album."
Snow's own eventual verdict on ''Rock Away'' would be: "The rock-&-roll thing worked and it didn't work - something was still missing."
Impact/ aftermath
"Games", the February 1981 advance single release from ''Rock Away'', would become Snow's most successful
''Billboard'' Hot 100 entry since "Poetry Man" - except for her Top 30 duet with
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
: "Gone at Last" - while remaining a
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
shortfall, peaking at #46. "Games" was significantly less successful on the singles charts of the music industry journals ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' and ''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...
'', with respective peaks of #80 ' and #86 Despite the under-performance of its advance single and the lack of strong reviews, the album ''Rock Away'' - released in March 1981 - by its fifth week on the
''Billboard'' 200 album chart had become Snow's highest-charting album since her Top 30 1976 album release: ''
It Looks Like Snow'', although ''Rock Away'' would in its eighth charting week peak no higher than #51. (The album charts in ''Cash Box'' and ''Record World'' would afford ''Rock Away'' respective peaks of #86 and #91.)
''Rock Away'' would fail to derive significant fresh impetus from its second single release: "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", released in May 1981 to stall at #52 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100: as with "Games", "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" was less successful on the singles charts in ''Cash Box'' and ''Record World'' with respective peaks of #75 and #78. Also Snow had to abruptly drop promoting ''Rock Away'' in June 1981 after suffering a vocal injury, a concert date in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
incurring a burst capillary due to the altitude, with Snow's recuperation necessitating the cancelation of 28 scheduled concert gigs along with other promo. Snow would claim this debacle soured her relationship with Mirage Records who declared the tracks recorded for the second album Snow owed the label to lack commercial potential
(Phoebe Snow quote:)"I went back on my hands and knees
o Mirage
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...
but they told me to shop it elsewhere."
(Phoebe Snow quote:) "So I walked away from my second deal" - Mirage was actually Snow's third label affilaition - "It was not the most comfortable way of doing it, but it
...gave me a sabbatical", Snow being without a label affiliation until 1988 when she signed with
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
, for whom her seventh studio album: ''
Something Real'', would not be released until 1989.
[''New York Newsday'' 1988 "What Became of Phoebe Snow: tragedy & illness have stalked her but the singer has stayed active by doing commercials" by William Douglas p.159]
Track listing
Side one
# "Cheap Thrills" (
Bob McDill
Robert Lee McDill (born April 4, 1944) is a retired American songwriter, active from the 1960s until 2000. During his career he wrote or co-wrote 31 number one country hits. His songs were also recorded by popular artists of the 1970s, 1980s an ...
) – 3:35
# "Baby Please" (
Carolyne Mas
Carol Patricia Mas (born October 20, 1955), professionally known as Carolyne Mas, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and producer. She broke out of the Greenwich Village music scene boom of the late 1970s, along with other ar ...
) – 4:22
# "Gasoline Alley" (
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a nu ...
,
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
) – 3:07
# "Rock Away"(Phoebe Snow) – 2:50
# "
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is a jazz song written by Joe Zawinul in 1966 for Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and which appears on his album '' Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club"''. The song is the title track of the album and became a surprise hit i ...
" (
Don Covay
Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer-songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s.
His most successful recordings incl ...
) – 2:29
Side two
# "Games" (Vince Malamud, Andrea Farber) – 3:46
# "Down in the Basement" (Phoebe Snow) – 2:21
# "Shoo-Rah Shoo-Rah" (
Allen Toussaint
Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...
) – 2:36
# "Something Good" (Phoebe Snow) – 4:07
# "I Believe in You" (
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
) – 4:58
Personnel
* Phoebe Snow – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3, 7), acoustic guitar (4)
Session players/ singers
*
Craig Doerge
Craig Doerge (; born December 4, 1944) is an American keyboard player, session musician, songwriter, record producer, best known for his keyboard work with Crosby Stills and Nash, James Taylor, and Jackson Browne.
Biography
He was born in Cle ...
– acoustic piano (1, 2), electric piano (6)
*
Robbie Kondor
Robbie Kondor is an American composer, session musician, and arranger. He has worked as a composer on '' The Significant Other'', ''Ball In The House'', ''Sally Jessy Raphael'', ''Happiness'' (1998), ''The Suburbans'' (1999), '' Forever Fabulous ...
– acoustic piano (3, 9)
*
Ralph Schuckett
Ralph Schuckett (March 2, 1948 – April 4, 2021) was an American keyboardist, composer and songwriter known as one of the founding members of Todd Rundgren's band Utopia. He composed for film and television, including Pokémon, Sonic X, and A ...
– keyboards (5), acoustic piano (5),
organ (5, 7, 8)
*
Bill Payne
William H. Payne (born March 12, 1949) is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano roc ...
– synthesizers (6), acoustic piano (10), organ (10)
* Allen St. John – acoustic piano (7)
*
David Brown – electric guitar (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), acoustic guitar solo (4), acoustic guitar (9, 10)
* David Landau – electric guitar (1, 2, 5, 8, 10), electric guitar solo (3, 9, acoustic guitar (10)
*
Danny Kortchmar
Daniel "Danny Kootch" Kortchmar (born April 6, 1946) is an American guitarist, session musician, producer and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, ...
– electric guitar (6)
*
Waddy Wachtel
Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Kim Carnes, Randy N ...
– electric guitar solo (6)
*
Doug Stegmeyer
Douglas Alan Stegmeyer (December 23, 1951 – August 25, 1995) was an American musician who was best known as the bassist and back-up vocalist for Billy Joel. Stegmeyer also performed as bassist for Debbie Gibson and Hall & Oates.
Biography
...
– bass (1-5, 7-10)
*
Bob Glaub
Bob Glaub (born May 10, 1952)Hageman, William (April 29, 2005)."The aces of bass: Five giants of an overshadowed instrument", Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. is an American bass player and session musician. He has played with such artists an ...
– bass (6)
*
Liberty DeVitto
Liberatori "Liberty" DeVitto (born August 8, 1950) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his work as a drummer for New York singer-songwriter Billy Joel's recording and touring band. He has also been a session drummer on recordings of ...
– drums (1-5, 7-10)
*
Russ Kunkel
Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Da ...
– drums (6)
* Bob Chounard – drums (7)
*
Randy Brecker
Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B.
Early life
Brecker was born on Nov ...
– trumpet (8)
*
Richie Cannata
Richie Cannata (born March 3, 1949) is an American music producer, saxophonist, keyboardist and studio owner. He is most notable for playing saxophone in Billy Joel's band alongside Liberty DeVitto, Russell Javors, and Doug Stegmeyer. After leav ...
– backing vocals (1), tenor sax solo (2), percussion (5, 8), baritone saxophone (8), tenor saxophone (8), soprano saxophone (9), soprano sax solo (10)
Session players/ singers (cont.)
*
Mark Clarke
Mark Clarke (born 25 July 1950 in Liverpool) is an English musician, bass player and singer, best known for his work with Colosseum and Mountain, as well as brief stints with Uriah Heep and Rainbow.
Career
After seeing the Beatles and many ...
– backing vocals (1), bass (7)
* Lennie Delduca – backing vocals (2)
*
Ula Hedwig – backing vocals (2, 9)
*
David Lasley
David Eldon Lasley (August 20, 1947 – December 9, 2021) was an American recording artist, singer, musician and songwriter. He was best known as a touring background singer for James Taylor, as a session singer on recordings by artists including ...
– backing vocals (3, 6, 9)
* Henry Reel – lead vocals (5)
*
Arnold McCuller
Arnold McCuller (born August 26, 1950) is an American vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He was active as a solo artist and session musician, but is perhaps best known for his work as a touring back- ...
– backing vocals (6)
*
Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Lorette Brown (born November 25, 1950), sometimes credited as Jocelyn Shaw, is an American R&B and dance singer. Although she has only one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entry solely in her name, she has an extensive background in the musi ...
– backing vocals (8)
*
Krystal Davis
Krystal L. Davis, or simply Krystal Davis, is an American session musician and background singer for Herbie Mann, Evelyn King and Cyndi Lauper.
Her single "So Smooth" was released in 1985 and peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard'' Hot D ...
– backing vocals (8)
*
Patti Austin
Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter.
Music career
Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...
– backing vocals (10)
Production
* Richie Cannata – producer
* Greg Ladanyi – producer, recording, mixing
* Jeff Hendrickson – assistant engineer
* Jamie Ledner – assistant engineer
* Mike Reese – mastering
*
Doug Sax
Doug Lionel Sax (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three of The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six of Pink Floyd's albums, including ''The Wall''; Ray Charles ...
– mastering
* The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
* Bob Defrin – art direction
* Jim Houghton – photography test
References
{{Authority control
Phoebe Snow albums
1981 albums
Mirage Records albums
Albums produced by Greg Ladanyi
Albums produced by Richie Cannata