Billy Joel: An Innocent Man (1983)

1982 had seen the release of Billy Joel's "The Nylon Curtain" featuring such classics as "Allentown", "Pressure", "Goodnight Saigon" and more. It had yielded him another success with several hit singles and a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year. The new album was to move in a somewhat different direction.

Where "The Nylon Curtain" could be seen as paying homage to Beatles albums such as "Abbey Road" in terms of its musical arrangements and production, the new album would go back to Billy's youth growing up in the late 1950s and 60s. 

"An Innocent Man" Billy's ninth studio album released on 8 August 1983 would pay homage to the sounds of James Brown and Wilson Pickett, Ben E. King and the Drifters, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Little Anthony and the Imperials, the Supremes and the Temptation at Motown, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Sam Cooke, Little Richard/Jerry Lee Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Betty Wright's "Clean up Woman" and pre-British Invasion Rock and Roll, all in that order (Thanks Uncle Wikipedia). There was also a touch of Ludwig van Beethoven, with a passage from the Pathetique sonata (when I was listening to the film soundtrack for "Immortal Beloved" recently, I immediately thought of this album.)

According to his 2011 video for "The Complete Albums Collection", Billy said that he "kind of felt like a teenager all over again" in the making of this album. He had recently divorced from his first wife, Elizabeth Weber, and was dating supermodels like Elle Macpherson and Christie Brinkley, who he would marry in March 1985.

With all of this in mind, the contrast between the two albums is spelled out more clearly than ever, though it's obvious really from just listening. My impression of "An Innocent Man" after "The Nylon Curtain" is almost like some kind of weight lifting, from songs like "Allentown" and "Goodnight Saigon" to "Easy Money" and "The Longest Time". What they both have in common though is that none of these songs lack substance, and most if not all of them can be seen as enduring classics.

Musically and thematically, the songs would also be focused on fictional characters. That is, none of them would really be drawn from Billy's life. In that sense, "An Innocent Man" could almost be a concept album or the beginnings of a musical or film, which is exciting for me, because I think Billy could write one of the great American musicals.

Musicians wise, the album features Liberty DeVitto on drums, Doug Stegmeyer on bass, David Brown on lead electric and acoustic guitars, Russell Javors on rhythm electric and acoustic guitars, Mark Rivera on alto and tenor sax, percussion and backing vocals, all members of Billy’s band at some point or another since "Turnstiles" in 1976.

They were joined by an array of multi-talented musicians including Ralph MacDonald, Leon Pendarvis, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Toots Thielemans, "String Fever", Ronnie Cuber, Jon Faddis, David Sanborn, Jon Faddis, Joe Shepley, Michael Brecker, John Gatchell and more, including the backing vocalists Tom Bahler, Frank Floyd, Lani Groves, Ullanda McCullough, Ron Taylor, Terry Textor, Mike Alexander, Rory Dodd and Eric Troyer.

I mention Rory and Eric last because these are two names I am very familiar with. In the year 1983, they sang on three songs that made it into the top three of the US Billboard Hot 100: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" for Bonnie Tyler, "Making Love out of Nothing at All" for Australian group Air Supply, both written and produced by Jim Steinman, and "Tell her about it" from "An Innocent Man". Indeed, Rory sang the "Turn around bright eyes" part on "Total Eclipse" which as far as I’m concerned is a duet. Their appearance on this album, to me, is the icing on the bat cake.

Singles wise, "An Innocent Man" had a whopping seven, released between July 1983 and November 1984, although the last single "This Night" was only released in Europe and Japan. The first three singles reached the Billboard Top 10 including: "Tell her about it" (Number 1), "Uptown Girl" (Number 3) and "An Innocent Man" (Number 10). More success followed with "The Longest Time" (Number 14), "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" (Number 27), "Keeping the Faith" (Number 18) and "This Night" managing Number 21 on the Belgian Singles Chart.

Album wise, "An Innocent Man" reached Number 4 on the Billboard 200, 2 on the UK Albums chart, 3 in Australia, Iceland and Japan, and more including Number 1 in New Zealand. It remained on the US Pop Albums chart for 111 weeks, Billy's second longest charting studio album after "The Stranger". "An Innocent Man" also remained on the charts for more than a year in the UK, Japan and Australia. Thanks again, Uncle Wiki, even though my head is swirling.

In addition to all of this, "An Innocent Man" was the next Billy Joel album after "52nd Street", "Glass Houses" and "The Nylon Curtain" to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. This time around, the winner was Michael Jackson for "Thriller", which given the almighty success of that album was probably not all that surprising.

"Uptown Girl" was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, with Billy receiving two nominations from the American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Pop/Rock Video. Wow.

Let's take a look at the songs:

"Easy Money" --- listening to this after "The Nylon Curtain", the contrast hits you right away. This is paying homage to James Brown and Wilson Pickett. It reminds me of "You May be Right" from "Glass Houses". They both start the album with a bang (or a smash, literally.) This song was also written for the movie of the same name starring Rodney Dangerfield.

"An Innocent Man" --- this one reminds me of "Until the Night" from "52nd Street", a song which would not have felt out of place on this album. "An Innocent Man" was actually inspired by Ben E. King and the Drifters. I thoroughly enjoy this one.

"The Longest Time" --- a thrilling piece done in the style of doo wop groups like Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. There is no end at this point to how much I love this song.

"This Night" --- ah yes, this is the one with the Beethoven. This is one of my favourite songs on the whole album. This is also inspired by Little Anthony and the Imperials.

"Tell her about it" --- one of the songs with Rory and Eric on backing vocals, which is the one I most hear on radio. This one is inspired by Motown groups like the Supremes and Temptations. It deserves its success.

"Uptown Girl" --- if it wasn’t for this song, "This Night" would be my favourite song on the album. It's paying homage to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, but recently I've been thinking how much I’d like to hear a classical version just being played on piano. After all, Billy is a classically trained pianist, I believe.

"Careless Talk" --- this one pays homage to Sam Cooke. It's one that I like, but not one that immediately jumps out at me. This may change in future.

"Christie Lee" --- similar to "Careless Talk", see above, and this is paying homage to Little Richard/Jerry Lee Lewis.

"Leave a Tender Moment Alone" --- paying homage to Smokey Robinson, this is a song I've recently grown fonder of. It had sort of passed me by on previous listens, but not this time. I can see why it was released as a single.

"Keeping the Faith" --- thanks to "The Video Album", I've known this song long before I heard this album and it's another moment I love. It's paying homage to Betty Wright's "Clean up Woman" as well as the pre-British invasion of rock and roll.

And that brings me to the end of the review. Despite all the facts and figures above, how does this album really hold up for me? Well, it's a 80s classic which is paying tribute to the 50s and 60s and almost feels like it was recorded then. It is fun and upbeat and rewarding from beginning to end. It holds its place firmly in the Billy Joel album discography. If you've never heard it, check it out sometime, otherwise give it another spin, or press the play button on the tape, insert the CD, click the mouse, or whatever, but listen.

Thank you for reading,

Ryan.