Against the Wind (album)

Against the Wind
Studio album by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Released February 25, 1980
Recorded 1979
Genre Rock
Length 40:24
Label Capitol
Producer Punch Andrews, Steve Melton,
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Bob Seger, Bill Szymczyk
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band chronology

Stranger in Town
(1978)		 Against the Wind
(1980)		 Nine Tonight
(1981)
Singles from Against the Wind
  1. "Fire Lake"
    Released: January 1980
  2. "Against the Wind"
    Released: April 1980
  3. "You'll Accomp'ny Me"
    Released: 1980
  4. "The Horizontal Bop"
    Released: 1980
  5. "Her Strut"
    Released: 1980
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Smash Hits 5/10[2]

Against the Wind is the eleventh studio album by American rock singer Bob Seger and his third with The Silver Bullet Band. It was released in 1980 (see 1980 in music). It is Seger's only number-one album to date, spending six weeks at the top of the Billboard Top LPs chart, knocking Pink Floyd's massive-selling The Wall from the top spot. The album also earned two Grammy Awards.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Bob Seger. 

Side One
No. Title Length
1. "The Horizontal Bop"   4:03
2. "You'll Accomp'ny Me"   4:00
3. "Her Strut"   3:51
4. "No Man's Land"   3:43
5. "Long Twin Silver Line"   4:18
Side Two
No. Title Length
6. "Against the Wind"   5:34
7. "Good for Me"   4:03
8. "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight"   2:52
9. "Fire Lake"   3:30
10. "Shinin' Brightly"   4:30

The Silver Bullet Band perform on tracks 1-3, 6 & 8

The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section perform on tracks 4, 5, 7, 9 & 10

Personnel

The Silver Bullet Band
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Additional Musicians
Backing harmony vocals on "Fire Lake"
Backing harmony vocals on "Against the Wind"
Backing Vocals on "You'll Accomp'ny Me" "Good For Me" and "Shinin' Brightly"

Production

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1980 Pop Albums 1

Singles – Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1980 "Against The Wind" Pop Singles 5
1980 "Fire Lake" Pop Singles 6
1980 "You'll Accomp'ny Me" Pop Singles 14
1980 "The Horizontal Bop" Pop Singles 42

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year Winner Category
1981 Against the Wind Best Recording Package
Against the Wind Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Criticism

Rock journalist Dave Marsh criticized the record as a betrayal of Seger's fans: "I'd like to say that this is not only the worst record Bob Seger has ever made, but an absolutely cowardly one as well." Marsh had followed Seger since before Night Moves, when Seger finally gained national fame, and said in this review that Seger's long, tireless struggle to stardom is trivialized by this record.

"He had to fight hard to prove there was still a place in rock & roll for a guy like him, and, with Night Moves, he won. This is the LP that makes such a victory meaningless ... It makes me sad, and it makes me angry (another emotion that's disappeared here, though it's often fueled Seger's finest work). Maybe rock & roll never forgets, but the best thing anybody who ever had any hope for Bob Seger can do is try not to remember Against the Wind and pray for something better next time. I wouldn't hold my breath."[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: Against the Wind > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Hepworth, David. "Bob Seger: Against the Wind". Smash Hits (March 20 – April 2): 31.
  3. ↑
Preceded by
The Wall by Pink Floyd		 Billboard 200 number one album
May 3 – June 13, 1980 		Succeeded by
Glass Houses by Billy Joel