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Riding high on the blockbuster An Innocent Man and with a new jet-setting bride at his side, Billy Joel took full advantage of the high life, as is clear from The Bridge, an album that unwittingly celebrates the excesses of the Reagan years. While he hasn't quite settled into middle age, Joel is ready to take advantage of his wealth and status, recruiting a hero (Ray Charles) and a new wave kid (Cyndi Lauper) for duets, turning to Sting for inspiration ("Running on Ice"), fronting a big band ("Big Man on Mulberry Street"), writing a song for a movie ("Modern Woman"), and picking up the guitar ("A Matter of Trust"), just for the hell of it. You could say that it's eclectic, but it's scattershot, because it's just Joel showing off his musical skills. He's done this before, to great effect on Turnstiles, but this is all about hubris and, as such, it sounds exactly like its time. From its processed, distorted guitars to its hollow synthesizers, The Bridge sounds dated and it's his most uneven since Streetlife Serenade. Even on the hits, he sounds as if he's stretching -- "This Is the Time" is labored compared to "Just the Way You Are" (not to mention considerably more vulgar); "A Matter of Trust" never hits upon a solid riff like "Sometimes a Fantasy"; "Modern Woman" is catchy but fluffy; "Baby Grand" is weighed down by Joel's vocal affectations. In context of the album, they're fairly enjoyable, but they hint at the dry spell that was just around the corner. Nevertheless, Joel still has enough panache and is riding on so much exuberance that The Bridge remains an entertaining listen, especially if it's viewed as a Reagan-era artifact. It just doesn't compare to what came before.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - David Brown, Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Peter Hewlett, Background Vocal - Phil Ramone, Producer - Rob Mounsey, Synthesizer - Russell Javors, Guitar - STEVE BOYER, Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - David Brown, Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Phil Ramone, Producer - Rob Mounsey, Orchestrator - Russell Javors, Guitar - STEVE BOYER, Engineer - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - David Brown, Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jeff Bova, Synthesizer - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Phil Ramone, Producer - Russell Javors, Guitar - STEVE BOYER, Engineer - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - David Brown, Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Jimmy Bralower, Percussion - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Mark Rivera, Tenor Saxophone - Phil Ramone, Producer - Rob Mounsey, Orchestrator - Russell Javors, Guitar - STEVE BOYER, Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Lyricist - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Vocal - Billy Joel duet with Ray Charles, Performer - Dean Parks, Guitar - Neil Stubenhauss, Bass - Phil Ramone, Producer - Ray Charles, Piano - Ray Charles, Vocal - Vinny Calaiuta, Drums
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - Dave Bargeron, Trombone - David Brown, Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - Eddie Daniels, Alto Saxophone - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Marvin Stamm, Trumpet - Michael Brecker, Tenor Saxophone - Phil Ramone, Producer - Rob Mounsey, Orchestrator - Ronnie Cuber, Baritone Saxophone - Russell Javors, Guitar - STEVE BOYER, Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jeff Bova, Orchestrator - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Mark Rivera, Alto Saxophone - Phil Ramone, Producer - Philippe Saisse, Orchestrator - STEVE BOYER, Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Billy Joel, Vocal - Billy Joel featuring Cyndi Lauper, Performer - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - Cyndi Lauper, Composer - Cyndi Lauper, Vocal - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - David Brown, 12 String Guitar - David Brown, Electric Guitar - Don Brooks, Harmonica - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jeff Bova, Synthesizer - Jim Boyer, Engineer - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Phil Ramone, Producer - STEVE BOYER, Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Billy Joel, Composer - Billy Joel, Performer - Billy Joel, Piano - Billy Joel, Synthesizer - Bradshaw Leigh, Engineer - DAVID DICKSON, Engineer - David Brown, Guitar - Doug Stegmeyer, Bass - FRED TENNY, Engineer - Jim Boyer, Engineer - John McCurry, Guitar - Liberty DeVitto, Drums - Liberty DeVitto, Percussion - Neil Jason, Bass - Phil Ramone, Producer - Russell Javors, Guitar - STEVE BOYER, Engineer
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Riding high on the blockbuster An Innocent Man and with a new jet-setting bride at his side, Billy Joel took full advantage of the high life, as is clear from The Bridge, an album that unwittingly celebrates the excesses of the Reagan years. While he hasn't quite settled into middle age, Joel is ready to take advantage of his wealth and status, recruiting a hero (Ray Charles) and a new wave kid (Cyndi Lauper) for duets, turning to Sting for inspiration ("Running on Ice"), fronting a big band ("Big Man on Mulberry Street"), writing a song for a movie ("Modern Woman"), and picking up the guitar ("A Matter of Trust"), just for the hell of it. You could say that it's eclectic, but it's scattershot, because it's just Joel showing off his musical skills. He's done this before, to great effect on Turnstiles, but this is all about hubris and, as such, it sounds exactly like its time. From its processed, distorted guitars to its hollow synthesizers, The Bridge sounds dated and it's his most uneven since Streetlife Serenade. Even on the hits, he sounds as if he's stretching -- "This Is the Time" is labored compared to "Just the Way You Are" (not to mention considerably more vulgar); "A Matter of Trust" never hits upon a solid riff like "Sometimes a Fantasy"; "Modern Woman" is catchy but fluffy; "Baby Grand" is weighed down by Joel's vocal affectations. In context of the album, they're fairly enjoyable, but they hint at the dry spell that was just around the corner. Nevertheless, Joel still has enough panache and is riding on so much exuberance that The Bridge remains an entertaining listen, especially if it's viewed as a Reagan-era artifact. It just doesn't compare to what came before.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:40:13
- Main artists: Billy Joel
- Composer: Billy Joel
- Label: Columbia
- Genre: Pop/Rock
(P) 1986 Columbia Records, a divsiion of Sony Music Entertainment
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