Storm Front (album)

Last updated

Storm Front
BillyJoel StormFront.jpg
Studio album by
Billy Joel
ReleasedOctober 23, 1989
Recorded1988–1989
Studio
Genre
Length44:34
Label Columbia
Producer Billy Joel, Mick Jones
Billy Joel chronology
Концерт
(1987)		Storm Front
(1989)		 Souvenir
(1990)
Singles from Storm Front
  1. "We Didn't Start the Fire"
    Released: September 1989 [3]
  2. "Leningrad"
    Released: December 1989 (UK) [4]
  3. "I Go to Extremes"
    Released: January 1990
  4. "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"
    Released: May 1990
  5. "That's Not Her Style"
    Released: July 1990 [5]
  6. "And So It Goes"
    Released: October 1990
  7. "Shameless"
    Released: January 1991 [6]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Deseret News (Positive) [8]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
New Musical Express 5/10 [10]
The New York Times (Positive) [1]
People (Not favorable) [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Village Voice B [13]

Storm Front is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 23, 1989. [14] It was Joel's third album to reach No. 1 in the U.S. and features "We Didn't Start the Fire", a fast-paced song that cataloged a list of historical events, trends, and cultural icons from 1949 (when Joel was born) until 1989.

Contents

"I Go to Extremes", a song describing the ups and downs of his emotional life, placed at No. 6. Other songs that placed in the top 100 were "And So It Goes" (No. 37), "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" (No. 57), and "That's Not Her Style" (No. 77). The album was also nominated for five Grammy Awards. [15] The album's cover depicts the maritime storm warning flag indicating wind forces 10–12, the highest intensity on the Beaufort scale. Joel has stated in recent Sirius XM segments that he was inspired by Peter Gabriel's 1986 track "Sledgehammer" for the "driving rhythm section" when he was writing the title track.

Notable cover versions

Track listing

All songs written by Billy Joel.

Side one

  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

Side two

  2. "Storm Front" – 5:17
  3. "Leningrad" – 4:06
  4. "State of Grace" – 4:30
  5. "When in Rome" – 4:44
  6. "And So It Goes" – 3:38

Personnel

Storm Front marked a radical change in Joel's backing band. Since his last studio album ( The Bridge ), both Russell Javors and Doug Stegmeyer, long-time members of Joel's band, were discharged from their respective duties as rhythm guitarist and bass guitarist. Javors was replaced with Joey Hunting for the record and by Tommy Byrnes on tour while Stegmeyer was replaced by Schuyler Deale. Band regulars Liberty DeVitto, David Brown and Mark Rivera were retained. Joel also hired the percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero beginning with this album.

Additional musicians

Production

Accolades

Grammy Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1990 "We Didn't Start the Fire" Song of the Year [15] Nominated
Record of the Year [15] Nominated
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male [15] Nominated
1991 Storm Front Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male [16] Nominated
Storm Front(produced by Billy Joel and Mick Jones) Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) [17] Nominated

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [38] 2× Platinum140,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [39] Gold25,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [40] 2× Platinum200,000^
Germany (BVMI) [41] Platinum500,000^
Japan (RIAJ) [42] Platinum110,000 [43] [44]
Netherlands (NVPI) [45] Gold50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [46] Gold7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI) [47] Platinum300,000^
United States (RIAA) [48] 4× Platinum4,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Piano Man</i> (Billy Joel album) 1973 studio album by Billy Joel

Piano Man is the second studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on November 14, 1973, by Columbia Records. The album emerged from legal difficulties with Joel's former label, Family Productions, and ultimately became his first breakthrough album.

<i>The Nylon Curtain</i> 1982 studio album by Billy Joel

The Nylon Curtain is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on September 23, 1982, and produced by Phil Ramone.

<i>The Bridge</i> (Billy Joel album) 1986 studio album by Billy Joel

The Bridge is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on July 25, 1986. It was Joel's last studio album produced by Phil Ramone as well as the last to feature Joel's long-time bassist Doug Stegmeyer and rhythm guitarist Russell Javors. The album yielded several successful singles, including "A Matter of Trust", "Modern Woman", and "This Is the Time".

<i>An Innocent Man</i> 1983 studio album by Billy Joel

An Innocent Man is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on August 8, 1983. The concept album is a tribute to the American popular music of Joel's adolescent years with Joel paying homage to a number of different and popular American musical styles from the late 1950s and early 1960s, most notably doo-wop and soul music. The album cover artwork was taken on the front steps of 142 Mercer Street, just north of the intersection of Mercer and Prince Street in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

<i>River of Dreams</i> 1993 studio album by Billy Joel

River of Dreams is the twelfth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on August 10, 1993. River of Dreams presented a more serious tone than found in Joel's previous albums, dealing with issues such as trust and long-lasting love. It was rumored that the themes of trust and betrayal, particularly certain lyrics from the songs "A Minor Variation" and "The Great Wall of China", stem from Joel's legal disputes with his former manager and ex-brother-in-law, Frank Weber, who reportedly embezzled millions of dollars from Joel and used dubious accounting practices to cover it up. It was Joel's fourth and last album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart, a position it held for three consecutive weeks.

<i>The Stranger</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Billy Joel

The Stranger is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on September 29, 1977, by Columbia Records. It was the first of Joel's albums to be produced by Phil Ramone, with whom he would work for five subsequent albums.

<i>52nd Street</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Billy Joel

52nd Street is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 11, 1978, by Columbia Records. Presenting itself as the follow-up to his breakthrough studio album, The Stranger, Joel tried to give the new album a fresh sound, hiring various jazz musicians to differentiate it from his previous studio albums.

<i>Songs in the Attic</i> 1981 live album by Billy Joel

Songs in the Attic is the first live album by Billy Joel, released in 1981.

<i>Kontsert</i> 1987 live album by Billy Joel

Kontsert is the second live album by Billy Joel, released in 1987. The album was recorded during the Soviet leg of Joel's 1987 The Bridge tour. This album was co-produced by Jim Boyer and Brian Ruggles and mixed by Jim Boyer.

<i>2000 Years: The Millennium Concert</i> 2000 live album by Billy Joel

2000 Years: The Millennium Concert is a two-disc set and the third live album by Billy Joel, released in 2000. On May 31, 2000, it was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 250,000 copies.

<i>Inside Information</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Foreigner

Inside Information is the sixth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1987. The album debuted at 15, on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and was certified Platinum in the U.S. for sales exceeding one million copies. Although a huge standard by any country's charting method, the band's sales were certainly plummeting since the release of 4 in 1981. It was the last album to feature the '80s core lineup of Gramm, Jones, Wills, and Elliott.

<i>Duets</i> (Elton John album) 1993 studio album by Elton John and various artists

Duets is the first collaboration studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1993. The album debuted at No. 7 in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in January 1994 by the RIAA.

<i>Roll with It</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Steve Winwood

Roll with It is the fifth solo studio album by English blue-eyed soul artist Steve Winwood, released on 20 June 1988. It became one of Winwood's most commercially successful albums, reaching number four on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the US Billboard 200, and has sold over three million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Joel discography</span>

Here is the discography of American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. He has released 13 studio albums, seven live albums, 18 compilation albums, 10 video albums, 82 singles, three promotional singles, and 45 music videos. Throughout his career, he has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in history. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Joel has sold 85 million certified albums in the United States, making him the 4th best-selling solo artist of all time. Billboard ranked him as the 9th Greatest male soloist of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honesty (Billy Joel song)</span> 1979 single by Billy Joel

"Honesty" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released by Columbia Records as the third US single from his sixth studio album 52nd Street (1978) in 1979. "Honesty" was solely written by Joel, while production was handled by Phil Ramone. The song appears on the Dutch and Japanese editions of Greatest Hits Volume 2, replacing "Don't Ask Me Why" (1980).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Go to Extremes</span> 1989 single by Billy Joel

"I Go to Extremes" is a song by American singer Billy Joel from his eleventh studio album, Storm Front (1989), released as the album's second US single in early 1990. It reached the number-six position on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number three on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. The song was also a top-10 hit on both the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Album Rock Tracks charts. The song also reached at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The River of Dreams</span> 1993 single by Billy Joel

"The River of Dreams" is a song by American musician Billy Joel. It is the title track and first single from his twelfth album, River of Dreams (1993). It was released in July 1993 by Columbia Records and became a hit, peaking at number three on the US and UK charts, making it Joel's best-charting single of the decade as well as his final top ten in either country to date. It also hit the top spot in Australia, New Zealand, and on the Canadian and US Adult Contemporary charts. The song was produced by Joe Nicolo and Danny Kortchmar. Its accompanying music video was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in Connecticut, the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's Not Her Style</span> 1990 single by Billy Joel

"That's Not Her Style" is a song by Billy Joel released as the fifth single from his album Storm Front, as well as the opening track on the album. It was written for Joel's then-wife Christie Brinkley. The song was the lowest-charting single from the album, failing to crack the top 70 in the United States. The song's music video features a live performance of the song at Yankee Stadium. A 4 track EP was also released.

<i>Greatest Hits Volume III</i> (Billy Joel album) 1997 greatest hits album by Billy Joel

Greatest Hits Volume III is the second greatest hits album from American singer songwriter Billy Joel. The volume follows Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II (1985) and includes hits from 1983 to 1993. Two previously unreleased studio tracks are included, Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" and Goffin/King's "Hey Girl", while the third new track, "Light as the Breeze", was originally recorded for a Leonard Cohen tribute album known as Tower of Song in 1995. Cover songs are a rare occurrence in Joel's catalogue.

<i>Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II</i> 1985 greatest hits album by Billy Joel

Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on July 1, 1985. The album has been certified double diamond by the RIAA, selling over 11.5 million copies as sixth most certified album of all time in the US. The album includes hits from 1973 to 1985 in chronological order with one exception. Some foreign pressings include "Honesty" in place of "Don't Ask Me Why".

References

  1. 1 2 Holden, Stephen (October 29, 1989). "HOME ENTERTAINMENT/RECORDINGS: RECENT RELEASES". The New York Times . Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  2. ↑ Breihan, Tom (August 27, 2021). "The Number Ones: Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire". Stereogum . Retrieved December 1, 2023. [Storm Front is a] blaring, synthed-out, personality-free take on late-'80s arena-rock...
  3. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week . September 16, 1989. p. 36.
  4. ↑ "Leningrad".
  5. ↑ "Billy Joel singles".
  6. ↑ "Great Rock Discography". p. 437.
  7. ↑ Storm Front at AllMusic
  8. ↑ Boren, Ray (January 19, 1989). "'STORM FRONT' BRINGS OUT THE POPULIST IN JOEL". Deseret News . Deseret News. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  9. ↑ Boehm, Mike (December 3, 1989). "Imitative Billy Joel Still Seeking Respectability : BILLY JOEL "Storm Front."". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  10. ↑ Williams, Simon (November 18, 1989). "LP - Long Play". New Musical Express . p. 34.
  11. ↑ Hiltbrand, David; Novak, Ralph; Abrahams, Andrew; Small, Michael (November 20, 1989). "Picks and Pans Review: Storm Front". People. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  12. ↑ John McAlley (November 30, 1989). "Music Reviews : Storm Front by Billy Joel". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 20, 2008.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (December 26, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  14. ↑ "BPI".
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Here's list of nominees from all 77 categories". Deseret News . January 12, 1990. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  16. ↑ Cromelin, Richard / Hunt Dennis (January 11, 1991). "Grammys—Round 1 : Pop music: Phil Collins' 8 nominations lead the pack and Quincy Jones sets a record with his 74th nod. The winners will be revealed on Feb. 20". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  17. ↑ Cromelin, Richard / Hunt Dennis (January 11, 1991). "Grammys—Round 1 : Pop music: Phil Collins' 8 nominations lead the pack and Quincy Jones sets a record with his 74th nod. The winners will be revealed on Feb. 20". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  18. ↑ "australian-charts.com Billy Joel – Storm Front". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Billy Joel – Storm Front – austriancharts.at" . Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Billboard". December 28, 1989.
  21. ↑ "RPM100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 51, no. 14. February 17, 1990. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  22. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Billy Joel – Storm Front". dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts . Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  23. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  24. ↑ "Album Search: Billy Joel" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved August 8, 2011.[ dead link ]
  25. ↑ "Tonlist Top 40". DV. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  26. ↑ ビリー・ジョエル-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of Storm Front by Billy Joel". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved August 29, 2011.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  27. ↑ "charts.nz – Billy Joel – Storm Front". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Billy Joel – Storm Front – hitparade.ch" . Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  29. ↑ "The Official Charts Company – Billy Joel – An Innocent Man". Official Charts Company . Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  30. ↑ Allmusic – Storm Front > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
  31. ↑
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  32. ↑ "End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Albums 1989". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  33. ↑ "UK best albums 1989". Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  34. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1990". RPM . Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  35. ↑ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl" . Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  36. ↑ "End Of Year Charts – Top 5 Albums 1990" . Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Billboard rates the top hits for 1990". Deseret News . Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  38. ↑ "Australian Top 50 Albums Chart (weekly chart)". ARIA Charts . April 8, 1990.
  39. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Billy Joel – Storm Front" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  40. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Billy Joel – Storm Front". Music Canada.
  41. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Billy Joel; 'Storm Front')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  42. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – ビリー・ジョエル – STORM FRONT" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.Select 1993年1月 on the drop-down menu
  43. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  44. ↑ "a-ビリー・ジョエル" [Yamachan Land (Japanese Chart Archives) – Albums Chart Daijiten – Billy Joel] (in Japanese). Original Confidence. December 30, 2007. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  45. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Billy Joel – Stormfront" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.Enter Stormfront in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1990 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  46. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Billy Joel – Storm Front". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  47. ↑ "British album certifications – Billy Joel – Storm Front". British Phonographic Industry.
  48. ↑ "American album certifications – Billy Joel – Storm Front". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.