LP Lookback: Billy Joel’s ‘Turnstiles’ Released May of 1976 Turns 48 This Month, We Celebrate The Classic LP

“You know those lights were bright on Broadway… That was so many years ago,” Billy Joel, “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)”

I’m not big on social media although it would probably help B&V if I was more active. Truth be told I only joined a few platforms so I could keep up with the rock n roll artists and bands that I like. You apparently don’t exist if you’re not on social media and despite what my family would say, I’m not a caveman, so I’m out there. It was on social media this week that I saw an interview with Billy Joel about his classic fourth album, Turnstiles, where Joel talked about the album turning 48 this May. Oddly, ever since I’d posted about Joel’s first new song in decades “Turn The Lights Back On” earlier this year, I’ve been thinking about Turnstiles.

I didn’t really get into Billy Joel until my roommate Drew turned me onto him when I was in college. I was more of a Springsteen guy. Although my parents actually owned Piano Man on vinyl and they owned precious few albums. My brother was a fan and owned Glass Houses and I remember going into his room in high school to listen to that album and thinking it was a damn good record. Later, Drew turned me onto several of those great 1970s era Joel albums like The Stranger and 52nd Street. I don’t know what kept me away from Billy Joel until college… maybe it was the piano. I always thought you needed a guitar to be rock n roll, much like the Rock Chick insists the Hammond B3 organ doesn’t belong in rock n roll…I’m working on that. Clearly I was wrong way back when. 

One of the first albums that Drew turned me onto was Joel’s fabulous fourth album Turnstiles. Although at the time I think we all thought that was his third album. Billy’s first album, Cold Spring Harbor, was largely forgotten and out of print only to be re-released in ’83. It had been mastered incorrectly at the wrong speed and sank like a stone upon it’s release despite boasting the song “She’s Got A Way.” That was in 1971 and to get out of his record label Billy moved to L.A. and started playing piano in a cocktail lounge under the name Billy Martin which ended up being the inspiration for quite a song… 

It wasn’t until 1973’s aforementioned Piano Man that the world would hear from Billy Joel again. Of course, the title track was a hit. There was a lot of pressure for a follow up and Joel released Streetlife Serenade in 1974. While I always considered that album a bit “under-baked,” I always liked “Los Angelenos” and “The Entertainer.” Both of those albums were recorded in Los Angeles and Joel was backed on the albums by studio musicians instead of his touring band. Billy grew up on Long Island and is a New Yorker to the core. When Gerald Ford refused to use Federal funds to bail out a bankrupt New York City, Billy in L.A., saw the famous headline from 1975, “Ford To City: Drop Dead.” At that point Joel decided, it’s time to go home to NY.

Moving from Los Angeles to New York wasn’t the only change for Joel. He demanded to use his backing band instead of studio musicians for his next album. Actually he originally attempted the songs in Colorado backed by a few guys from Elton John’s backing band (Nigel Olsson, drums; Dee Murray, bass) but he wasn’t happy with the results. But back in New York, Joel took over production and let his band play – Russell Javors, Howie Emerson (guitars); Doug Stegmeyer (bass); and most importantly Liberty DeVito (drummer, extraordinaire). As Joel mentioned Turnstiles is a celebration of getting out of L.A., which Joel disliked, and returning to NY. When he said that in the interview I watched, I rushed to my turntable and listened through that lens and realized this album borders on a concept album it’s so focused on that theme.

I’ve always wondered why Turnstiles wasn’t Billy Joel’s big breakthrough album. I actually started considering this and was thinking it was his third album when I posted my Artists Who’s Third Album Was The Charm. Then I remembered Cold Spring Harbor. Anyway, this album has some of Billy Joel’s most iconic songs. “New York State Of Mind” is the heart of the whole, “I’m  home,” theme of this thing. Billy once said whenever he performs with Springsteen that it’s the song Bruce wants to perform. Another favorite of mine – which I think used to be Joel’s opener at concerts – is “Prelude/Angry Young Man.” I defy you to listen to that piano pounding intro and not stand up and scream, “Fuck yeah!” My absolute favorite track on the album is “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” (whose title has lost it’s “futuristic” vibe in 2024), an apocalyptic vision of the “future” where New York is evacuated. I’ll admit the definitive version is probably on Joel’s great live LP, Songs From The Attic.

Beyond those iconic tracks are a bunch of great deep tracks. “Say Goodbye To Hollywood” was covered by legend Ronnie Spector backed by the E Street Band. Seriously, check that version of the song out too. “Summer, Highland Falls,” is lyrically one of Joel’s best songs. I’ve always been fond of the line from that song, “They say that these are not the best of times, But they’re the only times I’ve ever known.” And there’s the song, “All You Wanna Do Is Dance,” about the struggles all young men have… that one made my Playlist: Songs About Dancing For Wallflowers, Like Me. “I’ve Loved These Days,” is actually another, more sarcastic farewell to L.A. Billy clearly did not love those L.A. days. “James” about more buttoned down, traditional white collar friend who played his life safe, is the only track that I’m not utterly fond of, but it’s not bad.

Turnstiles had all the ingredients for a breakthrough record? What went wrong? Yes, naturally… I have a theory. I think Billy Joel blew it in terms of the running order of the songs. He buries “New York State Of Mind” at the end of side 1 (talking vinyl). He buries “Prelude/Angry Young Man” and “Miami 2017” in the middle of side 2? I get it, to stay true to the theme he felt he had to start with “Say Goodbye To Hollywood,” but I would have opened with “Prelude/Angry Young Man” and then segued into “Miami 2017.” That would have been an opening punch. At the very least, move “I’ve Loved These Days” to the end – bookending the album with sarcastic goodbyes to L.A. – and move “James down behind the aforementioned “Prelude/Angry” and “Miami” to begin side 2. Those few adjustments would have completely changed the trajectory of this album, in my opinion.

My quibbles about the running order of the album aside, Turnstiles is the first great Billy Joel album. After that album he hit his stride. He didn’t put out a bad album until, really, River Of Dreams. Although admittedly, I’ve never been a fan of that “Uptown Girl,” “Tell Her About It” stuff… but a lot of people liked that record when it came out.

If you haven’t given Billy Joel’s Turnstiles a listen – or if you haven’t given it a spin for a long time – it’s absolutely time to pull this record out – on it’s birthday month no less – and turn it up loud. I’m not even from New York and he’s got me wanting to eat a slice of pizza and put on an “I Heart NY” shirt and tell a stranger to fuck off…which is likely a horrible characterization of a New Yorker. Billy Joel is such a great artists and we need to celebrate artists like him whenever we can. I just love this record…so why not celebrate with a listen today?

Cheers!