Turnstiles

Piano Man hit a high point of songwriting, keyboard prowess, and musical connectivity with Turnstiles, an exploration of transitions. The entire album can be seen as a song cycle, exploring Joel's own past, present, and imagined future. It begins with the Spector homage "Say Goodbye to Hollywood." Midway through, "New York State of Mind," in all its piano grace, embraces his return to the Empire State. The album concludes with a sweeping homage "I've Loved These Days" segueing into the rocking (by Joel standards) "Miami 2017 (I’ve Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" which imagines his future in the Sunshine State following the destruction of Manhattan. Joel himself wrestled with identity, adulthood and success against the passage of time. The manic piano prelude to his "Prelude/Angry Young Man" contains equal parts virtuosity and pomposity...just like the subject of the song. Unsure where he stands, in "Summer, Highland Falls" (a gorgeous ballad), Joel sings "It's either sadness or euphoria." On Turnstiles, he spits out equal shares of both.