Search - Billy Joel :: An Innocent Man

An Innocent Man
Billy Joel
An Innocent Man
Genres: Folk, Pop, Rock, Classic Rock
 
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 h...  more »

     

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All Artists: Billy Joel
Title: An Innocent Man
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Genres: Folk, Pop, Rock, Classic Rock
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock, Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 074643883726

Synopsis

Amazon.com essential recording
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

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CD Reviews

A Fantastic Tribute To The Pioneers Of Rock And Roll.
Anthony Nasti | Staten Island, New York United States | 08/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)

"After 1982's dark "The Nylon Curtain" brought him critical success but disdain commercially, Billy Joel looked to the music of his youth as inspiration for his next project. The result wound up as a full-on tribute to Motown, The Four Seasons, street corner Doo Wop groups, Little Richard, Carole King, and ptjer sounds of his youth.



The album's six hit singles - the Motown raveup "Tell Her About It," (# 1 on The Hot 100), the immortal Frankie Valli inspired "Uptown Girl," the uplifting Carole King meets Ben E. King meets John Lennon title track (# 10), the charming a capella "The Longest Time," (# 14), the reggae tinged bopper "Keeping The Faith," (# 18), and the soulful, Ray Charles inspired "Leave A Tender Moment Alone" (# 27) - are among the finest pop singles ever crafted, delicately structured and perfectly executed. All prove Billy's indespensable genius in the pop world. His ability to sell a song is surpassed only by Sinatra.



The non-singles definitely hold their own. "Easy Money" kicks the album off in high gear with its fast pace and rip roaring horn and organ licks. The mid tempo "Careless Talk" and the Little Richard inspired rocker "Christie Lee" are solid tracks, but it's "This Night" that is the keeper. A Platters inspired love song, it's a wonderful, soulful ballad with a chorus lifted from Beethoven and a melody perfect for dancing, even if it's "Only a slow dance." The harmonies on the chorus are almost Heavenly.



"An Innocent Man" is a pure pop masterpiece filled with great memorable songs. Get it immediately if you do not already own it."
I love Billy Joel, but I could really do without this album.
Infiltrator | Radec | 11/09/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Billy tries a doo-wop theme with this album, and it is clearly evident in more than 50% of the songs. My favorite song on here is probably the title track and "Leave A Tender Moment Alone." I have always been ticked off that Joel is probably best known for "Uptown Girl," which is probably his worst song ever, honestly! I truly hope that this song isn't forever associated with Billy in music history. I understand what he was trying to do in re-creating a retro-50's theme, but to me it lacks his quality of songwriting and song variation that we see in the albums surrounding this one (Nylon Curtain & The Bridge). Sorry to upset some die hard fans here, but come on, if this album is in the top five of your Billy Joel collection, youv'e probably been "Sleeping With The Television On" for too long already!"