Bruce Hornsby - Big Swing Face [Album]

RCA Records

July 27, 2009, 06:20 PM

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Almost anyone reading this review will have heard of Bruce Hornsby. His 1986 hit, “The Way It Is,” hit #1 and the album went multi-platinum. He also won a Grammy that year for Best New Artist, beating out Nu Shooz, Timbuk3, Glass Tiger, and Simply Red (they got it right that year, at least). His second album had some minor hits, but wasn’t such a smash.

In 1988, Bruce Hornsby started touring with the Grateful Dead, which he continued to do until Jerry’s death in 1995. He penned Don Henley’s 1989 hit "The End of the Innocence." He has released literally dozens of live and studio albums, played with a stunning roster of Rock, Jazz, and Country legends, but since that first album, despite having a loyal fan base and a successful career in the music industry, he hasn’t had another radio hit. To be honest, he kind of dropped off my radar and I hadn’t really thought about him in a long time.

A few years ago, a friend of mine raved about Bruce Hornsby, showed me his collection of CDs and insisted he is a remarkable playing and songwriting talent. My friend lent me one of his CDs and I spun it.

I have to say, I am converted. Bruce Hornsby is an amazing songwriter and can still play a piano with a thick and heady Jazz-influenced Pop style that really draws you in. The disc my friend lent me was his somewhat experimental 2002 release, ‘Big Swing Face.’ This album actually features the piano a bit less than most of his discs and he plays a lot more with beats, loops, and synthesizer. The modern production techniques he uses on this album add a lot of interest to already cool songs. I ripped 4 songs from this release to my iPod, none of which appear on YouTube. Listen to these samples, though.

• Sticks & Stones – The lyrics are fantastic and the synth oozes through layered, syncopated percussion. This is my favorite track from this disc.
• Big Swing Face – Not the Buddy Rich tune. A busy rhythm backs electric piano and other synth keys and a joyful vocal melody from Bruce. This is a danceable tune.
• The Good Life – This one reminds me of vintage Bruce, but true to the rest of this album, the keys are mostly synthesized. I’m not sure what was going on in Bruce’s life at this time, but many of the songs are happy. I believe things were good for Bruce in 2001 and the songs reflect it.
• Place Under the Sun – He rocks this one, at least at the chorus. The verses feature some stream-of-consciousness rhyming with a great minor harmony.

I was fortunate enough to see Bruce Hornsby live a couple summers ago at a relatively small local outdoor venue. I have to recommend his live show if you have a chance to catch him. His time playing with the Grateful Dead taught him a lot, I think, about showmanship. I mean, I don’t care how good you are, a stint with the Dead is bound to improve your live performance. Anyway, it was a great show start to finish.

If you like this, you might want to delve into his other releases. I’m not sure why he fell out of the public ear, but in my opinion he never stopped putting out great music.

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