Friday, August 29, 2025

Retro Reviews: Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run

 

I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Born To Run (1975)

*****

Producers: Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel, Jon Landau

Musicians: Bruce Springsteen, Roy Bitten, Clerance Clemmons, Garry Tallent, Max Weinberg, Earnest Carter, Danny Federici, David Sancious, Mike Appel, Steven Van Zandt, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Wayne Andre, Richard Davis, Suki Lahav, Arranger: Charles Calello

Songs: Thunder Road, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Night, Backstreets, Born To Run, She’s The One, Meeting Across The River, Jungleland

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    The first two Springsteen and E Street band albums were good, but this feels like a watermark, and a significant step forward. Bruce has reconnected with the sonic wall of sound from Phil Spector, as well as the song craft of Roy Orbison, with guitars that often capture the feeling of Duane Eddy or Link Wray, while also still taking a nod at the legacy of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthery. Yet in spite of all of the above points, he still manages to sound fresh and finding his own voice – he acknowledges the past, while looking at where we are right now. It’s all quite a feat. Regardless of my strong feelings and disagreements with Jon Landau’s critical work, his support of Springsteen intuitively may have been the right choice – Time will tell.

    This album feels like a loose concept album, in theme, about younger couples or others breaking out of life in small backwater towns where the best they can offer is a factory job. “Thunder Road” sets up this nearly optimistic defiance of a young troubadour asking the woman he pines for to break away with him. Bruce’s lyrical imagery is set up from the start, this sets the tone. The phenomenal backing of his band enhances the experience at first listen. “Ten Avenue Freeze-Out” plays along with the camaraderie of band mates or friends, and captures the playful feeling heard on the prior album. “Night” is probably the least memorable and weakest track on the album. Yet, “Backstreets” progression, with it’s strong keyboard work and evocative feeling rounds out side one. Aside from the core of the E Street Band, you have some phenomenal jazz based players on the album whom add extra coloring to the proceedings. This album is also the debut of drummer Max Weinberg, and Pianist Garry Tallent.  

    Now we must contend with the side two opener and title track, “Born To Run”, which feels like a sprawling cinemascope piece that elaborates on the spirit of “Thunder Road”, The protagonist has triumphantly broken away with his lover by the closing moments. Yet, there’s some lingering questions unanswered. Initially, “She’s The One” brings things down after the high points of the prior track, with scaled back guitar and spry keyboards before shifting into a Bo Didley beat. “Meeting Across The River” is the most deceptively intimate track on the album, but also probably the darkest. It’s jazz bar opening with the horn solo and piano is the greatest departure after the bombast of other tracks. We are left with doubts these characters will make it, and like any good novel or film, the resolution “Jungleland” closes the album with some unexpected answers. The closer is sprawling, and meditative, the younger heroes may not make, either through the death of their romantic relationships, or actual physical death. Are these characters running away from something or running towards something? There's a difference. 

    It all very much feels like a question about working class people in America or around the world, will they be allowed to realize their dreams or live the kind of fuller lives their parents had been granted in the forties and fifties? These questions are very relevant to the mid-seventies, and Springsteen has presented a piece of high drama that will leave you exhilarated yet pondering at the same time. Are working class people going to make it? No one knows.    


Friday, August 22, 2025

Reviews Roundup - Billy Joel

This was originally written May 20th, 2016 and it sat in the cue, but I wanted to add a new feature now. I decided to mix things up on this blog with a new, and semi recurring feature, as the regular reviews have been so time consuming, and the spirit of this blog was to be thoughtful and fun. Therefore, here we go:

By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Billy Joel is probably one of the most significant American singer / songwriters to come up from the 70s and 80s. He was able to blend Tin Pan Alley song craft, with a romantic classical sensibility, and a penchant for hard rock into an accessible and unique blend, regardless of what some might feel about him, he is hard to ignore or dismiss.


Cold Spring Harbor (1971)
    Billy Joel’s first album, technically, came about when managers advised him that the best way to sell his songs was to record an album as a showcase. Joel set up a management and publishing deal with producer Artie Ripp which enabled the album to get made, but it also would allow for impending problems, a contract that Joel would soon have to get out of.  The album was a mixed bag, in part due to Joel not really finding his voice. The two best songs and the ones he’d continue to include on his set list was the plaintive ballad “She’s Got A Way”, and the up tempo piano rocker “Everybody Loves You Now”, which included some impressive dexterity on the keys. The third track that sounds the most like Joel is “You Can Make Me Free”. The better cuts on the rest on the album are the few plaintive piano tracks that feel introspective, the gospel flavored “Tomorrow is Today” and “Got To Begin Again” or the Beethoven / Debussy flavored instrumental “Nocturne”. As far as the rest, cuts like “Turn Around” and “Falling Of The Rain” feel like Elton John B-Side knock offs, “You Look So Good To Me” feels like the advertisement jingle for body soap or cosmetics, or a Paul Williams take, and “Why Judy Why” feels like his attempt at a “Yesterday” rewrite, pleasant, not bad, but also a little too self conscious. Soon, Joel would begin to have sure footing. The other problem with the original printing was the mastering which sped his voice up, something that was fixed in a 1983 printing.


Piano Man (1973)
    For most fans, Joel’s second album feels like his official debut. The origin of the title track has been told endlessly, but Billy Joel spent six months playing a bar in L.A. and built the song out of that experience. While also entangled in legal disputes to break his ties with Ripp, he continued writing songs, and quite good ones at that. While still a little bogged down working with session musicians, and inspired by the flavor of Elton John, James Taylor, and Harry Chapin, the production sheen of Michael Stewart gave him a ‘California sound’, but surprises abounded. “Travelin’ Player” is a brisk, bluegrass number, “Ain’t No Crime” is a mid tempo gospel / R&B number with a real lift. “You’re My Home” is a country number, a ballad for his wife that was later recorded poorly by Helen Reddy.  His first epic suite came about with “The Ballad of Billy The Kid”, it would not be the last. “Worse Comes To Worst” is an odd Latin flavored number.  “Stop In Nevada” is a plaintive ballad with an effective emotional build that demonstrates gifts we would see again and again. But the last three songs are his best, and builds the album to a great final. The ballad “If I Only Had The Words (To tell You)” reveals a real confidence in his writing. “Somewhere Along The Line” reveals a hint into his insight and cynicism, and the proto metal “Captain Jack” with some provocative lyrics and comments on the futility of habitual drug addiction was unusual at the height of Rock N’ Roll indulgences. But this worked and put Billy Joel on the map, and also consigned some critics to view him as the next Harry Chapin, when Billy was probably thinking otherwise – “To hell I am.” But that would only be clear in the near future.


Streetlife Serenade (1974)
    It was pretty evident in Billy Joel’s career that the wanted to bridge the gap between his classical influences and his pop instincts. The title track, “Streetlife Serenader” was the one ambitious number on the album, crossing Debussy influences with his folk rock instincts. The orchestration from the Piano Man album is replaced with synthesizers . Michael Stewarts production delivers an even sounding record, but there are already clear differences. Most critics characterize the album as Joel’s ‘Sophomore slump’, but the quality of the material remains high enough, in spite of the inclusion of two instrumentals, the Scott Joplin  flavored “Root Beer Rag”, and a tune tailored for an imaginary western, the Sergio Lenoe / Ennio Morricone flavored “The Mexican Connection”. The second cut, the rocker “Los Angelenos” was written with Rod Stewart in mind. Several of the cuts seem like fairly standard country ballads, “The Great Suburban Showdown” and “The Last of The Big Time Spenders”. The track “Roberta” at least has a sweeping romanticism to it. The Lead single, “The Entertainer” has a real cynical bite to it. The rocker “Weekend Song” reinforces that he wasn’t going to be one type of writer, the plaintive “Souvenir” marks his Debussy influence, and remains one of the most poignant on the album and a favorite. This album also represented the end of his Southern California phase of his career, he would move back to New York, retool his band, and find his real voice.




Turnstiles (1976)
    This is considered the album where Billy Joel was really taking control of his career, he Produced the album himself, which allowed him to bring in more members of his touring band, and stay clear of the session musicians that left his previous albums feeling a little flat. He also had moved back to New York and the album is a comment about that change, but it also allowed him to find his real voice as a writer. It opens with the Phil Spector flavored “Say Goodbye To Hollywood”, a song tailored to arenas, but much of the album manages to be eclectic and idiosyncratic. There’s the introspective “Summer, Highland Falls”, with its rolling piano figure, and the odd reggae of “All You Wanna Do Is Dance”.  No know knew at the time, but Joel’s first real classic debuts here, “New York State of Mind”, and it would take Barbra Streisand recording her version to draw attention to its greatness.  “James” is an electric piano ballad with a classical sense of harmony. “Prelude / Angry Young Man” is the ambitious rocker, with some dexterous piano and bright guitars. “I’ve Loved These Days” is nostalgic in the sense that it realized the indulgences of the seventies were about the end, an important cut that is incisive. The epic closer “Miami 2017 (See The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” may have been apocalyptic fiction, but resonates in this day and age, built around some fine piano and biting guitars. This was the beginning of Joel being on a roll that wouldn’t stop for a decade and a half.


The Stranger (1977)
    There’s little argument that The Stranger is Joel’s breakthrough, but the story of how he got there is interesting.  Prior to the recording Joel hired his wife Elizabeth Webber to take over as manager, and at least one song is a reflection of her experiences in a chauvinist business.  At one point, Beatles producer, George Martin expressed an interest in producing him, but Martin wanted to use session musicians. When Phil Ramone agreed to come on board, he was savvy enough to agree to use Joel’s touring band, the core of which was drummer Liberty DeVitto, Bassist Doug Stegmeyer, and multi-instrumentalist woodwind and horn player Richie Cannata, and guest guitarist Steve Khan. This breathed a little more life into each song, and basically a fighting unit was established that would last for a decade. Four of the songs would be a mainstay on FM radio. “Just The Way You Are, Only The Good Die Young, She’s Always A Woman,” and “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” and “The Stranger” along with “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant”  would also get frequent play. The album became a template for the type of multi megahit release that would be prevalent in the 1980s. The song “She’s Always A Woman” has been branded unfairly misogynistic, but most people fail to realize it was about his wife, and the treatment she received as his manager for being tough. “Only The Good Die Young” has been accused of being anti-Catholic, but the song is really simply about rationalizational lust and one of the liveliest cuts of his career. “The Stranger” opens with a midnight jazz flavored motif before it’s segway into a bright syncopated tempo.  “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” lived up to its epic suite. But songs like “Vienna” held its own charm, offering up insight to the young to slow down, and not lose sight in living in the moment as a trade off to their ambition. The pop flavored “Get It Right The First Time” is the closest thing to filler on the album, and the sprawling Gospel flavored “Everybody Has A Dream” rounds it out to satisfaction.




52nd Street (1978)
    Billy Joel reassembled his team for the follow up, and while it share’s a similar production sound, there are differences. There’s a slight focus on jazz influenced numbers, but the material still remains eclectic. The three singles remained FM radio staples once again, the hard rock pop of “Big Shot”, the mid tempo pop of “My Life”, which was licensed to be used on the Bosom Buddies TV show, and the ballad “Honesty”.  But there’s almost a basis for some critics that complain about Joel’s self conscious imitation of other artists. “Zanzibar” sounds like a Steely Dan outtake, but it does feature some great jazz soloing from Freddie Hubbard. “Half A Mile Away” does feel like a Chicago imitation to a degree, but the stellar “Rosalinda’s Eyes” with its Latin, Bossa-Nova Jazz rounds out the Jazz influences on the album. The longest track is the Phil Spector influenced and Righteous Brothers inspired “Until The Night”, which incidentally, Bill Medley record on a 1980 solo record. “Stiletto” is probably the most filler track on the album, although enormously enjoyable. The title track, “52nd Street” warps up the jazz flavor of the album with a touch of humor.  But Joel would start breaking down assumptions with his eighties work.


Glass Houses (1980)
    As soon as critics wanted to brand Billy Joel with a certain identity, he started to buck the trend. What is so funny, in my mind, about the surprise of some critics that Billy Joel wanted to play more rock material, is that Billy Joel always included heavy rock numbers with each prior release, and he had played in the brief, ill fated heavy metal duo Attila from 1969 / 1970, but Joel stripped down his writing to focus on clearly guitar driven material, lead guitarist Dave Brown made his proper entry here, and Joel offered his own take on new wave, punk, and the Rolling Stones.  After the crash of glass, the Stones imitation , “You May Be Right” opens the album, I could very easily see Jagger and Richards performing this song. The new wave flavored “Sometimes A Fantasy” has the right range of paranoia and euphoria. The Spanish flavored “Don’t Ask Me Why” offers up the insight about past events happening for no grand reason, and you have to just move on.  “It Still Rock N’ Roll To Me” offers the mission statement of the album, and Joel has observed that much of the new wave and some of the punk he heard at the end of the seventies, really just sounded like the power pop of the late 60s and 70s. “All For Leyna” has some robust piano work and clever time shifts, and was only released in the UK. Of course, the first four cuts became FM staples. The second half of the album only deepened the new wave motif, but it wasn’t all cut and dried. “I Don’t Want To Be Alone” sounds like a Joe Jackson cut from the late 70s, and “Sleeping With The Television On” follows the formula of countless early new wave acts. Things take a shift with “C’Etait Toi (You Were The One)”, a French flavored ballad the follows in the tradition of The Beatles “Michele”. “Close To The Borderline” is the closest thing to punk on the album, but it also sounds like something the Rolling Stones would have done, if they tackled the same approach. The closer “Through The Long Night” nods toward Paul McCartney. Overall sound of the album is very dry in most places and contrasts with the polish of the previous two albums, and credit must go to Phil Ramone for being adaptable to the change.




Songs In The Attic (1981)
    It has been pretty common for most record labels to contractually expect recording artists to put out live records, and Billy Joel was no different, but he did something fairly clever, capitalizing on the momentum of three massive hit albums, he complied recordings of songs from the first four albums, but using his current band, and now with an established signature, the earlier songs took on a new life. But what probably surprised fans at the time were “She’s Got A Way” and “Everybody Loves You Now”, the two tracks from Cold Spring Harbor, which had gone out of print by the time of its release.  The live “She’s Got A Way” was released as a single and did surprising well. The track listing for the rest of the album followed as thus:  “Miami 2017, Summer, Highland Falls, Streetlife Serenader, Los Angelenos, Say Goodbye To Hollywood, Captain Jack, You’re My Home, The Ballad of Billy The Kid, I’ve Loved These Days.”


The Nylon Curtain (1982)
    It’s difficult to say what impact the death of John Lennon had on Billy Joel, but  a lot of stars at the time were unnerved by Lennon’s murder, and they reacted by pushing themselves to put out better material. The Nylon Curtain acts as a loose concept record, using the contemporary sound of John Lennon’s 1980 solo record, with a few Paul McCartney songs for good measure, and the spirit of Bob Dylan. Billy Joel put out what I consider to be his contemporary masterpiece, the album took about a year to record, with its layer or synthesizers, and live orchestrations, but more importantly, it was the biting social commentary that differed from previous records. Billy Joel has admitted himself to not being a fan of political records, and disliking County Joe & The Fish. But he focused on a range of topics, and recorded some of his most experimental material ever.  “Allentown” is a comment about the displaced working class in small towns, and the decline of unions to strengthen them. “Laura” is a pretty scathing, mid tempo number about an manipulative and passively abusive woman that captures a little of Lennon’s sound. “Pressure” is self explanatory, but it blends with his classical instincts once again with some edgy instrumentation. The somber “Goodnight Saigon” was written about Viet Nam veterans. But side two remains just as interesting; “She’s Right On Time” is a Paul McCartney flavored number with a rich arrangement. “A Room Of Our Own” is a brisk pop blues number that channels the flavor of Lennon. “Surprises” is an expansive, and experimental ballad, that seems to be about himself stepping outside of himself to view his past. “Scandinavian Skies” clearly channels the ambition of The Beatles “I Am The Walrus”, and is about his brief experimentation with Heroin. But the last track is a real gem, “Where’s The Orchestra?” is another McCartney flavored track that uses the metaphor of life’s expectation’s with fame and the business not bringing all of the answers, as well as loneliness. His marriage to Elizabeth Webber was on the verge of ending during this period. Some critics were skeptical or reluctant to admit that Billy Joel had broken new ground, but there’s a good case to be made that this album represented a pinnacle of his career.




An Innocent Man (1983)
    After Billy Joel’s divorce, he started dating several women and he’s admitted this was the impudence behind writing many songs that had a fun and retro aspect. But it was also a huge gamble at a time where the grounds of pop music was always shifting. In 1982, The Stray Cats managed to have great success with a retro rockabilly sound, and that might have given Joel some confidence to move forward.  But indeed, Joel recorded an album that became his second juggernaut with An Innocent Man, I remember in 1983 and 84 that the album became so over saturated on the radio, it did become tiring, but the fresh novelty of the record paid off with another group of spades for the singer. It’s mix of R’n B and early Rock N Roll harkens back to the music of his childhood, but there was more than met the eye with the release. “Easy Money” held the flavor of James Brown and Wilson Picket, and was used in a Rodney Dangerfield movie.  The title track really demonstrated the grown of his lyric writing, and was flavored by Ben E. King or The Drifters. “The Longest Night” was classic doo-wop and a nod to The Spinners. “This Night” borrowed its chorus from Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, 2nd movement, and the tune was inspired by Little Anthony and the Imperials. The lead off single was Motown inspired, “Tell Her About It” held the flavor of The Temptations. “Uptown Girl” was a clear nod to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. “Careless Talk” was again a nod to Sam Cooke, The old school rocker “Christie Lee” has been compared to Little Richard, but really had more the flavor of Jerry Lee Lewis.  “Leave A Tender Moment Alone” has been compared to Smokey Robinson, but has such a contemporary feel as a composition, it transcends it’s period feel. But “Keeping The faith”, a light funk, Wilson Picket number, is the albums key statement of purpose and explains his intent was less about nostalgia, but about looking backward before moving ahead:

You can get just so much
From a good thing
You can linger too long
In your dreams
Say goodbye to the
Oldies but goodies
'Cause the good ole days weren't
Always good
And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems,
I told you my reasons
For the whole revival
Now I'm going outside to have
An ice cold beer in the shade
Oh, I'm going to listen to my 45's
Ain't it wonderful to be alive
When the rock 'n' roll plays, yeah
When the memory stays, yeah
I'm keeping the faith.



Perhaps Billy sensed he was at his height, for the priorities of courting Christie Brinkley would change his focus.  Six of the tracks would become FM staples, and he could never duplicate its success the same way again.


Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1985)
    Joel would take some time off to get married for a second time and have a child, and put out a comprehensive overview of his output from 1973 to 1985. The only two new tracks hinted at the heavy synth and electronic pop that he would explore further a year later. This trend could also have been influenced by the popularity of figures like Thomas Dolby,  and Depeche Mode, the two new tracks were a synth pop number “You’re Only Human (Second Wind)”, an anti suicide song that was inspired by personal experience, at the start of the seventies Joel did have a failed suicide attempt, and he continued to have depression issues he would keep from the public. The other track “The Night Is Still Young” seemed to reflect on his desire to settle down, he married Christie Brinkley and they had a child, hinting at something that the public had little suspicion of – that he would retire from recording within a decade.


The Bridge (1986)
    The Bridge would be notable for several reasons and on several levels, it was the last record produced by stalwald Phil Ramone, and the last record with his core band of a decade. It managed to feature another four durable hits, ‘Modern Woman, A Matter Of Trust, Baby Grand” and “This Is The Time” and it was a showcase for a number of iconic musicians, namely Ray Charles, Jazz Bass legend Ron Carter, Steve Winwood, and Cyndi Lauper. The opening cut ‘Running on Ice” was inspired by the Police. Billy’s collaboration with Ray Charles, “Baby Grand” was a fitting ode to the Piano, and seemed apt considering that “New York State of Mind’ in 1976 was inspired by Charles, other session legends like Vinny Calaiuta, Neil  Stubenhaus, and Dean Parks rounded out the session. The Pop synth heavy “Modern Woman” was used in the film, Ruthless People. The pop rocker “A Matter of Trust” was written on the guitar. The big Band flavored “Big Man On Mulberry Street” featured the jazz bass of Ron Carter, and swing horn work from Eddie Daniels and Michael Brecker. The two true filler tracks feel the most forced are the ballad, “Temptation” , and “Code Of Silence”. A track that Joel admits he had writers block working on and Cyndi Lauper stepped in to help finish, she also sang harmonies. Both tracks hint that the cracks were showing, that the writing wasn’t as effortless as it had been. The closing track, with Steve Winwood on B-3 is the strongest, “Getting Closer” was a pointed comment on his feelings on the music business. The Bridge managed to be an eclectic album that looked back while moving forward, and closing a book on a major part of his career.  The Bridge is also notable for helping to end Joel’s contractual obligations to Artie Ripp in terms of royalties.


KOHUEPT (1987)
    The Bridge tour was globally extensive enough to where when an opportunity to tour in Russia, namely Leningrad, and Tbilisi, Billy ran with it at the height of social changes that were being brought about due to glasnost and perestroika.  The tour made history as Joel was one of the first American artists to have a live Radio broadcast in Soviet history. The tour had a profound impact on Joel, but he wasn’t really happy with the live album, it was released by Columbia without his input, and to meet a contractual obligation. The bulk of the material covered contemporary songs from Turnstiles, The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass Houses, The Nylon Curtain, An Innocent Man, and The Bridge, and featured a live version of The Beatles ‘Back In The U.S.S.R.” and a more intimate acoustic cover of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are-A Changing”. Peter Hewlett was brought on the tour to cover some of the higher vocal notes, and his core band appeared on the tour sans David Brown. While not a definitive recording, it would be the final document of his core band, indeed changes were afoot.


Storm Front (1989)
    Storm Front was the byproduct of a number of shake ups. Namely, the firing of brother-in-law Frank Weber (Elizabeth has ended her role as manager years before), and a law suit after an audit revealed major discrepancies in Weber’s accounting. Billy Joel didn’t bring back Phil Ramone, but brought in Mick Jones from Foreigner to co-produce. By his own account, Joel has started to feel that certain players had become complacent and he wanted a fresher sound. Liberty DeVitto and David Brown were kept on, as well as Mark Rivera who otherwise had no role on the album, but Russell Javors and Doug Stegmeyer were let go, and replaced with Schuyer Deale, Joey Hunting, and synth player Jeff Jacobs. As well as other players like Don Brooks, Mick Jones, Itzhalk Perlman, Lenny Pickett and the Memphis Horns. The album opens with the bluesy groove of “That’s Not Her Style”, a comment on the perception of his model  / wife Brinkley. The musically simplistic “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, a relativist historical roundup, works due to the production sheen, it was a big hit. The rest of side one continues with strong material, ‘The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” deals with the plight of American coastal fisherman with a little help from Perlman, and then there’s the confessional “I Go To Extremes”, Billy has been candid about his depression issues. Followed by  the unexpected country flavored “Shameless”, a track that manages to have the structure of something you’d expect from Jimi Hendrix. The title track has an R&B Stax feel with some surprising Jazz voicings. “Leningrad” is the most moving ballad on the album, taking a nod to Russian classical composers, it address his experiences from the Russian tour.  “State of Grace” is the power pop number on the album, and has the strongest vocal melody I would say, it also illustrates that Joel could still craft a melody effortlessly. “When In Rome” is a more standard R&B Stax flavored number, I have to admit that “When In Rome” and “Storm Front” remain the weakest tracks. The plaintive “And So It Goes”, with just Piano and Synth is the most introspective, and will remind listeners of material from Cold Spring Harbor. One more surprise was on the way.


River of Dreams (1993)
    The musical climate had changed drastically by the time Billy Joel released his final album of pop songs. The alternative rock scene had changed out the bulk of the old guard, and newer artists at the beginning of the 90s adapted to the changes. Perhaps Joel has been astute enough to recognize the shift, as there was another shake up with the album, Producer Danny Kortchmar was brought in to deliver a more stripped down and dryer sounding album, with some additional production help from David Thoener and Joe Nicolo. Most significantly his core band mates were replaced, Liberty Devitto only plays on one track, replaced by Zackary Alford or Steve Jordan, Danny Kortchmar handled much of the guitar duties along with guitar icon Leslie West, T.M. Stevens handled most of the Bass duties, with Jeff Jacobs being retained for extra keyboard work. The gamble may not have paid off as well as the previous album, but it did deliver an hit album. The turmoil of the legal suits with Frank Webber had taken their toll, and Billy Joel had a crisis of faith over his judgment. The album has been described by Joel as a song cycle, which deals with this crisis, and evolves into a more optimistic group of songs. “No Man’s Land” is scathing in its criticism of urban development, the rise of Box stores, and  the track seems prophetic when considering the current crisis with entertainment retail.  “The Great Wall of China” is pretty obvious vent about his former manager. “Blond Over Blue” has interesting contrasts between the verses and the lifting chorus. “A Minor Variation” is an R&B number that interestingly features Richie Cannata in the horn section. “Shades of Grey” deals with the ambivalence of getting older and not seeing things as clear cut. The second half has a stronger group of material, with the first three being the singles. “All About Soul” builds into a gospel flavored ending in the mould of “Everybody’s Got A Dream”.  The simple ballad, “Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel) is a hymn to his daughter about mortality. “The River Of Dreams” has an African flavor that harkens back to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. There’s an increasing theme of spirituality to be found in the last half of the album, “Two Thousand Years” is basically an appeal for peace and reason. The closing track also closes out this phase of his career, “Famous Last Words” sums up his mission statement to not write anymore songs.  Not everyone was pleased with the album, Liberty DeVitto was pretty scathing in his thoughts about the album. But Joel might have felt the need for the changes to stay vibrant, yet once his legal issues, and contractual obligations had been met, he might not have felt the need to continue.


Greatest Hits Vol III (1997)
    Billy Joel made good on his vow to not write and record any new songs. His second compilation closes with three covers, the fairly new Bob Dylan ballad, “To Make You Feel My Love”, which remains the best cut. The Carol King / Gerry Goffin ballad “Hey Girl”, and Leonard Cohen’s “Light As A Breeze”. Good numbers, but not very distinctive in a way. The rest of the collection is round out by a few tracks from An Innocent Man, then cuts from The Bridge, Storm Front, and River of Dreams, basically for casual completists of his hits.

    In fairness, I haven’t really listened in depth to his classical excursions, or the My Lives box set, or his live album compilations from 2000 onward, so I feel I can’t really access the material. But Billy Joel, regardless how you may feel about his work, or his cool factor, or lack thereof in certain circles, has produced a body of work that should be considered on par with Lennon / McCartney, George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, or Irvin Berlin. He was able to retain some rock authenticity while blending classical sensibility with Tin Pan Alley song craft. The 70s and early 80s catalog should speak for itself. As far as why he retired from recording? As far back as the late 80s, he started to use sports analogies about knowing when to quit. Perhaps, once he had met his contractual obligations, the urgency to write pop tunes wasn’t as great a need. He was part of a handful of working class musicians with the ability to craft intelligent songs, while being relatable. The other writer that shared the same ability was Bruce Springsteen, these points are important to consider once you realize what a prodigious writer Joel is – few can duplicate him.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Retro Reviews: Neil Young: Harvest

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


Neil Young: Harvest (1972)

*****

Producers: Neil Young, Elliot Mazer, Henry Lewy, Jack Nitzsche

Musicians: Neil Young, Ben Keith, Tim Drummond, Kenny Buttrey, Teddy Irwin, John Harris, James McMahon, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, David Crosby, Steven Stills, Graham Nash, Jack Nitzsche, London Symphony Orchestra

Songs: Out On The Weekend, Harvest, A Man Needs A Maid, Heart Of Gold, Are You Ready For The Country?, Old Man, There’s a World, Alabama, The Needle And The Damage Done, Words (Between The Lines of Age)

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Neil’s new album feels like an amalgamation of what he had done with the three prior albums, while moving forward at the same time. This will likely be even more accessible than “Gold Rush” was. There’s country rock, folk, orchestral ballads, a few Crazy Horse sort of numbers towards the end, the quality remains fairly high. What makes Neil so interesting is the fact that he isn’t settling into one type of music or genre, but seems interested in a range, even with the success of CSNY’s Déjà vu, he seems willing to follow his muse. The range on this album is pretty surprising.

    The opening, “Out On The Weekend” sets up the tone with a slower mid-tempo, filled with Harmonica and country dobro. The piano and guitar driven “Harvest” follows the same country tone, but appearances can be deceiving as the next track, the astonishing “A Man Needs A Maid” is a introspective piano ballad with full symphony orchestra, and it’s fairly overpowering in an unexpected way. The track “Heart Of Gold” is already being the radio staple on the album, there’s a musical tension between certain passages and the more uplifting verses, as a country rock piece, it isn’t a surprise that ‘Heart’ feels so focused. After a false start, “Are You Ready For The Country?” is a piano blues number with Stills and Crosby offering the vocal backing.

    “Old Man is another standout like ‘Heart’, it opens side two. There’s some nice intricate acoustic work in the somber passages before the uplifting change over. There’s another significant shift with the orchestral “There’s A World”, the song is about as equal as ‘Maid’ from the first half. “Alabama” brings in the full band, at a slower tempo it feels like the companion to ‘Southern Man”, Crosby, Stills and Nash offer the vocal backing. Once again, the next track, the acoustic “The Needle and the Damage Done” performed live, is an astonishing lament for drug addiction. The closer, “Words (Between The Lines of Age)” is with the full band and a slower ballad with a dramatic edge within. This album is as close to perfection as one could hope for especially the second half. I don’t know where Neil will take us next, but I am curious to go on that journey.


Friday, August 15, 2025

Retro Reviews: Fanny - Fanny

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser known titles.


Fanny – Fanny (1970)

****

Producer: Richard Perry

Musicians: June Milligan, Jean Milligan, Nickey Barclay, Alice de Buhr

Songs: Come and Hold Me, I Just Realized, Candlelighter Man, Conversation With A Cop, Badge, Changing Horses, Bitter Wine, Take a Message To The Captain, It Takes A Lot of Good Lovin’, Shade Me, Seven Roads.

    Man, I have not heard an album that was as fun as this one. There’s a lot of debate I see sometimes that women should stay in their wheelhouse and just do folk music, but these ladies are out to prove many wrong. Some might see an all-female rock band as a gimmick or token, but these ladies have the chops, both as singers and musicians to show this is the real deal. I heard a rumor that Producer Richard Perry heard them at some local club and made certain they got signed. The Milligan sisters on guitar and bass, respectfully, are great players. Nickey Barclay is a more than adept keyboard player, and drummer Alice de Buhr has a steady fire about her playing. One sense these women really love to play off of one another.  The total effect is that you forget these are women, just great entertainers.

    The first several songs might be a  little deceptive as they lay out their pop sensibilities but dig deeper and their rock pedigree comes through on the later material. ‘Come and See Me’ has a nod to the late 60s with an opening that will remind people of Roger Mcguinn and Pete Townshend, before it settles into a pleasing grove. “I Just Realized” opens with an informal quality before it settles into some whimsy. “Candlelighter Man” reveals their rich vocal harmonies. “Conversation With A Cop” has the odd conceit of being a ballad that may have some social comment hidden within. Their cover of Cream’s “Badge”, might be one of the most refreshing reinterpretations I have heard in awhile, it reminds me of The Beatles early years where they would record other’s work and create something definitive such as in ‘Twist and Shout’, very impressive effort.

    A piano blues motif opens “Changing Horses” before it drives into high gear as another pop rocker, again, there’s an informal quality and a sense of camaraderie between the band mates that is charming.  “Bitter Wine” has a clever opening, and some layered instrumentation, and great vocals. “Take A Message To The Captain” has some playful electric piano and a light flavor. “It Takes A Lot of Good Lovin” is the other cover, and features some playful blues support from June as she helps drives the thrust of the song, and some great organ soloing from Nickey. Some great bass and piano work aids “Shade Me” Some bluesy B-3 Organ sets up the tone for the heavy and driving closing track, “Seven Roads”, drummer Alice de Buhr is fantastic throughout the album. The album ends on a rousing note, the whole enterprise leaves me curious to see where they go next. Recommended.


Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Retro Reviews: Blind Faith - Blind Faith

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


Blind Faith – Blind Faith (1969)

***

Producer: Jimmy Miller

Musicians, Steve Window, Eric Clapton, Ric Grech, Ginger Baker

Songs: Had To Cry Today, Can’t Find My Way Home, Well All Right, Presence Of The Lord, Sea Of Joy, Do What You Like

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    I don’t know what to make of this album, it had great promise, but it seems to struggle with it’s goals. The idea of Clapton working with Steve Winwood, of the Spencer Davis Group and  wunderkind of the band Traffic, seemed compelling. There are no doubt two great songs in here that will stand the test of time, mixed in with some indulgence. Jimmy Miller’s involvement is surprising as he had done such an effective job with the Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet, yet somehow things don’t always translate here. There’s a feeling with some of the tracks on the album, there’s an emphasis on songcraft, then there’s the jump into virtuosity – and the problem may in lie with one person – Ginger Baker. One has to wonder if he was the right fit for such a project. We will get back to that later.

    The album opener “Had To Cry Today”, written by Winwood is good, but overstays it’s welcome and should have been tightened up - considering its length. The next track “Can’t Find My Way Home” is perfection, played by Winwood and Clapton on acoustics it encapsulated what this album could have been, and I suspect this will be a radio and cultural staple for years. The cover of Buddy Holly’s “Well All Right” is quite fun with a clever introduction. Clapton’s “Presence Of The Lord” is no doubt the next best track on the album with a clever middle break down and should also be a staple of radio.

    Winwood’s “Sea of Joy” has a solid opening series of riffs and is probably one of the last good tracks. This leaves us with the long album closer, “Do What You Like”, The initial keyboard solo by Winwood starts out sounding like Richard Wright from Pink Floyd, before morphing into its own thing. The same is true with the start of Clapton’s solo, sounding a little like Robbie Kreger of The Doors before it finds its footing and does its own thing. The Ric Grech solo is merely adequate, Ginger’s drum solo is good, but it feels like something we’ve heard before from him. The song was written by Baker and just designed as a showcase for himself. I can’t say this is any fresher than what I heard from Bonham thus far. This feels like an album where other material was developed and didn’t make the cut, while the production is good, it’s offset by uneven material. The provocative cover makes for an interesting curiosity. Sort of worth your time, but I can’t help feeling a little short changed.


Friday, August 8, 2025

Retro Reviews: Herbie Hancock: Headhunters

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 


Herbie Hancock: Headhunters (1973)

****1/2

Producers; Herbie Hancock, David Robinson

Musicians: Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason, Bill Summers

Music:  Chameleon, Watermelon Man, Sly, Vein Melter

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Herbie Hancock has been a seminal jazz and keyboard player since the early 60s, for anyone who doesn’t know, after getting his start on smaller jazz labels, he was hand picked by Miles Davis to be a part of Davis’s second great quartet, and Hancock helped Miles usher in his jazz fusion period. Recently Herbie had fronted a set of albums that were more experimental, with Mwandishi, Crossings and the Sextant albums and now he’s decided to go in a completely new direction that I have little doubt will appeal to fans of dance and the Parliament mode of music. There were hints of the change with the electronica on  ‘Rain Dance’ from Sextant, or the African rhythms of ‘Sleeping Giant’ from Crossings.  One track is a reimaging of an early 60s composition, and the rest is all new material.

    Herbie is using electric piano, various clavinet’s and APR synthesizers to get a range of sounds and soloing. The first track “Chameleon” sets up the grove with a synth bass line, and claves to approximate guitars, there’s a playfulness between the drummer and percussionist, Jackson and Maupin step in to elaborate the theme. Herbie’s electric piano solos shine through. Herbie’s use of the ARP brings up the orchestral tone. ‘Watermelon Man” opens with various African flutes and light percussion before it shifts into the main piece two minutes in. He had recorded the track in 1962 and this update is a refreshing change, probably the likely single for the album.

    “Sly” is an obvious nod to Sly Stone, the musical complexity and shifting signatures make this compelling material, when it doubles up in tempo, Maupin’s soloing is wonderous. As a keyboardist Herbie has never wavered in his inventiveness as a soloist as illustrated in the track. “Vein Melter”, the closing track features an irregular march from Mason that sets the tone. Hancock’s playing at moments features the kind of abstract chording he was using with Miles Davis in 1969, Maupin’s support playing is quite good. While relying on Electric Piano, Herbie uses APR synths to overwhelm the track with sting ensembles, flutes and horns that wave into the arrangement, leaving the listening with euphoria and doubt, before the track ends as the album began – with a funk groove. Miles Davis always had high praise for Herbie, there were few players as adaptable to changing styles, Herbie has an instinct and touch few players can match and the team assembled are wonderful players. Recommended if you want something to dance to and make you think at the same moment.


Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Retro Reviews: Rodriguez: Coming from Reality

 I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser-known titles.

Rodriguez: Coming From Reality (1971)

****

Producer: Steve Rowland

Musicians: Sixto Rodriguez, Chris Speeding, Tony Carr, Phil Dennys, Jimmy Horowitz, Gary Taylor, Andrew Steele

Songs: Climb Up On My Music, A Most Disgusting Song, I Think Of You, Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour, Silver Words?, Sandrevan Lullaby – Lifestyles, To Whom It May Concern, It Started Out So Nice, Halfway Up The Stairs, Cause

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Rodriguez’s second album has come out and it has left me pondering the fates, if you’ll indulge me, the other Latino rock act that has enjoyed a great deal of success is the band Santana, which is a mixed race group, while they aren’t directly a social comment or political band, it makes their music more palpable to the public. That doesn’t take away from the merits of that band, or their success is less deserved, it just means that the risk that Rodriguez is putting forth is greater. He is just as socially penetrating as he was with “Cold Fact” from last year. He has a new producer and the record feels more focused and there’s a fuller sound in some respects. It also feels more conventional in places which is a trade off.

    The opener, “Climb Up On My Music” feels like a mission statement. Aside from the lead work, Rodriguez stretches out on acoustic. The keyboard work from the start is a good edition, the rhythm section with the drum and bass really catches fire.  “A Most Disgusting Song” will probably be the most provocative track, a blues number that feels like it’s channeling a contemporary like Gil-Scott Haron. “I Think Of You” is the first ballad on the album, nice backing support, and rich string arrangement. “Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour” is the albums rock tune, and mirrors “Only Good For Conversation” from the last album. ‘Silver Words” is the other pop leaning ballad with good acoustic lead support, and string quartet.

    “Sandrevan Lullaby – Lifestyles” is a two section medley, ‘Sandrevan’ is a somber, wistful instrumental with good playing by Rodriguez and quartet, and ‘Lifestyles’ is a more pointed, penetrating piece, the most Dylan like number examining the desperate facades that people front, with great lines such as ‘she laughed when I tried to tell her, hello only ends in goodbye’. Or ‘America gains another pound, only time will bring some people around, idols and flags are slowly melting’. This track is probably the albums tour de force. “To Whom It May Concern” takes a break with a prominent piano and orchestral arrangement for a song that advocates against relationship victimization and self-empowerment. “It Started Out So Nice” is a lovely blues ballad, which is either about the about the end of a relationship, the loss of innocence, or both. “Halfway Up The Stairs” is the closest to a pop number on the album. The closing number, “Cause” is a stunner, Raw and bleak with stanzas like “because my heart has become a crooked hotel full of rumors, but it’s I who pays the rent,’, the profiles various people and continues with lines like ‘cause they told me everybody’s got to pay their dues, and I had overpaid them.’, it all simply illustrates the toll of our class struggles, and the road that leads to self-destruction. Brillant closer.

    His honesty might not be for everyone, but I hope he continues. While the material might be a fraction less than what was on ‘Cold Fact’, that margin is by very little, this holds up well. We need truth more than lies anyways - his reality is pretty deep.