Billy Joel’s “The Stranger” reissued
July 29th, 2008 by Eric Snider in Reviews
To my ears, Billy Joel’s artistic hot streak lasted two years, 1977 and 1978, when he released far and away his best LPs: The Stranger and 52nd Street. (For the record, I think 52nd Street wins by a nose as the top Joel album). The rest of his discs are marked by a few good songs and a handful of great ones, surrounded by average material (and early on, at least, substandard production).
Sony has seen fit to issue this 30th Anniversary Edition 31 years after the fact in a three-disc box set that includes a remaster of the original album; a previously unreleased 1977 concert from Carnegie Hall; and a DVD that includes a making-of doc and a 1978 live show culled from the BBC program The Old Grey Whistle Test.
According to the documentary, Joel was on the precipice of being dropped by Columbia for the slack sales of his first four albums (although, unlike Bruce Springsteen, who found himself in a like situation, Joel was unawares). Knowing he needed an able producer, the piano man first talked with George Martin, who wanted to surround him with studio musicians. Phil Ramone, on the other hand, advocated using Joel’s band, which sealed the deal.
It may come as a surprise — it did to me — but The Stranger was recorded almost exclusively live in the studio, with Joel singing with the band (as opposed to dubbing vocals later). And although the production is built around a slick pop model, the vocals and playing sound lean and immediate. Suffice to say that the performances exude a palpable honesty.
Ultimately, The Stranger lives and dies with the songwriting. While “Just the Way Your Are” and “Always a Woman” sound a bit treacly these days, they remain prime examples of classic American balladry (the disc’s remaining ballad, “Vienna,” sounds fresh and vigorous.) “Only the Good Die Young,” “Get it Right the First Time” and “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” retain their timeless exuberance. “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” stands as one of the better multi-movement songs in pop annals. And “The Stranger” is about the closest Joel has ever come to profundity.
There’s a tendency with historic records such as this to apply some sort of unifying theme. I don’t hear it. Billy Joel was a pop craftsman in the mold of the Tin Pan Alley and Brill Building tunesmiths who came before him. Each one of his songs stood on its own, and in the case of The Stranger, they stood very, very tall.
Send to a friend:
July 29th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
So says you. ‘The Nylon Curtain’ and ‘River of Dreams’ albums are easily as good, if not better than the earlier ones you seem to think were Joel’s high-water mark. Billy Joel was NOT a product of Tin Pan Alley or the Brill Building tunesmiths. He was an avid fan of the Beatles and much of his material is obviously inspired by them.Take a closer listen. You skipped an entire school of influential songwriting.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:52 am
this is one of my favorite albums by any artist. yup, my weird-assed noise loving self loves this album. i loved it as a small child and was singing along with before i was 4 years old (ask my dad, i insisted this album be played all the time; at home and in the car. strangely, my 4 year old son insists i play sonic youth and vampire weekend in the car for him. the circle of life, good times!). i still listen to this album when i can and still have the vinyl copy i stole from my mom when i moved out of the house years ago.