| Product Summary | | Label: Cbs/epic/wtg Records | | UPC: 00827969265222 | | Release Date: 8/17/2004 | | Buy.com Sku: 61702476 | | Item#: MGMNVW | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 25050 | Format:  CD |
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| Bruce Hornsby's first Columbia Records release, Halcyon Days, features Sting on a duet with Bruce on the lead track, "Gonna Be Some Changes Made" as well as on the title track. Elton John does the honors on "Dreamland". Eric Clapton plays on three tracks and contributes vocals on "Candy Mountain Run." Additional guests include R.S. Hornsby and the Hornsby band is in full force - J.V. Collier, Sonny Emory, Bobby Read, Doug Derryberry, and John "JT" Thomas.
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Bruce Hornsby (vocals, piano, keyboards); Bruce Hornsby; R.S. Hornsby, R.S. Hornsby (guitar); Duoming Ba, Matthew Lehmann, Michael Roth, Dan Reed, Sarah Kim, Maryia Borozina, Jung Sun Yoo, Fiona Simon, Jeanne Ingram, Ayano Ninomiya, Soo Hyun Kwon, Myung Hi Kim, Sandra Park, Lisa Kim, Suzanne Ornstein, Laura Seaton, Sharon Yamada, Paul Woodiel (violin); Sue Pray, Dawn Hannay, David Creswell, Karen Dreyfus, Robert Rinehart, Vivek Kamath (viola); Elizabeth Dyson, Eileen Moon, Jeanne LeBlanc, Sarah Seiver (cello); J.V. Collier (bass guitar); Bonnie Bonaparte (percussion); James "Woody" Green, Ralph Payne, Woody Green, Ralph Payne (background vocals); Eric Clapton (vocals, guitar); Lloyd Jones (vocals, background vocals); Elton John, Sting (vocals); Doug Derryberry, Wayne Pooley (guitar); Bobby Read (clarinet); Sonny Emory (drums); Donnie Stuckey (background vocals); Peter Harris, John Thomas . | | Audio Mixers: Bruce Hornsby; Dagle; Tony Maserati. | | Recording information: Tossington Sound. | | Photographer: Sean Smith . | | Big Swing Face announced a new and improved Bruce Hornsby, one who wasn't afraid to "Try Anything Once." The lead track of Halcyon Days, "Gonna Be Some Changes Made" -- subtly echoing "The Way It Is" in its piano work -- continues this affirmation of progress. Too bad then that the rest of the album slowly works to erase this growth. Still, the first half of Halcyon Days, while much less ambitious than Big Swing Face, starts off promisingly enough. From the poppy "Changes" to the soothing title track, Hornsby delivers an agreeable, if overlong, set of songs. But the latter half quickly loses focus, stumbling with tracks like the attempted Randy Newman pastiche "What the Hell Happened?," the goofy "Heir Gordon" -- which both succumb to Hornsby's latter-day proclivity for piano noodling -- and "Song F," a seeming leftover from Spirit Trail. At his best, Hornsby is both an accomplished musician and a great storyteller, able to slip into the shoes of his characters, whether it's the lonely worker of "Every Little Kiss," the interracial couple in "Talk of the Town," or the strip-club doorman of "Walk in the Sun." But in many of Halcyon Days' songs, he often seems more interested in weird wordplay. What's missing is the sense of time and place, and the in-the-moment clarity that defines his classic songs. In its place is an off-putting cleverness. After the pleasant shock of Big Swing Face, Hornsby's follow-up is a strangely middling effort that won't win new fans or satiate the devoted. In its own restrained way, it's a bid for commercial airplay, with guest stars Elton John, Sting, and Eric Clapton all doing their part for the cause. But instead of the polished work it should be, Halcyon Days has the haphazard feel of a collection of outtakes and B-sides. ~ Skyler Miller | | Big Swing Face announced a new and improved Bruce Hornsby, one who wasn't afraid to "Try Anything Once." The lead track of Halcyon Days, "Gonna Be Some Changes Made" -- subtly echoing "The Way It Is" in its piano work -- continues this affirmation of progress, although Hornsby's growth is not sustained across the entire album. Still, the first half of Halcyon Days, while much less ambitious than Big Swing Face, starts off promisingly enough. From the poppy "Changes" to the soothing title track, Hornsby delivers an agreeable set of songs. In its own restrained way, it's a bid for commercial airplay, with guest stars Elton John, Sting, and Eric Clapton all doing their part for the cause. ~ Skyler Miller | | For his Columbia Records debut, HALCYON DAYS, Bruce Hornsby turned to his role as family man for inspiration. Written for one of Hornsby's sons struggling with self-esteem issues, "Dreamland" features the composer alternating solo verses with Elton John before the duo joins with gospel singer Lloyd Jones on this soothing lullaby. The gently pulsing, Bonnie Raitt-like title cut features Eric Clapton's warm guitar phrasing and Sting's burnished harmony vocals. | | Hornsby's spry skill on the keys continues to delight, as he struts his range on notable numbers, from the stride-piano nuances sprinkled throughout "What the Hell Happened" and the New Orleans-flavored "Heir Gordon" to the sparse yet string-laden solo instrumental "Song F." Best of all is the opening cut, "Gonna Be Some Changes Made," a snappy number bubbling over with chugging rhythms, drizzled piano notes, and crisp Clapton riffs. Almost two decades into his recording career, Bruce Hornsby here solidifies his status as one of pop's premier piano-playing singer/songwriters. |
Producer: Bruce Hornsby; Wayne Pooley; Wayne Pooley; Bruce Hornsby |
Engineer: Wayne Pooley; Kevin Halpin; Alan Douglas; Simon Climie; Matt Still; Brian Garten |
Musical Guests | | Eric Clapton | | Elton John | | Sting |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 08/17/2004 | | Original Release Date : 2004 | | Catalog ID : 92652 | | Label : Columbia (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00827969265222 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Rolling Stone (p.143)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "HALCYON DAYS is a winning balance of his tuneful and adventurous sides."Uncut (p.110)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "HALCYON DAYS finds Eric Clapton, Elton John an Sting helping out on an elegant collection of jazz-blues, emotive ballads and adult-rock." Down Beat (p.80)
- 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "[H]is keen ear for a good tune has turned him into a solo star of some standing..." Mojo (Publisher)
(p.116)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "Every song is a leisured exploration..." |
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