Against the Grain (Bad Religion album)

Infobox Album
Name = Against the Grain
Type = studio
Artist = Bad Religion

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Released = November 27, 1990
Recorded = May 1990 at Westbeach Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre = Punk rock
Length = 34:27
Label = Epitaph
Producer = Bad Religion
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:f95k8qbtbtz4 link]
*
*Ultimate Guitar rating|10|10 [http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/bad_religion/against_the_grain/index.html link]
Last album = "No Control"
(1989)
This album = "Against the Grain"
(1990)
Next album = "'80-'85"
(1991)

"Against the Grain" is the fifth album (and seventh release overall) by punk rock band Bad Religion released on November 23, 1990.Although the album was released in November 1990, the re-released version in 2004 erroneously notes 1991 as the original release date, causing some confusion. Some sources also list 1991 as the release date (including some fan sites, lyrics sites, Tower.com, etc).] This is the last album recorded with drummer Pete Finestone who left in 1991 to concentrate with his new project The Fishermen. Following his departure, the band's music would take a different direction on their next album, 1992's "Generator".

Along with the last two albums (1988's "Suffer" and 1989's "No Control"), "Against the Grain" is considered by many to be the band's greatest album, and it contains many songs that are constantly cited as the band's best, including "21st Century (Digital Boy)", "Anesthesia," "Walk Away," and "Modern Man."Fact|date=February 2007 More than just an influential album, "Against The Grain" gave many punk fans and many punk bands hope for the survival of punk in the 90s.Fact|date=July 2008

Like Bad Religion's albums up to "Generator", "Against the Grain" was remastered on April 6, 2004. As of 2008, the original CD version of the album is out of print.

"Against the Grain" also marks the 10th anniversary of Bad Religion playing together after their formation.

Track listing

#"Modern Man" (Greg Graffin) – 1:58
#"Turn on the Light" (Brett Gurewitz) – 1:24
#"Get Off" (Graffin) – 1:43
#"Blenderhead" (Gurewitz) – 1:12
#"The Positive Aspect of Negative Thinking" (Jay Bentley) – 0:57
#"Anesthesia" (Gurewitz) – 3:04
#"Flat Earth Society" (Gurewitz) – 2:23
#"Faith Alone" (Graffin) – 3:40
#*This song was also labeled "Faith Alone (Won't Sustain Us Any Longer)"
#"Entropy" (Graffin) – 2:24
#"Against the Grain" (Graffin) – 2:09
#"Operation Rescue" (Graffin) – 2:08
#*Features former Black Flag/Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris singing backing vocals
#"God Song" (Graffin) – 1:38
#*Parodies the famous short poem "And did those feet in ancient time" by William Blake from the preface to his epic "" (1804)
#"21st Century (Digital Boy)" (Gurewitz) – 2:50
#*Was re-recorded and appeared on their eighth full-length studio album "Stranger Than Fiction", released in 1994; four years after the release of this album, and became a single.
#*Was actually recorded for the previous album, "No Control", but did not make the final cut. It is believed that this song was left out because it sounded different from their faster sound. So "21st Century (Digital Boy)" would end up on this album.
#*This song was also labeled "Twenty First Century Digital Boy" on the cassette version.
#"Misery and Famine" (Graffin) – 2:35
#"Unacceptable" (Greg Hetson, Bentley) – 1:44
#"Quality or Quantity" (Graffin) – 1:34
#*Compares the opening riff of "Best for You" (from "Suffer")
#"Walk Away" (Gurewitz) – 1:52

Release history

References

Personnel

*Greg Graffin – vocals
*Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backing vocals
*Greg Hetson – guitar
*Jay Bentley – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Pete Finestone – drums
*The Legendary Starbolt – mixing
*Eddie Schreyer – mastering
*Joy Aoki – art direction