As
Mikhail Gorbachev's Glasnost warmed relations between the East and West,
Billy Joel was invited to be the first American rocker to perform in the Soviet Union. In the throes of his supporting tour for 1986's
The Bridge,
Joel jumped at the chance and performed three shows apiece in Moscow and Leningrad, along with an acoustic show in Tbilisi, in the summer of 1987. This tour was documented on the rush-released 1987 live album
Kohuept but the 2014 set
A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia goes deep, expanding the original double LP/single CD to a double-disc 27-track set, adding 12 unreleased cuts (including a version of
the Beatles' "She Loves You" taken from rehearsals), plus a DVD containing video of the full concert and the documentary film A Matter of Trust. This movie, helmed by Emmy winner
Jim Brown, does an admirable job of placing
Billy's Russian tour in historical context and is often more interesting than the album it supports. The 1987 concert, whether in its original
Kohuept incarnation or this expanded double-disc edition, does capture a well-oiled band at its stadium-pleasing best and the set list -- anchored with the classics, featuring three songs from
The Bridge, hard rockers tailored for an arena, covers of
Beatles and
Dylan, plus a doo wop interlude -- is satisfying. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine