BRUCE HORNSBY AND THE RANGE
''THE WAY IT IS''
APRIL 1986
43:04
**********
01 - On The Western Skyline 04:41
02 - Every Little Kiss 05:47 (Bruce Hornsby)
03 - Mandolin Rain 05:17
04 - The Long Race 04:23
05 - The Way It Is 04:57 (Bruce Hornsby)
06 - Down The Road Tonight 04:25
07 - The Wild Frontier 04:03
08 - The River Runs Low 04:28
09 - The Red Plains 05:01
Tracks By Bruce Hornsby, John Hornsby, Except 2, 5
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John Gilutin/Synthesizer
Sean Hopper/Synthesizer
Bruce Hornsby/Accordion, Dulcimer, Hammer Dulcimer, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals
Huey Lewis/Guest Artist, Harmonica, Vocals
David Mansfield/Guitar, Mandolin, Violin
George Marinelli/Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals
John Molo/Drums, Percussion
Joe Puerta/Bass, Vocals
**********
REVIEW/AMG
William Ruhlmann
There isn't a second of Bruce Hornsby & the Range's The Way It Is that suggests it's a debut album. On the contrary, the record sounds like the culmination of a band's efforts over many years. The group has a distinct sound of its own, often led by Hornsby's bright piano chords and elastic tenor, with cohesive and evocative arrangements; there is new age music here, as well as jazz and country, and the mixture is presented naturally by musicians who seem to have been playing with each other for some time. Similarly, the songwriting has its own flavor. Hornsby wrote seven of the nine songs with his brother John Hornsby, and they create their own world, a working-class environment of longing and loneliness set against the background of the Virginia Tidewater area. (The album cover displays a sepia-toned photograph of the band set over another photograph of the long Chesapeake Bay Bridge.) The lyrics are lightly poetic and restrained, for the most part. The exception is the title song (written by Bruce Hornsby alone), a brave if somewhat clumsily written attack on the heartless right-wing politics of the mid-'80s, as the U.S. suffered through a second Reagan administration determined to roll back civil rights gains. The boldness of the statement and the lovely piano theme more than compensate for the awkward writing, however, making the song one of the album's most memorable. And that's saying a lot when the competition includes the engaging "Mandolin Rain" and the appealingly romantic "Every Little Kiss" (Hornsby's other sole writing credit). Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that the music is so accomplished. Hornsby was no teenage neophyte when he made it, having kicked around the music business and gotten into his thirties, and the band includes such veterans as David Mansfield, who may be remembered as a member of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder troupe and the Alpha Band, as well as being a film composer. Sometimes a debut album just happens to be the first music most people get to hear by a mature talent, and that's the case here on the debut album of the year. (Bruce Hornsby & the Range went on to win the 1986 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.)
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Possessed of a breezy, nonchalant style that belies his technical gifts, pianist Bruce Hornsby writes powerful songs from the heart that touch on several distinctly American traditions: pop, jazz, bluegrass, and '60s soul. He worked for a while as a studio player and songwriter, and had his first hit in 1986 with the stirring and philosophical "The Way It Is." After that, he continued to release albums that honored his own muse rather than the marketplace, and put together various backing bands to suit the mood and style of the genres he works in. Hornsby has also maintained a close musical relationship with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead, having toured as a temporary member in the early '90s and collaborated on offshoot recordings and live shows.
The Way It Is
Bruce Hornsby was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, and grew up in that combination college town and tourist center, later attending the University of Miami and the Berklee School of Music. He then spent years playing in bars and sending demo tapes to record companies. In 1980, he and his brother (and songwriting partner) John Hornsby moved to Los Angeles, where they spent three years writing for 20th Century Fox. There Bruce Hornsby met Huey Lewis, who would eventually produce him and record his material. Hornsby finally signed his band, the Range, to RCA in 1985. Their debut album, The Way It Is, was released in April 1986. It eventually produced three Top 20 hits, the biggest of which was the socially conscious "The Way It Is," which featured Hornsby's characteristically melodic right-hand piano runs. The album stayed in the charts for almost a year and a half and sold two million copies. Hornsby & the Range won the Best New Artist Grammy Award for 1986.
Scenes from the Southside
Hornsby's second album, Scenes from the Southside, was not as successful as his debut, though it sold a million copies and produced the Top Ten single "The Valley Road." Hornsby also began to make his mark as a songwriter for others: Huey Lewis had a hit with his "Jacob's Ladder," as did Don Henley with "The End of the Innocence." Hornsby's third album, A Night on the Town (1990), found him trying to break out of his signature sound into other areas. It was less successful than its predecessors but, along with the pianist's extensive session work, it signaled his determination to tackle new musical challenges. Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and sideman in the early '90s, notably doing temporary duty in the Grateful Dead after their keyboardist, Brent Mydland, died in July 1990, and producing a comeback album for Leon Russell, an idol of Hornsby's. He also became the father of twin sons.
Harbor Lights
He finally turned in his fourth album, Harbor Lights, for release in 1993. This solo album, which did not feature his backup band, the Range, went gold, and Hornsby toured the U.S. and Canada through the end of the year. He followed it with a similar effort, Hot House, in July 1995, returning three years later with the double album Spirit Trail. Here Come the Noise Makers was issued in fall 2000. Since that time, Hornsby has released a handful of albums including Big Swing Face in 2002, Halcyon Days in 2004, the jazz-oriented Camp Meeting in 2007, and Levitate in 2009. Hornsby's most impressive playing has arguably been in live settings, though, as illustrated by the two-disc set Bride of the Noisemakers (released in 2011 and featuring concert performances from Hornsby and his band the Noisemakers recorded between 2007 and 2009), which put the band's impressive ability to jam in styles ranging from rock to jazz and bluegrass on full display. A live set with Ricky Skaggs, Cluck Ol' Hen, appeared at the end of the summer in 2013. Another live album, a double-disc set called Solo Concerts, appeared on Vanguard Records in August 2014.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
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''THE WAY IT IS''
APRIL 1986
43:04
**********
01 - On The Western Skyline 04:41
02 - Every Little Kiss 05:47 (Bruce Hornsby)
03 - Mandolin Rain 05:17
04 - The Long Race 04:23
05 - The Way It Is 04:57 (Bruce Hornsby)
06 - Down The Road Tonight 04:25
07 - The Wild Frontier 04:03
08 - The River Runs Low 04:28
09 - The Red Plains 05:01
Tracks By Bruce Hornsby, John Hornsby, Except 2, 5
**********
John Gilutin/Synthesizer
Sean Hopper/Synthesizer
Bruce Hornsby/Accordion, Dulcimer, Hammer Dulcimer, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals
Huey Lewis/Guest Artist, Harmonica, Vocals
David Mansfield/Guitar, Mandolin, Violin
George Marinelli/Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals
John Molo/Drums, Percussion
Joe Puerta/Bass, Vocals
**********
REVIEW/AMG
William Ruhlmann
There isn't a second of Bruce Hornsby & the Range's The Way It Is that suggests it's a debut album. On the contrary, the record sounds like the culmination of a band's efforts over many years. The group has a distinct sound of its own, often led by Hornsby's bright piano chords and elastic tenor, with cohesive and evocative arrangements; there is new age music here, as well as jazz and country, and the mixture is presented naturally by musicians who seem to have been playing with each other for some time. Similarly, the songwriting has its own flavor. Hornsby wrote seven of the nine songs with his brother John Hornsby, and they create their own world, a working-class environment of longing and loneliness set against the background of the Virginia Tidewater area. (The album cover displays a sepia-toned photograph of the band set over another photograph of the long Chesapeake Bay Bridge.) The lyrics are lightly poetic and restrained, for the most part. The exception is the title song (written by Bruce Hornsby alone), a brave if somewhat clumsily written attack on the heartless right-wing politics of the mid-'80s, as the U.S. suffered through a second Reagan administration determined to roll back civil rights gains. The boldness of the statement and the lovely piano theme more than compensate for the awkward writing, however, making the song one of the album's most memorable. And that's saying a lot when the competition includes the engaging "Mandolin Rain" and the appealingly romantic "Every Little Kiss" (Hornsby's other sole writing credit). Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that the music is so accomplished. Hornsby was no teenage neophyte when he made it, having kicked around the music business and gotten into his thirties, and the band includes such veterans as David Mansfield, who may be remembered as a member of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder troupe and the Alpha Band, as well as being a film composer. Sometimes a debut album just happens to be the first music most people get to hear by a mature talent, and that's the case here on the debut album of the year. (Bruce Hornsby & the Range went on to win the 1986 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.)
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Possessed of a breezy, nonchalant style that belies his technical gifts, pianist Bruce Hornsby writes powerful songs from the heart that touch on several distinctly American traditions: pop, jazz, bluegrass, and '60s soul. He worked for a while as a studio player and songwriter, and had his first hit in 1986 with the stirring and philosophical "The Way It Is." After that, he continued to release albums that honored his own muse rather than the marketplace, and put together various backing bands to suit the mood and style of the genres he works in. Hornsby has also maintained a close musical relationship with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead, having toured as a temporary member in the early '90s and collaborated on offshoot recordings and live shows.
The Way It Is
Bruce Hornsby was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, and grew up in that combination college town and tourist center, later attending the University of Miami and the Berklee School of Music. He then spent years playing in bars and sending demo tapes to record companies. In 1980, he and his brother (and songwriting partner) John Hornsby moved to Los Angeles, where they spent three years writing for 20th Century Fox. There Bruce Hornsby met Huey Lewis, who would eventually produce him and record his material. Hornsby finally signed his band, the Range, to RCA in 1985. Their debut album, The Way It Is, was released in April 1986. It eventually produced three Top 20 hits, the biggest of which was the socially conscious "The Way It Is," which featured Hornsby's characteristically melodic right-hand piano runs. The album stayed in the charts for almost a year and a half and sold two million copies. Hornsby & the Range won the Best New Artist Grammy Award for 1986.
Scenes from the Southside
Hornsby's second album, Scenes from the Southside, was not as successful as his debut, though it sold a million copies and produced the Top Ten single "The Valley Road." Hornsby also began to make his mark as a songwriter for others: Huey Lewis had a hit with his "Jacob's Ladder," as did Don Henley with "The End of the Innocence." Hornsby's third album, A Night on the Town (1990), found him trying to break out of his signature sound into other areas. It was less successful than its predecessors but, along with the pianist's extensive session work, it signaled his determination to tackle new musical challenges. Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and sideman in the early '90s, notably doing temporary duty in the Grateful Dead after their keyboardist, Brent Mydland, died in July 1990, and producing a comeback album for Leon Russell, an idol of Hornsby's. He also became the father of twin sons.
Harbor Lights
He finally turned in his fourth album, Harbor Lights, for release in 1993. This solo album, which did not feature his backup band, the Range, went gold, and Hornsby toured the U.S. and Canada through the end of the year. He followed it with a similar effort, Hot House, in July 1995, returning three years later with the double album Spirit Trail. Here Come the Noise Makers was issued in fall 2000. Since that time, Hornsby has released a handful of albums including Big Swing Face in 2002, Halcyon Days in 2004, the jazz-oriented Camp Meeting in 2007, and Levitate in 2009. Hornsby's most impressive playing has arguably been in live settings, though, as illustrated by the two-disc set Bride of the Noisemakers (released in 2011 and featuring concert performances from Hornsby and his band the Noisemakers recorded between 2007 and 2009), which put the band's impressive ability to jam in styles ranging from rock to jazz and bluegrass on full display. A live set with Ricky Skaggs, Cluck Ol' Hen, appeared at the end of the summer in 2013. Another live album, a double-disc set called Solo Concerts, appeared on Vanguard Records in August 2014.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
********************
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