Joel skewers superficial materialism on “No Man’s Land,” which also questions the media’s love affair with bizarre lusts. “All About Soul” honors his wife’s strength (model Christie Brinkley, though they have since divorced). His daughter’s curiosity about death inspired the sweet, but hollow “Lullabye.”
Joel’s soul-searching on “Blonde Over Blue” takes a dim view of spirituality and people of faith (“These days not a d— soul prays and there is no faith ’cause there’s nothing to believe in”). He drowns the pain with wine on “A Minor Variation.” “Shades of Grey” reflects a sense of futility, giving in to relativism over his youthful belief in right and wrong.
Despite some thoughtful, positive sentiments, the album portrays both faith and truth as philosophical red herring. The good news is that, for all of his searching, Joel seems to have set aside the partying and casual sex glorified on earlier albums for a deeper look at life and human relationships. Unfortunately, River of Dreams is a mire of questions that will remain unanswered apart from God.
