His 1977 release “The Stranger” has exploded this ever further, yielding four top 25 hits on the US Billboard charts in “Just the Way You Are”, “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), “Only the Good Die Young” and “She’s Always a Woman”, along with another fan favourite n “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”. “The Stranger” also reached #2 on the album charts in the US and was top ten around the world. This was followed by his next album “52nd Street” in the following year which went to #1, and with other big selling singles in “My Life”, “Big Shot” and “Honesty” Joel had reached a peak point in his career.
Flowing on from the revitalisation of his music, which was now successfully finding its way all around the globe, the promise of his next album “Glass Houses” found itself fighting its way in a new world of music genres. With the time span of his two previous albums, the music world had seen the rise in popularity of the disco scene, and on the back of this had seen the rise of the punk scene. Joel’s two albums had sliced through those genres and topped the charts with his piano based romantic ballad styled hits, along with some mid tempo almost-rock pop tunes to help out along the way. One of the things Billy had been able to do over the years was to not only ride out the popularist music of the time that he was writing new material but also be able incorporate change in his own music writing that suited where he was at that point time both personally and in music. In this regard, it has been suggested that “Glass Houses” is his answer to this time in music, that he incorporates closer to a full rock album on this release while also fusing in some new wave elements that were beginning to make their mark on the 1980 music scene. Whether or not that was the intention he had here or even that there was this kind of thought behind it, there are more songs on this album that fit into the upbeat variety than the reflective piano dominating songs that were a feature of his early albums. And listening back to this album now, and reflecting just what was happening to music at the turn of the 1980’s decade, there is just that possibility that Billy Joel had timed his run with this style of album to a nicety.
The first side of this album is excellent and probably the one where casual listeners to Billy Joel’s music will enjoy the most. It is where the most concentrated of his best songs appear. "You May Be Right" opens the album with the sound of glass smashing, no doubt from the rock Billy holds on the cover of the album, about to throw through the window of his own home at the time. This is the upbeat, guitar driven rock number that signifies that change in the way the album is heading. Billy sings his lyrics in forthright fashion with an attitude that befits them, and the guitar solo is accompanied by the saxophone that was to proliferate the new wave era ahead as well. This was the first single released from the album and starts “Glass Houses” off in style. “Sometimes a Fantasy” has a strong guitar riff throughout but also brings in a synth riff through the chorus and into the middle solo section of the song to again signify that this album has the rock and new wave parts combining to give it a place in both genres at a time when both were influencing the music trends. This is very much tied to the era and its influence on the album is significant. This is then completely reversed by “Don’t Ask Me Why” which follows. "Don't Ask Me Why" has very Beatles-esque qualities about it, or at the very least a George Harrison slash Paul McCartney style, which lightens up the album a touch from the opening two songs. Billy’s vocals on this track definitely channels both of those amazing voices that proliferated that band’s songs, and even now when I hear this song, I can almost see the Beatles playing it. This is followed by "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", one of my favourite Billy Joel songs. His conversational tone throughout, singing back and forth to himself in conversation, and with another great sax spot in the middle of the song, works exceptionally well in making it not only an easy song to sing along to, but also makes a song that fits easily into any music playlist. This was the third song released as a single form the album, and became Billy Joel’s first US #1 single. The concluding track of side one of the album is the light and upbeat “All for Leyna”. This is a real piano rock song, with Billy’s tinkling of the ivories taking centre stage, and then switching to synth and guitar in the middle of the track.
All five songs on side one of the album were released as singles in some territories, while none of the five on side two were released in that fashion. Was this a deliberate ploy? To stack side one with the main songs, and then leave side two to fend for itself? They certainly aren’t bad songs, but they have nothing that jumps out at you or grabs your attention to make them stand out from the pack, or for the most part even get you tapping your foot or singing along with the lyrics.
“I Don’t Want to Be Alone” is built around the piano and Billy’s vocals again, both leading the song through the majority of its tenure on the album. "Sleeping with the Television On" has its moments, while “Cetait Toi (You Were the One)” falls back to his piano based ballad style, with lilting vocals over his softer toned piano. The final two songs hover around the same structure as the interspersed rock style. “Close to the Borderline” has Billy venting about the pressures being put on by the environment around him and how close it is pushing him to a breaking point, with lyrics like “Blackout, heatwave, .44 caliber homicide, The bums drop dead and the dogs go mad, In packs on the west side, Young girl standing on a ledge looks like another suicide, She wants to hit those bricks, 'Cause the news at six gotta stick to a deadline” while the closing track “Through the Long Night” again tends to channel a Beatles tune, the vocals again particularly imitating that range of harmonies that they were so wonderful at.
The selection of tracks for each side of the album makes for an interesting conversation. If the better songs were spread more evenly through the album, would that make the album a better listen? Or by putting what is commonly believed to be the better songs all on the first side of the album, and allowing the second side of the album to become a bit too similar and familiar without anything standing out that makes you not only want to listen to it but make you remember anything about the songs there at all, does that make it easier to market by bringing in everyone on that first half of the album?
My introduction to Billy Joel came via the singles released on the radio, and over the first half of the 1980’s they began to endear themselves to me. In particular this occurred with the release on “An Innocent Man” album and the single “Uptown Girl”. My first album though was the “Greatest Hits Vol 1 & 2” double album which I received for Christmas in 1985, with all of those great songs from his career to that point. And I played that a lot and have done so in the 40 years since I got it. But it wasn’t until much later in life that I began to go back and collect the individual albums to find out what his other material was like. “Glass Houses” was one that I had heard around different places, not the least my in-laws, where my mother-in-law Christine was a big fan of his and in particular this album.
As I have already alluded to, the first side of the album is where all of the singles came from, and it is fair to say the best songs on the album. I was always a fan of “You May Be Right” and “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” before I got this album, and “Don’t Ask Me Why” and “All for Leyna” were also familiar but became favourites as I listened to the album. “Close to the Borderline” has always been an interesting song, and I think it is the lyrics that intrigue me the most and were what led me to enjoying that song along with the harder sound of guitar and drums on that track. And the very Beatles-like sounds and harmonies of both “Sometimes a Fantasy” and “Through the Long Night” are wonderfully well performed, and whether or not those similarities are deliberate or not I enjoy them both for Billy’s talent and those familiar tones.
I’ve had my CD copy of this album on this week, likely for the first time since I picked it up. When it comes to Billy Joel, I will generally default back to my “Greatest Hits 1 & 2” for its known qualities, but when I do go to an album it is always enjoyable. And this one is no exception.
I haven’t actually done a ranking of Billy Joel’s album to this point in time – yes, yes, I know, very slack – but of his 13 studio albums I would suggest it is in the top five, not in the top two. That’s the best you are going to get at this point in time.
Billy’s career continued to rise through the 1980’s decade, with more albums and singles and sellout out concerts. This point of his career was arguably in the middle of a 6-7 year period where he sat on the crest of that wave and rode it into shore. And some of his most iconic material was still yet to come.
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