Glass Houses [Original recording]

Billy Joel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Original Release Date: 1980
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording
• Label: Columbia
• ASIN: B000QV72UY
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #349,392 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Track listing: 1. You May Be Right 2. Sometimes A Fantasy 3. Don't Ask Me Why 4. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me 5. All For Leyna 6. I Don't Want To Be Alone 7. Sleeping With The Television On 8. C'etait Toi (You Were The One) 9. Close To The Borderline 10. Through The Long Night. Original issue. No enhanced section.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe Throwing Stones In A Glass House Isn't A Bad Idea After All, September 18, 2011

By 

Andre S. Grindle "Andre' Grindle" (Brewer Maine) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Glass Houses (Audio CD)

Although both albums had their poppy moments both The Stranger and 52nd Street found Billy Joel exploring a more arranged jazz side of his sound. Although he never actually recorded anything disco,the backlash against that music effected him in a very interesting way. Because Billy was such a melodicist,the turn after the 70's towards more basic three chord rock n' roll (such as punk) did represent a challenge for him. Being that Billy was possessed of a strong New York City urban edge,he realized that the newer in-your-face styles of rock that were now a big part of the scene would be excellent source material for him. For all intents and purposes,this would likely qualify as the most rock n roll oriented full album Billy ever made. If not that certainly his most guitar oriented. Thankfully for the music business and the audience,his method of songwriting is the one thing that hadn't changed.

He starts it off with "You May Be Right",very much his tribute to the Rolling Stone side of bluesy boogie rock n roll. Now on "Sometimes A Fantasy","All For Leyna" and "Sleeping With The Television On" showcase the first major use of synthesizers in his music as the new wave rock style is fully explored on them. Although all as wonderfully performed and crafted as any Billy Joel songs they fit very nicely next to people such as The Cars and Gary Numan,who were enormously successful at this time. He also mixes it up by looking to punk's embrace of dub/reggae on "I Don't Want To Be Alone" and the somewhat Jimmy Buffet inspired "C'Etait' Toi". Two of the albums strongest tunes actually are in his older style. "Don't Ask My Why" and "Through The Long Night" almost sound like something from one of his mid 70's albums to a degree but are more fully developed of course.

From the funky/boogie southern style rock of "Close To The Borderline" there's of course the hit "It's Still Rock N Roll To Me",whose lyrics sums up Billy's motivations for making this album. Even in the case that he got a lit of criticism in his day for his style of music,he makes it clear the utter nonsense involved in any mass backlash against a type of popular music. Along the way he cites the music as being somewhat like subdivisions of one community as it were. Inspired by different sources true,but at the same time all linked together. By diversifying his style even in the rockier medium he really bought this albums perhaps unintended concept of "different but equal" to life. In a way "the piano man" came of age here. And even though the coming decade would bring him the same sort of mixed response he'd had previously,he'd still be lucky enough to continue earning praise from commercial success and fans to make him one of the most enduring singer/songwriters of his generation.

3.0 out of 5 stars The piano man rocks, April 9, 2011

By 

Tnahpellee "Brendan" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Glass Houses (Audio CD)

Having finished off the 70's with three albums of slightly European soft-rock, the Piano Man returns to 'rock out'.

And what better way to make the point you are now a 'rocker' than to put on a leather jacket and chuck rocks (again, the reference to 'rocking out') through 'glass houses'. Such brattish behaviour fits rock-star idiom perfectly. Well done.

But 'steady on old boy!' what's with all the sickening romance, are you rocking out or cheesing out? No, no, it's fair, it's above board. 'All for Lleyna', 'Sleeping with the television on' and 'You may be right' are perfect anthems for love sick young men everywhere, and wasn't that the point of rock 'n' roll in the first place, the 'roots' if you like; A cathartic expression for the misunderstood young rebel who really just has a broken heart? And on that count, 'Glass Houses' works like a charm.

Music is good too. The ballads (yes, there are some on here) are sung tenderly, rather than too abrasively like they might have been by a certain Billy Joel on the previous few outings. And the rockers, well, rock. And he draws his rock from a diverse pool of New-wave, classic rock and even punk leanings on one song. He didn't re-invent any wheels (the current wheel is working well anyway), but it is entertaining, enjoyable and eclectic. Rating ***

5.0 out of 5 stars Billy Joel's third consecutive home run in a winning streak of albums, August 16, 2008

By 

Terrence J. Reardon "Classic rock and old sch... (Lake Worth (a west Palm Beach suburb), FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Glass Houses (Audio CD)

Billy Joel released his seventh album entitled Glass Houses in March of 1980.
By the time Glass Houses was released, Billy Joel had two blockbuster albums in a row (1977's breakthrough The Stranger and 1978's chart-topping 52nd Street) and established himself as a great pianist/singer/songwriter. With Glass Houses, Billy reunites again with producer Phil Ramone plus his best band of drummer Liberty DeVitto, bass player Doug Stegmeyer, sax player/additional keyboard player Richie Cannata and guitarist Russell Javors (who last recorded an album with Joel on Turnstiles) and new lead guitarist David Brown and decided to make a rock album as an about face to previous efforts. Would the results be great or should have stuck to his pop music he made in the 1970s, read on and find out as I did when I first heard the album as a child.
The album starts with a Top 10 smash hit rocker called "You May Be Right". This rocker is great and is about how he loves partying and being with his woman. Next is "Sometimes A Fantasy", which was another great rocker. We slow down a bit for the ballad "Don't Ask Me Why" which includes a nice Latin beat and acoustic guitars. Next is the album's biggest hit, the #1 hit "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" which is about sheep who give into fashion and trends just to look good. The first side ends with the rocker "All For Leyna" which sees Joel's keyboard work excel and was his answer to The Police's "Roxanne" which inspired the track.
The second side starts with the great "I Don't Want To Be Alone" which has tempo changes and great arrangements. "Sleeping With the Television On" is next and is another great rocker that would not have sounded out of place on any New Wave album released at the time. We follow with the ballad "C'Etait Toi (You Were the One)" which was inspired by The Beatles' "Michelle" with lyrics about his one true love who left him. The track has great piano, drums and accordion work. "Close to the Borderline" is next and is another great hard rocker. We close the album with the ballad "Through The Long Night" which was inspired by The Beatles' "Yes It Is" but a great song.
Billy Joel hit yet another grand slam with this album as Glass Houses hit #1 and stayed for six weeks and sold seven million copies in the US alone to date.
Sales aside, Glass Houses is still a superb album today especially with the remastered version released in 1998.
Recommended.