Product Description

Track Listings 1. That's Not Her Style 2. We Didn't Start The Fire 3. Down Easter Alexa 4. I Go To Extremes 5. Shameless 6. Storm Front 7. Leningrad 8. State Of Grace 9. When In Rome 10. And So It Goes

Track Listing

1. That's Not Her Style
2. We Didn't Start The Fire
3. Down Easter Alexa
4. I Go To Extremes
5. Shameless
6. Storm Front
7. Leningrad
8. State Of Grace
9. When In Rome
10. And So It Goes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5651 in Music
• Released on: 1998-06-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

CD Description
STORM FRONT is easily the best of Billy Joel's later albums. Upon reaching the early stages of middle age, Joel became more than just a pop song writer. By focusing his entire life's experiences into his compositions, Joel could write withmuch greater depth and impact than a decade previous. Of course, this is most evident in the hit "We Didn't Start The Fire", a sort of musical history lesson that encompasses all the major events from the fifties up until this afternoon. But there is much more experience in this record that Joel approaches from several points of view.
The unique "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" is a poignant tale of the plight of Joel's Long Island home fishing industry. His well publicised tour of the U.S.S.R. produced the magnificent "Leningrad", a touching comparison between himself and a Russian citizen. The piano man hasn't become too reflective to rock, though, as isevident on the big opener "That's Not Her Style", "I Go To Extremes" and the very funky title track.

Customer Reviews

The Last Great Billy Joel Album
This is Billy Joel's last great album. It was his first studio album for three years and every song is a gem. It contains the smash-hit 'history of the world since 1949 in 5 minutes' "We didn't start the fire", but this isn't even the best song on the album. "Downeaster Alexa" is a stunning song - musically and lyrically. It deals with the fate of fishermen from Long Island where Joel grew up, who have to go further and further out to sea to catch fish because of restrictions due to over-fishing. Musically it is a modern sea shanty, accordions and a fiddle weave a beautiful Celtic melody around a slow funereal rhythm. Two other songs stand out, both slow songs: "Shameless" is a timeless love song made even more poignant by the subsequent break-up of his marriage, while "Leningrad" is an account of Joel's tour of Russia in 1987 which ends with a spine-tingling choral coda. "I go to extremes" is a great up-tempo pop song, while "That's not her style" and "Storm Front" are both heavier rock numbers. The album closes with the quiet and reflective "And so it goes", a piano based song in the same mood as "Honesty" from 52nd Street.

The change of direction works
Storm Front marks a change of direction for Billy into a harder guitar sound - and boy does it work! The roughness of his voice perfectly suits the guitar and the adding of the sax and brass section really lifts up the tracks. The songs themselves are absolutely brilliant encorporating many feels. That's Not Her Style has a big outdoor stadium concert feel, We Didn't Start the Fire is an absolute gem and shows off Billy's intellect as well as his songwiring talent in this 5-minute 40 year history lesson. The stirring music of The Downeaster "Alexa" really creates a powerful track and the personal emotion in I Go To Extremes, And so It Goes and State Of Grace is wonderful. Shameless is one of the best and most beautiful Billy tracks ever and the 'coolness' of When In Rome and particularly the brilliant Storm Front adds the last rounded aspect to a fully brilliant album. Not quite An Innocent Man - but nearly!

Going to extremes of greatness
I studied 'We didnt start the fire' in English class and have loved it since, written more like a poem, Joel pulls it off as a great song. I adore Lenningrad for its slow strong message. Downeaster Alexa is another excellent song, as are State of Grace, I go to extremes and When in Rome. Althogether this an increadible album although i dont particularly like Thats not her style, or storm front - but they're two of my mums favourites so the album can retain its five star class in my eyes :-D