Comments for Joel, Billy, The Stranger

I was a little disappointed that more people haven't commented on this album. After all, next to Piano Man, this is his best selling album to date. This was Billy at his peak. The lyrics are meaningful and the music is powerful. This album is pure New York Billy Joel.

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant may be my favorite Billy Joel song ever.

One of his best: many think it his absolute best and it's easy to see why, with the wonderful lyrics and varied musical textures of the different songs. I particularly like the way that whistling (on the title track), saxophone (on the classic, "Just the Way You Are"), flute ("Get it Right Next Time"), clarinet ("Scenes From an Italian Restaurant), etc. are featured and give the tracks quite diverse flavours. The songs themselves come across as warm and genuine with plenty to say, and the arrangements (particularly "Italian Restaurant") are inventive in an individual way. "52nd Street" is arguably, more slickly produced, but this fine album has plenty to recommend it. Ian C. Thomas.

I used to think this was his best, then I changed my mind. Yes it is as great as everyone has always said it is. My brother brought home this album when I was 5 when it came out in ''77, and that''s when I became a Billy Joel fan for life. "Movin'' Out" is one of the most interesting sounding Billy tunes ever. "The Stranger" has a musical kineticism that hasn''t really been heard from since. "Just The Way You Are" is overplayed, but I still love those backing vocals, or whatever they may be on it. "Scenes" is still great after all this time. "Vienna" is my favorite on it, for some deep reason that I don''t think even I can start to explain. "Only The Good Die YOung" will never die. I was never that big on "She''s Always A Woman". "Get It Right The First Time" is very underrated, and "Everybody Has A Dream" is incredibly soulful.

This is a great album. "Vienna" is a very Slackful song, about taking life easy. "Get It Right..." is quite funky, and "Scenes..." is all over the musical spectrum. Most of the rest of these get good airplay; in fact, five songs from here are on _Greatest_Hits_ (six on the CD version). _The_Stranger_ was recorded at A&R Recording, Inc, with Doug Stegmeyer on bass, Liberty DeVitto on drums, Richie Cannata on tenor and soprano saxes, clarinet, flute, and organ, Mr. Steve Khan on electric and acoustic guitars, and Hiram Bullock on Electric Guitar, plus Ralph MacDonald on percussion, Hugh McCracken and Steve Burgh on acoustic guitar, Phil Woods on alto sax, Dominic Cortese on accordian, and Phoebe Snow, Lani Groves, Gwen Guthrie, and Patti Austin on vocals.