Everyone knows Billy Joel.
After 13 studio albums, 121 songs, and 1,289 concerts in the United States alone, the legendary Piano Man is a household name. Ask anyone, from your parents to your friends, and sure enough they’ll start singing about New York dive bar pianists, girls from Uptown, and “Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray.”
As much as his iconic songs keep touching younger generations, great care must be taken to make sure that Joel’s other repertoire is also kept alive and well, his songs being the musical equivalent to folk tales. With this in mind, allow me to welcome you to “The Stranger,” Billy Joel’s best selling album of his career.
Nine incredible works of absolute art are on display in this album, each painted with different styles and colors, all by the same talented artist, telling stories with each brushstroke.
“The Stranger” is a wonderful introductory album for Billy Joel listeners, as each of the songs has another album by him that ties with the song’s style. Like the rock and roll and rebellious themes as you listen to “Only The Good Die Young?” Go listen to “Glass Houses.” Do you prefer the more reflective, poetic verses heard in “Vienna”? Give “Turnstiles” a try. Want more songs that have you block off hours of your day in order to listen to the whole thing and every minute of the album is a masterfully crafted ballad such as “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”? “Piano Man” is your go-to.
Speaking of “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” it may very well be my favorite song on the album. Four “acts,” 7 minutes and 37 seconds total, this masterpiece of music has everything you need in order to capture the essence of
what Billy Joel songs are about. It starts off with a signature Billy Joel piano melody, before taking you on a “Christmas Carol’’ style adventure as the ghost of pianist’s past tells the stories of Brenda and Eddie, from their “sweet romantic teenage nights” to “our old familiar place.” It’s absolutely beautiful, and an incredibly sentimental song that brings tears to one’s eyes when listened to for the first time.
And there you have it, my personal perspective on album number two in this series, created by my number one solo artist. Fans of elaborate lyrics and musical storytelling are going to get the most out of this album, but everyone would benefit from a little more Billy Joel in their life.
I hope you’ve found something good in this review, and if you haven’t, stick around for the next one!
