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"…Mister Cacciatore's
Down On Sullivan Street…"
It’s hard now in
March 2017 to imagine just how huge Billy Joel’s The Stranger was
at the time of release in late September 1977 - almost 40 years after the
event.
Not since Carole
King’s Tapestry album way back in March 1971 and Fleetwood
Mac’s Rumours in February of that same eventful year (1977) - had
an album so grabbed the public by the neck – hammering them with dollops of
palatable romance and pain in equal measure. And all it came wrapped up in
great hooky tunes that the radio loved. Before 1977 few people knew Billy
Joel’s name – by the end of 1978 there were few who didn’t.
Joel had been
bubbling under since 1971 and produced four whole albums prior to his 1977
breakthrough - "Cold Spring Harbor" (1971), "Piano Man" (1973),
"Streetlife Serenade" (1974) and "Turnstiles" (1976) – each
featuring songwriting brilliance on an escalating scale with "The
Stranger" seeing that craft and promise come to full fruition.
Every track
rocked both musically and lyrically - and this '30th Anniversary Edition' Long
Box Set (there is also a smaller 2CD Legacy Edition) does that musical
milestone a solid. Here are the Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Down On
Sullivan Street)…
US released July
2008 – "The Stranger: 30th Anniversary Edition" by BILLY
JOEL on Columbia/Legacy 88697308012 (Barcode 886973080122) is a 2CD and
1DVD Long Book Set of Remasters and breaks down as follows:
Disc 1 (42:33
minutes):
1. Movin’ Out
(Anthony’s Song)
2. The Stranger
3. Just The Way
You Are
4. Scenes From
An Italian Restaurant
5. Vienna [Side
2]
6. Only The Good
Die Young
7. She’s Always
A Woman
8. Get It Right
The First Time
9. Everybody Has
A Dream
Tracks 1 to 9
are the vinyl album The Stranger – released September 1977 in
the USA on Columbia JC 34987 and December 1977 in the UK on CBS Records 86108.
Mastered for CD by TED JENSEN at Sterling Sound in New York. The album rose to
Number 2 in the States and 25 in the UK.
Disc 2 Live
At Carnegie Hall, 3 June 1977 (64:04 minutes):
1. Miami 2017
(Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)
2. Prelude/Angry
Young Man
3. New York
State Of Mind
4. Just The Way
You Are
5. She’s Got A
Way
6. The
Entertainer
7. Scenes From
An Italian Restaurant
8. Band
Introductions
9. Captain Jack
10. I’ve Loved
These Days
11. Say Goodbye
To Hollywood
12. Souvenir
Original
recordings produced by DON DeVITO, Produced for Record by PHIL RAMONE and
mastered by MARK WILDER at Battery Studios in New York
DVD (90:00
minutes) Region 0 NTSC:
Live Promotional
Videos (Recorded USA - No Dates Provided)
1. The Stranger
2. Just The Way
You Are
Billy Joel
filmed in concert for The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC1 –
recorded and first transmitted 14 March 1978
3. Intro
4. Miami 2017
(Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)
5. Movin’ Out
(Anthony’s Song)
6. New York
State Of Mind
7. The
Entertainer
8. She’s Always
A Woman
9. Root Beer Rag
10. Just The Way
You Are
11. Only The
Good Die Young
12. Souvenir
[extra track to original broadcast]
13. Ain’t No
Crime [extra track to original broadcast]
14. A 30-minute
bonus documentary on the making of "The Stranger" featuring new
interviews with Billy Joel and Phil Ramone
Before we get
into the album itself and the extras – let’s talk about the gorgeous packaging.
The long box gives you a 48-page glossy booklet with loads of professionally
shot black and white outtake photos from the album cover session – round the
world 7” single picture sleeves, the British “Now Playing” promo-only LP on CBS
BJ 1, A Japanese-Only 1978 Concert Promo LP, American Tour Posters, Live Shots
of his band, trade adverts, the lyrics, an essay by DAVID FRICKE and even a
facsimile of a Billy Joel Valentine’s Day gift card! But better than this is a
reproduction of his small notebook containing the lyrics for “The Stranger” and
other thoughts. “Vienna” he notes is about ‘work and friends’ while “Scenes” is
about ‘divorce and nostalgia’. There’s a list on the first page of quality
bands and artists he opened for – Yes, Bill Withers, Crazy Horse, Hall &
Oates, Badfinger, The Eagles and Janis Ian to name but a few. How about quality
placing by his management making him open for Jazz-Fusion monsters The
Mahavishnu Orchestra, pseudo Rock ‘n’ Rollers Sha Na Na and Australian Popstral
Olivia Newton John – wow did this guy pay his dues! There’s also a gorgeous
foldout repro poster of the 2, 3 and 4 June 1977 Carnegie Hall Concert in New
York which I’ve never seen – very tasty.
The TED JENSEN
Remaster of the album sounds like the 1998 version but with more oomph and to
my ears is better than that first attempt. The second the street-punk lyrics to
“Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” hits your speakers – you can hear the upgrade –
all the instruments clear and with so much more punch. Particularly impressive
is opening piano notes of the title track and the vocals on “Just The Way You
Are”. It has to be said there’s noticeable hiss in the background on some
portions of both - but as Joel quite rightly points out – Producer PHIL RAMONE
went for ‘feel’, ‘the right take’ and you can hear why – they’re full of
feeling. It still sounds magical and the rhythm section is now more to the
fore. “A bottle of white, a bottle of red…” – who doesn’t love the Side 1
finisher “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” with Accordion by DOMINIC CORTESS
beautifully captured. When the Saxophone of RICHARD CANNATA and the Strings
kick in – it’s full of power and presence. And those fabulous lyrics about
“Brenda and Eddie” who “didn’t account for the tears…” Side 2 opens with the
superb “Vienna” – another double-whammy of a great melody and brutally honest
lyrics. But for me the album’s true masterpiece is “She’s Always A Woman” which
sounds just glorious. What a beautiful song.
I now know why
fans have loved the bootlegs of the famous ‘Carnegie Hall’ concert – it’s an
absolute blinder – every song rocking – his band tight and on the cusp of
success – playing quality new material – mixing with the best of the old. It
also features the JOE MALIN ORCHESTRA backing the band (conducted by Frank
Owens) – giving a large number of the songs an epic feel. You’re wowed never
mind impressed. What I wasn’t expecting however is the stunning Production
Values. This thing sounds amazing and is better in some respects than the
officially released live set “Songs In The Attic” from 1981. The two openers
rapidly set the pace with his piano playing on “Prelude/Angry Young Man” being
just brilliant – but it’s the eight and half-minute “New York State Of Mind”
that slays everything in its path – the crowd eating it up (check out the Sax
solo). To this day the song evokes New Yawk for me – fabulous (“taking a
Greyhound on the Hudson River line…”). A clever choice for romance is “She’s
Got A Way” - as gorgeous a song as he’s ever written. He gets all Phil Spector
on “Say Goodbye To Hollywood”. And as the short but pretty finisher “Souvenirs”
(from “Streetlife Serenade”) plays out – he says “Good Night New York...” - and
you can hear they want more. In a few months Billy Joel would arrive for real
everywhere else.
The DVD is yet
another level – giving you visuals. First up are two American promo videos of
Joel and his band before an audience (no dates, no locations) as he whistles
his way through “The Stranger” and introduces a ‘new one’ called “Just The Way
You Are”. They’re well-filmed and full frame. The BBC show aired the night it
was recorded 14 March 1978 is introduced by a laidback BOB HARRIS in front of
an invited audience at BBC Television Centre. Like the live promo videos,
luckily its defaulted to full screen so there’s no bars top or bottom and the
sound is excellent. It’s typical of Seventies footage – a tiny bit blurry but
not enough to detract. The British crowd you suspect don’t know much of his
material and the album’s only been released in the UK 3 months – but as the gig
goes on – their appreciation and the band’s rather ‘fish-out-of-water’ mood
lifts. This footage hasn’t been seen since it was first aired – and not seen at
all apparently are the two rather great encores – a solo “Souvenir” on his
Bechstein piano – an then the band is brought on for a rollicking “Ain’t No
Crime” (also from “Streetlife Serenade”). He even manages a Joe Cocker
impression before he starts the song. The Documentary is great fun too – the
artist and Producer clearly proud of their achievement. Along with the two
discs before it – the whole shebang is impressive.
If you want a
cheaper option – the 2CD Legacy Edition is available for peanuts – but I’d plum
the extra few quid for this thoughtfully put together celebration of a classic
Seventies album.
"...Don't
imagine you're too familiar…" - Billy Joel sings on the classic "Just
The Way You Are". Apply the same logic with this superb reissue…