Book Review: Bridge and Tunnel Boys

Born four months apart, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel both released their debut albums in the early 1970s, quickly becoming two of the most successful rock stars of their generation. While their critical receptions have been very different, surprising parallels emerge when we look at the arcs of their careers and the musical influences that have inspired them.

Bridge and Tunnel Boys compares the life and work of Long Islander Joel and Asbury Park, New Jersey, native Springsteen, considering how each man forged a distinctive sound that derived from his unique position on the periphery of the Big Apple.

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors (30th anniversary)

Today (September 15th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of True Colors, the second studio album from Cyndi Lauper. This 1986 release spent forty-four weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 4.

For the full review of this record, click here.

For more from Cyndi Lauper, click here.

Billy Joel - Turnstiles

Today (May 19th) marks the fortieth anniversary of Turnstiles, the fourth studio album from Billy Joel. This 1976 record spent only twelve weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 122. It also reached number 286 in Japan and number 12 in Australia.

Billy Joel - Glass Houses (35th anniversary)

Today (March 10th) marks the thirty fifth anniversary of Glass Houses, the seventh studio album from Billy Joel.

For my full album review, click here.

For more Billy Joel, click here.

Billy Joel - 52nd Street (35th anniversary)

Today (October 13th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of 52nd Street, the sixth studio album from piano-man Billy Joel.

For my full album review, please click here.

Billy Joel - An Innocent Man

Today (August 9th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of An Innocent Man, the ninth studio album from Billy Joel. This 1983 release has gone multi-Platinum in sales and charted at number 39 in Sweden, number 36 in Germany, number 14 in Japan, number 12 in Canada, number 9 in Norway, number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 3 in Australia and Japan, number 2 in the UK and number 1 in New Zealand.

Easy Money (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

This month marks the release of Easy Money, the 1983 movie about a hard-living man (played by Rodney Dangerfield) who stands to inherit ten million dollar. The catch: he has to give up drinking, drugs, gambling and every other vice he indulges so eagerly in. Also starring in the movie were Joe Pesci, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Candice Azzara, Jeffrey Jones, Taylor Negron and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The film grossed $29 million in box office and also produced a soundtrack album. Today, we'll take a look at the music on this compilation to mark the film's thirtieth anniversary.

FM (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

In April of 1978, Universal Pictures released a film about radio station QSKY, where corporate management enacts an advertising push that the station manager and on-air personalities do not buy in on. The protest quickly escalates when the deejays use the airwaves to stir up the listeners to join in the conflict. The cast of the film included Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan, Alex Karras, Cleavon Little and Cassie Yates.

While many might not remember the film FM itself, they would certainly be familiar with the songs that appear on the accompanying two-disk soundtrack album. The tracks read like a who’s who of artists that were appearing on album-oriented rock stations at the time. This soundtrack album peaked in the top five of the US Billboard Hot 200, was certified Platinum by the summer of 1978, and won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

Billy Joel - The Nylon Curtain

Today (September 23rd) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of The Nylon Curtain, the eighth studio album from singer-songwriter Billy Joel. The album hit number 34 in Germany, number 27 in the UK, number 12 in Canada, number 10 in New Zealand, number 9 in Norway, number 4 in Australia, number 2 in Japan and number 1 in the Netherlands. Here in the US, it peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 200. Nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, it generated a trio of chart-climbing singles.

Billy Joel - 52nd Street

Happy sixty-third birthday today (May 9th) to American pianist, singer, songwriter and composer Billy Joel.

Between his career breakthrough fifth album The Stranger and his seventh album Glass Houses (click here and here respectively for both of those reviews), Joel released 52nd Street on October 13th, 1978.

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

It took almost three years for Cyndi Lauper to release her second studio album. How could she ever hope to top the runaway smash success of her debut She’s So Unusual (click here for my review of that album)?

Turns out, she had nothing to worry about. 1986’s True Colors continued her successful career quite nicely. The album went multi-platinum in the US and Canada. Chart-wise, it reached number 4 in the US, number 7 in Canada, number 2 in Japan, number 25 in the UK and number 1 in Australia. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards.

Billy Joel - The Stranger

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

In 1977, the piano man from the Bronx released his fifth studio album. It was the multi-platinum selling The Stranger which helped Billy Joel breakthrough and started his career as huge star. The album went to number 2 on the Billboard charts (where it spent six of its total 137 weeks!), number 24 in the UK, number 3 in Japan and number 2 in both Australia and New Zealand. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 67 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time list.

Billy Joel - Glass Houses

On March 10th of 1980, American singer-songwriter and all-around piano man Billy Joel released his seventh studio album Glass Houses. It featured his first number 1 hit single on the Billboard charts, and the album also spent six weeks of its seventy-three week run, on top of the Billboard Album. It ranked number 4 on Billboard’s 1980 year-end album chart.