Bruce Hornsby Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Bruce Hornsby (born 23 November 1954 in Williamsburg, Virginia) is a singer/pianist best known for his song "The Way It Is", with the catchy refrain "That's just the way it is." Indeed the song was so catchy and socially conscious that it topped the American music charts in 1986, but not before becoming a huge hit in the UK. With the success of the single worldwide, the album of the same name would go multi-platinum and produce another top five hit with "Mandolin Rain". "Every Little Kiss" would do respectably well but the wave of fame continued to roll with the second album, Scenes From The Southside. Released in 1988, it featured such hits as "Look Out Any Window" and "The Valley Road". The song "Jacob's Ladder" was featured as well, having originally been written by Hornsby for musician friend Huey Lewis. Lewis' version became a number one hit from his album "Fore!". "Scenes..." was successful in its own right and it would also be the last to perform so well in the singles market.A Night On The Town was released in 1990. A change in style became apparent as the album was much more guitar driven, while the others were centered around Hornsby at the piano. After the album, the Range broke up with each member pursuing respective musically careers.
Hornsby would go on to release Harbor Lights in 1993, much to the delight of critics and fans. In 1995, Hot House was released. The jazz feelings that peppered the previous album would be expanded on here giving the album a constant uptempo party sound. As is typical with many Hornsby songs though, the underlying message behind the catchy tunes are often very dark. Murder, nuclear disaster, adultery, these dark themes and more can be found in many Honsby compositions. Casual listeners may not detect this at all, but his fans have come to know and appreciate it.
Three years later, Hornsby released a double album, Spirit Trails. Featuring a decidedly goofy picture of his uncle on the cover, the two disc collection blends instrumental tracks with the story telling, rock, jazz, and other musical forms Hornsby had dwelved into over his career.
It would not be until 2002 when he'd release a new album entitled Big Swing Face. During that gap Hornsby took the time to work with several Grateful Dead projects including "The Other Ones", released a live album in 2000 entitled Here Come The Noise Makers, and of course, did extensive touring. Big Swing Face was not recieved well by many. Hornsby wanted to experiment and did so by dropping the piano almost completely from the album and replacing it with synthesizers and drum beats. However, in 2004, the elements he enjoyed using from that album were combined with the more traditional piano stylings he developed for the album Halcyon Days. As of September 2004, he is currently touring Europe to promote it. With no signs of slowing down yet, Bruce Hornsby is a musician that's never cared about the radio play only about his adoring fans and his own growth as an artists.
Bruce Hornsby has also worked with many artists over the years including, Huey Lewis, Squeeze, Warren Zevon, Jerry Garcia, Don Henley, Chaka Khan, Béla Fleck, and Phil Collins to name a few.