915. The Police / Synchronicity. 1983. 5/5

Perhaps more so in the 'old days' of the 1980's than occurs in this day and age, your first taste of a band's new album was of the initial single released, which is then (if you are deemed worthy) saturated with airplay on the radio, and thus increases or decreases your desire to buy the album it comes off. Often, the single was the 'best' song on the album, and so you would sometimes find nothing more exciting when you got the album. Occasionally though, no matter how much you liked that single, when you got the album it completely blew you away, and it was the songs that were not tagged for single release that made the album as exciting as it was. For me, “Synchronicity” is one of those albums.
The band had come off the successful “Ghost in the Machine” album, especially with the popularity of the singles “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material World” which had done great business around the world. The recording of that album had involved a lot of ‘building up’ of songs, using multiple overlays in instruments and vocals, something the band had enjoyed at the time. But coming into the new album, the trio had decided that they wanted to go back to sounding like the band sounded on stage, with less overlaying and dubbing and more of just the three of them. This didn’t stop them from recording many takes of each song, and then choosing the pieces from these takes that they felt worked best, and piecing them together to form the song itself. The band also used a variety of instruments and equipment, including a sequencer for the first time. All of this meant that most of the reggae influences that had proliferated their other albums were almost completely missing from this album, with the style of songs here a mix of influences throughout. All of this made for a unique release for The Police, one that had the potential to either put their long time fans offside, or take the band to another level.

Just about everyone knows the main three singles that were released from this album, and that's great, because they are all great songs. "Every Breath You Take" is probably The Police's most well known and most popular song apart from their first ever single "Roxanne", and everyone who grew up in the 1980's can sing it to you. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "King of Pain" are also classic radio singles, in that their music is quiet and unobtrusive, able to be played in a multitude of settings without upsetting people, while having lyrics that are intensely interesting, and again are known by most of those people who came through the 1980’s listening to the radio. And they are the perfect tracks for radio, as they could be played them at any time of the day. And they are great songs, don't get me wrong. But the instrumentation in "Every Breath You Take" is just fairly basic, and despite the great moo swings thrugh the middle section, it is a song that you can take or leave if it gets overplayed. Famously, the story goes that Sting wanted the very basic of basic backing on this track, and would force Stewart Copeland to re-do his drums if he even plugged in a simple roll out of the character that Sting wanted. Blows were even apparently traded during the recording process. Anyway, as brilliant musicians as Stewart and Andy Summers are, they were hamstrung during the recording of this song. Of course it sounds great, but it is strange that they were not allowed to put their own stamp on the song. But that of course is what led to the events that came after the world tour to promote this album.
On the other side of the coin, there is the brilliant synth-into-guitar-drums intro to the opening track "Synchronicity I" that sets the album off on the perfect footing. The first time I put this album on, turned it up, and heard this coming out of my speakers, I was hooked. It's the perfect combination of the old and the new, and a superb chorus lyrically:
"A connecting principle, Linked to the invisible, Almost imperceptible, Something inexpressible., Science insusceptible, Logic so inflexible, Causally connectible, Nothing is invincible"
It is fantastic, and even today when I put the album on and let the needle hit the vinyl, this opening is just magic to the ears.

From here the remainder of the first half of the album expresses so much variety that it would be easy to dismiss it as a joke or poor creative musicianship. But that is what makes it so brilliant. The wonderful "Walking in Your Footsteps" mixes everything up, on the surface only concentrating on Sting's vocals, but a deeper look shows the excellent percussion and bongos from Stewart and the simple but effective guitar of Andy. "O My God" is a jazzy piece, that even incorporates lyrics from the band's previous hit single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", something that had friends and members of my family spending months trying to work out where they had heard those lyrics before.
Then comes the piece de resistance, Andy Summers' "Mother", a freaked out, frantic guitar and drum piece with Andy himself crying out the vocals of the song. Let's face it, the music here perfectly portrays the mind of a man who would be saying these lines - "Telephone is ringing, is that my mother on the phone - telephone is screaming, won't she leave me alone!" and "Every girl I go out with, becomes my mother in the end". Terrific stuff that may not be appreciated by certain members of the audience but to my mind is excellent. This is followed by the straight forward "Miss Gradenko", which features dual vocals from Sting and Stewart throughout.
Above all the excellence that can be found here, "Synchronicity II" is perhaps the highlight. Through the brilliant rumbling bass line, Andy's ripping guitar riff, Stewart's amazing drums and lyrics that hit home in the best way possible, this song to me is the crowning glory to The Police's legacy. It also perfectly closes out side one of the album. Sensational.
Following the three singles previously mentioned that are the mainstay of side two of the album, the final two songs are the quiet and thoughtful "Tea in the Sahara" which closed out the original album, while "Murder By Numbers" is the additional track from the cassette (that I first owned) and the CD (which I now own), that close out the album in a quieter frame than I would normally appreciate. And I don’t doubt in the slightest that because this album came out before I began to look for heavier material in my music, that I love this more than I may have if it had come even a couple of years later than it did.

“Synchronicity” was the first album by a band that I ever bought. I had been gifted compilation cassettes at birthdays and Christmas, had even bought a couple of singles, but I had never bought an album by a band before this one. And it is fair to say that it encouraged me to start doing it more often. Because from the very opening of the title track, this album had me. The energy, the relentless drive of the songs, the superb drumming and the remarkable technical guitaring, and Sting’s bass and vocals that could croon and soar at either spectrum. And it was the differing style of songs that come on the album that perhaps was my introduction as to how an album works, that not all songs by a band are the same, and that the ability to create such strange concepts like “Walking in Your Footsteps” and “Mother” and place them on an album with “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger” is how you establish how a band works. And all of that is in effect here.
I initially bought this on cassette, and used to play it on my portable tape deck in my room from the time I got home from school until it was time for bed. It went around and around so many times that eventually it pretty much disintegrated from overuse. I then went out and bought it on vinyl, to help that from occurring again, and then also on CD a few years after that. From being the first album I ever bought, it still comes out as regular as clockwork to be listened to, and marvelled over each and every time. Some might say that of all first time albums that you would purchase, but as I said, I bought it on the strength of two singles heard on the radio. The album still had to sell itself to me after I purchased it. And it did that to the millionth degree.
This proved to be the final album released by The Police, and in many ways it is fitting that it was. There is little doubt that the members of the band were diverging in their musical tastes, and the fact that they were unable to do anything further together is not a surprise, no matter how disappointing it was at the time. Instead, we have this monument that stands as the finale of their career, and while it again has differences from each of their previous albums, it is the one that marks their genius and greatness forever.

914. The Police / Zenyatta Mondatta. 1980. 3/5

I didn't listen to Zenyattà Mondatta until a number of years after its original release, and well after I had discovered the two albums that followed this, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity. I do remember when I first sat down and listened to the entire album, and that I was... well... disappointed. It wasn't what I imagined it would be, stuck right in the middle between what the band once was, and then what the band became.

I have spent the majority of my The Police listening time in the last week or so taking in this album again. Not because it is my favourite, but because of their five studio releases it was always the one I was unsure of, and I wanted to be sure how I felt about it when it came to reviewing it. At the end of that time, as I sit here and compose this review, has anything really changed?
The songs that still don't sit well with me aren't as inflamed as they once were. I can accept that songs such as "Driven to Tears" and "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around" are portents as to what was coming in new wave and what had been in long formless experimental instrumental pieces with lyrics almost being dropped in on a whim. The elements of reggae still exist, but perhaps in lessening degrees. In many ways you need to be in a certain mood to take way this album is recorded. Take "Voices Inside My Head", which really just uses one riff from Andy and the same solid drumbeat from Stewart and then meanders along for the better part of four minutes with very little change.
The better parts of the album still have a more marketable vibe which are highlighted by Sting getting higher in his vocal range while Andy and Stewart both throw in more of their better off-the-cuff licks and rolls which add glamour to each track. The single "Don't Stand So Close To Me", "Bombs Away", "Canary in a Coalmine" and "Man In A Suitcase" are the best examples of this on Zenyattà Mondatta.
I've more or less always been less than enamoured with "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". It's okay, and I will pretty much always sing along with it when I hear it, but as a great song I'd much prefer those songs already mentioned above. "Behind My Camel" reminds me a lot of music passages from Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds, while the album also concludes with "Shadows in the Rain" and another instrumental "The Other Way of Stopping", neither of which endear me with any great enthusiasm.

I struggle in Zenyattà Mondatta even now. Sure, I can listen to it and I enjoy about half of it as I would any other of The Police's albums, but the other half still bugs me. Meh. You can't be completely brilliant all the time, and the style of the band was evolving no doubt, and it turns out that I just don't connect as well to this part of it.

Rating:  "Must I be a man in a suitcase".  3/5

913. The Police / Reggatta de Blanc. 1979. 4/5

The arrival of the debut album from The Police titled “Outlandos d’Amour” caused quite a stir, with an initial failure of the singles released from the album. It wasn’t until the band toured the US that they began to create some inroads, and when the singles were re-released in the UK they then saw the success come through. Pushed on by “Roxanne” and “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “So Lonely”, “Outlandos d’Amour” went on to reach #6 in the UK, #15 in Australia and #23 in the US, finding openings in marketplaces across the world.
When it came to the writing and recording of the follow up album, the band spent a total of four weeks in the studio, but it was spread out over six months of 1979, picking a week at a time when they had a break from touring. They did this so that they could continue to work and play while they were putting new material together. They also used the profits they had made from their debut album to pay for the recording, sticking to the same small studio and producer as they had for their debut album, in order to keep their record company at arms length, and allow them the freedom to explore whatever avenues they wished to without having pressure applied to them from others. When they did go into the studio, Stewart Copeland was quoted as saying that the band hadn’t even rehearsed the material, they just went in and worked on each track from scratch.
The style of music on their sophomore release continued down the track of what they had produced on their debut album, though there is a markedly lesser use of post punk on this album, and an increase in a new wave style, alongside the hard rock and reggae themes that were still a part of their core. Indeed, the name they chose for the album, “Regatta de Blanc”, apparently loosely translates from the ‘franglais’ as “white reggae”. In many ways, that is probably an accurate description of the direction at least some of the songs take on the band’s second album.

It has been widely noted in interviews and articles that with all of the material that Sting had produced for the first album, there was not as much forthcoming when it came to this album. What with the full on touring that the band was doing, even while preparing for this new album, there were not as many ideas coming through. As such, both he and Stewart Copeland delved into their pasts to come up with ideas, and along with Andy Summers produced the one album of the band's career which has a great diversity in writing partners. It was not to remain that way going forward, and in many ways, it contributes to this album being a mixed bag.
As mentioned in the opening stanza, there is still a solid mix of reggae rhythms here in some of the tracks, something that also found its way to infiltrate the UK punk scene at this time, and in regards to The Police, is really the only part of punk that remains in most of the songs on this album. "Bring On the Night" is the most heavily reggae influence track on the album. Listening to this song will actually bring you visions of images of dreadlocks and red and green beads in the hair. "The Bed's Too Big Without You" falls into a similar category. The musicianship is excellent, and Sting’s vocals slot in well for these types of tracks. Andy Summers guitar is superb while the drumming of Stewart Copeland uses every part of his kit in the way it is designed. In many ways, reggae is an acquired taste, and when it pops up in bands work who are not strictly reggae bands it can be a little confronting.
The good material on this album though is just brilliant. It leads off with the all-time favourite "Message in a Bottle", one that is one of the bands best known tracks. It's not only the wonderful guitar riff, accented with the simple but effective bass line and Sting's vocals, but take the time to listen to Stewart's amazing drumming on this song next time you hear it. It is brilliant and remarkable how much he can squeeze into the gaps that are provided for him. This is followed by the mostly instrumental title track "Regatta de Blanc", which apparently was derived from the long instrumental break the band used on tour when playing "Can't Stand Losing You". These are the lengths you have to go to when you don’t have that solid base of songs ready to be recorded, or the time to sit down and compose them. It's a ripper, a great crescendo of waves and motion of music. "It's Alright for You" follows up oh the first two songs and creates a pleasant listening atmosphere as the song bounces along. "Deathwish" involves all three members creating a great atmosphere again, with the three instruments changing course between fast pace and staccato throughout to create another mostly instrumental eloquent ending to the first side of the album.
The second single "Walking on the Moon" is simplified and slow in pace, and really does replicate a feeling of the title of the track, at least in the first two verses before reaching the chorus. It is still one of the band's most recognisable songs. The Stewart Copeland written song "On Any Other Day" also features Stewart on co-lead vocals, though Sting's vocals do make themselves more obviously known than would usually be the case in such circumstances. “Contact” is another Copeland composed track with an upbeat tempo and a new wave feel about the song, while “Does Everyone Stare” was based on a piano piece Copeland had originally composed back in college. The final track is another favourite, "No Time This Time". This originally appeared as the B side to the "So Lonely" single, recycled here to help get the length of the album up, and it is great that it got its own gig on an album as well. It's an upbeat fast temp track which concludes the album on a high.

My introduction to The Police came by the way of the singles on the radio, which through the early 1980’s often appeared on the local Wollongong radio stations 2WL and 2OO. My first taste of a The Police album was “Ghost in the Machine” because f my love of the song “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”, and then the final album the band released “Synchronicity”, which was one of the first albums I ever bought myself. And, as with all bands that I came to love, I eventually worked my way back to check out all of the albums that preceded the ones I knew.
When I first got this album, it was the two main singles that I knew like the back of my hand, both of which open up their respective sides of the album. So I would listen to those tracks, and then hear a whole bunch of nothing that followed, songs I didn’t know, songs of a different style completely from the two singles I knew so well, and songs that I really had no particular interest in liking because they were nothing like what I expected to hear. THIS I have found can be the problem with knowing a few songs far too well before you actually get to hear the whole album. It can corrupt the way you hear it and the way you may enjoy it. Fortunately for me, I recalled that this was exactly how I felt when I first listened to “Ghost in the Machine”, and that when I stuck with that album I did come to love it. So I stuck with it, over a period of months, and eventually I did find an enjoyment for the album as it was. The reggae infused tracks by the band have often been a sticking point for me, and that was a part of the problem here. But soon enough, the album merged and moulded its way to a form that I enjoyed, and it found its place in my collection of great albums.
Everything is open to opinion of course, and while there are some terrific songs here, overall, as an album I don't think it matches “Outlandos d'Amour”. That album still has a freshness and brazenness and energy that I don’t think this follow up album has, and perhaps that is because there is such a difference in the writing of this album, and the drawing of older material recycled rather than bringing the energy of what the three writers could have produced at that moment, if they had given themselves the time to do so. But – what the hell would I know. This doesn't detract from the fact that "Regatta de Blanc” is still far above average when it comes to albums being ranked through the ages, and is still a pleasure to put on the turntable to this day.

912. The Police / Outlandos d'Amour. 1978. 4.5/5

Somewhere in the middle of all of that confusion in the late 1970's, when punk was suddenly the in thing in the UK, where new wave was finding its roots, and bands that weren't conforming were finding it increasingly difficult to find their feet, amongst all of that was The Police. They were a four piece that soon enough became a three piece, and with their unique take on those styles around them and between the three members, they recorded this debut album which began their world domination.
Some view this album as being punk influenced, while others view it as reggae influenced. With so much of punk music flavoured by reggae (a quick listen to The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers is all that is needed for that) surely there needs not be an argument, as both take their place within the framework of the songs on this album, but having been sewn by the particular talents of each of the three band members such that it sits in neither genre. It is a sound of their own. It is The Police.
The band had come together as a four piece, though with Andy Summers insisting when asked to join the band that they remain a trio, and their current guitarist therefore be replaced by him. This was something that both Sting and StewartCopeland were initially reluctant to do, leading to the band carrying on as a four piece for awhile, until Sommers finally made his request an ultimatum, and Henry Padovani was dismissed from the band. From this point on however, things began to click. Stewart Copeland was quoted in 2007 as saying "One by one, Sting's songs had started coming in, and when Andy joined, it opened up new numbers of Sting's we could do, so the material started to get a lot more interesting and Sting started to take a lot more interest in the group."
Copeland’s brother Miles had taken up management of the band, and had lent the band 1,500 pounds in order to start recording. He was reportedly unimpressed with what he heard when the band were writing songs for their debut album. And then he heard one particular song, one that he felt was a major outstanding song compared to the rest of their material, and in response to this he immediately went out and organised a record deal with A&M. The song? “Roxanne”

As with most debuts, the rawness of the band and music is obvious, and while that doesn't always date well in retrospect, the freshness of “Outlandos d'Amour” has stood the test of time. From the opening dramatic urgency of the drums and vocals in "Next to You" the album kicks off brilliantly. It drives along wonderfully between the vocals and pace of the music. This then moves into the slow paced and quiet opening to "So Lonely", which explodes brilliantly into the chorus, with the irreverent support vocals in the background of the chorus expressing the individuality of their song recording. How can a song go so easily between what is essentially just Sting's high pitched vocals and the barest of musical backing into the chorus that blends everything together without even really noticing? Stewart Copeland's drumming in this song is superb.
Everyone in the world knows "Roxanne". It is the song that allowed the band to get their record contract. It has dominated radio airplay for almost four decades. Everyone knows the words, and no one can hit those notes that Sting does, except of course Eddie Murphy (yes, a reference to the movie 48 Hours had to come when discussing this song). Great harmonies in the chorus, and a terrific song. This is followed by perhaps the only letdown for me on the album, "Hole In My Life", which is slow and drags and doesn't have any momentum whatsoever. This is rectified by "Peanuts", a lively jaunt that was apparently written about Sting's disappointment in his hero Rod Stewart, which years later he then rescinded when he discovered the trappings of fame himself.
Side Two opens with the brilliant "Can't Stand Losing You", which was banned by UK radio on its release as a single because of its subject matter of suicide. It’s an interesting point, given that in today’s overly protective world when it comes to sensitive topics you might consider that this song would also be within the ’cancel culture’ attitude of certain protest groups, and yet the lyrics are far less offensive in many ways than most of the big hits that turn up on radio an get airplay in the modern age. Anyway, it is a great song, and has always been a favourite. It’s interesting that it was re-released once “Roxanne” took off in the US, and did well in the UK on its second release.
"Truth Hits Everybody" is a great jiving song, driven in the main by Andy's fantastic guitar riff and Sting's harmony vocal over the top. The fact that the chorus/title is probably over sung, it isn't really noticeable. This is a great song, one of those songs that isn’t a single but that all great albums need to be considered as such. It’s catchy, it’s fun and it makes you take notice every time it comes on. It is a song that deserves to be better known outside of the hardcore Police fan base but isn’t. Indeed, it is a song that only the real fans who know all of the albums know, and perhaps that is its greatest gift.
This probably isn't quite the case for the following song, "Born in the 50's". The song is back in mid-tempo range, and is terrific all the way through, apart from the chorus which does become annoyingly nasal quoting of the title over and over. Apart from this it would be a terrific song, but to me it does get too monotonous because of this.
"Be My Girl - Sally" is one of those songs that could only come from a young band that has enough confidence in their ability. The song starts off simply with "Will you be my girl", until it runs out of puff, and we suddenly hear a spoken word poem, which was written by Andy about a blow up doll. Classic. Then we go back into the song as it started to finish it all up. Apparently it was an unfinished song by Sting, and to pad it out they used this poem by Andy. Different, unusual, and fits in perfectly with the band's persona at the time. The album then comes to a conclusion with "Masoko Tanga", which for the most part is an instrumental with some rambling spoken singing from Sting.
The winner on this first album is the first impression on the musicianship of the three members. Andy Summers was (and is) some ten years older than the other two, and his amazing guitar playing and style is the perfect fit with the sound the band had in these early days. Sting's bass falls in behind this, providing the bottom end foil, while Stewart Copeland's precision drumming is spectacular. Even on a low budget, he gets the perfect sound out of his hi-hats in particular and his drum rolls, which fit in snugly like a jigsaw piece. Add to this Sting's changing range of vocals to suit each song and moment and you have an amazing debut. An album everyone should hear in their lifetime.

The Police was one of the first bands that I developed an interest in on the radio beyond just enjoying the songs that were played. I had been given a copy of “Ghost in the Machine” some time after it had been released, while the first album by The Police that I bought was their last album “Synchronicity”, and which I played to its demise. And I wanted more. I didn’t just want the singles, the ones that the record company deemed I should listen to and enjoy. I wanted all of those albums. That there would only end being five of them is both a disappointment and a blessing.
When I first heard this album, it was a breath of fresh air. Everything about it jumped off the vinyl and with an energy that isn’t always prevalent on debut albums. The unique styles of all three musicians means that you can listen to every track three times, concentrate on just the one instrument on each listen, and find a difference nance or wave of each song. It really is amazing what these three can do.
I didn’t get a copy of this album until the mid-1980's, and even when my music obsession was turning towards heavy metal, this album and the band as a whole never became any less to me as a result. I have never been a fan of reggae while I am much more of a fan of that era of punk music, but the mix of the two here in the songs of the band’s debut album is perfect. And while each album by the band is different in regards to its content and recording, “Outlandos d’Amour” is perhaps the best example of the band purely in writing and composition. Having it going around again over the last few weeks has been a lot of fun, and I don’t think it has dated since its release.
If pushed I guess I will always decide that “Synchronicity” is my favourite album by The Police, but this would be a very close second. Its vibrancy is still its defining characteristic, and it is quite amazing that 45 years on since its release it can continue to have its most famous tracks still sung by music lovers the world over. That in itself is a pretty fair accomplishment. I’m not sure any of Sting’s solo albums can say that.

911. Billy Joel / River of Dreams. 1993. 3/5

Perhaps the kindest thing I can say about this album is that it is the final studio album Billy Joel released before announcing his 'retirement'. Some will consider this a harsh judgement, but by the time this was released in 1993 the world of music had really moved on from what Billy Joel had to offer, and while there is no doubt about the quality of the musicianship, its the songs themselves that feel out of place.

That's not to say there aren't some okay songs. The opening track "No Man's Land" shows some style and substance, along with Billy's vocals coming through to lead the song from the outset. If the rest of the album could have followed up on this energy and vibe then it would no doubt have been a much more enjoyable experience. Billy then finds his inner Beatles again with "Great Wall of China", which almost could have been lifted from the Sgt Peppers album. This has its moments too I guess, and isn't all bad in the whole scheme of things, but at almost six minutes in length it is too long.
Then comes the middle section, with "Blonde Over Blue", A Minor Variation" and "Shades of Grey", which are repetitive in the music riff if not the drudgery of the songs themselves. They are all too long, and so they are unable to retain your attention beyond the first couple of minutes. They just don't seem to move anywhere.
"All About Soul" immediately hits you here because suddenly Billy's vocals are front and centre again, and his voice is what pricks up your ears and pull you in. I've never had the affinity for this track that many others have, but it is noticeable here because its quality towers over what the middle of the album has produced. "Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)" is another standard Billy Joel piano ballad, sung sweetly enough and played with dignity. "The River of Dreams" has never been a favourite of mine, perhaps through having to have heard it a billion times on the radio when it was released. Again, it's okay without being one of his best songs. In my opinion.
The album concludes with "Two Thousand Years" and "Famous Last Words". The former again concentrates on Billy's piano leading the charge, and his vocals being the centre of the song, while the latter does little harm, and also perhaps predicts that and ending is coming, in more ways than one.

No, this is only an average album, and in an age when grunge was still dictating terms it must have been a difficult album to promote. Whether he had begun to run out of ideas, or he just saw that there was little use in pushing out more of the same, it takes a special conviction to simply announce that there will be no more. The best part is that this doesn't harm his legacy, and still offers enough for you to be able to sit down and enjoy the parts that matter.

Rating:   "All the king's men, and all the kings horses, can't put you back together the way you used to be".  3/5.

910. Billy Joel / Storm Front. 1989. 2/5

For an album that contained a number one hit single, one that was adored by fans most of the way around the world, you would expect a lot from the album that it was taken from. At the very least, you would have expected that it would have been able to equal the enjoyment of the most recent releases, which though they may have had the odd flaw they wound up being a good within the total package. You may have expected that, but it isn't what is delivered.

The obvious stand out here is the single "We Didn't Start the Fire". Perhaps what stands out most about it is that it is more the lyrical gimmick of the song that makes it memorable, than anything to do with the music or the vocals. Without that, it could well have been a very average song. Some believe it is anyway. What surrounds it doesn't increase the anticipation either. The opening track "That's Not Her Style" drags in all the elements, the horns, a little funky guitar, a bit of jazzy piano, and while it is enthusiastic it isn't particularly awe inspiring. "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" has the potential to be one of those Billy Joel songs that becomes memorable, but just lacks something that ten years previous he may have been able to make happen. "I Go to Extremes" also tries to make a purse out of a sow's ear, but again just comes up short in providing a song that becomes a classic Joel song. "Shameless" is the start of a back half of the album that fails to live up to even these lowly standards.
Whether this second half of the album lacks in motivation or inspiration or new ideas, what we have is a lot of songs in the same tempo, sung in the same key, the same drum beat all the way through, the piano left to being a background instrument, and songs that are at the worst boring, and at the best are bland. The title track "Storm Front" is another that harks back to the past, to influences of Billy's favourite artists. But honestly, this just drags along like a long hot summer heatwave. It drains you of any desire to do anything - tap your feet, do a jig, sing a little. Just dreadfully dull and lifeless. "Leningrad" plods along, lost in its place on the album, wanting to revitalise the Billy Joel piano and vocal combination but without being able to bring the energy required to the song. "State of Grace" warbles through four and a half minutes without any deviation in its framework. I may not be a song writer, but just on observation and listening to this song, it really couldn't have taken much to put it together. I'm afraid that "When in Rome" doesn't do a lot very different either. The solid 2/4 drum beat barely changes tempo throughout, a few horns are thrown in for variety, and the song goes for a little longer. The album is completed by the piano ballad "And So It Goes", the softly spoken final song that still shows Billy can do it when he wants to, but for which comes less often.

After twenty years of writing some of the most popular music out there, this album for me is where the cracks really started o appear. Even given the massive sales of the one song on the album, what surrounds it is less exciting and lessening the attention span with every listen. Quite simply, in one word, this album is boring.

Rating:   "No we didn't light it, but we're trying to fight it".  2/5.

909. Billy Joel / The Bridge. 1986. 3.5/5

After the longest break between albums in his career - straddled only by the release of Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II - The Bridge brings yet another marked change in the genre and synopsis of Billy Joel's music. While his previous album An Innocent Man channelled the past in his writing, The Bridge goes for a more modern sound, incorporating the synth pop that proliferated the decade of the 1980's into his own unique brand of music to produce an album of varying degrees.

Would you like to know a secret? Thirty years ago, as much as I really loved An Innocent Man, I was really disappointed with what Billy had given us on this album. Go figure, huh? To be honest though, by the time this was released I was listening almost totally to heavy metal music, and albums like this did get short shrift at the time. There was recognition of some songs, but overall I was nonplussed by its contents. Once again though, as the years have passed and I have rediscovered albums such as this and recovered my equilibrium in regards to all genres of music, I can appreciate it much better than in years past.
The good songs here outweigh the average, and the 'current' sound they have compared to the predecessor album makes it more accessible in this way. "Running on Ice" sets up the album nicely, clipping along at a zippy pace that brings immediate enthusiasm to the album. This is followed by the slower, more reflective yet catchy "This is the Time", where Billy's emotive vocals make the best of the song. "A Matter of Trust" and "Modern Woman" were both big singles off this album, and as such they do tend to dominate the first half of the track list. "Modern Woman" is the epitome of an 80's single for Billy Joel, it has that keyboard that makes itself known through the track, and with its lively vibe it is rooted to the decade in which it was written.
"Baby Grand" is a duet performed with Ray Charles, and indeed could well be mistaken for a Ray Charles song. "Big Man On Mulberry Street" is a big number jazz track with horns and all, making it a performance piece that certainly seems grander than the other songs played on the album. "Temptation" brings the mood back, Billy crooning over his piano in a style he did more often in his middle-albums career.
"Code of Silence" was co-written with Cyndi Lauper, who also contributed vocals to the track. It actually comes across really well. It's nice to hear the urgency in Billy's vocals throughout, and Cyndi's co-operative backing vocals add to the song as well. This is probably my favourite song on the album. The closing track "Getting Closer" does enough to make this an excellent collection of similarly good songs.

I'm not sure what I would have given this all those years ago when it was released. Probably no more than a two. It was a different era for me, and a different time of my life. In the years since this, I have certainly come to appreciate this much more, to the point where I find this at least as entertaining as I do the previous album, and with that as the case then the rating has to be similar.

Rating:  "You don't want to lose a friendship, there's nothing that you have to hide".  3.5/5