Reception
Reception for the song was mostly positive. Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone said that Charles' " in an impressively genuine performance." Steve Morse of The Boston Globe said that the song was "engaging." However, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the song a negative review, saying that the song was "weighed down by Joel's vocal affectations." Stephen Holden believed that the song had a chance to become a "modern standard." Dave Hoekstra of The Chicago Sun-Times believed that because of the song, Joel "demands and deserves respect as a songwriter in this genre." The Philadelphia Inquirer believed that the song was the album's "obvious high point," saying that the song was "the apotheosis of the musical-instrument-as-woman genre."
David Brinn of The Jerusalem Post thought that the song was a "small pleasure." Nikki Tranter of PopMatters believed the song was a "stand-out" track. Lennox Samuels of The Dallas Morning News however, thought that the song was "hazy". The San Jose Mercury News said that "'Baby Grand' might be warmed-over Ray Charles, but Ray Charles is there to spice it up with his vocal and keyboard majesty." The Miami Herald said that "Baby Grand finds Joel actually convincing in the jazz testimonial setting, with Ray Charles and bassist Ray Brown contributing the aura of a jazz club." The Atlanta Journal Constitution joked that "A much better collaboration is Joel and Ray Charles on "Baby Grand. Sure it's a little schmaltzy and overwrought, but compared to Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney's "Ebony and Ivory," it's practically High Art." Steve Pond of The Los Angeles Times gave the song a negative review, saying, "Worst of all is the centerpiece, "Baby Grand. It's the piano man's love song to his faithful instrument, and even some help from Ray Charles can't salvage the most overly dramatic of all Joel's ballads."
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