Innocent Man [Enhanced, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Billy Joel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000DCHG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,109 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Easy Money

2. An Innocent Man

3. The Longest Time

4. This Night

5. Tell Her About It

6. Uptown Girl

7. Careless Talk

8. Christie Lee

9. Leave A Tender Moment Alone

10. Keeping The Faith

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fittingly for an album celebrating early- to mid-'60s pop and blue-eyed soul, An Innocent Man (1983) spun off six hit singles. Between the social concerns of The Nylon Curtain and this record's bopping tempos and blaring horns, Joel was at a peak of craftsmanship--the ultimate proof perhaps being the Chipmunks' rendition of "The Longest Time," which did absolutely nothing to diminish the song's winning charm. Much of America's enduring affection for Joel stems from this disc, and rightly so. --Rickey Wright

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Billy goes back to his rock roots, and has fun doing so. February 7, 2005

By Ben Kizer

Format:Audio CD

"An Innocent Man" was released in 1983 to the hunger of many fans. Joel received a lot of controversy from his last album, "Nylon Curtain", an album that featured many socially conscious messages. Joel threw the messages in the back, and went to work on an album where he could let it all hang out and just have some fun. The result ended up being his best selling album from the 80's, and also one of the best albums of the decade and of all time.

Joel was a musical version of a chameleon. He could go from piano ballads one moment to light hearted pop and rock the next to socially challenging music. "An Innocent Man" gives proof that one of Joels stronger music sides is light hearted pop-rock. This could be a reason to the wide success of the album. Another could be that the album has something for everyone, and even the pickest music critic could find something to love.

The album salutes the rock and doo-wop of the 50's and 60's, the music the Joel grew up listening to, and what would influence him to become a singer-songwritter himself. The album starts off with "Easy Money", the upbeat song from the movie soundtrack of the same name. Nothing too great about the song, just an upbeat song with not too much redeeming value. The next track, the title track, is the most deep and introspective number on the album (maybe a foreshadowing of the direction Joel was heading with his music in the future). It sets up the mood for the rest of the album. Joel is a man with a serious case of 'tiude, but he has found a new love, and though he has been burned once before, he tells himself he is ready to try again. The pulsing base in the background reminds people of the song "Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters. Again, this album is a tribute by Joel to the music he loved as a child.... The song would be one of the six charting singles that the album would launch!

Other songs on the album include the Frankie Valli inspired "Uptown Girl", the story of a rich girl falling for the down and out boy. The song, a Joel pinned classic for his then girlfriend (future wife, now ex-wife) Christie Brinkley, was a hit with it's happy tempo, it's colorful beat, and it's amazing music video, where Joel plays a garage grease monkey to the beautiful Christie. A classic tried and true. "The Longest Time" is a doo-woop classic, another tribute to new found love. "Keeping the Faith" is about Joel remaining positive about the future, regardless of how much he enjoyed his good ol' days and the past. "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" is a breezy song in the Otis Redding vein about the fears guys have when courting a girl that they are attracted to. The song in a way is pretty humerous and is truthfully honest about the fears guys have! "Tell Her About It" is in the vein of the Beatles (lyrically and musically, also the Fab Four were a HUGE influence to Joel), where Joel tells guys not to let go, to try for the girl and tell her how they feel. The song hit number one, and launched a very humerous video with Joel being the main act to an Ed Sullivan-like parody show (Again, referring to the Beatles). Some of the album tracks are strong as well, such as "Christie Lee", a song about manipulative girls, "Careless Talk", a song about the harmful effects of gossip, and "This Night", a ballad that goes to another Joel influence: classical music (an influence that would take over his rock/pop music career in the not too distant future...)

The album is great, but two things deter it. One, this would be the last lightweight pop-rock album from Joel. He would shift to more introspective albums, which meant for more complex numbers, but less consistancy in future works. Secondly, Joel and Brinkley eventually would call it quits, which I think hit at Joel and left a bad taste in his mouth, and today he rarely plays numbers from this album. Numbers from this album are rarely played on radio as well, hurting the overall value the album has. This also further testifies that one of the reasons Joel cut this album was as a testiment to his love to Brinkley. Now that their love is no more, the album probably doesn't hold much value in the eyes of Joel.

If you are looking for a Joel album, and one that could make you smile, "An Innocent Man" is a good album to pick up. Granted that Joel would change his musical direction after this album, and that compared to his other works it's pretty light pop, but it's still a lot of fun to listen to, and will definitely put a smile on your face. Read more ›

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Music April 4, 2006

By A. Drinkwater

Format:Audio CD

This a wonderful album and truly is a tribute to Joel's predecessors in rock n' roll. A minor correction, however - the chorus from "This Night" is not from the "Emperor Concerto" (#5) but is from the second movement of the Sonata #8 in C-minor, Opus 13, the "Pathetique." The tunes are somewhat similar.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Joel salutes early rock....... June 20, 2003

By Betty June Moore

Format:Audio CD

Billy Joel's 1983 album, "An Innocent Man," is, in my opinion, one of his best recordings. Because I like many kinds of music (rock, country, New Age, Celtic, and some classical), this album has enough variety yet is evocative of rock `n' roll's early roots.

While not all the songs appeal to me - "Easy Money" being perhaps my least favorite track - I can honestly say that I really enjoy Joel's tribute to the doo-wop and early rock of his younger days. He has written some very lovely songs in the past, but in this album I particularly like his Frankie Vallie-style "For The Longest Time." It has a nice melody and a catchy hook, and the background vocals are evocative of a somehow more innocent time.

I also like Joel's take on the redeeming value of love expressed in his Carole King-inspired "An Innocent Man," with its bass guitar intro, Joel's tender piano melody, and the recognition that heartbreak exists but that one should not let that stop others from trying to heal the wounds.

My favorite song in this album is "This Night," which has gentle lyrics, a chorus melody borrowed from Beethoven, who is one of Joel's favorite classical composers, and a beat that was perfect for dancing with my boyfriend. If you are a romantic soul, like I am, this song is sure to move your heart.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Innocent Man October 8, 2005

By Gitters

Format:Audio CD

1983's An Innocent Man is my favorite Billy Joel album. The songs on the album remind me of many popular styles of sixties music. The album has a polished feel to it. The Best Tracks are Easy Money, An Innocent Man, Tell Her About It, Leave a Tender Moment Alone, Keeping the Faith, and Uptown Girl.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Something good for Everyone February 14, 2006

By Johngy's Beat

Format:Audio CD

This CD is an interesting mix of early rock and soul, mixed with a bit of teeny-bopper pop rock. That mix proves to be awesome. The CD seemes to be woven through with the theme of love (lost and gained). Somewhere along this ride, you will be moved (if not many times).

The music found here is tight and on the mark. From the sax on 'Christie Lee' to the drum work on 'Easy Money'

the band rises up to their usual level.

Many of these songs received a lot of radio play and might have been overplayed, but time heals that wound and allows us to enjoy them all over again. I have had many favorite songs off of this CD at various points in my life (and listening). That should speak volumes of the quality and versatility found on this recording. The romantic will love 'This Night'. The jazz-rocker will like 'Christie Lee'. The 50's person will enjoy 'Keeping the Faith.

This is definitely one of the more universally appealing works by Billy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Most misunderstood of Joel's works is still a classic February 18, 2004

By S. WILLIAMS

Format:Audio CD

I remember the first time I heard "Tell Her About It." It was premiered on Friday Night Videos, in long form. The video was a spoof the Ed Sullivan Show, with Billy as the performer.

This album, along with Synchronicity, Punch the Clock and Cargo helped define my senior year of high school, but this was the best. Mr. Joel delves into his musical heros and spins tunes that makes this sound like a concept album ode to 1962. Some songs, like Innocent Man, Leave A Tender Moment Alone, and Keeping the Faith still bring chills of memories of innocence lost and new things found.

Stop reading this review and buy this album right now.