I wasn't a huge Springsteen fan when this album came out on October 10, 1980 (I was 15 at the time). I was familiar with him, especially "Born to Run". I think I really knew him as “the guy who wrote Blinded by the Light as sung by the Manfred Mann’s Earth Band”. Hungry Heart was the first single released from the album and it really hit me for two reasons. One, I had just gone through a breakup with some girl and two, it was such a great song. The music was so upbeat but the lyrics were kind of sad. Every time I heard that song on the radio, I had to stop what I was doing and listen. I finally decided to buy the album and what an album! It was a double set covered inside with pictures of the band and the lyrics were included in the album! No more replaying a song over and over to decipher the lyrics. It was the fun rock songs on the album that caught my attention first, Cadillac Ranch, Ramrod, You Can Look and of course my all time favorite, I’m a Rocker! But as I listened to the entire album, I discovered another Springsteen, the reflective one who spoke about America through the eyes of regular people. Fade Away, Stolen Car and of course The River all spoke of people who hadn’t found their dreams and or maybe had dreams snatched away by fate, bad luck or lost love. This album made me a Springsteen FANATIC. How great is this album. I can proudly say that not only did I buy the album, I have also bought the 8 Track, the Cassette, the Compact Disc AND I have the entire album downloaded to my IPOD! If you want to start an 80’s album collection, you can’t go wrong by starting it with this one and if you have an 80’s album collection but don’t have this album, well your album collection just ain’t complete!

His first album and I really thought it was great. "Ricky" (A parody of "Mickey" by Toni Basil) was the song that got me interested in him in the first place. I first saw the video on MTV when I was really little and noticed that it was a parody. I didn't realize intil a couple of months ago that he shaved his mustache off to play "Ricky". WOW! "I Love Rocky Road"(A parody of "I Love Rock 'n Roll" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts) soon followed and it was great video. I think his #1 song from that album is "Another One Rides The Bus".(A parody of "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen)

If you were a metal fan in the 80s and don't own a copy of 'Electric', then you must have spent all of '87 in bed with the sheets over your head sound asleep. From begining to end, this album ROCKS!! 'Love Removal Machine', 'Peace Dog', 'Electric Ocean' and 'King Contrary Man' are just a few of the songs that will leave you convulsing long after you stop listening. 11 out of 10.

By the time this album was released, Billy Joel had turned 40. The album has an even more mature, adult contemporary sound to it, in comparison to his last two, but there is much to like about the "Storm Front" album From the pure rock opener "That's Not Her Style" through to the beautiful "And So It Goes" Joel shows us, once again, his incredible songwriting and general musicality. Highlights include the wonderful folk like "Downeaster 'Alexa'" where he cleverly captures the "feel of the boat" in a song dedicated to the hardworking fishermen, in his home land of Long Island, who don't know if they'll have a job, tomorrow. There's the typical Joel Rockers "I Go To Extremes" and the title song. There's the true story ballad "Leningrad" and of course the big hit "We Didn't Start the Fire," where Joel gives us a history lessons of events during his life time. Joel has some new musicians on this album, only retaining his long time drummer Liberty Divitto and guitarist David Brown (although Sax player Mark Revera would join them on tour) which again gives the album a real , up to date sound . The album is co- produced by Mick Jones of Foreigner who brings some fresh ideas to the Joel sound. Obviously, this is a much more serious set of songs, not a fun album like "Innocent Man" or "52nd Street" but I don't think it's intended to be and that's what I like most about Billy Joel, his ability to come up with different concepts on each album.

Even though, Joel ended the 70's in triumph with two of his best albums , the 80's was where he grabbed his best success. When 1980 arrived, Rock had changed style to a more matured sound. The early 80's were known for rock guitar and synthersizer and this was certainly the case on Joel's first 80's offering contained that. More guitar than piano in fact and lots of synthersizer. One of Joel's hardest rock songs 'You May Be Right' opens the album, which immediately gives the impression of a totally different style to that found on the last album. Joel continues the hard rock theme with the next song 'Sometimes a Fantasy' and the first of the synthersizer songs, this song is reminicsant of the Cars. There is , of course, the big seller, 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me', which Joel gives us his impression of "music labels" and "the critics," people he never made friends. Other songs of note here include 'All for Leyna', 'Sleeping With the Television On', both showing that Joel can easily stay in fashion without losing any of his hall marks. 'Don't Ask Me Why' is the odd one out, a piano driven piece a la 'Piano Man', however, it demonstrates Joel's musicianship has vastly improved since then, it is a very well crafted song , including a wonderful piano driven bridge. This song is another one of my personal favourites. The closer 'Through the Long Night' is a nice love ballad with harmonies in a minor key. This is not my favourate Billy Joel album, but it does demonstrates that at the time , the Piano Man/entertainer/Stranger had grown up.

Okay, you take the horn arrangements of the Blues Brothers + the R&B sound of the Spencer Davis Group + Steve Winwood's well known pop and you get 'Roll With It', an album worth purchasing. The title track will get you singing. You will dance to the great beat of 'Holding On', Put On Your Dancing Shoes', 'Hearts on Fire' and 'Shining Song'. There are also songs with the slower beat fans know in 'The Morning Side and 'One More Morning'. 'Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?' is one of the greatest songs on the album.

Last great 80s album, first classic of the early 90s and definitely one of the New Order's finest.

Influenced by the modern electronic sounds coming from Ibiza, half of the album ('Fine Time', 'Round & Round', 'Mr. Disco', 'Vanishing Point') is a brilliant blend of their "traditional" electronic sound with the modern one which coudn't have existed without their revolutionary singles from the early 80's.

Second half shows New Order doing what they were really best at: crafting brilliant guitar-driven alternative pop songs, and these five songs ('All the Way', 'Love Less', 'Guilty Partner', 'Run', 'Dream Attack') are definitely their best, and perhaps best five guitar-driven pop songs of the whole decade. Incorporating brilliant melodies, they sum up the best of the 80's alternative pop sensibility, and on the other hand opening the music landscapes for the 90's, something that Joy Division did in the late 70's for the 80's.

Brilliant album in all of the aspects, one that sounds as fresh today as it sounded back in the time of release.

Definitely 10 out of 10.

P.S. please, excuse me on my not so perfect english.

This album is THE album! It broke into the mainstream and gave the opportunity of so many great bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden to give us all such great and memorable music. Let's start off with the album opener, 'From Out of Nowhere'. Great, poppy song that everyone should know. Next, there's 'Epic', that song that everyone who grew up around that time knows. All the way through this album is perfection, and Mike Patton's voice is AMAZING. Sure it's a little annoying, but hey, it suited the album well. Not only that, but he was sooo cute with that long hair... All I gotta say is anyone who's a fan of great music has got to get this album.

After the "torture" that was "The Nylon Curtain" Billy wanted to kick back and enjoy himself on his next album. The result a classic album entitled "An innocent Man" This album is by far Joel's most enjoyable album presented as a tribute to the 50's Music that Joel grew up with Elements of James Brown, Franki Valli and Neil Sedaka are here and the recording shows Joel is really enjoying himself , probably because he was generally happy at the time as he was about to marry a beautiful model!!! There are too many examples to mention but it shows Joel has come of age with this wonderful Potpouri of simple songs which helped bring back old memories but still make it sound like it belongs in the 80's Big hits galore here "Uptown Girl, Tell her about it, An innocent man, The longest time, leave a tender moment alone, keeping the Faith" Billy even uses a touch of Beethoven on "This Night" This is a great example of the Musical Genius of Billy Joel, and if you're a fan and don't have this album in your collection, get it NOW. If you're not a fan Get it NOW!!!!

"This almost killed me" Joel once said of 'The Nylon Curtain'. Joel had been recovering from injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident when he began recording this album which was his most complex album to date. The songs were about hard core issues such as the Vietnam War, drugs and relationships. The meaning of some of the songs here are hard to understand but some of Joel's most assured work is on this album. Hit songs in 'Allentown', 'Goodnight Saigon' and 'Pressure' are here plus the best two songs on the album 'Scandanavian Skies' (don't know what it's about lyrically but uses similar string sounds as that on the Beatles 'Strawberry Fields Forever') and the beautiful 'Where's the Orhestra'. Yes , lyrically, it's hard to know the theme, but musically it's an inventive and mature sound. It wasn't as successful as previous albums but actually got fairly good reviews which was somewhat of a breakthrough for Joel who didn't fare well with the critics.