Bruce Hornsby and the Range made a spectacular musical debut. ”The Way It Is” is a poignant, soulful, and powerful album with a flawless tracklist, beautiful melodies, feel-good rock numbers, phenomenal ballads, and socially conscious tunes such as the title track. There isn’t a minute of ”The Way It Is” that suggests it’s a debut album. The album was an instant classic, one of the most complete and cherished recordings of the 1980s that went on to win the 1986 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Not since Elton John and Billy Joel came along, had a piano player made such a major impact on the pop/rock music scene.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that the music is so accomplished, Hornsby was already a consummate musician and songwriter when he made it. The record presented a unique, fresh sound, distinguished by Hornsby’s remarkable, whimsical piano playing. ”The Way It Is” was unlike anything else on the radio at the time, a combination of pop, rock, folk, jazz, classical, bluegrass and country music. The band incorporates a wide range of instruments in the songs to support this mix – mandolin, guitar, violin, piano, and even harmonica. The songwriting is fantastic, Hornsby paints vivid portraits of life in the mountain ranges, winding rivers, jagged coasts, towering forests, and stretching farmlands of his beloved Virginia. He maintains a hopeful outlook for love and happiness even during tough times both emotionally and economically.
Fellow musician Huey Lewis is featured on the album, lending his harmonica and vocal talents to the track, ”Down the Road Tonight”. Lewis also helped produce the song, along with the track, ”The Long Race” and ”The River Runs Low”.
INCLUDES the HITS!
”The Way It Is,” ”Mandolin Rain” and ”Every Little Kiss”
Producer Bruce Hornsby, Huey Lewis, Elliot Scheiner
Mastered for this recording by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
180g Vinyl pressed at RTI
Packaged: Gatefold jacket (28 pt)
The liner notes contain all of the lyrics.
”Hornsby’s Smashing Debut…An iconic musical Americana…A Perfect Album!”
SKU/UPC: 780014407216
CAT. #: eXLP1-44072
Label: Exhibit Records
Genre: Soft Rock, Pop Rock
Release Date: 3/24/2015
Track listing:
A1 On The Western Skyline 4:39
A2 Every Little Kiss 5:46
A3 Mandolin Rain 5:21
A4 The Long Race 4:28
B1 The Way It Is 4:57
B2 Down The Road Tonight 4:26
B3 The Wild Frontier 4:01
B4 The River Runs Low 4:26
B5 The Red Plains 5:08
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