Hearts of Stone

One of the best examples of the "Jersey Shore Sound", and one of the best albums ever made--not a bad cut on it!

"Hearts of Stone" is legendary among fans of Southside Johnny, and rightly so - and it should be legendary among all rock fans. The Jukes first two strong albums ( I Don't Want to Go Home , This Time It's for Real ) featured songs that were either covers of old R & B and Doo-Wop, or were written in that style. On "Hearts of Stone" the Jukes move way from that approach, making the full transition to a horn-based rock band. The end result is one of the best albums ever made. Every track is great, and if you're going to own just one album by the Asbury Jukes, this 1978 release is the one to get (although I highly recommend many of the others). This is sweaty, Stax influenced rock at its best. Many of these tracks continue to be the core of Southside's live shows to this day, particularly "I Played the Fool", "Hearts of Stone", "Take It Inside", "Talk to Me", and "Trapped Again". The Springsteen presence is significant, with Steve Van Zandt producing and handling the majority of the song writing chores, with three songs written by Springsteen, and Max Weinberg taking a busman's holiday from the E Street band, serving as a member of the Jukes on drums. However, this is not imitation Springsteen by any means - the Asbury Jukes have their own unique sound. Ironically, when this album came out, CBS/Epic put almost no effort into promoting it, and the lack of liner notes on the original album are indicative of their disinterest. It's unfortunate, because this is music that must be heard.

In my opinion, Southside Johnny's 1978 album "Hearts of Stone" is rock's most underrated album of all time. Featuring Southside and the Jukes at the absolute top of their game, with Miami Steve Van Zandt (now known as Little Steven) producing, writing, playing guitar, and singing harmony on the album, "Hearts of Stone" is truly a masterpiece of classic rock and the New Jersey sound. Additionally, E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg played drums on all of the songs on the album. Seven of the nine tracks were written by Van Zandt, while the other two, "Talk To Me" and, in my opinion, the greatest song ever written "Hearts of Stone" were written by Bruce Springsteen. Van Zandt helms lead guitar and harmony vocals on the title track, providing acoustic and rhythm guitar and harmony vocals on all the other songs. Several songs were initially recorded for the album but later not used, the majority of which were re-recorded in 1981-82 by Van Zandt to comprise his first solo album "Men Without Women". These songs include at least "Inside of Me", "Princess of Little Italy", "Forever", "Until the Good Is Gone", "Angel Eyes", and "I've Been Waiting". An additional Van Zandt-penned outtake from the album titled "Working Girl" appears on Southside's outtakes release titled "Missing Pieces". Unfortunately, due to a lack of promotion on the part of Epic Records, as well as being overshadowed by Springsteen's concurrent 1978 release "Darkness on the Edge of Town" (for which "Talk to Me" and "Hearts of Stone" were originally written and recorded), the album did not chart nearly as high as it undeniably deserved to. Anyone who is a fan of Southside Johnny, Little Steven, or Bruce Springsteen absolutely must pick up a copy of this album.

One of the best rock/soul albums of all time. It is difficult to imagine this not being in every top 25 all time lists. Soulful lyrics, singing, and horns that resonate throughout. This should be in lists that include Blonde on Blonde, Born to Run, and Pet Sounds. If you're not familiar, you are in for a treat.

This is simply one of the most underrated, underappreciated records of the 70s or any other decade. The combination of Southside and the band delivering top-notch performances on Little Steven/Springsteen songs makes this a must own. If my house was on fire and the fireman told me I had time to grab 10 cds before getting out, this is one of the first ones I'd take.

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes are at their peak on this LP.The title cut "Heart's of Stone" is one of the most soulful & unforgettable song's your ever gonna hear,combined with hot rocker's like "Talk to Me" & "Take it Inside" make this CD a bargain at any price.The final cut "Light Don't Shine"is a big time tear your heart out & lay it on the table killer.All in all this collection is smokin & a must have for 70's Rock-n-Roll afficianados!

SSJ and the Jukes in their prime. Gotta love it!

I had this on vinyl when it was released. Classic album and band