Inside Bruce Hornsby's Unlikely Indie-Rock Resurgence - Rolling Stone

Jonathan Cohen, for Rolling Stone:

If you remember Bruce Hornsby only for his 1986 adult-contemporary smash "The Way It Is," you would have been mighty surprised by the scene at Wisconsin's Eaux Claires festival in August. Backstage, a host of indie rockers greeted the amiable Hornsby like visiting royalty. Onstage, he sat in during the high-profile live debut of Bon Iver's new album 22, A Million, then later with the National, Jenny Lewis, Will Oldham, Phosphorescent, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Lucius during a Grateful Dead tribute set.

Bonnie Raitt "I Can't Make You Love Me" Oral History - Stereogum

Bruce Hornsby,  in a lovely in depth feature at Stereogum marking the 25th anniversary of Bonnie Raitt's 'I Can't Make You Love Me':

I changed the chords around to suit my aesthetic or my style, I guess. I added my voicing to the mix. The way I move through the chords playing harmony … It’s more about moving voices underneath the melody, voices meaning other tones and other notes in the left hand. The left hand moving in harmony with the right hand melody. It’s clearly heard on the record right away.

I've mentioned this song here before and will doubtless do so again. 

As the article illustrates, Hornsby's contribution to a song he didn't write makes an already exceptional moment into something people are still covering and writing about 25 years on.

Update January 2021: It seems the article is no longer up at Stereogum, but I’ve linked to the Wayback Machine archive.

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers - Over The Rise (Featuring Justin Vernon) (2016)

Hornsby is still following his bliss and I love him all the more for it. The ongoing mutual love with Justin Vernon is wonderful too.

Top 50 Debut Albums (30-21)

30) The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (1990)

Someone wrote a pisstake letter to Melody Maker thanking the Sundays for recording a bunch of Smiths songs in a different key so they could sing along. lol. 

Imagine if they did come back, though and Harriet didn't have that hairstyle. That wouldn't do.

29) Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle (1979)

One of the first albums I adored.

28) Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2008)

'Experimental electronica' is a nonsense phrase but kind of works for Crystal Castles. They were fabulous live. 

27) Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994)

A lot of Oasis songs have been horrendous. All Beady Eye songs are horrendous. The brothers are often dicks. This leads to a lot of revisionism about early Oasis. I'm not having it. For the 2 years leading up to Knebworth in 1996, they were the most exciting band we had. 

Great memories of attending the shoot for this Rock N Roll Star video in Southend. 

26) R.E.M. - Murmur (1983)

It began here.

25) Ian Brown - Unfinished Monkey Business (1998)

When the Stone Roses split I was convinced Squire was the star to follow going forward.  Then he gave me The Seahorses, and later his own awful solo albums which were even worse.  I bet on the wrong horse. 

When Brown released his solo debut, it pissed on The Seahorses in every conceivable way. 'My Star' remains one of my favourite ever Ian Brown related things, of which there are many.

24) Bruce Hornsby & The Range - The Way It Is (1986)

Because every list needs their 80s American Classic Rock. 

Billy Joel was the reason I started to love playing the piano. Bruce Hornsby is the reason I continued. The master.

23) Madness - One Step Beyond…(1979)

At school, this was the band everyone liked.

22) Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome (1984)

With it's bonkers concept, extra long mixes and an oddly out of place but surprisingly good Springsteen cover, this is far more rewarding 30 years on than it should be.

A marvellous, unique band.

21) The Wedding Present - George Best (1987)

The band I've seen live more than any other. There would be far better stuff to come but so much jangly of its time indieness to enjoy here.

Bruce Hornsby & Ricky Skaggs - The Way It Is (Conan, 2013)

The Way It Is. Bluegrass style. 

Bruce Hornsby & The Range - The Valley Road (1988)

Rarely has a socio-political aboortion themed song had such a happy video.