The Way It Is

by Bruce Hornsby and The Range

The Way It Is cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 17 April 1986
  • Label: RCA
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 43:09
  • Community rating: 3.47/5 from 4 ratings

Artists on this release: David Mansfield, John Molo, Bruce Hornsby, Joe Puerta, Elliot Scheiner

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Defined by Hornsby's virtuosic, jazz-inflected piano improvisation set against a commercial rock backdrop, this debut dominated mid-80s radio. The record expertly pairs its polished, highly melodic heartland rock arrangements with sharp, socially conscious lyricism addressing systemic racism and economic inequality.

Genres

Descriptors: melodic, conscious, piano, storytelling, soulful

Tracklist

  1. On the Western Skyline (4:41)
  2. Every Little Kiss (5:48)
  3. Mandolin Rain (5:18)
  4. The Long Race (4:25)
  5. The Way It Is (4:57)
  6. Down the Road Tonight (4:25)
  7. The Wild Frontier (4:03)
  8. The River Runs Low (4:27)
  9. The Red Plains (5:00)

Credits

More from Bruce Hornsby and The Range: full discography