Search - Billy Joel :: Turnstiles

Seven Great Songs That Have Aged Well

MightyMaoMoonDog | Silver Spring, MD | 12/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up hearing Billy Joel on the radio and had some of his 80s albums. I had never heard this whole album until I picked it up recently, and there are a couple of things that pleasantly surprised me.



First, the remastering is fantastic. You can hear every nuance of the drumming, the bass is clear and strong, and you can hear all the percussive action in the piano.



Second, this is a really earnest, wise, heartfelt album that isn't the slightest bit sappy. Some of Billy Joel's stuff is formulaic to my ears, and I'm not a big fan of The Stranger in particular. I don't see how you can listen to this album and not feel like he has expressed some truths about growing up and getting along in this world that come out of his own personal experience. And the emotions in the music and lyrics combine seamlessly--you feel like the lyrics couldn't possibly have been set to any other arrangement. Not many songwriters or musicians can make that kind of connection, and he hasn't done it consistently, but on this album it is really strong. (This is leaving out "All You Wanna Do Is Dance," which is a throwaway, the one song I always skip on this album.)



If you are looking to get beyond greatest hits, this is an excellent place to start."