The music world has been buzzing in recent weeks since Billy Joel released his first new single in many years and performed it at the 2024 Grammys. Although there’s no indication yet that “Turn the Lights Back On” is a harbinger of a new album, we can certainly hope. For now, Joel’s last album of original material is River of Dreams, released all the way back in 1993.
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At that time, the album sort of came and went, and most expected there would be more to come from the Piano Man. That hasn’t been the case, of course, leaving River of Dreams as perhaps the final statement of his singer/songwriter career. While we wait to see if that’s really going to be the case, we can look back at the five best songs from this excellent record.
5. “Two Thousand Years”
Although the turn of the millennium was still seven years away when River of Dreams arrived, it was clearly on Joel’s mind when he wrote this song. He talks about humankind being at the crossroads of time, and he wonders if the cyclical nature of history will continue. Or, could humankind possibly enact some kind of lasting change for the future? The song eventually skews hopeful, with Joel singing at his highest register about a kind of restart for the world: We’re on the verge of all things new / After two thousand years.
4. “River of Dreams”
The title track coasted into the Top 5, although subsequent songs from the album didn’t have nearly as much commercial impact. (Joel has cited that failure as one of the reasons he decided to stop putting out new records.) It’s refreshing to hear how easygoing he is on the track, as he slips into gospel mode quite effortlessly on the piano (no surprise there) and with his vocals (maybe a bit of a surprise). What’s striking is how Joel addresses the issues of faith that confront him in the song by admitting he doesn’t have the answers. But he’s willing to take the journey to find them out.
3. “No Man’s Land”
Most true Billy Joel fans like to hear him get cheesed off about something, and that’s certainly the case on the River of Dreams album-opener. Joel’s piano stays mostly in the background here, as he opts instead for tough guitars, courtesy of Leslie West (of Mountain fame) and Danny Kortchmar. He concentrates on spitting what he sees as the truth about the state of the world through clenched teeth. Even though there’s a dated reference or two in there, most of his complaints still hold a lot of relevance today. Some guys get more eloquent as they get angrier, and Joel certainly proves he’s among that company on “No Man’s Land.”
2. “Famous Last Words”
These are the last words I have to say, Joel sings on the album’s closing track. Not many of us heard the message, but he was sort of giving away his plan to step away from the whole pop-star thing in these lyrics. The song speaks beautifully of seasons ending and the desire to simply savor life instead of trying to stay ahead of it. It’s driven along by some earthy rhythmic piano playing, and features Joel singing with palpable feeling. There will be other words some other day, he promises. Maybe, with the new song, that day is finally arriving.
1. “Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)”
Rock music is glutted with songs by artists about their children, so it’s no small thing to say that Joel’s entry into that canon is one of the absolute finest. First, you have that aching melody, and the tenderness of the strings weaving around the piano and vocal. Meanwhile, Joel hits all the right emotional notes. As reassuring as he wishes to be to his daughter, you can sense the helplessness that all dads feel when they realize that they can’t entirely protect their kids from the world. The overriding message of love’s enduring power through time wins the day, however, and wins our hearts along the way as well.
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