The Stranger

There were a few high points, but the album felt bogged down by the songs in the middle. Favorite track: "Scenes from sn Italian Restaurant," I think.

Gillar första låten riktigt mycket så snälla låt det fortsätta så. Förstår att The Stranger blev en hit. Trist med visslandet dock. The Way You Are är fin. Gillar också Scenes from an Italien Restaurang. Trevlig lyssning. Tycker skivan är bra

Ich tue mich schwer mit Singer/Songwritern. Keine Ahnung warum. Allerdings scheint mir das hier so etwas wie ein Goldstandard zu sein.

This is Springsteen lite. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The songs are well crafted and the playing is sound. But I wish it would rock out a bit more. Joel is guilty of going too soft at times which doesn't appeal to me. But there's enough quality on here to give it a passing grade.

I'm not the biggest Billy Joel fan in the world, but this album has some classics and I respect it. There is some really good songwriting on this one, particularly Vienna and She's Always a Woman.

Billy Joel's The Stranger is a compelling album that intertwines great storytelling with memorable songs, showcasing Joel's songwriting prowess. Each track on the album offers its own narrative, drawing listeners into a world of vivid characters and situations. However, like Father Ted and Father Dougal, he really needs to lose his sax solos. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 4 STAND OUT TRACK - She's Always a Woman

A couple of really nice tracks here (Vienna, she's always a woman) but overall not my vibe.

I'm not the biggest fan of Billy Joel. Something in his music always makes me cringe a bit. Formally it's all fine, the man has talent and all that. Maybe it was novel back in the days. So this goes all for his album "The Stranger" too. I still rate it 3 stars: It's a nice listen, nothing that I will revisit, but well enough.

Listened: 2024/05/08 Track List: 1. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) 2. The Stranger * ✰ 3. Just the Way You Are ✰ 4. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant 5. Vienna * 6. Only the Good Die Young 7. She's Always a Woman * 8. Get It Right the First Time * 9. Everybody Has a Dream * -- The piano and whistling from "The Stranger" and "Everybody Has a Dream" are so good, I don't think I'd get sick of hearing those parts ever.

Vienna is just a great song.

Good, but too cheesy.

Not a fan of his faux deepness, and he gets on my nerve a bit, but can't deny the excellent production and musical qualities. 3

Been meaning to listen to this album for ages so good to finally get round to it. Honestly, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would but it is still good. Some of the tracks stand out above the rest, but overall it's a nice album but not one I'm likely to revisit any time soon. Fav tracks: She's Always a Woman, Movin' Out, Vienna

Probably the best Billy Joel that I’ve heard. Not saying much, but better than expected

standouts: scenes from an italian restaurant - felt like 3 songs in one lol. vienna, she's always a woman - heard it somewhere before. vibe of the album felt kinda groovy. i thought it was sort of melancholic without being depressing yk. lots of piano. also felt like his voice was a focal point in most songs. not bad.

A few tracks I really enjoyed in this

This was a pretty decent listen. It's a bit vanilla to hit any great emotional heights for me (Vienna aside) but there are some gems on here, as well as a couple duds. Fav track: Vienna Light 3.5/5

Very well constructed pop ballads, but not in a style that works for me. Can't hold anything against Bill except some questionable lyrics and a little lack of variation, but he's never gonna be my guy. Two and a half. Fave track: The Stranger

Pop equilibrado, com a sequência das músicas bem desenvolvida.

Vienna is suchhhh a nice song

its okay

It's a shame the person with the Chandler Bing/Patrick Bateman review stopped after 10 albums. Think about the bangers they would have brought us!

Some real bangers and some real duds

Well-crafted catchy pop songs that I never need to hear again.

was cool but not my thing

Recognized most of the songs here, pretty good

It’s alright

Bien, agradable. Just the Way You Are.

Some great classic songs that alone give this 6/10.

Billy Joel is a classic bit touches to chord with me.

There were a few duds, but overall a pretty good album.

War mir nicht bekannt. Ähnelt teilweise Sting etwas, aber nicht so gut.

It’s hard to believe that this is the only Billy Joel album on the 1001 list. This album is quite a few of his famous songs on it. So if he only gets one this seems like a good choice. I’m not enough of a Billy Joel fan to have an opinion if he has a better album than this. The hits aren’t as memorable as I thought. There is too much sax and the like. I guess peak Billy Joel is a 3 for me.

Billy Joel is a greatsinger songwriter and entertainer, and there's a few of his songs I don't mind listening to, but for me, I need to be 20 years older to fit the target audience if his music.

Billy Joel is boring

Meh. Not horrible, definitely iconic in its own way, but bleh. Not my cup of meat.

One of my first albums. Had it on repeat because this, to quote someone else, “fed my teenage angsty soul.” This was Billy Joel’s best, before he got pop-y.

Correcto No es demasiado de mi agrado

Exactly what I expected. Just dont like the style of singing 🤷‍♂️ 3/5 because I can appreciate that the songs arent bad from an objective stance

Alright

Confirmed my general impression of Billy Joel, which is that when he’s writing really specific story songs, he’s great, when he’s writing more generic pop he writes the most vapid pablum.

Lots of classic Billy Joel on this album: Always a Woman, Only the Good Die Young etc. Good stuff.

I find it a bit Elton John-ish

Lot of Elton John influence. Good composition.

There's a lot of good stuff on here but I think I might like this more for the nostalgia and a reminder of a certain period of my life than I do the album itself.

some good tunes, but just felt too old fashioned for me

This for sure has some good songs, but I don't really feel like I'll ever want to listen to the whole thing front to back again. Feels like a solid 3, maybe leaning towards 3.5.

Great listen! I wonder if there ever was a Billy Joel VS Elton John rivalry. Stylistically, they're similar. You don't see many artists who sing while playing the piano at the same time; The piano is the driving force of the song. Which is a shame because it is a beautiful instrument. Lyrics are great in this album. Billy Joel is definitely a story teller, and a good one at that. Surprisingly, the popular song 'Only The Good Die Young' is my least favorite song... The rest of the songs on the album are far better written.

3/5. While I knew the first song already, every other song I had not ever heard before. I wasn’t too much of a fun and didn’t think any of the songs really did anything for me, but at the same time, I can’t say they were necessarily bad.

Billy Joel, I love you just the way you are.

Wow the amount I enjoyed these songs varied wildly. Some tracks I was super into, and others I really, really did not like. Kinda corny overall.

Never listened to much Billy Joel before, so i wasnt sure what to expect. I feel pretty neutral towards this album, definitely not bad, but not for me. My favourite song was Vienna.

"she's always a woman" is gross "movin' out" is good

Was crazy about Billy back then, but in the following decades, he was so overplayed that he'd become elevator music.

Upbeat and well crafted piano pop. Listenable and likeable if you like to listen to that kind of thing, which I don't, particularly.

I didn’t know anything about Billy Joel other than that he is old. This surprised me by being a lot more enjoyable than expected.

Its good dad rock.

No question, this was a monster of an album. The cat was everywhere during my college years. My then girlfriend/now wife knew every word to every song on this record, and the next several too. Me, he just didn’t float the boat. But I figured, this guy must have talent, he’ll keep it going. Nope, instead of continuing to make more hits, he sat on his hands and collected royalty stacks, marrying a new young princess every decade or so. And now here he is, scheduled to barf out the same tired tunes almost 50 years later to sold out, overpriced stadiums. No fucking thanks. Best thing he ever did was marry Christie Brinkley. Hands down. That earns 3 stars.

Ok but not for me

probably the last time i review an albumfrom this site, all of these things outdate me by 40-50 years. 3/5 it's good, kinda, i could see how someone might really love this album, it's just far from my taste, especially in it's lyricism.

enjoyed the listen, but aside from the few standouts, it didn't leave a lasting impression/relisten value for me. maybe i just prefer the other albums with those iconic billy joel tracks that really stick for me, the ones that are more poppy like 'an innocent man' and 'storm front'.

This album has some great songs on it: - Movin Out - Vienna - Only the Good Die Young - She's Always a Woman That said, I don't think this album was necessarily "ground-breaking" or adding anything extraordinarily new to my repertoire. It was between a 3 and a 4 but ultimately leaned towards a three.

A couple of high moments… rest not impressed.

Songs I liked the most -moving out -only the good die young -everybody has a dream (especially the end was a good way to go out) -Also like how Vienna has the French solo in the middle it reminded me of ratatooi

I had a (clearly unearned) hesitation about this album because the 70's British/American Piano Ballad stuff is a little out of my wheelhouse, but that hesitation vanished after the first song. I think it was really smart of Billy to open with 'Moving Out', as he seems to have done so for people like me that held preconceptions about his music. When he shouts he sounds surprisingly similar to Paul McCartney doing his shouting voice, I would have guessed he was a scouser by the way he pronounces some words. I'd be curious if anyone can think of any contemporary artists who perform in this style, as it was very popular in the 70's but seems to have fallen off after the 80s, perhaps wavering in a similar way, or due to, the general transition from acoustic to electronic production. He originally sought Beatles producer George Martin but couldn't secure the bag. It is Billy's best selling non-compilation album. Even though I didn't really recognise any songs by name, many sounded familiar once I heard them and are probably classic and/or sampled. I only checked for a a couple of songs and there are many samples, including Snoop Dogg, Ol' Dirty Bastard of Wu Tan Clan, Xhibit, and Daft Punk (who sampled seperate songs from this album for one song, 'High Fidelity'. Three stars for now for me personally, though I'm sure this is the type of album where time spent and and enjoyability are highly correlational

First half is really great; first 2-4 songs are especially good. Second half starts to lose me. Could be a grower though.

I expected billy Joel to be worse than that was

ak ak ak ak, It was okay. Not my style.

more of a 3.5/5, consistently solid

I was only familiar with the greatest hits from this album, but the rest was pretty good to you. I’ll probably wouldn’t put this on independently, but I wouldn’t object if somebody else suggested it.

Easy to listen to. Good, not great.

Highs are so high but also sounds dated and a little corny. Still a couple of my all time favorite songs. Hate to do it but as a whole album it’s probably a 3

👍

Bien, agradable. Just the Way You Are.

You almost know every song on this album.

Fine. Didn't get me, but I can hear how it blew minds in 1977. More slick than super tramp, less dramatic than Elton john. Nice songs.

Favorite tracks: Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) Rating: 3/5

1. Moving out - 5 2. Stranger - 4 3. Just the way - 4 4. Scenes from ir - 3 5. Vienna - 3 6. Only good Die- 3 7. She's always a woman - 4 8. Get it right - 3 9. Dream - 2 10. Miami - 2 11. Prelude - 3 3.27

Enjoyable album, my first real exposure to Billy Joel and was pretty much in line with what I expected from him having only heard his bigger singles before. Highlight for me was “only the good die young” and the rest were good if fairly forgettable.

Billy can do no wrong

One I wouldn’t have listened to otherwise

An oft-derided storyteller who leads with a strong voice and his piano. Whether modern dismissals of Joel's career (I'd call this rock snobbery) are driven by his own success and the lazy programming of North American radio (the "overplayed" school) or the fact that he's a piano player first (a professor of mine argued that Jerry Lee Lewis marrying his child cousin ruined the piano for rock music for decades; exceptions prove the rule), he deserves another listen. Melodically interesting, lyrically smart and relatable, vocally strong and rangy, Joel fills The Stranger with concise tunes influenced as much by the early 40s and 50s roots of rock & roll (jazz, Tin Pan Alley, the blues, Broadway) and largely avoids getting too bogged down by the oncoming reverb-pocalypse of the production conceits of the 80s (this is 1977, but the tremors have begun you can hear them on Just The Way You Are, which is why it's so schmaltzy). He's kind of like a more-sentimental, less-angry Bruce Springsteen. Give it a shot. Movin' Out is great, you can skip Just The Way You Are it it's too saccharine for you and Only The Good Die Young is an absolute all-time jam.

Not super memorable. Fun storytelling though

微妙にダサい

A bit too slow for my taste but I do love Billy Joel and enjoyed some of his classics.

Nostalgic sound Happy to rediscover

I know all of these songs really well, by osmosis I guess. I suppose there was a time in my youth that I would have put on a Billy Joel album willingly, but that time is not now. I’m giving this a 3 because I can sing along to almost all of the songs, but it is a begrudging 3.

It was alright. Started strong, grew a bit boring around half-way through, ended with a bang.

I’m not a fan of Billy Joel, but this album is wonderful. It has all the hits.

Different to what I was expecting. Not very "we didn't start the fire" like. Much better Some i quite enjoyed. Others passed me by. Overall I think not quite my thing, but not bad. Didn't know "she's always a woman" was by Billy Joel. Highlights: Vienna She's always a woman 3.5

Classic album, one that can be listened to or just 'on' and makes Best of 1001? No Worst of 1001? No But likely give it a 7/10

Neither here nor there for me.

I believe that The Stranger is quite a good album. The songs had a surprising amount of emotion to them and while even though a majority of the album was somber, it also had some fun, rocking songs as well. And there is not a bad song in sight. This album is pretty good for what it is Best Song: The Stranger Worst Song: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

Didn't realize I knew half the album before I listened. As a non fan I was surprised by 1) how many songs I knew and 2) the strength of a lot of the songwriting throughout. Not really my type of music but I can't deny the man has talent and his delivery is more often then not on point. I would give it a higher rating but I just don't feel like it was powerful enough for repeat listening at some point down the road.

Definitely some classics on here. Definitely some songs I really don’t like. Let’s split it and… 3 stars

Heart attack-ack-ack-ack/5

милый + вокал его чуть интереснее чем кажется сначала. пошла вспоминать, почему так много говорят про Билли Джоела в сериалах, попутно начиталась в реддите, что стренджер лучший альбом. не знаю, многое показалось устаревшим и даже обидным, но надо продолжить проверку)

Ok album then I listened to a load of his different songs after. Never gave him a chance before.

K: short discontinuous C: Some really good individual songs but not one of the better Billy albums

Enjoyed more than I expected, as is well reflected by the reviews already here. I don't think I'd go back to it though.

I feel like I knew every song on this album, but had never heard it all together. It's... it's a really good album. I enjoyed it a lot. Not a lot of moments I think "I'm going to sit down and listen to Billy Joel" and I certainly did it twice.

Nostalgic. Didn't know that most of his bangers came on 1 album.

pretty decent, but not something I would pick up through choice normally, but still pretty good

Top-notch songwriting? Check. Impeccable playing? Check. Flawless production? Check. A dull and pedestrian venture? Check.

The song the stanger was pretty good, had some rock elements but mostly piano ballads

Not usually a vibe at 7:30 in the morning but still a classic and set a good mood for the day.

Fun fact my dad proposed to my mom while this album was playing and we have it framed in our basement I might not even exist if it wasn’t for this album. This is just bop after bop for me I loved this. I feel a bit pop vibe when I listen to this, maybe it’s just cause I wanna pop dis pussay for billy. Just the way you are made my tip wet. Vienna is forever a classic. Only the good die young is an anthem and everybody has a dream is gonna be my wet dream for the next next couple nights. This album was extremely fun, dig the album cover too soo deep he’s looking right at the stranger. I can totally see how my dad swindled my 14 year old mother into marriage when he was 27 with this album, yeah Canada has pretty loose laws with the whole age of consent thing or whatever it’s called. I give this a Strong 3 soft 4 -B (illy joy)

Good songs but his voice is annoying. All in all not that spectacular.

I had no idea Billy Joel was such a polarizing figure in music. I've always thought his music was okay. I'm not rushing out to buy all his albums, but I'm not changing the station if he comes on the radio either. This album seemed to be one hit after another which I found to be pretty impressive.

This was really good. Very funky and cool. I could play this album while doing something.

Was gonna say I don't know any Billy Joes songs. But the first track on this album is Movin Out. Had no idea that was him. Oh yeah Just the Way You Are. Only the Good Die Young. I know this one too. Whaaaa She's Always a Woman... wow I guess I do know some Billy Joel...

Some classic songs but the transition between some tracks felt a little off.

Scenes from an italian restaurant Is a real banger! Love the 70:ies production sound.

Good.

Good songwriter, good singer, great pianist, but all by all a bit bland, good for the background so to say... Highlights include vienna and she's always a woman

Was never a big Joel fan but this album is not bad. Some songs just weren't my tempo, but the popular/lively ones are good.

Not the biggest fan of billy

Yes, some of the lyrics are pretty cheesy and there is absolutely no edge whatsoever, but this is still a lovely collection of songs. Pretty much every track could have been a single. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Just the Way You Are Date listened: 12/10/23

Anthony’s song moving out it’s really good

A fun listen. I'm completely unfamiliar with Billy Joel's work besides the hits. So it's great to take a deeper dive into him.

Good album to play in the background. Very nice songs, nothing remarkable

This is pretty solid. Not really my type of music, but very boppy. 3.5/5

Some interesting songs, but didn’t get a chance to hear it all.

Bra!

half of this album goes extremely hard (\"vienna\", \"moving out\", and \"scenes from an italian restaurant\" especially), and the rest is exceptionally mediocre. nostalgic album for me though.

Really really well made music that just isn't my thing. It raises the bar in the middle of the road.

I wish I hadn't read the "sounds like Paul McCartney doing an Elton John impression" comments, it's cracked me up!

While it’s got some really great songs (Movin’ Out, Only the Good Die Young), I’ve never been a huge Billy Joel guy. I am NOT a fan of songs like Just the Way You Are and other songs just don’t really stand out to me as all that special. It’s a good album, but not an all-time great in my view.

billy joel feels like dua lipa. popular music for the time that's quite mediocre overall but puts you in a good mood.

i kissed the tiny bartender

3.5

love the first half

Ok

Highlights: "Movin' Out," "Get It Right the First Time," "Always a Woman," "Vienna" As a musical voice, he has trouble getting out from under McCartney and Wonder. The ideas that elevate him from schmaltz are very much in their style. Sure, he is a great performer. The songs have a lot of movement, and he knows how to grab the rhythm in phrases and pull a catchy melody out of them left and right. In that sense, using music to make thoughts felt, his lyrics are very good. But as a vaunted capital-s Songwriter he falls flat. Every song has absolutely zero subtext -- the nuance of a Wiki page about the title, and more than a little narrative confusion. Between the absence of a distinct personal style and any interesting non-musical ideas, it's just a good torchbearing.

Själfull, eftertänksamt

Day 117 The fact that I always thought that Billy Joel was Lionel Ritchie should sound anecdotal nowadays but it did happen. I heard The Stranger for the first time in maybe 2017; I was checking a list of supposedly good records that you could find for just one dollar; they also had Boston, Styx, and Blue by Joni Mitchell, among others I can't remember right now; I listened to it (and all the other albums on that list) once and kind of liked it. In the next couple of weeks I found it in a one dollar bin and bought it. I guess they don't have those bins anymore, or at least not with somehow listenable music in them. Anyhow, I took The Stranger home and played it. Only once. I was deceived, I didn't dislike it but I didn't enjoy it either. It sounded just meh, just like some generic AOR from the 70s. Listening to it now I can understand why this album sold so much at the time: it's all very pretty, easy on the ears, warm. Maybe he's a great songwriter, maybe these songs are all very well written and executed, but it's nothing more than just that, a pleasant listen. Rating: 2 bucks, because of the inflation.

Good work here by the singing pugilist

Billy Joel innit.

Decent elevator music or nostalgia-filled music for 40+ yo boomers. Either way this album is just in the middle of the pack, not great not terrible. Just not very memorable

esse álbum é tão chique, me senti um rico com seu vinho falando coisas fúteis. muito bom, mas não é algo que eu repetiria ultimamente.

I enjoyed. A classic album with some well known hits. All very listenable but wouldn’t want to hear all of them on the radio.

Somehow I'm not convinced of the sincerity, but most of the songs are good. Favorite song: She's always a woman

Leppoisaa piano rockia, mitäpä muuta. Tutunkuuloista viheltelyä vikassa kappaleessa ja Vienna oli ehkä paras

Pretty good

C'est réducteur comme comparaison, mais j'avais un peu l'impression d'écouter une version moins bonne d'Elton John. Je ne trouve pas ça mauvais, mais il manque un petit quelque chose pour vraiment m'accrocher. Clairement Joel est super talentueux, mais je pense tout simplement que son style est moins dans mes cordes. Objectivement, c'est un bon album et je comprends son inclusion. 6/10

WSFMs entire playlist. Still fun

weird sexy saxophone

Better than I was expecting! Of course I'm familiar with Billy Joel, but gun to my head I don't think I could name too many of his songs. Reading the tracklist, I saw "Only the Good Die Young" and was looking forward to that, but there were others on here that I liked too, and "Vienna" was for sure one other that I know pretty well (but never knew the name). A good cinematic quality to this album and the music, the guy knows how to put good music together. I also really like the notion of a piano man, a pianist who's a classic pop/rock staple is rare among all the guitarists. Wouldn't mind another album from Billy. Favorite tracks: Only the Good Die Young, Vienna, Just the Way You Are. Album art: Black and white, but I really like the creepy mask on the pillow. Billy kind of looks like a mix between Paul McCartney and Sylvester Stallone in this shot, not sure if that holds up. 3.5/5

Some really nice tunes here, will listen to more

Good morning, you're listening to Smooth Radio and I'm (insert name of inoffensive DJ). What your mum was listening to in the 80s. and 90s. And probably still now. Well crafted and interesting enough for one listen I guess, but I won't be back. Ack ack ack etc.

Best Song: Only the Good Die Young. Nostalgic (for me), with the catchiest chorus in an album of catchy choruses. Worst Song: She's Always a Woman. An absolute Iowa field's worth of corny. Overall: Great little storytelling songs sung by a voice that's very easy to listen to. Music that feels safe in a good way. Like Ol' Billy's just having a good time playing music, and he wants you to have fun too. And I did. I did have fun.

Great original songwriting here. I like the songwriting more than the songs, though, if you understand. Definitely always alright, just sometimes feels below his level.

I knew more of it than I expected. Great stuff.

There are great songs on this, but there's something that stops a lot of them from feeling great that I can't put my finger on. Still, a very good collection

Solid classic

Starts off very groovy, then he discovers sad piano keys which I also liked but not as much

it was alright moviing out is really good though

Hmm ihan kivaa musiikkia, mutta lyriikat oli hämmentäviä välillä. Onneksi pysyi menevänä, muuten sakottaisin enemmän.

Didnt finish it all the way but billy has got some good jams on this one dawg

Was alright, recognised one or two songs. Good easy listening music that's easy to enjoy.

Not to my tastes but can appreciate some of the craft. Like an American Elton John.

It was fine. Just wasn’t my cup of tea really. I know this album was impactful and extremely well done, it’s just that the genre wasn’t my thing.

Expecting better really. Some good songs, some just filler.

Its pretty decent TBF, but still carries that aged Radio 4 production type.

Some hits here, for sure, but late 70's pop not my thing. I've tried.

The piano is pretty, but so few of these songs hook me in. It's hard to avoid comparing one piano-based rocker to another, but somehow Elton John takes way cheesier material and makes it awesome, where Billy Joel's lyrics are way better yet his songs lack the same wow-factor. Talent all over the place but barely ever amounts to more than sounding like elevator muzak.

I appreciate his talent for songwriting, he is really good at what he is doing. However this album was too sugary pop-rock for my taste. It's not one of those albums I would relisten again soon.

Lots of hits. I can’t do as good a job as Klosterman discussing the merits of Billy Joel.

Doesn't do much for me, but nevertheless a half decent attempt at being a singer- songwriter. It lacks much in the way of edge and grit which you get with others you may want to compare against.

3.5

Honestly, based off the two first songs I thought this would be a 5/5 but there's a few really bland omes in there. Vienna is nice though.

eh, i mean it’s legend…but not my fave.

I knew a few songs. Not bad. Good background music. Don't love it, don't have it. 6-7/10

I liked this one somewhat. Not really my type, but nice enough and better than the average song on the radio. No real dislikes. Knew several songs coming in, none on my list and none added. Overall an enjoyable listen. 6/10

First off this is a great sounding record. Mixed real well. The acoustic guitar textures are almost materializing in front of me on tracks like "Just the Way You Are" and "Scenes from An Italian Restaurant". There are some great grooves on this album with "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" "Get It Right the First Time" (had me bobbing my damn head all over the place), and the aforementioned Italian restaurant song. But I think this one won't make it past a 3/5 rating for me as I just felt like I couldn't relate to it. I can't pinpoint a singular reason why that is but it's the case. Maybe because it feels like musical music? A theme I've used as a crutch to describe why I don't like an album a lot. Maybe it's *too* 80s? I just feel like if I'm stack ranking piano based classic pop music I'd put Elton at the top and Randy (I just love Randy) in second then Billy in third, possibly even further down. Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello just put out a record that I can vibe with way more than The Stranger. Anyway, there's certainly good stuff in here. "Only the Good Die Young" is objectively a classic fun track to dance around to. "Movin' Out" even more so (at least in my opinion). But these are the more upbeat tracks that harken other artists and not Mr. Joel himself which kind of signals to me that I'd rather listen to other artists. Another one that I totally get why it's someone's dad's favorite album of all time but unfortunately I'm not somebody's dad.

I am someone’s dad, but this isn’t my favorite album either. Still, how can you argue with so many huge hits? Here’s how: I am familiar with almost every song, and I like most of them, but none of them are a favorite song. None of them really move me. If Piano Man had been on here it’d be totally different. The closest one for me is actually Scenes from and Italian Restaurant. It reminds me of some great restaurants in NYC (and I’m actually sitting in my favorite restaurant in NYC as I written this). Good but not great.

Nice album with some delitious songs. "Just the way you are" is wanderful.

Enjoyed it. 3 stars.

I enjoyed this one. Every song was sound I’d say. ‘Vienna’ and ‘Always a Woman’ are my stand outs. Strong 3

The title song is great, along with a couple other ones like moving out and vienna. The others are a little bland

3.5/5

3+

Much piano. Much familiar actually, didn't realise

Better than expected. Few great songs, few that just kind of meandered on. 3 stars

Broadwaypop för radion att spela när du är tio och sitter och väntar på att maten ska bli klar. Och just i den genren är det ok.

I don't like Billy Joel as a rule but there's clearly some well written songs on here. There's also some awful cheesy shite that even in the 70s he should have known better

Never listened to this album. Probably heard the songs from it but post 2006 I've only listened to Billy Joel 7 times. Artist #1459 pre listening to this A bit "musical theatre" for my taste tbh

A masterclass in 70s pop/songwriting. Inoffensive tunes with great lyrics. Solid record.

A few good Joel songs. Just hard to listen to a straight album of Joel

Very much a late 70s easy listening classic

Decent in places

The generator refuses to let me out of the 1970s. 6 out of the 7 albums from the past week have been from this decade. Please, move to a different decade. This album was fine. Favorite song: “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”.

Started strong but by the end felt a bit tired.

"Movin' Out" and "Vienna" are huge, but I kind of lost interest half way through. I have nothing else to say about this album, so I'll just casually mention that I've never heard the song "Piano Man" before.

Upbeat, pop friendly, just a Billy Joel album. Didn’t know “Just the way you are” is a Billy Joel original though

I’m not a Billy Joel fan, but I enjoy a few of the songs on this album.

Kinda bland inoffensive old pop rock

I feel like Billy Joel has never quite "clicked" for me. I think, listening to this, it's because I don't feel like his voice matches his songs: to song songs that are a little cheesy, you need to have a voice that just overpowers the feeling of cheesiness. If he could sing like Freddie Mercury, I'd love his stuff. But it comes off a little too earnest, and so it doesn't quite do it for me.

Haven't really listened to much Billy Joel, and this was kinda meh. Not great, not bad.

Movin' Out and Only the Good Die Young are good but Just the Way You Are is oof.

This LP gets off to a hella strong start with 'Movin' Out' and co., a snappy number that my dad loved to parody in my younger years. Nostalgia aside, that streak does continue throughout most of the album even as it wanders through more contemplative tracks such as 'Scenes.' Does get a little cheesy near the end with sappier ballads, but overall the album is still impressive for how much variation in melodic ideas and tempo Joel gets to flex on.

Italian Restaurant och Vienna va kiva

Bill

Billy Boel

i have heard this too many times and im not going to listen to it again

7/10 Uph lag: She’s always a woman Góð background-læra tónlist, svoldið löng lög og þekki þau ekki

It's ok.

Enjoyable album, competently produced, classic tunes. Very of its era. Great songwriting but lacks edge for me.

Billy Joel is an artist I always enjoy listening to and will never choose to listen to. Not sure why, his music is fine, but just never really tickles my fancy enough to want to come back I guess.

Not a huge billy Joel fan. Not bad. Moving out. Some good songs, scenes from an Italian restaurant, the stranger.

is ok

Eh. Not my favorite.

It was fine... Lyrically I can see that there's a lot of skill there, but unfortunately I found some of the songs to be a bit boring so I often zoned out of listening to the lyrics anyway. Maybe I'm just not American enough to really "get" the hype around Billy Joel. Favourite: Get It Right the First Time

Sì, ok… ma dopo un po’ che palle

Enjoyed: yes Listens: 2 Wasn't two bad, just sounds like it was made for musical theatre

It's OK. The title track gives me Steely Dan vibes. I also get some McCartney-esque pastiche vibes. Nothing here is as offensive as Springsteen but I'm not really inspired by the characters Joel creates.

am happy with this album. methinks it sounds a bit like iggy pop? i wonder if he was inspired by him or not.

Not bad

Demasiado pop, pero con algunas inoxidables.

Not a huge Billy Joel fan, but heard much of his songs.

Enpä ollut aikaisemmin kuunnellut Bilin soolomatskua enkä tiennyt moisen olevan edes olemassa. Viihdyttävä ja helposti kuunneltava, mutta jotain jäi puuttumaan noustakseen meikäläisen kirjoissa mestariteoksien (tai edes vähän alusta) joukkoon.

pour aucune raison valable je confonds billy joel et bon jovi et la terre continue de tourner

I don't really know how to rate this. Obviously it's good and earns its spot on this list. But I also don't care.

Enjoyed this more than I anticipated. Wish I could give half stars cause I would rate this one a three and a half, half, half, half, half. You oughta know by now.

a lot of Billy Joel classics on this one

Great sounding record, not my type of music but a lot of recognizable songs.

Bien, agradable. Just the Way You Are.

Pretty good fare from Billy boy

I actually paid attention to the lyrics, they’re really fun here

Mon premier Billy Joel. Les deux premières pièces sont excellentes. Je ne suis pas un fan des chansons Just The Way You Are ou She’s Always A Woman, mais elles fonctionnent bien et restent en tête, donc c’est une réussite en terme de mélodies. Le saxophone et la clarinette sont un peu too much dans l’album (la flûte est pas mal limite). Donc inégal comme album, mais pas totalement déçu. Pièces préférées: Movin’ Out, The Stranger, Get It Right The First Time

Some beautiful songs that I hadn’t even realised were Billy Joel.

26th May 2022 Listened during the day while working from home and back and forth from the supermarket. Chilled in the evening. Love a bit of Billy Joel! Piano and voice are great and his lyrics are fun.

Decent album, have heard a number of the songs before.

I liked this WAY more than I thought I would!

Very popular in the junior high school days. Just The Way You Are brings back all the memories. It is a very good song. I always had a problem with the lyrics to Only The Good Die Young. It reminded me of my Catholic school going friend. I thought it was unkind to her. Then he cheated on his beautiful, seemingly kind wife- ah, but we are here to discuss the music. The songwriting is good, very catchy tunes, creative lyrics. Produces an overall nice, sentimental feeling. Gotta like it then.

I’ve always preferred Elton to Billy but this album is sort of undeniable. I love when goes ack ack ack ack like Cathy.

Movin' Out is one of my favorite Billy Joel songs. I learned about the song in college when I had a roommate who used to play it on his piano. In many ways, it feels like Billy Joel took Paul McCartney's 1965-1975 piano-focused songs and continued to refine into the late-70s and 80s better than Sir Paul ever could have. Good for him. I also know that - also taking McCartney's tactics a step further - Joel was a total jerk to his studio and live bands. Which sucks. For me, Billy Joel is more of a Greatest Hits artist. The album tracks sound just as good but the songs aren't quite there. His talent and worth are never in question, but based on the criteria of competence not artistry - if that makes sense. So, I sorta get 3-4 songs into a record and then I'm bored. As a result, 3/5 ain't bad for BJ.

This is Billy Joel's fifth album and it's considered to be his critical and commercial breakthrough album. The Stranger won Record of the Year at the 1978 Grammy's and has been certified diamond in the US for sales. This pop rock album contains some of Billy Joel's most popular songs, including "Vienna" and "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant". I liked the atmosphere that this album created while listening to it, but only a few of the songs stuck out to me as great. I think I may be a little too young to fully enjoy the genius work of Billy Joel, because there's a lot of praise for this album, that I think is somewhat forgettable.

Meh

Started off well. Then many songs that sounded like intros to a soap TV series. Some songs were decent. Didn't like the last 2 really. Overall not an amazing album.

Okay.

Not bad, there was some nice songwriting here, but I doubt I'll ever return to it. Still better than Springsteen.

A nice pop album, with a very punchy, strong and catchy A-side. Unfortunately, along the next part of the ride, there are songs that are rather average and a bit annoying like Only The Good Die Young. Maybe "The Stranger" is an overrated album or I'm just not a fan of Billy Joel? I don't know.

I can't really complain about this album it's a fine album. Am I a fan? No. But that doesn't change the fact that the guy makes some fun adult contemporary pop albums. For me he's a poor man's Randy Newman. Anyway a pleasant uneventful listen...3.5 🌟

Enjoyed, not bad

Never thought I'd rate a Billy Joel album higher than a Jimi Hendrix album, but here we are.

Fin un peu molle, mais pas mal Prefs: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), The Stranger, Just The Way You Are, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna Moins pref: Only the Good Die Young

I don't understand what Billy Joel is I don't think

Some great songs, yet spectacularly unfashionable. I liked the storytelling narrative that runs throughout. It reminded me of Meat Loaf without all the ridiculous posturing. Quite uplifting and cheery - not my usual thing. A very odd album cover art.

The Stranger is seen as a concept album of sorts but I don't see it as such, what I see is a an album filled with immediately familiar, pop, radio ready, songs which Billy Joel has become known for. The album has a something for everyone, formula perfect pop songs that are waiting to be sung at weddings, songs that make you want to get up and move, and songs that would fit perfectly on Broadway. While all the songs are not my taste there is no denying these songs were written for the masses. While I may not be a fan of Just the Way You Are it was the song of the year and it remains hugely popular. Regardless of what your musical taste at some point while listening through this album you will be singing along. Favorite songs: Only the Good Die Young, Movin' Out. 3 stars

If Billy Joel is one thing, it's earnest, which can be a double-edged sword. He's obviously a talented piano player, and songs like Movin' Out, Vienna and Only the Good Die Young have an undeniable charm. But the album is all over the map. I love a third of it, I could take or leave another third of the tracks and then want to skip the other third. Thankfully I'm no longer in the walkman era where I have to manually skip Just the Way You Are every time, but the playlist era where I can put Movin' Out on my "Songs that say Ack ack ack ack" on them. Fav tracks: Movin' Out, Vienna, and Only the Good Die Young

Ah, Billy Joel. Our love-hate relationship continues with a mighty fury! He certainly knows his way around a melody, and when everything clicks into place, it makes for a moving and memorable experience (Only the Good Die Young, Movin' Out). But the schmaltz factor is real (Just the Way You Are, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant). Curiously, She's Always A Woman feels like it occupies the exact middle ground between his best and worst impulses. Favourite tracks: Movin' Out, Only the Good Die Young

Not my cup of Tea - Very middle of the road

Not my fave Billy Joel album

not something i would normally listen to, but not bad. piano music with dude singing

Easy listening—nothing stood out, except maybe the guitar on “She’s Always a Woman”.

Not really my thing - ok background music

The first cassette tape I bought was Billy Joel's "An Innocent Man". I'm sure that "Only the Good Die Young" from The Stranger had helped me decide that Joel was someone worth listening two. I've listened to 3 or 4 other studio albums, but never to the Stranger. There are only two tracks from The Stranger ("Get It Right the First Time", "Everybody Has a Dream") that I don't think I've heard before. 6 of the tracks I recognized just from their titles. I didn't think I had heard the title track before, but when I pulled up Joel's Greatest Hits vols. I & II (which I have listened to several times) I saw that "The Stranger" is on side 1. Joel has talent, and most of the music is likeable, but I've heard most of the tracks often enough to not see a need to re-visit this album.

Songs from this album last a long shadow over the pop landscape of the 1980s. The Stranger partly feels like a concept album, about that Italian restaurant, but then there are standalone pop moments. I can't abide "Just the Way You Are" - a now four-time divorced man telling women "don't go changing". But the title track is enjoyable, once its disco grooves get going.

Eh.

Sommige nummers mooi, ook aardig wat nummers die ik matig vind

Twee pianomannen achter elkaar is wel iets too much, maar ik kan Billy wel waarderen

Lush sounds, very smooth, not really my cup of tea but not awful

Only the Good Die Young and always a woman are the better tracks of this album, overall pretty good album. 7/10

The first track slaps. There's a sort of Paul McCartney vibe. Carries on with a sort of Clapton feel. Just the way you are is cheesy bullshit. Where it works, the album is solid easy listening rock, but where it fails its soulless cliche. Good - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), Only the Good Die Young. Bad - Just the way you are, She's Always a Woman.

Typical rock pop English songs (Elton John style)

Ovo je dobar album, nije mi u potpunosti super, jednostavno je onak, okej za poslušati. Paše album. Yep, znao sam da sam negdje čuo The Stranger sample, i pogodio sam - ako ikog zanima to je kod Xzibitove - Foundation (super pjesma btw).

A great 'easy' soft rock album, but it's too cheesy and corny for me at times. My top pick is 'Only the Good Die Young', I like that it's bit more upbeat than some of the other tracks. This is more of a 3.5 really, but it's not quite for my tastes.

I can't really complain about this album it's a fine album. Am I a fan? No. But that doesn't change the fact that the guy makes some fun adult contemporary pop albums. For me he's a poor man's Randy Newman. Anyway a pleasant uneventful listen...3.5 stars

Billy Joel is a good singer and his songs are allright. In this album, the best is "Movin' out".

Can't deny the talent of the guy, but in general it's a bit too smooth for me. I have a few songs I like by Billy Joel but overall a bit too soft rock for me.

Kærlighedsballader, flygler og en slesk gut. Men jeg kan sgu godt lide viben! En stor 3'er.

glimrende softrock/poprock

I liked this more than I thought I would

Great ballads and a few rock tunes. A few songs were a bit indistinguishable, but others were peak-McCartney-level writing.

Was already on my favourite albums list. Pop album. Some interesting lyrics, but not that much inspiring when it comes to melodies.

I like Billy Joel generally and I find people who hate him tedious. A lot of it is worn out for me (I don't ever need to hear Piano Man again and the less said about who started the fire the better), and the only album I routinely listen to is Glass Houses. This is all right and has some classics on it but also some pretty typical filler.

No stranger to The Stranger

This works for unobtrusive background music for people of a certain age

3.5

Masterful pop melodies, and delightful slice of life songwriting. Sometimes gets a bit cloying. Also basically a Ray Davies / Paul McCartney rip-off.

decent

Gutes Album. Eher freudige Stimmung mit genug Abwechslung bei ähnlicher Stimmung in den Liedern

Pěkný piano. Nejlepší název písně Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. Hudebně nejzajímavější Only the Good Die Young. Jinak mi přijde, že nic, co by si člověk zapamatoval.

Good chill music, surprised how many songs I knew off the album

Singles are great! Rest of album a bit sameish

Some classic songs! She's Always a Woman was weird. I already knew I wasn't much of a Billy Joel fan but I wouldn't deny those who see the appeal.

Liked the more sentimental songs, didnt fancy the rock

Hmmm, some of these are catchy.... Probably a 3.

It was okay. Not my style but I didn't hate it.

Not loving this one. Anthony's Song and The Stranger bang but like...the back 3/4 of this album are ballads and are a bit boring imo without a lot to pull you through the end of the album, lots of energy lost quickly after the stranger. But still I love his voice and they're good arrangements.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would

Didn't quite reach 4 stars as a collective for me but there were 2 or 3 individual songs that would hit 4 or maybe 5 stars easily

I really didn't expect to like this. But it was enjoyable. Good album.

On dirait je sais pas quoi dire. Elton John et Paul McCartney = BILLY JOEL. C’est bon, mais je tombe pas à terre. Encore un mauvais choix de CD quand y’a plein de chansons beaucoup plus connues.

Meh

Levy oli sellaista ihan ok tavaraa. Ei jäänyt hirveästi käteen tästä. Osa kappaleista oli ihan pirtsakkaakin menoa, helppoa kuunneltavaa. Oli tämä parempi kuin edellisen päivän Elvis Costellon Brutal youth. Tällä kontrastilla kolme tähteä.

Lots of Home Depot classics on here. I never realized it before but he really sounds like a knockoff Elton John with hints of Steely Dan. Lots of classic tunes and fairly fun to listen to but the songwriting is just. So cheesy.

Saying 'I don't want clever conversation, I want you just the way you are' is not the compliment he was intending. Generally didn't like the lyrics much but it was a bop. 3+ , it gets points for having Only The Good Die Young

I thought there were a few songs that were quite good, but the album as a whole, less so. I don't know that long, slow songs are really Billy Joel's strong suit. Strongly considered giving it a 4 anyway