Billy Joel – Glass Houses (2LP, 45RPM, Ultra Analog, Half-speed Mastering)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Billy Joel – vocals, acoustic piano, electric pianos, synthesizers, accordion, harmonica [click here to see more vinyl featuring Billy Joel]
Richie Cannata – organs, saxophones, flute
David Brown – acoustic and electric guitars (lead)
Russell Javors – acoustic and electric guitars (rhythm)
Doug Stegmeyer – bass guitar
Liberty DeVitto – drums and percussion
All songs written by Billy Joel.
2 LP, gatefold jacket
Limited numbered edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Half-speed Mastering
Gain 2™ Ultra Analog
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : unspecified
Label : MOFI
Original Label : Columbia
Recorded in 1979 at A&R Recording, New York City
Engineered by Jim Boyer
Produced by Phil Ramone
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, New York
Originally released in March 1980
Reissued in 2013
Tracks:
Side A:
- You May Be Right
- Sometimes A Fantasy
Side B:
- Don't Ask Me Why
- It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
- All For Leyna
Side C:
- I Don't Want To Be Alone
- Sleeping With The Television On
- C'etait Toi (You Were The One)
Side D:
- Close to the Borderline
- Through The Long Night
Reviews :
“The back-to-back success of The Stranger and 52nd Street may have brought Billy Joel fame and fortune, even a certain amount of self-satisfaction, but it didn't bring him critical respect, and it didn't dull his anger. If anything, being classified as a mainstream rocker -- a soft rocker -- infuriated him, especially since a generation of punks and new wave kids were getting the praise that eluded him. He didn't take this lying down -- he recorded Glass Houses. Comparatively a harder-rocking album than either of its predecessors, with a distinctly bitter edge, Glass Houses still displays the hallmarks of Billy Joel the pop craftsman and Phil Ramone the world-class hitmaker. Even its hardest songs -- the terrifically paranoid "Sometimes a Fantasy," "Sleepin' With the Television On," "Close to the Borderline," the hit "You May Be Right" -- have bold, direct melodies and clean arrangements, ideal for radio play. Instead of turning out to be a fiery rebuttal to his detractors, the album is a remarkable catalog of contemporary pop styles, from McCartney-esque whimsy ("Don't Ask Me Why") and arena rock ("All for Leyna") to soft rock ("C'etait Toi [You Were the One]") and stylish new wave pop ("It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," which ironically is closer to new wave pop than rock). That's not a detriment; that's the album's strength. The Stranger and 52nd Street were fine albums in their own right, but it's nice to hear Joel scale back his showman tendencies and deliver a solid pop/rock record. It may not be punk -- then again, it may be his concept of punk -- but Glass Houses is the closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.” AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Ultra Analog™ : The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ Series stems from the use of the Gain 2 system, mastered at half speed from the original master tapes where possible, capturing and uncovering as before undiscovered sonic information.
Half-speed mastering. In half-speed mastering, the whole process is slowed down to half of the original speed. A typical 33 1/3 rpm record is cut at 16 2/3 rpm. The source material is also slowed down (reducing the pitch in the process) meaning the final record will still sound normal when played back. Slowing the whole process down allows more time, which means the end result sounds better and is more efficient — allowing engineering to minimize the effects of inherent limitations within the vinyl format. The result is a more accurate and more open high-frequency response in the half speed vinyl when compared with a normal speed recording.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4 / 5 , Discogs : 4.54 / 5