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.