Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
Genre: Rock
Review
The back-to-back success of The Stranger and 52nd Street may have brought Billy Joel fame and fortune, even a certain amount of self-satisfaction, but it didn't bring him critical respect, and it didn't dull his anger. If anything, being classified as a mainstream rocker -- a soft rocker -- infuriated him, especially since a generation of punks and new wave kids were getting the praise that eluded him. He didn't take this lying down -- he recorded Glass Houses. Comparatively a harder-rocking album than either of its predecessors, with a distinctly bitter edge, Glass Houses still displays the hallmarks of Billy Joel the pop craftsman and Phil Ramone the world-class hitmaker. Even its hardest songs -- the terrifically paranoid "Sometimes a Fantasy," "Sleepin' With the Television On," "Close to the Borderline," the hit "You May Be Right" -- have bold, direct melodies and clean arrangements, ideal for radio play. Instead of turning out to be a fiery rebuttal to his detractors, the album is a remarkable catalog of contemporary pop styles, from McCartney-esque whimsy ("Don't Ask Me Why") and arena rock ("All for Leyna") to soft rock ("C'etait Toi [You Were the One]") and stylish new wave pop ("It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," which ironically is closer to new wave pop than rock). That's not a detriment; that's the album's strength. The Stranger and 52nd Street were fine albums in their own right, but it's nice to hear Joel scale back his showman tendencies and deliver a solid pop/rock record. It may not be punk -- then again, it may be his concept of punk -- but Glass Houses is the closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Ted Jensen (Mastering), Ted Jensen (Remastering), Dave Brown (Guitar (Acoustic)), Liberty DeVitto (Drums), Billy Joel (Piano), Richie Cannata (Flute), Russell Javors (Guitar), Steve Barri Cohen (?), Phil Ramone (Producer), Richie Cannata (Saxophone), Richie Cannata (Wind), Billy Joel (Composer), Jeff Schock (Product Manager), Billy Joel (Accordion), Billy Joel (Vocals), Billy Joel (Harmonica), Bradshaw Leigh (Assistant Engineer), Jim Boyer (Engineer), Doug Stegmeyer (Guitar (Bass)), Doug Stegmeyer (Bass), Dave Brown (Guitar), Michele Slagter (Production Assistant), Billy Joel (Keyboards), Brian Ruggles (?), Dave Brown (Guitar (Electric)), Billy Joel (Synthesizer), Billy Joel (Producer), Richie Cannata (Keyboards), Russell Javors (Guitar (Rhythm)), Russell Javors (Guitar (Electric)), Jim Houghton (Photography), Liberty DeVitto (Percussion), Richie Cannata (Organ), Russell Javors (Guitar (Acoustic))
Glass Houses is the seventh album by Americansinger-songwriterBilly Joel, released in 1980 (see 1980 in music). It features Joel's first song to peak at #1 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." The album itself topped the Pop Albums chart for six weeks and was ranked number 4 on Billboard's 1980 year-end album chart.[1]
Opening with the sound of glass shattering, Glass Houses has more of a hard rock feel than Joel's prior albums. Accordingly, the response to this album was quite mixed. Glass Houses alienated many long-time fans, while at the same time, attracted many new fans to his music.
The album cover consists of Joel poised to throw a rock through the big two story window of his real life modern waterfront glass house in Oyster Bay. He moved into it in 1977, after getting turned down for an apartment at The Dakota. On the back of the cover, Joel is shown looking through a jagged hole he supposedly made with the rock he threw.
