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Glass Houses
Rock · 1980 · 6 tracks

Glass Houses

Billy Joel

A sharp, guitar-driven pivot toward new wave and power pop. Snappy hooks and lean arrangements strip away the orchestration for a harder, urban edge.

March 12, 1980 · Columbia

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A punchy, self-assured blend of suburban frustration and rock-and-roll swagger.

Tracklist · 6 Tracks
02
Sometimes a Fantasy
3:39
06
I Don’t Want to Be Alone
3:54
07
Sleeping With the Television On
2:59
08
C’était toi (You Were the One)
3:20
09
Close to the Borderline
3:45
10
Through the Long Night
2:45
Moments Worth Listening For
The literal sound of a rock shattering a window that kicks off the entire album's aggressive pivot.
The frantic, rhythmic heavy breathing and telephone sound effects that drive the tension in Sometimes a Fantasy.
The sudden shift to French lyrics in C’était toi, providing a momentary soft-focus contrast to the record's harder edges.
Reviews
AllMusic
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Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Glass Houses sound next to the rest of Billy Joel's catalogue?

Identity+2.8σ

The writing leans far further into identity than the rest of the catalogue.

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