Bruce Hornsby - Greatest Radio Hits
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CD Details
Artist: Bruce HornsbyEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2004-01-13
Music Label: RCA
Soundtracks:
- The Way It Is
- Mandolin Rain
- Every Little Kiss
- The Valley Road
- Look Out Any Window
- Jacob's Ladder
- The End of the Innocence
- Across the River
- Lost Soul
- Set Me in Motion
- Fields of Gray
- Walk in the Sun
- See the Same Way
- The Good Life
- Go Back to Your Woods
Music reviews of Greatest Radio Hits
Music Review: PIANO PRODIGY IN BLUE JEANS
Rating: 5 Stars
This review is dated May 2008.
Who is Bruce Hornsby? He is an exceptionally gifted pianist and composer who managed to escape the major radar beacon and appeared via a side door in a manner of speaking because he decided to join the popular music scene rather than become a classical concert pianist. Unlike the stuffy or pompous stereotype pianists that accompany orchestras, Bruce is just one of the guys. Noble in his modesty, he outshines the standard orchestra pianist because he can compose--very well indeed! Bruce was born 11/23/54 in Virginia & stands at 6 feet 4 inches tall. He went to Berklee College of Music in Boston and to the University of Miami School of Music. He decided to get into the popular music scene, started off with his band, The Range, and in 1986 he really knocked me out with his smash hit, "The Way It Is," which has a superb melody of uncommon beauty. This super-stunner pop/jazz-mix song has a VERY elegant, sophisticated, and extraordinary piano composition. In his astonishing and crystalline execution, his fingers dance across the keyboard--every note clear and sharp. I recognized that "The Way It Is" was very special and Bruce was a gifted pianist, but as I listened to his other works, I soon noticed he is beyond extraordinary. Bruce is not an average or ordinary musician-composer--he is an extraordinary peerless musician. He may not fit an exceptionally gifted musician (prodigy) stereotype in part because he chose to enter popular music, but he IS one, oh yes! I think he created his own particular genre of music which is within the times (popular), usually has a southern flair (bluegrass), melodious with subtle or less subtle jazz mix. Bruce is also a very astonishing jazz musician as well! He also has a very beautiful voice, and he can sing very well. He's got it all--including gorgeous piano fingers and hands--that too!
Just a few highlights and what to pay attention to in this CD:
#1 "The Way It Is"--Listen to those key strokes and melody! He couldn't have done it any better--a super masterpiece. Absolute perfection. This pop/jazz-mix song is Bruce's first and prime example of his astonishing creative music skills in coordinating popular music with a VERY refined jazz mix. Since a preliminary recording of this song was done in his garage in 1984 (heard in "Intersections") and he was born at the end of the year, I can safely say he must have composed "The Way It Is" when he was still in his 20's. Incredible.
#2 "Mandolin Rain" A fan favorite and a great song.
#4 "The Valley Road"--AWESOME musical embroidery. GREAT melody and a truly astonishing jazz solo that fits in so well (so masterfully coordinated), it's like exquisite lace embroidered into the melody of the song. The piano solo ending to the song gives the "embroidering" its finishing touches, its final adornment--ah, what an exquisite composition! Listen to it twice if you didn't appreciate it right away. Bruce hit BINGO with "The Way It Is" and its jazz mix, however, this song (melody w/piano composition) is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! You can watch him play both songs (as originally composed) on the video included in "Intersections!" Some people (I used to be one of those people) are so hung up on "The Way It Is" they fail to really want to listen to his other compositions, and many are truly masterpieces (and even more complex in piano playing). It's not only the ears, but what's between the ears that makes much difference in music appreciation and enjoyment.
#6 "Jacob's Ladder" Another beautiful original that seems to have been picked out from the pages of a traditional song book, but Bruce wrote it all right.
#8 "Across the River" Haunting melody, otherwordly guitar playing. I hear the piano in the background, but it's drowned out by the other instruments. However, if you listen carefully, you can hear Bruce play the piano. This is a MASTERPIECE song.
#9 "Lost Soul" This is a most beautiful slow song and a fan favorite. It took me a few takes to fully appreciate this song, but it is subtilely seductive.
#10 "Set Me In Motion" is a livelier song that kicks the spirits back into high gear.
#11 "Fields of Gray" is a great song about the reality of life and a fan favorite.
#12 "Walk In the Sun" Listen to his astonishing background piano and chords! Absolutely splendid!
#13 "See the Same Way" Ah, what a gorgeous song!! It certainly has a southern flair and Bruce has a really sensuous singing voice in this one. This is one of my favorites for sure. His great voice stands out in this one for sure.
#15 "Go Back To Your Woods" Upbeat and funny song. This is a really good one!!
Listen to the superb majesty (notably the stunning & prodigious piano composition) of "The End Of the Innocence" in Don Henley's album, "The End Of the Innocence." Bruce co-wrote the song--he handed Don a tape with the piano chords & composition, making "the rest" a "no brainer" (Don's words) for Don Henley. If you haven't really listened to the original, please do so (it's Bruce playing the piano!). In this Radio Hits CD, Bruce does a live version of this song & jazzes it up a notch, he's busy singing while in the original recording, Don Henley sings & Bruce is busy playing the piano, thus he misses the target because the original recording is best. (I fell IN LOVE with this song & its piano composition back in the 90's & bought Don Henley's album. At that time, I didn't read who was playing the piano--well, NO WONDER I liked it!!! Bruce's music was trailing me, and I was able to get past "The Way It Is" & didn't even realize it!)
The studio recordings are always perfect to superb. His compositions are absolutely perfect to extra superb.
Did Beethoven sing? Bruce can sing VERY well, and I find Bruce's voice really great--sometimes it is downright gorgeous and sensuous, and with his musical genius, I will never notice if his voice is ever less than perfect--sometimes that happens, and I certainly don't care. His especially gorgeous and sensuous voice AND really excellent singing skills do stand out now and then--in his two albums "Spirit Trail," and in other albums you will often hear a particularly gorgeous and sensuous Bruce.
This CD is a sampling of some great works of an evolving artist. This is not a complete collection of his best works by a long shot. However, this CD is a very good start for folks who are new to Bruce as well as for established fans who want to have these songs in one CD. This CD has some really astonishing pieces and my favorite of all, "The Way It Is," but like Bob Dylan, Bruce's best works are not necessarily ONLY his radio hits. Many best works are to be found in his albums and recorded favorites during live performances--since he is such a master improviser sometimes greatly improving his original songs. Bruce freed himself from the constrictions of what was becoming a parody (his judgment--the sound of his first albums), and therefore uncompromisingly allowed himself creative freedom. He did not compromise his piano or music skills even when a few suggested to "dumb it down" for the popular music scene. Like rays of the sun that stream thru fissures of window blinds, glimpses of Bruce's extraordinary piano abilities can be witnessed as one listens to his CDs. Many songs do include lots of piano or organ--in the CD set "Spirit Trail" there are many such songs as well as in other albums. Besides my two above favorites w/piano solos, some downright prodigious or magnificent piano solos can be found in "Song H" (the entire song is a piano solo), "Circus On the Moon" from the CD "Halcyon Days" (which has an unequivocal prodigious piano solo), "Pastures Of Plenty" & "What A Time" from the CD "Harbor Lights" among many other songs. It seems Bruce is comfortable letting loose at the piano keyboard during live performances. Some songs are magnificent without lots of piano. Bruce's lyrics to all his songs, which are always exceptionally intelligent, very mysterious, richly insightful, piercing, and at times playful and funny are located in the insert of the original CDs. On his website, Bruce keeps his fans posted on his latest projects and achievements (Bruce has very loyal fans). If you are new to Bruce, and if you like at least a few of these pieces, it is indeed worth proceeding to his other CDs.
Come join me as I go through his albums and witness his uncompromising Category F5 tornado skills at the piano keyboard and some really superb compositions. I got this Radio Hits album in 2004, and it was the only album I had of Bruce until now, and all the other albums & videos of Bruce were purchased and listened to at the time of my reviews. I got a few REAL surprises!
I lost this review that was originally dated May 2008, by a technical glitch while editing and saving just one word. After I realized my frustration was getting me nowhere, I re-wrote this review--it's almost the same as the original.
Personal note: I regret very deeply I abandoned piano when I was 19 with NO valid excuse (I ran off to Europe) causing my parents and later MYSELF much grief. Youth! Bruce & I are almost the same age & this hits me very hard.
Description of Greatest Radio Hits
First they went platinum...Now they're going green. Your best loved music in its simplest form. 20 best-selling "Greatest Hits" & "Best of" collections now available in a new eco-friendly package. 1CD in card wallet packaging - no plastic, no booklet - just great music! Booklets are available online through a unique URL on the package.Classic Rock CDs
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