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The back-to-back success of The Stranger and 52nd Street may have brought Billy Joel fame and fortune, even a certain amount of self-satisfaction, but it didn't bring him critical respect, and it didn't dull his anger. If anything, being classified as a mainstream rocker -- a soft rocker -- infuriated him, especially since a generation of punks and new wave kids were getting the praise that eluded him. He didn't take this lying down -- he recorded Glass Houses. Comparatively a harder-rocking album than either of its predecessors, with a distinctly bitter edge, Glass Houses still displays the hallmarks of Billy Joel the pop craftsman and Phil Ramone the world-class hitmaker. Even its hardest songs -- the terrifically paranoid "Sometimes a Fantasy," "Sleepin' With the Television On," "Close to the Borderline," the hit "You May Be Right" -- have bold, direct melodies and clean arrangements, ideal for radio play. Instead of turning out to be a fiery rebuttal to his detractors, the album is a remarkable catalog of contemporary pop styles, from McCartney-esque whimsy ("Don't Ask Me Why") and arena rock ("All for Leyna") to soft rock ("C'etait Toi [You Were the One]") and stylish new wave pop ("It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," which ironically is closer to new wave pop than rock). That's not a detriment; that's the album's strength. The Stranger and 52nd Street were fine albums in their own right, but it's nice to hear Joel scale back his showman tendencies and deliver a solid pop/rock record. It may not be punk -- then again, it may be his concept of punk -- but Glass Houses is the closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - Bradshaw Leigh, Mixing Engineer - Brian Ruggles, Mixing Engineer - Brian Ruggles, Producer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - Frank Weber, Executive Producer - George Simms, Background Vocal - Jim Boyer, Mixing Engineer - Jim Boyer, Producer - Jim Boyer, Recording Engineer - Kevin Dukes, Electric Guitar - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Mark Rivera, Saxophone - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Oleg Smirnoff, Translator - Peter Hewlett, Background Vocal - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Rick London, Executive Producer - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1987 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michael Slagter, Assistant Producer - Michael Stewart, Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Acordeon - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Harmonica - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, 2nd Engineer - David Brown, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Acoustic Bass - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Michele Slagter, Assistant Producer - Phil Ramone, Producer - Richie Cannata, Flute - Richie Cannata, Organ - Richie Cannata, Saxophone - Russell Javors, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Russell Javors, Electric Guitar - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
The back-to-back success of The Stranger and 52nd Street may have brought Billy Joel fame and fortune, even a certain amount of self-satisfaction, but it didn't bring him critical respect, and it didn't dull his anger. If anything, being classified as a mainstream rocker -- a soft rocker -- infuriated him, especially since a generation of punks and new wave kids were getting the praise that eluded him. He didn't take this lying down -- he recorded Glass Houses. Comparatively a harder-rocking album than either of its predecessors, with a distinctly bitter edge, Glass Houses still displays the hallmarks of Billy Joel the pop craftsman and Phil Ramone the world-class hitmaker. Even its hardest songs -- the terrifically paranoid "Sometimes a Fantasy," "Sleepin' With the Television On," "Close to the Borderline," the hit "You May Be Right" -- have bold, direct melodies and clean arrangements, ideal for radio play. Instead of turning out to be a fiery rebuttal to his detractors, the album is a remarkable catalog of contemporary pop styles, from McCartney-esque whimsy ("Don't Ask Me Why") and arena rock ("All for Leyna") to soft rock ("C'etait Toi [You Were the One]") and stylish new wave pop ("It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," which ironically is closer to new wave pop than rock). That's not a detriment; that's the album's strength. The Stranger and 52nd Street were fine albums in their own right, but it's nice to hear Joel scale back his showman tendencies and deliver a solid pop/rock record. It may not be punk -- then again, it may be his concept of punk -- but Glass Houses is the closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:34:48
- Main artists: Billy Joel
- Composer: Billy Joel
- Label: Columbia
- Genre: Pop/Rock
(P) 1980 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
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