The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby album)

The Way It Is
The Way It Is
	Album cover on the reissue
Studio album by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Released	April 24, 1986
Recorded	1985–1986
Studio	Rumbo (Los Angeles); Ocean Way (Hollywood); Capitol (Hollywood); Studio D (Sausalito); King Sound (Hollywood); Village (Los Angeles);
Genre	Rock, soft rock
Length	43:12
Label	RCA
Producer	Bruce Hornsby, Huey Lewis, Elliot Scheiner
Bruce Hornsby chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Robert Christgau	B−^[3]

The Way It Is is the debut album by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, released by RCA Records in 1986. Led by its hit title track, the album achieved multi-platinum status and contributed to the group winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Other notable tracks from the album include "Mandolin Rain" and "Every Little Kiss". Huey Lewis appears on harmonica and provides vocals on "Down the Road Tonight." Lewis also co-produced this track, along with "The Long Race" and "The River Runs Low."

Releases

The original release of the album featured an impressionistic photograph on the cover of Bruce Hornsby playing an accordion.^[4] It was initially aimed at the New Age music market and included slightly different versions of the songs "Down the Road Tonight" and "The River Runs Low."

As the album's tracks began to receive regular airplay on pop music stations in late 1986, it was remixed and subsequently re-released with a new sepia-toned cover featuring a photograph of the band superimposed over an image of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel in Virginia.

Track listing

*The Way It Is* track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"On the Western Skyline"	4:42
2.	"Every Little Kiss"	5:48
3.	"Mandolin Rain"	5:19
4.	"The Long Race"	4:26
5.	"The Way It Is"	4:58
6.	"Down the Road Tonight"	4:26
7.	"The Wild Frontier"	4:04
8.	"The River Runs Low"	4:28
9.	"The Red Plains"	5:01

Tracks 2 and 5 were written by Bruce Hornsby, while all other songs were co-written by Bruce Hornsby and John Hornsby. The track times listed are for the current release of the album. The opening of "Every Little Kiss" features an extended quotation from the beginning of Movement III, The Alcotts, from Charles Ives's Piano Sonata No. 2.

Live: The Way It Is Tour 1986–87

*Live: The Way It Is Tour 1986–87* track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Every Little Kiss"	6:27
2.	"The Long Race"	6:02
3.	"The Way It Is (Solo Piano Intro)"	7:07
4.	"The Way It Is"	6:25
5.	"Mandolin Rain"	6:31
6.	"The Red Plains"	6:44
7.	"On the Western Skyline"	6:19

Produced by DIR Broadcasting for the King Biscuit Flower Hour. Recorded live at The Ritz, New York City, February 2, 1987 by Effanel Music.

Personnel

Bruce Hornsby and The Range

Bruce Hornsby – vocals, grand piano, synthesizer, hammered dulcimer, accordion
David Mansfield – guitar, mandolin, violin
George Marinelli – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals
Joe Puerta – bass, backing vocals
John Molo – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

Huey Lewis – harmonica, backing vocals on "Down the Road Tonight"
John Gilutin and Sean Hopper – synthesizer consultants

Production

Executive producer – Paul Atkinson
Tracks 1–3, 5, 7 and 9 produced by Bruce Hornsby and Elliot Scheiner (for Trackman, Inc.); tracks 4, 6 and 8 produced by Huey Lewis.
Recorded and engineered by Elliot Scheiner (Tracks 1–3, 5, 7 and 9) and Jim Gaines (Tracks 4, 6 and 8)
Additional engineers – Eddie King and Jeff "Nik" Norman
Assistant engineers – Jim "Watts" Vereecke and Lenette Viegas.
Mixed by Eddie King, David Luke, Don Smith and Elliot Scheiner.
Mixed at Fantasy Studios (Berkeley, CA); Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA); The Village Recorder and The Complex (Los Angeles, CA); Rumbo Recorders (Canoga Park, CA).
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
Digital editing by Bob Harlan
Production assistant – Ivy Skoff
Art direction and design – Ted Raess
Art consultant – Kathy Hornsby
Photography – Aaron Rapoport
Inner sleeve photo – Robert Llewellyn
Enforcement – Jeff Gerson

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for *The Way It Is*
Chart (1986)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[5]	20
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[6]	3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[7]	10
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[8]	7
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[9]	25
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[10]	16
UK Albums (OCC)^[11]	16
US Billboard 200^[12]	3
US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard)^[13]	38

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for *The Way It Is*
Chart (1987)	Position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[14]	40
US Billboard 200	4

Certifications

Certifications for *The Way It Is*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[15]	Platinum	70,000^{^}
Canada (Music Canada)^[16]	2× Platinum	200,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[17]	Silver	60,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[18]	3× Platinum	3,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 36. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-05-19. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r9510
^ Christgau, Robert (March 31, 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
^ "The first U.S. CD issue of Bruce Hornsby and The Range The Way It Is". Keith Hirsch's CD Resource. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 142. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bruce Hornsby And The Range – The Way It Is" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ "Charts.nz – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is". Hung Medien.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is". Hung Medien.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is". Hung Medien.
^ "Bruce Hornsby | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
^ "Bruce Hornsby Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
^ "Bruce Hornsby Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard.
^ "Top Selling Albums of 1987". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is". Music Canada. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
^ "British album certifications – Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is". British Phonographic Industry.
^ "American album certifications – Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1] "FMQB" (PDF). p. 36. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-05-19. Retrieved 2024-07-27.

[2] ttps://www.allmusic.com/album/r9510

[Christgau-3] Christgau, Robert (March 31, 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.

[4] "The first U.S. CD issue of Bruce Hornsby and The Range The Way It Is". Keith Hirsch's CD Resource. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.

[aus-5] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 142. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[ac_Netherlands_Bruce_Hornsby_and_the_range-6] "Dutchcharts.nl – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.

[ac_Germany4_Bruce_Hornsby_And_The_Range-7] "Offiziellecharts.de – Bruce Hornsby And The Range – The Way It Is" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 November 2021.

[ac_New_Zealand_Bruce_Hornsby_and_the_range-8] "Charts.nz – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is". Hung Medien.

[ac_Sweden_Bruce_Hornsby_and_the_range-9] "Swedishcharts.com – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is". Hung Medien.

[ac_Switzerland_Bruce_Hornsby_and_the_range-10] "Swisscharts.com – Bruce Hornsby and the range – The Way It Is". Hung Medien.

[ac_UK_Bruce_Hornsby-11] "Bruce Hornsby | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.

[ac_Billboard200_Bruce_Hornsby-12] "Bruce Hornsby Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.

[ac_BillboardCatalog_Bruce_Hornsby-13] "Bruce Hornsby Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard.

[14] "Top Selling Albums of 1987". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

[AustraliaBruce_HornsbyThe_Way_It_IsalbumCertRef-15] "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 27, 2021.

[CanadaBruce_HornsbyThe_Way_It_IsalbumCertRef-16] "Canadian album certifications – Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is". Music Canada. Retrieved August 22, 2022.

[United_KingdomBruce_HornsbyThe_Way_It_IsalbumCertRef-17] "British album certifications – Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is". British Phonographic Industry.

[United_StatesBruce_HornsbyThe_Way_It_IsalbumCertRef-18] "American album certifications – Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

v t e Bruce Hornsby
Albums	The Way It Is Scenes from the Southside A Night on the Town Harbor Lights Hot House Spirit Trail Here Come The Noise Makers Big Swing Face Halcyon Days Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby Camp Meeting Levitate Bride of the Noisemakers Rehab Reunion
Songs	"Every Little Kiss" "The Way It Is" "Mandolin Rain" "The Valley Road" "Jacob's Ladder" "The End of the Innocence" "Across the River" "Barren Ground"
Compilation albums	Greatest Radio Hits Intersections (1985–2005)
Related articles	Discography