A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (The Music)

In 1987, Billy Joel was invited to be the first American rocker to perform in Russia. He performed six shows in Moscow and Leningrad and an acoustic show in Tbilisi, Georgia, and the 1987 live album Kohuept documented the event. In 2014, A Matter of Trust—The Bridge to Russia: The Music expands on this original souvenir, adding 12 previously unreleased performances. Among those newly added are “She’s Always a Woman,” “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” “The Longest Time,” “Pressure,” “It’s Still Rock ’n’ Roll to Me,” “You May Be Right,” “New York State of Mind,” and “Piano Man.” A cover of The Beatles’ “She Loves You” was recorded during rehearsals. The performances are powerful and sometimes overexpressive, since Joel was clearly trying to break through cultural differences. Naturally, Joel’s cover of “Back in the U.S.S.R.” is a riveting exhibition, and the audience clearly enjoys being included in the festivities.