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By 1989, it had been three years since Billy Joel had released The Bridge and his daughter Alexa was born (in late 1985). Although The Bridge sold reasonably well and Billy had played historic concerts in the Soviet Union resulting in the 1987 live album Kohuept, he was in a bit of a rut. He had a falling out with some longtime band members and discovered that his manager Frank Weber had betrayed him, diverting millions of dollars to himself. Billy sued Weber in the Fall of 1989.
Despite these setbacks, Billy came back strong with Storm Front which was released in October 1989 and went to number one on the charts. The album yielded three top 40 hits ("We Didn't Start The Fire," "I Go To Extremes," and "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"). The album had a harder, bluesier edge than The Bridge. Billy worked with a new producer, Mick Jones (Foreigner) and replaced some members of his band (Doug Stegmeyer and Russell Javors) with new musicians including bassist Schuyler Deale and talented multi-instrumentalists Crystal Taliefero and Mindy Jostyn (for a brief period on tour, followed by Tommy Byrnes on guitar). Drummer Liberty DeVitto remained in the band, and guitarist David Brown apparently rejoined to record Storm Front. The changes helped give Billy and his music a new perspective and sound. |
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In some ways, this was a return to the blue-eyed soul and rock that Billy had first started out playing in his 60s bands The Lost Souls (later The Commandos) and The Hassles. Songs like "That's Not Her Style," "When In Rome," "I Go To Extremes" and the title track "Storm Front" were clearly reminiscent of that genre. Billy also continued exploring political and social causes and themes in the touching "Leningrad" and "The Downeaster 'Alexa.'" And he released what may be one of his most tender and heart-breaking songs, "And So It Goes," which was actually written back in 1983.
As Billy described in a Rolling Stone interview in 1989:
The most popular song off the album, however, was the idiosyncratic white man's "rap" song, "We Didn't Start The Fire" which reached number one on the charts. The lyrics were simply a string of notable events or figures from the past four decades, and the chorus was rather routine, but it caught the attention of many people, and launched thousands of high-school term papers, projects, and videos. Billy had always been a history buff and has said that if he had not become a musician, he may have become a history teacher. Storm Front was not a return to Billy's singer-songwriter days and therefore may have disappointed some older fans, but it won him many new ones. Billy swung for the fences, sometimes he hit a home run ("The Downeaster 'Alexa'") and sometimes he singled. A few of the songs seem overwrought, even bombastic in production such as "We Didn't Start the Fire," and lyrically the songs are not as strong as in some previous albums. Still, the album is a testament to Billy's versatility and enduring musicality. Whether you are a fan of Storm Front or not, you have to respect Billy Joel for always trying something different, never simply repeating the last successful album. The album and "We Didn't Start The Fire" both reached #1 on the charts in 1989, and earned five Grammy nominations. We didn't start the fire Billy made the cover of the Rolling Stone for the third time after the release of Storm Front. In "Billy Joel on Fire, Again: The Rolling Stone Interview" (quoted above) Billy gives readers insight into his music and life. Journalist David Wild wrote: "Finally it becomes clear that for all his flashes of macho bluster, the former teenage boxer punches back at those who attack him exactly because he does care, because he wants everyone to love him just the way he is."
* * * * * * * * Billy also appeared on Mick Jones' self-titled album from 1989 on the song "Just Wanna Hold," as well the music video for the song, with Christie Brinkley. Billy and Mick appeared on Late Night with David Letterman in 1989 and performed the song. Billy appears briefly with Paul Schaefer and the rest of the Late Night band throughout the episode including at 4:58, 5:56 and 32:36.
Many years later in 2013, Billy Joel inducted Foreigner's Mick Jones and Lou Gramm into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as true "jukebox heroes." See video here. Billy appears at 0:33. Vertical Divider
* * * * * * * * A collection of several music videos from Storm Front were released together on video as Eye of The Storm, including a live version of "The Downeaster Alexa" with jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty that is not available on other videos/DVDs. Billy's concert at Yankee Stadium in 1990 was also released on video and DVD as Billy Joel: Live from Yankee Stadium. It was directed and produced by Billy's longtime friend, video producer Jon Small. Billy and Jon had been members of The Hassles together and their two-man group, Atilla, in the late 1960s.
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Cover of tour book for the Storm Front tour (1990).
Storm Front publicity photo (1990)
Billy's 1990 concert at Yankee Stadium was released on DVD.
"Billy Joel On Fire, Again" (1990)
In 1989, Storm Front producer Mick Jones released his own album with Billy on keyboards for "Just Wanna Hold." Photo from album back cover.
 Back cover. The nautical theme is echoed by Billy's Navy Pea Coat. |
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1. That's Not Her Style (5:10)
2. We Didn't Start The Fire (4:50) 3. The Downeaster Alexa (3:44) 4. I Go To Extremes (4:23) 5. Shameless (4:26) 6. Storm Front (5:17) 7. Leningrad (4:06) 8. State of Grace (4:30) 9. When In Rome (4:44) 10. And So It Goes (3:38) Released October 17, 1989 |
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That's Not Her Style
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We Didn't Start The Fire
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The Downeaster 'Alexa'
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I Go To Extremes
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Shameless
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Storm Front
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Leningrad
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State of Grace
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When In Rome
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And So It Goes
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Other Songs: |
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House of Blue Light
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Shout
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Covers for "State of Grace," "When In Rome,"and "House of Blue Light" are fictional. "House of Blue Light" art from Deep Purple album cover.
Spotify
Lyrics
(coming soon, in the meantime, click on song titles above)
(coming soon, in the meantime, click on song titles above)
Video Album
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Click song name to go to song page.
1. That's Not Her Style (5:10) 2. We Didn't Start The Fire (4:50) 3. The Downeaster Alexa (3:44) 4. I Go To Extremes (4:23) 5. Shameless (4:26) |
6. Storm Front (5:17) 7. Leningrad (4:06) 8. State of Grace (4:30) 9. When In Rome (4:44) 10. And So It Goes (3:38) |
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. Interviews. This is a playlist of videos and audio clips in which Billy discusses the Storm Front album, or are interviews and features from the period (1989-1991) when Storm Front or its singles were on the charts.
The interview on the UK television program, Aspel & Company, is very good, as is the profile of Billy on the ABC television news magazine 20/20 from 1990. |
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MTV Rockumentary. This is an MTV Rockumentary from 1990 in which Billy discusses the Storm Front album and tour, as well as his career generally.
Update: It appears that this video was removed from YouTube. |
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Live Performances
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Live Misc. Appearances (1990-1992). This is a YouTube playlist of various live appearances by Billy Joel from 1990 to 1992. It includes a series of videos from the Grammy Legend Award show in 1991 when Billy received the award along with Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Dion.
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Live at Yankee Stadium (1990). This is a YouTube playlist of Billy's concerts at Yankee Stadium in 1990. His old friend Jon Small directed this professional video. Small directed music videos for many other artists including Billy Joel. The video was released on VHS and DVD, and was nominated for a Grammy Award, however, I find the camera angles and frequent cutaways to be dizzying and distracting.
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Live in Syracuse and more (1990). This is a YouTube playlist that starts with a full concert video from Syracuse, New York which appears to be a professional video. The playlist also includes two full concerts from Hartford, Connecticut and Toronto. Canada which appear to be audience videos.
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Live in Tokyo (1991). This is a playlist of a televised concert in Tokyo on the Storm Front tour. The televised concert was not the full concert, but a condensed version for Japanese television. The full television version is here as well as individual clips from it.
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AllMusic (overly critical) Classic Rock Review Rolling Stone Ultimate Classic Rock "Billy Joel, On Fire Again," Rolling Stone (January 25, 1990) 
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"On Storm Front, his first studio album since The Bridge in 1986, Billy Joel throws off pop complacency for an angry, committed — and often moving — exploration of life in modern America. Defining the album's theme of lost innocence is a core of songs that evokes the desperate disorientation that has suffused American consciousness over the past decade. . . . |
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Track List
1. That's Not Her Style (5:10) 2. We Didn't Start The Fire (4:50) 3. The Downeaster Alexa (3:44) 4. I Go To Extremes (4:23) 5. Shameless (4:26) 6. Storm Front (5:17) 7. Leningrad (4:06) 8. State of Grace (4:30) 9. When In Rome (4:44) 10. And So It Goes (3:38) Basic Information Released: 17 October 1989 Recorded: The Hit Factory Times Square Studio, New York, NY; Right Track Recording, New York, NY; The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia; The Power Station, New York, NY Spring-Summer, 1988-1989 Length: 44:34 Label: Columbia Producer: Billy Joel, Mick Jones All Songs written by Billy Joel |
Personnel
Billy Joel: vocals, acoustic piano, clavinet, accordion, Hammond organ, harpsichord, synthesizers, percussion Liberty DeVitto: drums, percussion David Brown: lead guitar, Midi guitar solo on Storm Front Crystal Taliefero: percussion Schuyler Deale: bass guitar Jeff Jacobs: synthesizers, horn arrangements Additional personnel Don Brooks: harmonica Mick Jones: guitar on "Storm Front", guitar solo on "State of Grace" Joey Hunting: guitar on "We Didn't Start The Fire" John Mahoney: keyboards, keyboard programming Sammy Merendino: electronic percussion Kevin Jones: keyboard programming |
Doug Kleeger: sounds effects Dominic Cortese: accordion Itzhak Perlman: violin on "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" Lenny Pickett: saxophone Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson: The Memphis Horns Bill Zampino: choral arrangement Chuck Arnold: choral leader Arif Mardin: orchestral arrangement Background vocals: Billy Joel, Mick Jones, Richard Marx on "Storm Front" and "That's Not Her Style", Crystal Taliefero, Jeff Jacobs, Patricia Darcy-Jones, Frank Floyd, Brian Ruggles, Joe Lynn Turner, Ian Lloyd, Brenda White King, Curtis King. See details. Thanks to my loving wife Christie and to: [many others] |
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Photos are Columbia Records publicity photos.