Customer Reviews

The Bridge

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this album!!! This was such a strong follow up to "An Innocent Man!" Billy put away those '50's style songs and picked up the guitar a jammed. My all time favorite Billy song "This is the Time" is on this CD. Also with songs like "A Matter of Trust", "Modern Woman", Big Man on Mulberry Street", "Baby Grand" and So on.... This CD has 9 tracks that will show you just why Billy Joel is one of the best song writers in rock history.

I've said it about Bon Jovi and I'll say it about Billy Joel; the "typical" fan irritates me because they like the music for the weakest reasons. A good beat, nostalgic and/or politically targeted lyrics, and pop mediocrity in general helped just about every album of Billy's aside from The Bridge into excessive-selling "classics" with some great songs and some adequate ones. This album is not a majority fan-favorite.
But "The Bridge" is good. Consistently good, actually. A common criticism is that it is a victim of 80's formula and production, but I only somewhat agree with that. Indeed, without naming names, suffice to say that there are MANY other 80's albums that were far less full of artistic integrity.
The album kicks off with a great piano statement, if underdeveloped. The Piano Man indeed had not betrayed his roots for the synths-of-the-day, rather, he combined them with THE PIANO, which was vital for him, the music industry at the time, and myself, all for various reasons. I often talk about the union of heart and brains, which for me is what really makes a good album. I find "This is the Time," "A Matter of Trust," and "Temptation", beyond catchy. They are highly emotional, but they also connect with the emotions in a familiar-yet-unique sort of way, if that makes sense. Billy's always had the rare talent of making simplicity endure the test of time, but i find the songs on this album FAR more MUSICALLY interesting than the dragging, monotone strums of "Captain Jack" and "Only the Good Die Young" and "Tell Her About It".
Now that I have probably made a few million enemies, I should probably get to the nucleus of "The Bridge." "Baby Grand" is one of those songs that comes along that you have to react with a "This is perfect." The presence of Ray Charles put it beyond perfect, but the song itself is just amazing. The chords are a little more complex than Billy's usual recipe, the lyrics are very touching, and the SOUL and FEEL are so deep that you can play this quite a lot before being tired of it. Everything about this song, from Billy and Ray, right down to each piano lick, is as tasteful as tasteful can get, and this is one of those songs that is the reason that music exists in the first place.
There's another duet, "Code of Silence", with Cyndi Lauper, which is pulsing and sensitive all at once, and another all-around great song. "Big Man on Mulberry Street" is also a bit complex in the horn orchestration, and just like all the others here, a bit unique. "Getting Closer" is a great way to end things, on a very positive thematic note.
The only song that screams "too 80's" is "Modern Woman", with a poor choice in synth timbres, and for me a song with unnecessary subject matter. Listening to that song and then some of the others in a certain order may taint the ears with a general residual impression of "80's", but 1) at worst it's still not that much and 2) that in itself isn't the worst thing in the world.
None of Billy Joel's recordings will ever be considered a "desert island disc" for me, his albums are just too short and simple, and I think for more than a few of his fans, there's a nostalgic bug (which there's nothing wrong with). But "The Bridge" is one of his more interesting and emotional albums, and its 40 minutes has very little filler. To just start getting into Billy (which doesn't seem possible), don't get this first, but don't wait too long to get it, either. Again, don't let others (including me) make your opinions for you. His career is filled with great music all over the place.

The secret to the success of any cd lies with the individual. Sometimes it is the hook, melody means a great deal to the experience of course. For others, it's rhythm, and still others lyrics supplanted by strong melody and/or rhythm.
Unfortunately, music is often judged on first go round. Such was the case with me regarding The Bridge. I had dismissed it when it came out, but recently I spent time in my studio (i.e. my car, with wonderful speakers and the solitude of the drive)and studied Billy from the early years through his last original. I was very much impressed with the diversity of this work, and I suggest several listens.....Modern Woman may sound 80ish to some, but I think it stands on its own. Mulberry Street is broad, a large sound with big band, and it is countered by the more typical Joel songs like Matter of Trust and This is the Time.
I think that 'veterans' like myself, guys/gals who grew up in the late 60's and have seen and heard the evolution of rock music, have learned that what initially clicks will sometimes wear down, and often other works grow with time, and that is true because we are changing, ever changing. I suggest a nice car ride, the music turned up, a mug of coffee, and 40 minutes spent with The Bridge. It's not Billy Joel's best, it's far from his worst, and for you, it might very well be special!!!

Away from the doo-wop style and straight back into 80's rock, Billy Joel was again two steps ahead, with the mid-80s sounds.
Highlights are:

A Matter Of Trust (1986): A more upbeat rendition of a similar theme -Innocent Man from his last album . A great feel-good song.

Baby Grand (1983): A superb r&b type duo
about a man's baby grand piano and references to romance, love, failed relationships, fame and fortune.duo with Ray Charles.

This Is The Time: (1983): One of my favourite, favourites. I keep playing it again and again. Here Billy Joel displays the incredible power of the voice at it's best, and references to fading youth and remembering the best of life.

The funky Modern Woman (from the film Ruthless People).

and a collaboration with Cindy Lauper
"Code Of Silence."

Joel is accomplished at putting out some very charming, but also very cheesy songs. This album drips with the atmosphere of the 80s, to the extent that Cyndi Lauper guests on this album.
To be fair, Joel included a real rocker on this album - A Matter of Trust. This song used to be one of my favorite tracks of his.
But my favorites on the album are mostly the secondary songs. Running on Ice has some great drum work. Songs like Temptation are pure schmaltz, but it doesn't feel embarrassing. My favorites here are the two weakest songs - Code of Silence and Getting Closer. Both of these sound like much more forced songs for Joel, who usually has such smoothness to his work that you can't help but think that the song just poured out the way it was. These songs sound like he had to do some work to put them together. And I like that. I respect that sort of dedication to a song that obviously wasn't going to be a single.

While I have a love for this album, I don't know if it's the sort of love that other people feel. I've noticed that a lot of Joel fans are much more into the hits than I am. If you find yourself really enjoying his other non-hits, this album probably has something to offer you.

This and Madonna's "True Blue" were the very first albums I had ever bought. That was back in 1986! Maybe that's why I am very sentimental about this particular album by Billy Joel. Although, arguably not the best amongst his catalog, "The Bridge" stands strong on its own feet (or should I say suspension wires ;>) and oftentimes is unjustly described as Joel's weaker and uninteresting release. All of the songs are very well written and performed and comprise a fine album overall. There are, however, a few cuts that deserve singling out: a jazzy Ray Charles collaboration - "Baby Grand", harmonica-and-acoustic-guitar driven "Code of Silence" with distinct Cyndi Lauper backing vocals ("eye yieh yieh" from "We Are the World" by USA for Africa, anyone?), funky "Modern Woman" and "Big Man On Mulberry Street" as well as a smooth ballad - "Temptation".
Remastered in 1998, this CD issue has a clearer digital sound to better service the ears of future generations of Billy Joel fans.

Normally Billy Joel comes up with albums that you remember, that you want to listen to over and over again. This album is an exception to the rule. I got this as a used CD, and I'm happy that I did. One reason: this album only has 9 songs, and only a few of these songs are worth having in my collection.

The album starts with "Running On Ice"...the song title describes how I felt about listening to it. The song has an annoying tune, and the beat is rushed and hurried. It's almost as if Billy wanted to get the song over with because he didn't like it! Next is "This Is The Time". Aahhh...the song that could've been! Billy does a great job of building the song at the beginning, but instead of moving at a faster, rocking beat, it stays at a slower pace with the drums. Then, it stops to just plain cymbal percussion and plucking of a blues guitar. With that beginning progression, it could've been a great rocker, but everytime the chorus was sung, the momentum was killed. Most of the other songs are good only for background music. The reason is that they don't demand or excite your attention.

There are a few bright spots that elevated this album's star rating. "A Matter Of Trust" is a great toe-tapping rocker that still speaks volumes to many who have loved. "Baby Grand" is an absolute classic song with Ray Charles singing a duet with Billy. This is a song that just sticks out as a jazz composition that always puts a smile on my face everytime I listen to it.

If you are a hard-core Billy Joel fan, get this album to make an addition to the discography. It's not bad, but it could've been better!

This is one of my favorite Billy Joel records. It's largely forgotten and pretty much underrated. Baby Grand is a great song. I think Running on Ice and Code of Silence are four star songs. Highly recommend.

I was never and still am not a fan of Billy Joel's music overall but I actually like most of the songs on this CD, especially "Big Man on Mulberry Street," which has a swingy, jazzy, "hep cat" feel to it. Would recommend to Joel fans, Joel fence-sitters, and possibly, those who have never liked his music all that much.

It had to happen sometime. Billy Joel finally misses the mark and releases the weakest album he's done. Not that this album is bad. It's just a mixed bag. The album starts off with the fast and annoying "Running On Ice". It's one of the most forgettable songs he's done. "This Is The Time" is a nice song, but nothing very memorable. "A Matter Of Trust" is a great song. It's a fun uptempo rocker that shows that Billy can play guitar!. The rest has good points and low points. The last two songs, "Code Of Silence", and "Getting Closer" are the best parts. They are great, classic Billy songs. If only they were kept over to be put on an album that was as good as those two songs. "Big Man On Mulberry Street" is a great, jazzy up-beat tune. It's definnitley one of Billy's best accomplishments musically. "Temptation" sounds like too typical ballads that lesser artists would do. "Baby Grand" with Ray Charles, is nice and classy, but a little too somber. "Modern Woman" is fun and up-beat, but hardly memorable. The Bridge is the least of Billy Joel's albums, but has some good moments. Mixed bag. Could of been so much better.