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DISCID=6109fc09
DTITLE=Billy Joel / The Stranger (Japanese Pressing)
DYEAR=1977
DGENRE=Classic Rock
TTITLE0=Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
TTITLE1=The Stranger
TTITLE2=Just The Way You Are
TTITLE3=Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
TTITLE4=Vienna
TTITLE5=Only The Good Die Young
TTITLE6=She's Always A Woman
TTITLE7=Get It Right The First Time
TTITLE8=Everybody Has A Dream
EXTD=The Stranger (Japanese Pressing)\n\nOriginally Released September
EXTD= 1977\nCD Edition Released 1986 ??\nRemastered CD Edition Release
EXTD=d October 20, 1998\n2-CH SACD Edition Released September 2000\nMu
EXTD=lti-CH SACD Edition Released July 31, 2001\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: 
EXTD=Billy Joel teamed with Phil Ramone, a famed engineer who had just
EXTD= scored his first producing hits with Art Garfunkel's Breakaway a
EXTD=nd Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years for The Strange
EXTD=r, his follow-up to Turnstiles. Joel still favored big, sweeping 
EXTD=melodies, but Ramone convinced him to streamline his arrangements
EXTD= and clean up the production. The results aren't necessarily reve
EXTD=latory, since he covered so much ground on Turnstiles, but the co
EXTD=mmercialism of The Stranger is a bit of a surprise. None of his b
EXTD=allads have been as sweet or slick as "Just the Way You Are"; he 
EXTD=never had created a rocker as bouncy or infectious as "Only the G
EXTD=ood Die Young"; and the glossy production of "She's Always a Woma
EXTD=n" disguises its latent misogynist streak. Joel balanced such rad
EXTD=io-ready material with a series of New York vignettes, seemingly 
EXTD=inspired by Springsteen's working-class fables and clearly intend
EXTD=ed to be the artistic centerpieces of the album. They do provide 
EXTD=The Stranger with the feel of a concept album, yet there is no tr
EXTD=ue thematic connection between the pieces, and his lyrics are oft
EXTD=en vague or mean-spirited. His lyrical shortcomings are overshado
EXTD=wed by his musical strengths. Even if his melodies sound more Bro
EXTD=adway than Beatles -- the epic suite "Scenes From an Italian Rest
EXTD=aurant" feels like a show-stopping closer -- there's no denying t
EXTD=hat the melodies of each song on The Stranger are memorable, so m
EXTD=uch so that they strengthen the weaker portions of the album. Joe
EXTD=l rarely wrote a set of songs better than those on The Stranger, 
EXTD=nor did he often deliver an album as consistently listenable.  --
EXTD= Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com essential recording\nThis,
EXTD= pop superstar Joel's breakout LP, came years after he first hit 
EXTD=the charts with the novelty-ish "Piano Man." In the meantime, the
EXTD= New York-based songwriter released two lackluster and stylistica
EXTD=lly confused platters that blunted interesting songs with a sound
EXTD= that was neither Elton mellow nor Elton attitude. Produced by Ph
EXTD=il Ramone, The Stranger took those who had written Joel off as a 
EXTD=one-hit wonder by surprise ("Just the Way You Are" was among the 
EXTD=biggest hits of 1977) and it remains a solid introduction to Joel
EXTD='s restless muse at a crucial point in his career. It invited a f
EXTD=ew comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, with its prominent sax break
EXTD=s, hard-edged rebel-rockers ("Only the Good Die Young"), and slic
EXTD=e-of-life dramatics ("Scenes From an Italian Restaurant"), recoun
EXTD=ting life in a lower middle-class (Eastern Urban) setting; but Jo
EXTD=el's chameleonic, formalist approach to pop wasn't to be so easil
EXTD=y pigeonholed (Glass Houses, The Nylon Curtain, An Innocent Man..
EXTD=.). --Don Harrison \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe magnific
EXTD=ent one, the beautiful one, the one and only one..., March 1, 200
EXTD=7\nReviewer: Chris Cormier "Wonderbar" (canada)\nThis album sizzl
EXTD=es with energy, honesty, and "I'll MAKE you pay attention" entert
EXTD=ainment spirit. This was his big breakthrough album and it's not 
EXTD=hard to see why. Every single track is excellent, and each very d
EXTD=ifferent from what went before. From start to finish, the emphasi
EXTD=s is on simple Beatleish rock arrangements, played with finesse b
EXTD=y a great backing band, with the piano front and center. It start
EXTD=s off with plain rock and roll - Moving Out, with its thumpy rhyt
EXTD=hm and brilliant ending. The Stranger (apart from its stylish int
EXTD=ro and outro) is a bit more funky, with a lovely bridge/chorus. T
EXTD=he much maligned Just The Way You Are suffers from a bit of chees
EXTD=iness in production (Billy Joel calls this "Phil Ramone's Bossa N
EXTD=ova version), but is still a good heartfelt song for his first wi
EXTD=fe (whatever happened to her anyways?). The centrepiece of the al
EXTD=bum is Scenes, this is Billy Joel's tour-de-force to show everyon
EXTD=e what he can do on the ivories. Vienna is a beautiful ballad, an
EXTD=d Only the Good Die Young is a hilarious dance tune, still racy 3
EXTD=0 years later. Always a Woman is played a bit stiffly on piano, a
EXTD=nd borders on cheesy lyrics, but still a great tune. The next two
EXTD= tracks are a *bit* weaker, but have their moments and are still 
EXTD=brilliant songs, just in comparison with what came before... He c
EXTD=ame close to topping this album on Glass Houses but this still st
EXTD=ands as his finest album. If you're going to have just one of his
EXTD= albums, I would recommend this. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW
EXTD=\nAn enduring classic , September 9, 2006\nReviewer: Dr. Emil Shu
EXTD=ffhausen (Central Gulf Coast)\nBilly Joel is many things: an expr
EXTD=essive, virtuoso pianist; a soulful, versatile vocalist, an imagi
EXTD=native arranger; a tireless, exciting performer. But, above all, 
EXTD=he is a songwriter of the highest order; an old-school tunesmith 
EXTD=worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Lennon-McCartney,
EXTD= Cole Porter, Rogers-Hart, and, yes, Bob Dylan. \n\nHe is a peerl
EXTD=ess storyteller who's knack for compelling, memorable melodies ha
EXTD=ve made him one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the 
EXTD=past 30 years. THE STRANGER remains, in many ways, his defining w
EXTD=ork...it was the album when he really broke out into multi-platin
EXTD=um success and into the public's permanent consciousness. \n\nMuc
EXTD=h of the breakout is due to his timeless love ballad, "Just the W
EXTD=ay You Are," which became (and remains) an absolute standard. But
EXTD= there's a lot more to THE STRANGER than that one brilliant song.
EXTD= Take for instance the fantastic title track, a noir-ish parable 
EXTD=of betrayal and heartache; a pastiche of lonely atmospheric whist
EXTD=ling and searing funk. It tells a lot of truth without being too 
EXTD=preachy. Perhaps even better is the Italiano "Movin' Out (Anthony
EXTD='s Song)," a jaunty anti-materilistic tale told with Joel's trade
EXTD=mark cynical wit and spot-on observations. It hit #17 on the BILL
EXTD=BOARD Pop charts, and it remains a much-beloved classic in the Jo
EXTD=el canon. \n\n"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" is the centerpi
EXTD=ece of the album, the all-too-familiar story of Brenda and Eddie,
EXTD= the popular steadies, who were King and Queen of the Prom--desti
EXTD=ned for love, marriage, heartache, divorce, and a life of wistful
EXTD=ly longing and wondering what could have been. Musically, it's ex
EXTD=pressed in a sprawling suite ranging from balladry to bombast, al
EXTD=l done to great effect. \n\nThe lovely "Vienna" features a perfec
EXTD=t accordian break and a nice metaphor. "She's Always a Woman" is 
EXTD=another slightly cynical lovesong; a man who has been burned, but
EXTD= can't stop loving a cruel woman. The melody for this one is amon
EXTD=g Joel's finest ever, and the song was a minor pop hit. "Get it R
EXTD=ight the First Time" is solid, if not as spectacular as some of i
EXTD=ts counterparts. "Everybody Has a Dream" is almost like a Gospel 
EXTD=song, complete with soaring background vocals. \n\nOnly the very 
EXTD=popular "Only the Good Die Young" misses the mark on this set. Mu
EXTD=sically, it's one of the best uptempo songs that Joel has ever do
EXTD=ne; but the lyrics are filled with mean-spirited, borderline bigo
EXTD=ted religious put-downs. It charted on the pop singles chart and 
EXTD=continues to receive airplay today. The best thing about it (and 
EXTD=many other Billy Joel songs) is the wailing sax of Liberty DeVito
EXTD=. \n\nAll in-all, this is a brilliant pop album. The only thing t
EXTD=hat kept it from hitting #1 was the SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER phenomen
EXTD=on. But the music herein has, for the most part, aged better than
EXTD= many of the FEVER songs, remaining fresh and thought-provoking a
EXTD=ll these years later.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nJoel's Qui
EXTD=ntessential Masterwork, August 15, 2005\nReviewer: Alan Pounds "m
EXTD=usic obsessor" (Minneapolis, MN)\nYou will find that many reviewe
EXTD=rs have different favorites when considering Billy Joel's discogr
EXTD=aphy. The fact is, is that Joel has many great records that will 
EXTD=stand the test of time. One that comes to mind would be his prede
EXTD=cessor from 1976, "Turnstiles". Another would be his seminal hard
EXTD= rocker from 1980, "Glass Houses". But if you're a first time pur
EXTD=chaser of Joel's, then I would suggest you pick up "The Stranger"
EXTD=. Some may argue that other records are better, but this is witho
EXTD=ut a doubt his biggest crowning achievement, and most popular eff
EXTD=ort to date. There is something about Joel that's unique. All the
EXTD= elements scream 70s rock radio. But Joel has a certain flair to 
EXTD=him that separates his work from the bunch. And like many groundb
EXTD=reaking artists, his voice, delivery, and exceptional songwriting
EXTD= is one of a kind. Lyrics alone do not make up this album's succe
EXTD=ss though. Musically, this album is a refinement of the lush Broa
EXTD=dway overtones, and sweeping melodies of "Turnstiles". So it's ki
EXTD=nd of hard to call this material groundbreaking, considering it's
EXTD= predecessor. \n\nJoel teamed up with famed engineer Phil Ramone 
EXTD=(who's worked with John Coltrane, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Paul
EXTD= Simon and Bob Dylan, just to name a select few) for "The Strange
EXTD=r". The results were more streamlined and accessible than his pas
EXTD=t work, which really helped it gain popularity. But some facts re
EXTD=main. Joel has never written a ballad as infectious as "Just the 
EXTD=Way You Are". He's never performed a glitzy rocker as contagious 
EXTD=as "Only the Good Die Young". This is really Billy Joel at his co
EXTD=mplete best. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" has always been one of
EXTD= my favorites because of it's clever lyrics, "And if he can't dri
EXTD=ve with a broken back / At least he can polish the fenders". I'm 
EXTD=a big fan of Brenda and Eddie's adventures on "Scenes from an Ita
EXTD=lian Restaurant" too. \n\nThis is as close to perfect as you will
EXTD= get from Billy Joel. It's a rewarding listen through and through
EXTD=. If you keep tracking his career, you will find that he builds o
EXTD=n the Broadway overtones of "The Stranger" with another classic "
EXTD=52nd Street". If you're not as much about the Broadway sound, I w
EXTD=ould suggest picking up his seminal hard rocker, "Glass Houses". 
EXTD=Either way, Billy's got a ton a fantastic music for future genera
EXTD=tions to discover.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nHere's where 
EXTD=it all took off, March 10, 2003\nReviewer: Ryan Richards "reb77" 
EXTD=(Midland, MI United States)\nAlthough Billy Joel had several well
EXTD=-crafted albums behind him already (including the brilliant "Turn
EXTD=stiles") by the time "The Stranger" hit the shelves, this CD mark
EXTD=ed the point where he finally fused his melodic and prosewriting 
EXTD=talents into one unified sound that was uniquely his. The album s
EXTD=tarts out with the heavily sardonic "Movin' Out," in which Joel d
EXTD=ecries the state of modern work, asking if the fame and money are
EXTD= really worth the sacrifices we have to make ("if that's movin' u
EXTD=p, then I'm movin' out"). This is followed by the album's title t
EXTD=rack, which has my vote for the most lyrically brilliant song Joe
EXTD=l ever wrote: an exploration of the secret self we all have, whic
EXTD=h we all hide from others... but eventually, Joel argues, this se
EXTD=lf will always reveal itself, and it will always have its way. "J
EXTD=ust the Way You Are" and "She's Always a Woman" are pretty much v
EXTD=ictims of overplaying by now, but if you can overlook that, the m
EXTD=elodies are light and gorgeous, and the lyrics reveal a deeper le
EXTD=vel to Joel's emotional ponderings. "Scenes from an Italian Resta
EXTD=urant" is, for me, the Billy Joel epic song: a slow introduction 
EXTD=into some Dixieland riffs into a feel-good rocker--albeit one tha
EXTD=t still has a point about love and relationships. One of the othe
EXTD=r reviewers mentioned knowing people like Brenda and Eddie; I thi
EXTD=nk we all do. "Only the Good Die Young" and "Get It Right the Fir
EXTD=st Time" are more in the pop vein, presaging Joel's work on "An I
EXTD=nnocent Man"; they both discard the profound meditation for some 
EXTD=lighter, but no less lyrically brilliant, subject matter (the lat
EXTD=ter discusses the importance of first impressions with a potentia
EXTD=l love interest, while the former puts this philosophy into pract
EXTD=ice). "Vienna" and "Everybody Has a Dream," in contrast, are slow
EXTD=er, mellower, more meditative songs about the need to find time a
EXTD=nd space in one's life for the important things ("Slow down, you 
EXTD=crazy child... when will you realize Vienna waits for you?"). In 
EXTD=short, every song on this album, both in terms of musical artistr
EXTD=y and lyrical profundity, is an absolute winner (which is probabl
EXTD=y why most of Volume 1 of Joel's Greatest Hits comes straight fro
EXTD=m this album). This is the classic Billy Joel album, and if you w
EXTD=ant to understand what he was trying to achieve as a musician, yo
EXTD=u need look no further than this.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW
EXTD=\nMasterpiece, October 18, 2001\nReviewer: Sean Wheeler (Hubbard,
EXTD= OH)\nBilly Joel has been criticized over the years by rock criti
EXTD=cs who have pigeonholed him as a formalist hack. How they came to
EXTD= that conclusion after listening to such an accomplished body of 
EXTD=work is dumbfounding. For all it takes is one spin of this pop-ro
EXTD=ck masterpiece to realize how gifted Joel is with concise melodie
EXTD=s and subversive lyrics. In fact, the title track itself demonstr
EXTD=ates his talent marvelously. Its prelude seduces the listener int
EXTD=o what ultimately is revealed to be web of deceit between two lov
EXTD=ers. "She's Always a Woman", arguably Joel's finest love song, sh
EXTD=owcases a gorgeous melody that masks lyrics detailing the darker 
EXTD=facets of a relationship.\nCynicism permeates through most of the
EXTD= record. Joel's characters either are hopelessly naive ("Vienna")
EXTD=, favor lust over love ("Only the Good Die Young"), peaked too ea
EXTD=rly ("Scenes From An Italian Restaurant") or face a desperate nee
EXTD=d to escape("Movin' Out"). And while there are displays of optimi
EXTD=sm and hope ("Just the Way You Are", "Everybody Has a Dream"), th
EXTD=ey are dampened by stories of lost opportunities ("Get it Right t
EXTD=he First Time"). Joel's point is an existential one: for while we
EXTD= might aim high to try and change things, there are intangibles i
EXTD=n both people and life that will ultimately prevent this. Which i
EXTD=s why The Stranger remains both relevant today and holds a place 
EXTD=among the finest albums ever recorded.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER R
EXTD=EVIEW\nFinally, a version of this album on CD that sounds good...
EXTD=, March 13, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nColumbia Records has had
EXTD= some of the most important and prolific artists of this generati
EXTD=on on their label: Dylan, Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkel... and
EXTD= they have also released some of the most miserable-sounding vers
EXTD=ions of classic albums by these artists on CD. The original relea
EXTD=se of Billy Joel's "The Stranger" was certainly of this category.
EXTD= It was a wonderful album... (every track is a standout) but the 
EXTD=CD version unfortunately sounded as though it had been mastered f
EXTD=rom a 10th generation memorex cassette that had been left in a ho
EXTD=t car for a month. I owned it because I didn't want to be without
EXTD= the album, but I couldn't listen to it.\nNow, finally, I can lis
EXTD=ten to this album again, and enjoy it. The piano and acoustic gui
EXTD=tars are crisp, the vocals are clean and up-front, and the sound 
EXTD=is fuller... (though still not perfect.) It even looks nice. The 
EXTD=disc has the "mask" picture screened on it, and the liner notes a
EXTD=nd photos are back. Apparently, ALL of Billy Joel's original albu
EXTD=ms have received this treatment. To whoever is responsible for th
EXTD=is revolution of quality... thank you. To whoever hasn't got this
EXTD= remastered version of "The Stranger"... you won't be disappointe
EXTD=d.\n\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Hiram Bullock, P
EXTD=atti Austin, Phoebe Snow \nProducer: Phil Ramone \n\nAlbum Notes\n
EXTD=Personnel: Billy Joel (vocals, harmonica, piano, organ, keyboards
EXTD=); Hiram Bullock, Steve Burgh, Steve Khan, Hugh McCracken, David 
EXTD=Brown (guitar); Richie Cannatta (fiddle, flute, soprano & tenor s
EXTD=axophones, organ, keyboards); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Richar
EXTD=d Tee (organ); Doug Stegmeyer (bass); Liberty DeVito (drums, perc
EXTD=ussion); Ralph MacDonald (percussion); Phoebe Snow, Lani Groves, 
EXTD=Patti Austin (background vocals).\n\nRecorded at A&R Recording, N
EXTD=ew York, New York.\n\nThis is an Enhanced CD, which contains both
EXTD= regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.\n\nHe's know
EXTD=n to many as an inoffensive pop balladeer, but at the arguable pe
EXTD=ak of his career in the late '70s, Billy Joel released his darkes
EXTD=t, most emotionally charged album. THE STRANGER abandons the gran
EXTD=dstanding and broad melodic sweep of Joel's earlier records for a
EXTD= more intimate, introspective sound, effectively communicating Jo
EXTD=el's ruminations on the perils of life and love. "Movin' Out" is 
EXTD=something of an existentialist anthem, chronicling the way people
EXTD='s dreams are often irreparably crushed. The ominous-sounding tit
EXTD=le tune examines the many guises with which lovers disguise thems
EXTD=elves in their attempts to entrap and deceive each other. "Only t
EXTD=he Good Die Young" is hedonism at it's most iconoclastic. Even "S
EXTD=he's Always a Woman," ostensibly a romantic piano ballad, is full
EXTD= of thorny, less-than-complimentary observations about its subjec
EXTD=t. Joel's emotional honesty would never be this clear-eyed and un
EXTD=abashed again.\n\nIndustry Reviews\nRanked #67 in Rolling Stone's
EXTD= 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time - ...The real pleasure here is t
EXTD=he specificity of the lyrics in the rock songs located in New Yor
EXTD=k...\nRolling Stone (12/11/2003)\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nThis 
EXTD=is the first Billy Joel album in some time that has significantly
EXTD= expanded his repertoire. While Streetlife Serenade and Turnstile
EXTD=s had occasional moments, the bulk of Joel's most memorable mater
EXTD=ial was on Cold Spring Harbor -- despite its severe technical fla
EXTD=ws -- and Piano Man, which gave him his only major single success
EXTD=. This time, while such songs as "Movin' Out" and "Just the Way Y
EXTD=ou Are" are forced and overly simplistic, the imagery and melodie
EXTD=s of The Stranger more often than not work.\n\nTogether with prod
EXTD=ucer Phil Ramone, Joel has achieved a fluid sound occasionally sp
EXTD=arked by a light soul touch. It is a markedly different effect th
EXTD=an his pound-it-out-to-the-back-rows concert flash, although the 
EXTD=title song, "Only the Good Die Young" and "Get It Right the First
EXTD= Time" will adapt to that approach as readily as, say, such a Joe
EXTD=l signature piece as "Captain Jack."\n\n"She's Always a Woman," w
EXTD=hich sounds misleadingly tender, is the key to the difference bet
EXTD=ween The Stranger and Joel's other LPs. We don't expect subtlety 
EXTD=or understatement from him and, indeed, his lyrics can be as smar
EXTD=tassed as ever. But Ramone's emphasis on sound definitely lessens
EXTD= the impact of the sarcasm, which in the long run may help boost 
EXTD=Joel's career immeasurably. In the meantime, old fans will have t
EXTD=o listen more carefully than usual. (RS 254 -- Dec 15, 1977)  -- 
EXTD=IRA MAYER
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