Turnstiles

by Billy Joel

Overview

There's a reason Turnstiles begins with the Spector-esque epic "Say Goodbye to Hollywood." Shortly after Streetlife Serenade, Joel ditched California -- and, by implication, sensitive Californian soft rock from sensitive singer/songwriters -- for his hometown of New York. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" was a celebration of his move, a repudiation of his past, a fanfare for a new beginning, which is exactly what Turnstiles was. He still was a singer/songwriter -- indeed, "Summer, Highland Falls" was his best ballad to date, possibly his best ever -- but he decided to run with his musical talents, turning the record into a whirlwind tour of pop styles, from Sinatra to Springsteen. There's little question that the cinematic sprawl of Born to Run had an effect on Turnstiles, since it has a similar widescreen feel, even if it clocks in at only eight songs. The key to the record's success is variety, the way the album whips from the bouncy, McCartney-esque "All You Wanna Do Is Dance" to the saloon song "New York State of Mind"; the way the bitterly cynical "Angry Young Man" gives way to the beautiful "I've Loved These Days" and the surrealistic apocalyptic fantasy "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)." No matter how much stylistic ground Joel covers, he's kept on track by his backing group. He fought to have his touring band support him on Turnstiles, going to the lengths of firing his original producer, and it was clearly the right move, since they lend the album a cohesive feel. Turnstiles may not have been a hit, but it remains one of his most accomplished and satisfying records, clearly paving the way to his twin peaks of the late '70s, The Stranger and 52nd Street. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/05/2024
Label:	Sony Legacy
UPC:	0190759391914

Tracks

1. Say Goodbye to Hollywood
2. Summer, Highland Falls
3. All You Wanna Do Is Dance
4. New York State of Mind
5. James
6. Prelude/Angry Young Man
7. I've Loved These Days
8. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out On Broadway)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Billy Joel   Primary Artist,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards
Doug Stegmeyer   Guitar (Bass),Bass
James Herb Smith   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar
Howie Emerson   Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar
Russell Javors   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Richie Cannata   Wind,Keyboards,Saxophone
Liberty DeVitto   Drums,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic)
Mingo Lewis   Percussion
James "Hal" Smith   Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Jerry Abramowitz   Cover Photo,Photography
John Buckley   Project Coordinator
Ted Jensen   Remastering,Digital Remastering
Kenny Ascher   Arranger,Orchestration,Orchestral Arrangements
Billy Joel   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Don Puluse   Engineer
John Bradley   Engineer,Production Supervisor
Richard White   Graphic Design
Bruce Botnick   Mixing
Brian Ruggles   Consultant
John Berg   Cover Design
John Naatjes   Tape Research
Lou Waxman   Engineer