Customer Reviews

Turnstiles

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is his best album, beating out the Stranger slightly. It's musically and lyrically brilliant. Probably in the top 20 rock albums and even higher in terms of songwriting, in the Quadraphenia, Night at the Opera level.

'Turnstiles' was a natural evolution of the Billy Joel persona. This is music that sounds as good in the studio as it would 'live' with only a piano and because the music is so strong a quartet or even a small orchestra is just background mood. There are few artists who make sophisticated music sound so simple. The poetry flows from his singing voice like waterfalls and the piano blends harmonies that are bluesy, jazzy and rock 'n roll. Joel never sounds rehearsed and especially in this album, where the multi-layered harmonies blend beautifully with the diverse rhythms of each song.

"Turnstiles" is an important album in the career of Billy Joel. After the success of "Piano Man", Joel took a step back with "Streetlife Serenade". Joel had to choose his next path carefully. The album opener, "Say Goodbye to Hollywood, is followed by "Summer, Highland Falls", a great tune that unfortunately has never gotten much credit, except maybe with the diehards. After the rather forgettable "All You Wanna Do Is Dance", the classic "New York State of Mind" gets the record back on track. "James", a song Joel wrote about a childhood buddy, and "Prelude/Angry Young Man (which has opened virtually every show on Joel's 2 year-plus tour) are gems. "I've Loved These days" is up next, followed by the album closer, "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway), a science-fiction story describing the destruction of New York City. Overall, a fantastic album. Following the disappointing "Streetlife" and preceding the absolute classic "The Stranger", "Turnstiles" should not be overlooked.

I grew up hearing Billy Joel on the radio and had some of his 80s albums. I had never heard this whole album until I picked it up recently, and there are a couple of things that pleasantly surprised me.

First, the remastering is fantastic. You can hear every nuance of the drumming, the bass is clear and strong, and you can hear all the percussive action in the piano.

Second, this is a really earnest, wise, heartfelt album that isn't the slightest bit sappy. Some of Billy Joel's stuff is formulaic to my ears, and I'm not a big fan of The Stranger in particular. I don't see how you can listen to this album and not feel like he has expressed some truths about growing up and getting along in this world that come out of his own personal experience. And the emotions in the music and lyrics combine seamlessly--you feel like the lyrics couldn't possibly have been set to any other arrangement. Not many songwriters or musicians can make that kind of connection, and he hasn't done it consistently, but on this album it is really strong. (This is leaving out "All You Wanna Do Is Dance," which is a throwaway, the one song I always skip on this album.)

If you are looking to get beyond greatest hits, this is an excellent place to start.

Though "The Stranger" gets most of the nods for best
Billy Joel album, it's this album--which flew considerably
under the radar when it was released a year earlier--that
presents Joel's most consistent set of tunes. There isn't
a weak track on here, and some (I've Loved These Days,
New York State of Mind, Summer Highland Falls)
have become standards. He covers a lot of stylistic ground
here, including Phil Spector, saloon jazz, and direct
balladry, and succeeds every time. The commercial triumph of
"The Stranger" took the world by surprise, but that's only
because they missed this album the first time. Everything
that would make Joel huge in a couple of years is right here.

A must.

This is the first album (CD) I have ever purchased, and it turned out to be a great album! My father had a great collection of Billy Joel works through the 70's, 80's, and 90's. But, for some reason he didn't have this album; I guess "The Stranger" over shadowed this album!

I really have to thank Billy Joel because it was this album that really made me indulge into music. He puts a lot of effort musically as well as lyrically, making all of his works unforgetable. How can you forget, "Scenes at the Italian Restaurant" for an example.

Now, this album "Turnstiles" is a classic work! There is no question about that. The album has a good flow to it; all the songs come together well, one song doesn't over show the others. Again the lyrics are awesome here, you can't get away with not learning new words with his complex lyrics.

Many would call "Piano Man" his break through album, but personally his real master work "Turnstiles" is what gave Billy Joel worldwide attention and fame by setting the plateform for the "The Stranger." Although "Piano Man" acquired more attention, his "Turnstilles" album performs better if you give it time.

If you don't have this album, it's a must get. Out of all Billy Joel works, it's among the few that stands up to "The Stranger."

TURNSTILES, Billy Joel's fourth album, is one of several major themes. I'll now explore some of them.

First, many of the songs have a traveling theme. Such locations as Miami Beach, Hollywood, and Chinatown are mentioned in "New York State Of Mind", with "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)" citing Broadway, Miami, Norfolk, Queens, the Bronx, Mexico, Brooklyn, Harlem, and 42nd Street, all in one song. The latter song, which closes the album, is sung from the point of view of retired baby-boomers living in Florida.

A second, and even more important theme, present on this CD is the fact that you really can't keep living in the past. The song "I've Loved These Days" has a line "Let's drink a toast to how it's been", yet also says "We'll have to change our dated ways", which indicates that while we can remember what things were like in the past, we have to live in the present. This explains why I gave up food-related functions at my old school in favor of looking good for my favorite actresses, as well as why some of my old schoolmates are trying to put their past behind them by siding with authority figures against me. The same theme runs through the opening cut, "Say Goodbye To Hollywood." Pretty deep stuff for a 27-year-old singer-songwriter.

Overall, TURNSTILES is a record about time and what its passage means, and led to me plastering my wall with gorgeous actresses as a deterrent to attending food-related functions at my old school. Along with the hard-rocking GLASS HOUSES, this is one of Billy Joel's best CDs ever.

Billy Joel just happened to emmerge as a major entity right around the same time as people such as Elton John,Rod Stewart,Bruce Springsteen and other rock artists who came at this style of music in a different way than a lot of others. Unlike those two Billy had received a lot of flack even earlier in his career. His previous album Streetlife Serenade actually illustrated this heavily not merely in the musical sense but lyrically as he was seeking to reconcile his influences. Here,for the first time in his career Billy Joel makes his intent and vision very clear. The eight songs on this album,while not sounding exactly alike musically or having no breaks between them all flow together in a musical brew where Billy knows what he is: a New York singer-songwriter inspired by about equal levels George Gershswin,Duke Ellington,Ray Charles and Beatles. Most of these songs proudly rely on Billy's trademark tin pan alley pop/rock style of piano playing and,even though all the songs as mentioned do present a strong level of variety this quality shines through in all of them. Speaking individually each song has a charm all it's own. The Wall Of Sound wallup,already a huge aspect of Bruce Springsteen's mid 70's sound makes itself present in a huge way on "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" whereas "Summer,Highland Falls" and "Prelude/Angry Young Man" both showcase the jazzier aspect of his sound in two jazz-pop-rock fusion style pieces which,with their many chord and harmonic changes allow for the changing mood of the songs to be felt more fully. "New York State Of Mind" and "I'm Loved These Days" both display the Ray Charles jazz,soul and pop busting eclecticism in his sound. Now at the time these songs probably didn't exactly do much to please the more snobbish rock critics of the day but they spoke volumes for Billy's songwriting style. Same goes "James" and "Miami 2017" which bring these different styles together. There's even a "Mother And Child Reunion" type pop-reggae turn on "All You Wanna Do Is Dance". Lyrically this album actually explores Billy's awkward musical standpoint,his general view on the changing American culture during the mid 70's and how they all interelated to each other to inspire thoughts to return to the city where he got his start:NYC. Stories of escapism,love affairs,exhausted social revolutionaries and dreams of moving on his life show up here in many possible forms. Considering that Billy was about to break through commercially with his blockbuster album The Stranger this less commercially powerful transitional album made it's point not only by marking the midpoint of Billy's 70's career but also was part of a slew up albums that came out around this time that caught music in a state of transition as well.

I bought this album on vinyl 35 years ago, listened a lot for years, then bought the CD last month. What struck me was how well most of the music holds up, and the irony that my own nostalgia trip was mirrored in the nostalgia trip that Billy Joel put down on record back then (1975). The recurring theme is that nostalgia has its moments, but the past wasn't all that it is cracked up to be. The exception to the rule is this album itself, which still works for me just fine.
This is arguably his finest album. He keeps it comparatively simple and avoids the overlush big-sky production elements evident before (on "Piano Man) and the almost every-song-is-an-operetta approach that came later ("The Stranger").
There are 8 tracks on "Turnstiles" and 7 are standouts. The disappointment is the Carribean-flavored "All You Wanna do is Dance" -- he was trying too hard on that one (and it cost him a 5-star review from me!). The other tracks are gems.
"New York State of Mind" reflects the performer's love for the flavor of the city, "Summer Highland Falls" and "James" are sober reflections on the dreams of youth and the perspective that comes with maturity. "I've Loved These Days" is another take on what is temporary in the present and uncertain in the future. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" & "Prelude/Angry Young Man" have lessons, too, but they also have great hooks and sound great driving down the highway.
In short, the album works thematically and is a very good listen. If you can't listen all the way through, most of the tracks stand on their own and may just become your favorites.

Billy Joel had a streak of great albums and this ranks up there with all of them. Only eight songs but some are minor classics.