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By 1980 Billy Joel had attained superstar status due to the worldwide success of The Stranger and 52nd Street which together earned four Grammy Awards. He had earned the accolades and adulation that many had predicted for him when he first released Piano Man. But a critical backlash had developed against Billy among some music critics who labeled him a lightweight (often unfairly fixating on the singular success of "Just The Way You Are") or disparaged his music as being derivative or unoriginal. At the same time, by the late 1970s and early 1980s, the punk and new wave music movement began to take hold, ushering in new musicians such as Elvis Costello, The Police, The Clash, The Smiths, and others.
Billy and his band answered the critics with the hardest rocking album of Billy's career, Glass Houses, released on March 10, 1980 to an unsuspecting public. The songs on Glass Houses were edgier and fun, featuring infectious guitar riffs and licks ("Sometimes A Fantasy" and "Close to the Borderline") not typically found on his previous albums. Billy had added guitarist David Brown to his regular band, and he and rhythm guitarist Russell Javors helped bring the electric guitar to the forefront of the album. The rest of Billy's band (Liberty Devitto, Richie Cannata, Doug Stegmeyer) rocked just as hard under the guidance of producer Phil Ramone. |
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The first hit from the album was "You May Be Right" which rocked harder than any of Billy's previous songs and signaled that Glass Houses was going to be different than its predecessors. "You May Be Right" was followed by the manic "Sometimes A Fantasy" which touched upon a new 1980's trend, the use of 1-800 phone sex numbers ("Oh, I didn't want to do it but I got too lonely, had to call you up in the middle of the night").
Never one to back down from a fight, Billy directly addressed his critics with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" taunting the critics with the line "you can't hear the sound from a story in a magazine, aimed at your average teen.” To Billy, who had played and enjoyed a wide variety of music and whose roots were in garage rock bands and bars, it was essentially all still rock and roll music despite whatever label the pundits or marketers put on it. While the critics continued to give him no respect, Billy won the battle as "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" became his first #1 hit and Glass Houses won the Grammy for Best Rock Male Performance (Album of The Year went to Christopher Cross' self-titled debut album, and Cross recalls how Billy's standing ovation was a meaningful moment for him in this article). Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways Billy maintained his gift for melody which can be found in all of the Glass Houses songs even the harder ones. Billy also threw in a couple of pure pop tunes on Glass Houses including the fun McCartney-esque "Don't Ask Me Why," the underrated and infectious "Sleeping with the Television On," and the elegant and sobering elegy "Through the Long Night." Side two's "I Don't Want To Be Alone" was reminiscent of an Elvis Costello tune. Glass Houses was one of Billy's most enjoyable albums.
Although The Stranger is widely considered to be Billy's best album and The Nylon Curtain is his favorite, Glass Houses may be the most fun to listen to or sing along to at the top of your lungs in your car. From start to finish, it's bold, it's brash, and it's Billy. He thumbs his nose at the critics ("It's Still Rock and Roll To Me"), rails against the paradoxes of modern life ("Closer To The Borderline"), and is not afraid to show his vulnerable side ("Through The Long Night"). And in doing so Billy simultaneously gives us insight into his world while also making us reflect on our own condition, like the windows of a glass house. * * * * * *  "He's got a little something for ya!"
In 1980, Billy appeared on the syndicated radio program In The Studio with disc jockey Redbeard after Glass Houses was released. You can listen to the interview here. Billy provides background on each of the songs, as well as the album generally. The original radio program also broadcast each of the songs, but the archived version here just provides the interview portion of the program.
Sony Legacy Recordings did a nice look back on Glass Houses for its fortieth anniversary. Click here to read it. * * * * * * Billy and his band went on a massive worldwide tour in 1980-1981 after the release of the Glass Houses album, including concerts throughout the United States, and in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Much of this tour was recorded, and songs from these recordings were put on 1981's live album, Songs In The Attic. Unfortunately, other than the music videos for Songs In The Attic, there is no professional quality video concert from the Glass Houses tour which is publicly available.
* * * * * * Billy and producer Phil Ramone had an great rapport together. They joke around in the studio about how to promote Glass Houses in this recording (below) which was put on the 2005 album My Lives, a collection of Billy's B-sides, rarities, and outtakes.
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Glass Houses poster (1980)
Glass Houses publicity photo (1980).
Inside sleeve of Glass Houses.
Glass Houses Tour Book (1980)
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1. You May Be Right (4:15)
2. Sometimes a Fantasy (3:40) 3. Don't Ask Me Why (2:59) 4. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me (2:57) 5. All for Leyna (4:15) 6. I Don't Want to Be Alone (3:57) 7. Sleeping With the Television On (3:02) 8. C'Était Toi (You Were the One) (3:25) 9. Close to the Borderline (3:47) 10. Through the Long Night (2:43) |
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You May Be Right
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Sometimes A Fantasy
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Don't Ask Me Why
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It's Still Rock and Roll To Me
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All For Leyna
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I Don't Want To Be Alone (Anym0re)
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Sleeping With The Television On
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C'etait Toi
(You Were The One) |
Close To The Borderline
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All Through The Long Night
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Covers for "I Don't Want To Be Alone" and "Sleeping with the Television On" are fictional.
Spotify
Apple Music
Video Album
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Click on song title to go to song page.
1. You May Be Right (4:15) 2. Sometimes a Fantasy (3:40) 3. Don't Ask Me Why (2:59) 4. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me (2:57) 5. All for Leyna (4:15) |
6. I Don't Want to Be Alone (3:57) 7. Sleeping With the Television On (3:02) 8. C'Était Toi (You Were the One) (3:25) 9. Close to the Borderline (3:47) 10. Through the Long Night (2:43) |
Click on icon in upper right of video for playlist. For complete video for "You May Be Right," click here. |
Stream
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Spotify
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Apple Music
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YouTube and Others
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Interviews & Features
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Misc. Video and Audio
1. Billy discusses Glass Houses from The Complete Albums collection (2011) 2. The Billy Joel Lecture Tapes (1980) 3. Billy Joel on the Robert W. Morgan Special of the Week (1980) 4. Billy Joel with Kid Jensen (1980) 5. Glass Houses Promo Talk (1980) 6. Billy on Glass Houses: SiriusXM (2016) 7. Billy on John Lennon's Death (1980) 8. Billy Joel on his World Tour (1981) 9. Interview on Countdown (Aus) (1981) |
Click on icon in upper right of video for playlist.
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20/20 Profile of Billy Joel (1980) 20/20's (ABC) Tom Hoving profiles Billy Joel upon the release of Glass Houses in 1980. This is one of the better television profiles of Billy. Watch it.
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Live Performances
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Billy and the band perform "C'etait Toi" and "Don't Ask My Why" on the French (?) television program, Le Rendez-Vous du Dimanche, which aired on April 2, 1980. In between songs, the host of the program joins Billy at the piano and sings a bit of "Honesty." The music seems to be pre-recorded, but Billy's vocals are live.
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This is a series of videos and audios of live performances from 1979-1981 featuring live versions of songs from Glass Houses. The first one is a nice collection of live (audio) versions to simulate a typical concert from that time period. The following two videos are of "Sometimes A Fantasy" and "All for Leyna" from 1979, before Glass Houses was released. The rest are clips from 1980-81, as well as a "Songs In The Attic Outtakes," a lengthy compilation of live performances from 1980-1981, and a full concert (audio) in Australia from 1981. Thanks to YouTube users Ned Rocks, Reggie I, Pianoluvr2006, The Billy Joel Concert Archives, and others for sharing these clips.
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Click on icon in upper right of video for playlist.
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Reviews:
AllMusic AV Club The Observer Ultimate Classic Rock Articles: Legacy Recordings "Sometimes a Fantasy is All You Need: 40 Years of Billy Joel’s Glass Houses" |
Simply put, Glass Houses is Billy Joel’s best collection of songs, even better than the hit-laden The Stranger. The aforementioned hits sound better in context than on his many best-of compilations (or on classic-rock radio), and the more obscure cuts are excellent. “Sleeping With The Television On,” with its propulsive pop edge, may be the most underrated Billy Joel song. -- David Brusie, AV Club
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Track List
Click on song title to go to song page.
1. You May Be Right (4:15) 2. Sometimes a Fantasy (3:40) 3. Don't Ask Me Why (2:59) 4. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me (2:57) 5. All for Leyna (4:15) 6. I Don't Want to Be Alone (3:57) 7. Sleeping With the Television On (3:02) 8. C'Était Toi (You Were the One) (3:25) 9. Close to the Borderline (3:47) 10. Through the Long Night (2:43) Recording Information Released: March 10, 1980 Recorded: 1979 at A&R Recording Studios, New York, New York Genre: Rock; New Wave Length: 35:06 Label: Columbia/Family Prod. Producer: Phil Ramone Words and Music by Billy Joel |
Personnel
Billy Joel - acoustic piano, synthesizers, harmonica, electric pianos, accordion, acoustic guitar on "Don't Ask Me Why", vocals David Brown – acoustic and electric guitars (lead) Richie Cannata – saxophones, organs, flute Liberty DeVitto – drums and percussion Russell Javors – acoustic and electric guitars (rhythm) Doug Stegmeyer – bass guitar 
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Production
Phil Ramone – Producer Jim Boyer – Engineer Bradshaw Leigh – Assistant Engineer Ted Jensen – Mastering Brian Ruggles – Dr. Sound Steve Cohen – Dr. Lights Jim Houghton – photography Michele Slagter – production assistant Jeff Schock – Artist Management Thanks to Sean for the inspiration. This album is dedicated to the memory of Patrick Driscoll. Produced in association with Home Run. © 1980 CBS Inc. |
Covers for "I Don't Want To Be Alone" and "Sleeping With The Television On" are fictional.
Inner Sleeve Lyrics
Inner Sleeve Photo
Album Back Cover
Columbia Records publicity photo (1980)
Columbia Records publicity photo (1980)
Uncropped view of the Glass Houses album cover photo.
