''I Can't Complain'' is the ninth 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 "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals on Paul Simo ...

, released in 1998.

Background and recording

After having seven album releases between 1974 and 1981, Snow had not had an album released until 1989 when

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 ...

issued the album '' Something Real''. Although ''Something Real'' had proven somewhat of a commercial disappointment Snow had commenced recording a follow-up album in 1991: after recording six tracks to which she said she felt no connection. Snow commented "I was like the gal singer who phoned her part in" - Snow asked for release from her Elektra Records contract. In 1991-1992 Snow participated in the final tour of the New York Rock and Soul Revue, reuniting with guitarist

Jimmy Vivino Jimmy Vivino (born January 10, 1955) is an American guitarist, keyboard player, singer, producer, and music director. He is best known as the leader of Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, the house band for the TBS late night program '' C ...

who had come to the fore as a member of Snow's 1984 touring band. According to Snow, Vivino began urging her to record a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

album, and by 1998, the singer then feeling the time was right, Snow - with Vivino and

Joel Moss Joel Moss (born May 11, 1946) is an American record producer, sound engineer and mixer. Biography Moss was born in 1946 in Detroit, Michigan, to Jay Harmon and Dorothy Moss. At the age of twelve, he was performing with American and Canadian fol ...

co-producing - began work on an album to be focused on traditional blues, Vivino presenting Snow with a preliminary list of 50 or 60 songs of that genre. However Snow found the single-genre focus dis-satisfying and the eventual track listing for ''I Can't Complain'' featured only two traditional blues songs: " Big Leg Blues" and " Lord, I Just Can't Keep From Cryin'", the album's core comprising R&B covers and Snow's own versions of songs by other singer-songwriters she admired. Snow also recorded the ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'' showtune "Never Never Land", dedicated it to her disabled daughter Valerie Rose Kearns (1975-2007), in Snow's words: "a perennial child": (Phoebe Snow quote:)"That song totally embodies my daughter's vibe. It's exactly what I think she would say if she could talk. It's a beautiful sentiment about never growing old mentally or spiritually." ''I Can't Complain'' also featured a remake of an obscure

Terry Reid Terrance James Reid (born 13 November 1949), nicknamed "Superlungs", is an English rock vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist best known for his emotive style of singing in appearances with high-profile musicians as vocalist, supporting act and s ...

cut: "Right to the End", a patent bid for A/C airplay featuring Michael McDonald as Snow's duet partner (McDonald, Snow's New York Rock and Soul Revue associate, was also featured on the

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

cover "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"). Featuring as session players Vivino and his regular collaborators

Scott Healy Scott Healy is an American pianist, keyboardist and composer best known as the keyboardist for Conan O'Brien. He was the keyboard player for the Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band on ''Conan (talk show), Conan'' on TBS (U.S. TV channel), TBS. H ...

and

Mike Merritt Michael Merritt may refer to: * Mike Merritt (musician) (born 1955), American bassist * Michael Merritt (American football) (born 1984), American football tight end {{hndis, Merritt, Michael ...

, and also

Al Kooper Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s he was a prolific studio musician, including playing organ on the Bob Dylan song " Like ...

, ''I Can't Complain'' was recorded in four days and released in February 1998.

Critical reception

''I Can't Complain'' was released to generally positive reviews''Fort Myers News-Press'' 13 February 1999 "Phoebe Snow Back at Last: singer to perform in Monday benefit at Naples' Phil concert" by Nancy Stetson p.E1 such as that of

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 ...

of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', a longtime time Phoebe Snow aficionado who considered ''I Can't Complain'' an effective showcase for Snow's "real talent...for onnieRaitt-like vocal interpretations of rock and soul songs...Snow shows taste as well as breadth in picking songs for the album...Snow's 45-year-old voice is in great shape, able to maintain its dark, smoky texture even as it rises and falls across octaves and volumes. Never has it been as restrained, though, as willing to imply instead of declare." More moderately endorsed by Elysa Gardner of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' - "None of he album's tracksare exactly revelatory, but Snow's tangy, warmly virtuosic voice and accessible blues-pop arrangements provide guilt-free easy listening," - ''I Can't Complain'' also had its share of emphatic naysayers, exemplified by Bob Wallace of ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second-longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after '' The Express-Times''. The newspaper is owned by Alden Global Capital ...

'': "Why did the sweet-voiced

now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Na ...

make this banal mix of adult contemporary video-pop While schmaltzy songs such as the self-absorbed 'Brand New Me' and the torchy 'Right to the End'... are ducky enough nda couple of

ther Ther may refer to: * ''Thér.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Irénée Thériot (1859–1947), French bryologist * Agroha Mound, archaeological site in Agroha, Hisar district, India * Therapy A therapy or medical treatment is the attempte ...

songs: Van Morrison's 'Madame George' and Blind Willie Johnson's 'Lord I Just Can't Keep From Cryin'," are easy on the ears"..."what's not...are the bluesplotation songs 'Baby Work Out', 'Rockin' Pneumonia & the Boogie Woogie Flu', and 'Big Leg Blues'. Uglier still are Snow's blasphemous versions of 'Piece of My Heart' and...'It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry'. Why

ould Ould is an English surname as well as an element of many Arabic names. In Arabic contexts it is a transliteration of the word wikt:ولد, ولد, meaning "son". Notable people with this surname include: English surname * Edward Ould (1852–190 ...

any singer...want to take on he signature song of

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...

And turning Dylan's classic into a decaffeinated duet with ichaelMcDonald...is sinful, if not illegal." Despite the release of two promo singles- "Right to the End" preceded by " Brand New Me" - and an extensive club tour by Snow, "I Can't Complain" - to quote Snow - "got buried. As they say in show biz, no one was steering the ship" - an evident reference to internal issues at House of Blues the album's

indie label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

of release.''Asbury Park Press'' 25 January 1999 "Phoebe Snow to Warm Up Garden" by Chris Jordan p.4 Snow would have one subsequent studio album released: ''Natural Wonder'' (2003).

Track listing

# " Brand New Me" (Theresa Bell,

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (December 8, 1939 – February 20, 2025) was an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, who were inducted into the Rock and ...

Kenny Gamble Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production duo credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as P ...

) – 4:22 # "Right to the End" (featuring Michael McDonald) (

Gerard McMahon Gerard Thomas McMahon, also known as Gerard McMann and G Tom Mac, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who specialises in creating music for films and TV. His gothic rock anthem "Cry Little Sister" was recorded i ...

) – 5:26 # "Madame George" (

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

) – 4:07 # "

Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the '' Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart ...

" (

Bert Berns Bertrand Russell Berns (November 8, 1929 – December 30, 1967), also known as Bert Russell and (occasionally) Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s. His songwriting credits include "Twist and Shout", "Piece ...

, Jerry Ragavoy) – 4:49 # "Baby, Work Out" (Alonzo Tucker,

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of th ...

) – 3:27 # " Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (

Huey "Piano" Smith Huey Pierce "Piano" Smith (January 26, 1934 – February 13, 2023) was an American R&B pianist and session musician whose sound was influential in the development of rock and roll. His piano playing incorporated the boogie-woogie styles of P ...

) – 3:10 # " A Case of You" (

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

) – 4:05 # "Big Leg Blues" (

Mississippi John Hurt John Smith Hurt (March 8, 1893 – November 2, 1966), known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Biography Early years John Hurt was born in Teoc,Cohen, Lawrence (1996). Liner notes to ''Av ...

) – 3:43 # "

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" is a song written by Bob Dylan, that was originally released on his album ''Highway 61 Revisited''. It was recorded on July 29, 1965. The song was also included on an early, European Dylan compilat ...

" (featuring Michael McDonald) (

) – 3:58 # "

Share Your Love with Me "Share Your Love with Me" is a song written by Alfred Braggs and Deadric Malone. It was originally recorded by blues singer Bobby "Blue" Bland. Over the years, the song has been covered by various artists, most notably Aretha Franklin who won a G ...

" (Alfred Braggs,

Deadric Malone Don Deadric Robey (November 1, 1903 – June 16, 1975) was an American record label executive, songwriter, and record producer. As the founder of Peacock Records and the eventual owner of Duke Records, he was responsible for developing the care ...

) – 3:21 # " Lord, I Just Can't Keep From Cryin'" (

Blind Willie Johnson Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945), commonly known as Blind Willie Johnson, was an American gospel blues singer and guitarist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930, thirty songs in all, display a combinat ...

) – 4:16 # "Never, Never Land" (

Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...

, Comden and Green) – 3:46

Personnel

– vocals, backing vocals (4, 5), rhythm guitar (6), harmony vocals (7), guitars (8) *

–

Hammond B3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

(1, 4, 5, 9–11) *

Reese Wynans Reese Wynans (born November 28, 1947) is an American Keyboardist, keyboard player, who has done session work and has been a member of Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble and progressive rock band Captain Beyond. In 2015, he was inducted into t ...

– Hammond B3 organ (2) *

–

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

(3, 7), acoustic piano (4, 5, 10, 11),

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from 1954 to 1983. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptually similar to ...

(6) * Michael McDonald – vocals (2, 9), Wurlitzer electric piano (9) *

– guitars (1, 3–5, 7–12), backing vocals (1, 4, 5), musical arrangements (1–11), rhythm guitar (2, 4, 6), guitar solo (2, 4, 6, 9–11) * Steve Burgh – guitars (7, 12),

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

(8), arrangements (12) * Michael Merritt – bass (1, 3–8, 10–12) *

Glenn Worf Glenn Worf is an American bassist known mainly for his work as a session musician. He has recorded with many major country music acts and also tours with Mark Knopfler. Early life and education Worf was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Madis ...

– bass (2, 9) * Lou Appel – drums (1, 3–6, 8, 10, 11) * John Gardner – drums (9) * Scott Frankfurt – percussion (2), loops (2) *

Cyro Baptista Cyro Baptista (born December 23, 1950) is a Brazilian-born percussionist in jazz and world music. He creates many of the percussion instruments he plays. Career Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Baptista arrived in the U.S. in 1980 with a scholarship ...

– percussion (6–8) * Larry Packer –

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

(12) *

– backing vocals (5) Production * Kathryn Keller Moss – A&R * Joel Moss – producer, recording, mixing, mastering * Jimmy Vivino – producer * Kenny Farris – assistant engineer * Mark Johnson – assistant engineer * Tony Rambo – assistant engineer * Artie Smith – technical assistant * Ric Wilson – digital editing, mastering * Digisonics (Northridge, California) – editing and mastering location * Cheri Moise – production coordinator * Jill Highland – project coordinator * Valerie Behling – art direction, design * Connie Treantafeles – art direction, design * Deborah Feingold – photography * Joseph Boggess – hair, make-up

References

{{Authority control Phoebe Snow albums 1998 albums Albums produced by Jimmy Vivino Albums produced by Joel Moss