The Stranger

Pretty good

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.

This album is just chock full of hits. I’d never listened to the album as a whole but I’d heard the songs from it my whole life. I REALLY dug what Billy Joel put down here. A fantastic pop rock album for the late 1970s.

Ok sure. I was never really sure where to place Billy Joel. I guess this helps me answer that question: good middle of the road pop/rock.

Billy Joel was great before album came out, but this album made him a superstar. With classics like My Life, Movin' Out, Just the Way You Are, and She's Always a Woman this album should be mostly familiar to any music fan. Then the rest of the album is full of some of Billy's best loved songs by true fans such as Scene's From an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, and my personal favorite: Everybody Has a Dream. The only other song not mentioned is Get it Right the First Time and it's not too bad either. One of the easiest 5/5 that I have given. Only 70 of the 950 albums I have rated have received a 5/5 rating from me (about 7%).

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.

hyvä albumi WAU PALJON SINGLEJÄ!! TUTTUJA SINGLEJÄ OLEN KUULLUT !! ei v*ttu väliä sillä... ALBUMI KOKONAISUUS..tärkein elementti... vittu mitää hittejä... ja tässä ne on selvästi huonoimmat biisit... riistää kuninkuus spotin!! valtaistuimen!! Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Just great from top to bottom. Every song works musically, lyrically and performatively and it holds together exceedingly well in terms of consistency of mood and linked storytelling. Very well produced with solid play and terrific touches all over the place – the whistling, of course, the crisp guitar and light-touch high-hatting on "The Stranger," and the clarinet and accordion on "Vienna"). A few stone cold classics ("Only the Good Die Young" is an all-timer if only for upsetting so many Catholic moms; "Movin' Out") with a strong set of deep cuts are great (esp the title cut and "Scenes" and "Get It Right the First Time"). "Just the Way You Are" is a non-sappy ballad done right. Maybe the perfect pop album

Monster of an album.

After a run of uneven and commercially disappointing albums in the early 70's, Joel hit it big with the release of The Stranger. This was my introduction to Billy Joel with plenty of radio play for Just The Way You Are and The Good Die Young which fit in with what I was listening to at the time (Elton John, Paul McCartney...etc). I didn't buy this album, as most of the good songs were already on the radio, back in a time when I used to tape songs directly off the radio. I hadn't heard the whole record in a while and I must admit it brings a lot of nostalgic memories. I would never admit I'm a fan of Joel's music, but this album personally is all I need to hear from his exhaustive catalogue.

A pretty dang good album. Billy Joel does good. Four good songs, four stars.

Good album with some classics. I feel like I need to give it a few more listens to really appreciate it though

Above average album, fun to listen to

3.5

No me pareció nada del otro mundo. Un disco difrutable en el que todo el tracklist es mas que llevadero. No hay mucho hilo conector pero si que logra cautivar aspectos de la vida amorosa de billy y dilemas en los que se ve envuelto. Una reescucha que me la guardo para un domingo tranquilo 7/10

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.

Ahh shoot, my bias is kicking in on this one. I love this guy! This album almost felt like a greatest hits, seemed like i knew almost every track even though I've never played the album. Billy Joel is a master at songwriting and story telling. Loved it

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

Boring

Certified Fresh

Wonderful album, one song is better than the next and every song is great. I should listen to more Billy Joel, seems he knows what he is doing.

Beautiful instrumentation but so boring otherwise

Solid

I'm a big fan of Billy Joel. This was my first introduction to Billy Joel when I was a child. Still embodies New York Romanticism to me. I love the balance of this album there's so many fun songs.

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

The Stranger is cool and cheesy together, it's a great listen. Just The Way You Are is an all-timer, then it's followed by the sweet sax of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant which is mega playful and heartfelt and everything else building to a cinematic crescendo. Vienna is a wonderful song and She's Always a Woman is stunning. This falls short of a 5/5 by the finest of margins but my word is it good. This is so well-crafted.

Billy Joel gets a lot of shit, and I totally understand why - stuff like Uptown Girl is painfully cheesy. But, this album is so much better... Apart from the last two tracks, he stays on the right side of schmaltzy, tells some good stories (although occasionally they do slip into being lectures), and does it in a really catchy way. Works as an album, has some really memorable songs, 4/5.

Just like your favorite Italian restaurant. Fills you up with the right amount of cheese.

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.

Absolute stunner of an album!

Okay, this album is good. Very very good. Billy Joel is usually too schmaltzy for my taste. But like, come on! Movin’ out is undeniable! Phil Ramone is very good at his craft! I wanna get into him more. This just feels very specifically New York, Philly, jazzy, theatrical. I like it. It’s not Paul simon for me. I think the comparison is unflattering. The lyrics aren’t often to my taste, but like… this is a story. There’s a throughline. That’s what I want in my albums. And this one is undeniably a story of a lot of America from a time long ago, one that seems almost extinct except for when you turn on the radio. It’s not my favorite listen of the era by any means, but it definitely belongs there. 4/5

This is from what I’d consider Billy Joel’s golden era. Brings back lots of memories of just random pieces of life in upstate NY, where Billy Joel songs were everywhere.

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

Ihan hirvee saksofoni jossain vaiheessa, mutta muuten yllätin itseni tykkäämästä pehmeästä tunnelmasta.

Kielletty hedelmä. Ei edes houkuta.

Great songs from start to finish. Favorite is Vienna.

Quite enjoyable, although the titular track is meh.

Lots of bops on this. Solid 3 tracks I already knew and enjoyed. Great work Billy!

Good stuff

Lite smörigt, lite trist. Helt okej ändå

Upbeat pop rock album using a wide variety of instruments. Very catchy songs make for an easy listen. Some are better than others but there’s no shockers. I liked Movin’ On, Scenes, Vienna, and She’s Always a Woman.

There’s such a humanness in this album. That’s weird to say but whatever. The songs about his wife are really sweet too. There are some sort of reggae elements to a couple of the songs that caught me by surprise. I absolutely love the first song it’s sassy and an anti capitalist anthem bitch!!!! The title track reminds me of an old noir detective movie. The whistling is iconic paired with the piano. The whole track has an air of mystery to it for sure. The piano playing through the album is quite simple but suitable. The thing that really shines on this album is the groove of the guitar (even though there’s a different guitarist on every track) and the sax playing is wonderful as well with the engaging vocals of Joel. The organ is used sparingly and I didn’t enjoy its use as much but it’s not bad by any means. Least favorite track is probably just the way you are but I can appreciate the sentimentality of it and i love the sax playing on it. Scenes from an Italian restaurant transports you to Italy and is a jazzy delight for sure for sure the piano is so fun on this and all in all it’s enthralling. Vienna to me is like a companion piece to movin out. Idk what that fuckin instrument is that I also heard in scenes from an Italian restaurant it sounds like an accordion but I like it. Love Joel’s vocal performance on this track his voice crescendos in pair with the instrumentals as they build to the chorus. The attitude on only the good die young is so fun and I think I hear a trombone on this track. It ironically sounds like something you’d hear in church like a gospel. The sax solo on it tooooo. Slay. She’s always a woman makes my heart hurt. One of my favorites off this album. The flute playing loans a gentleness to this track that perfectly matches Joel’s vocals. Get it right the first time is jarring after the previous track but goddamn if it don’t seeeerve. This is the reggae sound I was talking about. The flute is used creatively in this id never think it would work. Joel’s performance is so energetic and he’s got a growl in his voice that adds a conviction to the song. Bro was singing for his LIFE fr. Everybody has a dream seems inspired like the church sound that we occasionally hear in the album with the organ and this time a choir. I don’t love the use of a choir as I don’t think the buildup is suiting enough to warrant for a choir and it seems out of place in an otherwise sober and solemn track. However in the final chorus I like it. The return to the melody of the stranger is kinnnnd of jarring because the last song doesn’t fade into it quite right. But I like the callback to it. It helps me frame the album in my mind more entirely. Overall I rate this album an 8.5/10 I really enjoyed it and will continue to revisit it.

I grew up on most of the songs, hearing them all the time on the radio growing up, but I stand by the belief that these songs are objectively amazing. Ramone's production work is outstanding, with the incorporation of brass, synths, cool guitar effects, and so many other instruments feeling so natural coming together. Not just making each track musically interesting, but somehow never diverting attention from Billy Joel's superb vocal delivery. His voice is passionate and emotional, capable of giving a fun energetic performance in "Movin Out", an introspective melancholic one in "Just the Way You Are", and everything in between, throwing in all sorts of scats to keep himself on the forefront. A lot of these songs have the same appeal as Bruce Springsteen's or Steely Dan's work and stands among the best that 70s pop rock has to offer. What solidifies the 5-star rating (which apparently not even most professional reviewers give somehow) is how excellent and memorable each individual song is. Even the deep tracks like "The Stranger" and "Get it Right the First Time" had something exciting to offer. I guess the only weak track was "Everybody Has a Dream" but I still liked it.

An album with “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” is good enough, but to have as many good songs as this one… this is a GREAT album

My absolute favorite Joel collection. Every track is a killer.

This is as good Billy Joel gets, and I'm not huge on Billy Joel yet almost every track of his that I *love* is on this album. "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna" are where it shines the best. A perfect album from an artist I tend not to be huge on otherwise.

This is an interesting album with great textures and lovely storytelling. Billy Joel gives a short-and-sweet demonstration of his talent in an honest way. I can definitely see him with stumbling upon Tom Waits while playing around 2:00 AM in LA bars. Thanks for the recommendation

Simply perfect. Upbeat and fun as much as reflective and filled with sadness. This is an album that has one sing that reminds me of the week my dad passed away and another that was the first dance at my wedding. So it feels like a personal thing. But it’s a timeless classic from start to finish.

still good

An album that allowed millions to fall in love with Billy Joel. I've never noticed how much Billy's voice sounds like Rufus Wainwright before. Well I guess Rufus sounds like Billy.

Oh I do enjoy this album a lot. Some classic William.

Funkier than I thought. Enjoyed the samba influences

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

I'm a sucker for a good storytelling artist. This album had an amazing number of radio hits and even if they are a bit overplayed, the songs are just plain enjoyable!

Great album!

This is essentially a Billy Joel’s greatest hits. So many classics with poetic lyrics and piano.

Loved it! Cracker album. Billy Joel is so cool

I didnt enjoy this

Immmmm mooovvving outtt!!! Good mix of bangers and slow ones. Piano, sax, guitar it's got it at all. Quel chops ! Got it on vinyl, woop 😯 would listen again

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

A fantastic album. It flows so well from song to song. Some of his best are here - "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" is maybe the best song he's written, and "Vienna" isn't far behind - but it loses a bit of steam after those first seven classics, ending with two tunes that would be pretty great on their own, but become forgettable in the context of following mega-hit after mega-hit. Imagine it ended after "She's Always a Woman"? Talk about all killer, no filler! Still, I can't really give it less than five stars.

Fantastic with some of his hits. Classic Billy Joel.

I can't help it. I was raised on Billy Joel. Lots of memories with this one.

3.5/5

Such an interesting voice

3+

Much piano. Much familiar actually, didn't realise

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

Initially: recognizable. Cheesy. Nostaligic...but in a 70s theatrical way. I really wanted to dislike it. Unfortunately it's relentlessly upbeat and catchy, while also complex in composition and with interesting slice of life/observational quality to it. UGH. Good shit.

Jävla bra platta detta. Jävla bra byggsnickeri och jävla bra finsnickeri.

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 have never heard a single Billy Joel song I didn’t like even when he sings about beating off on a song like Captain Jack, it still sounds great this album is full of pure talent like a cross between Elton John and Steely Dan, even second is pure ecstasy- 10/10

I enjoyed listening to this album, some classic tracks so I'm going to say 4*

It was fine I think. Two stars purely due to recency bias.

His best work. Not a weak song from start to finish.

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.

it totally banged. Put me to sleep

Billy Joel’s best album by far and without it he may be more so considered for his one big hit. The songs on this album have a great way of story telling while also keeping you hooked with the rhythm. Only on the back half of the album so you get some less memorable songs. Overall this has great piano features and has vary Ming moods and tones that make it enjoyable for all kinds of people and different listening avenues. One of my favorite albums. 9.0/10

Movin' Out slaps. Very catchy The Stranger (song) is groovy, but shouldn't end so slowly for the last minute. But it's actually so good Only the Good Die Young is a banger

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

Great album! Truly loved it

I will be honest, was not thrilled to see this pop up but actually really enjoyed the album. He can really sing!

Sometimes I tire of Billy Joel, but he is great

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)”.

Schlock.

Started strong but by the end felt a bit tired.

Un muy buen disco, optimista y vitalista, de un hombre al piano. Excelente voz, canciones y muy de disfrutar en directo.

Solid record and somewhat of a breakout raising Joel to a new level as a singer songwriter. There’s easily 5 standout tracks that are considered masterpieces.

"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.

A lot of the songs feel like multiple songs in one. I love the production, and all the instruments sound so good. The piano, the sax, the accordion? It’s all so beautiful. A great way to spend 40 minutes of my time.

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

Vienna is 👍

me gustó mucho actually 8/10

This is my first time listening to the full album though I've had 'Only the good die young' in my playlists for years. Solid album - I should've listened to it in its entirety sooner!

Good smooth rock

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

Var að eignast þessa á vinyl fyrir nokkrum dögum 😊 Algjör gimsteinn, eins og flest annað sem elsku Billy hefur látið frá sér.

I don't really like Billy Joel. I don't know if I understand how someone can categorically dislike Billy Joel, but there's a reasonable level of dislike that I can understand. I'm not a huge fan of his and there are certain songs I find unlistenable and annoying, but damn, the man can write a pop song. That much is undeniable, at least to me. This album feels like a Greatest Hits, and honestly I was surprised how many songs I recognized by sound but not by name. Very solid. Standouts: Movin' Out, The Stranger, Vienna

Such a great album. So many great songs that merge so well together. Billy Joel’s masterpiece.

I grew up with this album. My dad somehow got a 2nd copy of it and gave it to me. I was probably 9 or 10 and I didn't have any hangups about listening to the music of my parents; hell they got me I to some stuff I still like today. Anyway, theres probably some nostalgia at play here but this is just loaded with great songs. As a kid I wasn't wild about the last 2 songs but I've grown to appreciate them as an adult. This is just a stellar album. I want to go listen to Vienna again right now.

HOT TAKE: My favorite Billy Joel album is "An Innocent Man". Don't at me. It has just as many hits as this one, although even the lesser known tracks from "The Stranger" are still quite well known, with "Vienna" especially enjoying something of a new lease on life recently. There isn't one skippable track here, and you get the epic "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" right in the middle of several hits. I'll never deny having a soft spot in my heart for Billy Joel. Do yourself a favor and listen to the Legacy Edition of this album for a great live set that includes many tracks from "The Stranger", along with Miami 2017 (See the Lights Go Out On Broadway), Captain Jack, and Say Goodbye To Hollywood. You probably like Billy Joel, too. Don't fight it.

Kinda bland inoffensive old pop rock

full of wonderful lyrical storytelling

Very nice to listen to

4.5, love many of the songs on here

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.

Very good album

I love this album

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

Almost halfway through and I finally get some Billy Fucking Joel! Christmas came late, but better late than never. Billy is a 5 star man, no contest. And this album in particular is a tour de force, showcasing all of his talents brilliantly. The singing, the songwriting, the musicianship, the creativity and storytelling. He is in his prime here and absolutely unparalleled at composing compelling pop/rock songs of epic sing-a-long quality. He’s a god and I worship at his altar. I ride or die with Billy.

A surprise treat! Never heard a full album by Billy Joel and i really enjoyed it.

Every song is an absolute banger. Hit after hit. Man did not miss. Was genuinely surprised at how good this album was for both the songs I’d heard of and the one’s I hadn’t. Everything about the album is fantastic; the songwriting, instrumentation, singing, production, etc. It has a flowing feeling throughout the entire album that stays interesting. Also, just a fun, enjoyable album to listen to. Maybe another day I would have given it a 4, but it’s Christmas, so I’m feeling generous. 5/5

The popular songcraft here is strong but the problem is that it doesn’t serve much of a purpose. If you took Paul McCartney at his schmaltziest, added some overproduced Paul Simon with all the substance trimmed away, and finished with a dash of Elton John glitz, this is what you’d get. He absolutely nailed what he was trying to make, it seems, but it’s all so flavorless I can’t imagine why you’d want to try it. Plus the second half really reveals a core of misogyny that poisons anything decent there.

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.

I simply love this album! Some of my favourite music of life are here.

this is a masterpiece. new favorite album of all time i think.

Inject this straight into my veins. There are apparently people who think Billy Joel is a hack, and to them I respectfully ask: what are you smoking? Regardless of whether you like his music or not, I don't think it's being honest to say that Joel can't craft a tune, that he can't write compelling lyrics, that he can't bring everything together to make a complete listening experience. This album is an example of everything coming together and working. It's tight, it's catchy, it's just plain fun, and isn't that the point of music? It's hard to pinpoint a single song that stands out as towering above the rest in this album, but if I had to pick, I'd have to choose 'Vienna.' Beautiful, sad (depending on your state of mind), optimistic, this is a song that elicits an emotional response. It shows that Joel is more than just a 'catchy song generator,' as if that was ever up for debate. I could listen to 'Vienna' for hours and never get tired of it. The biggest crime, in my personal opinion, is that there aren't more Billy Joel albums on this 1001 list. Streetlife Serenade. 52nd Street. Piano Man. An Innocent Man. Joel puts out good to great music time and time again. When I started collecting records, I fell in love with his music, and I'll defend it until I take my final breath.

Italian Restaurant och Vienna va kiva

Bill

Very solid late 70s pop rock. Varied songs, varied moods and well made as a whole

Billy Boel

Great album

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

These are some mf bops not gonna lie 😌👏🏽👏🏽

Such a great album

Excellent selection

I have a chicken named Virginia Gold Lemonthwaite due to misheard lyrics from Only the Good Die Young. So many great hits and singalongs on this album.

Track 1: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - I had heard this song before just because of its notoriety. I like the 'ack ack ack.' Also the backing vocals are pretty sweet. It reminds me of Piano Man, following these different stories in the city. The cymbals are really nice on the verses. The backing tracks fit Joel too. The song has such different paces throughout, it is interesting. (He is moving out) Track 2: The Stranger - Piano intro very nice. Whistling very nice. Very campy. Now we kick off with the guitar. This riff is fire. Relating heavily to the album cover. Trying on a new face that you do not show to the people around you. Book ending we got more piano and whistling. Pretty sure it is the same as well. Then silence. Track 3: Just the Way You Are - Probably the most popular song this album. I have heard it so many times. Oh hell yeah saxophone. Perhaps Richie Cannata. Almost an antithesis to the last track lol. Joel now loves the secrets that have been let out. The Saxophone just like with the piano last track carries us out. Track 4: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - I like the little "italian" esque interludes. Ok the sax is back second best track. Wow this is a long track. The tone has definitely changed. It feels like the first verse was asking out someone on a date. While the second verse was the chaotic beauty of going on the date. We are back to Joel singing about different characters lol. BrendaxEddie ship it now. It feels like we have switched from a first person pov to a third person pov. Now we got a sax that is upbeat even though the relationship is slowly coming apart. The drumming on this song is particularly carrying us through the track. Song has to end Joel didn't stick around long enough for the end of the story. Oh hell yeah. We are back to the beginning. Seems to be a common theme for this album. Life being a cycle or something. Perhaps Brenda and Eddie are finding someone else to meet in an Italian restaurant. Saxophone carries us out once more. Track 5: Vienna - Austria time. Like so many songs we are starting out with a sole piano. A reflection on youth hmmmm. I really like this one. Can just kind of vibe out to it. We got some of the same instrumentals from Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. Taking a phone off the hook seems a little more poignant now lol. Feels like a self reflection for sure. Track 6: Only the Good Die Young - I have heard this at many barbeques. Joel anti-catholic tirade /j. Feels very late 70s lol. Bad boy trying to date a "good girl" lmao. Grease movie plot. I like the clapping a lot. Might be the best vocals on any track for me so far. That raspy saxophone *chefs kiss*. Probably the best dancing song lol. I like it. Track 7: She's Always a Woman - Starting out with a ballad almost. I think all of these songs have pertained to romance in some sense maybe besides the first track. Had to move out before finding love? I think I am reading to far into it. Oh damn she cutting him. Hope it is metaphorical. All these songs are just generally pleasant to listen to. Oh yeah hum that shit. Track 8: Get it Right the First Time - Ooh is that the bass. And a flute? This song is just pretty groovy. Don't really got to much to say about it lol. I did not get it right the first time :(. There is a very finite feeling to all of Joel's songs lol. Do what you want before your chance passes. Especially on track 1 and this track. I like the strumming at the end. Track 9: Everybody Has a Dream - Last track! Feels like another self reflection for sure. A song that an artist would definitely relate too. Feels like a high school graduation playoff song. Or an album send off (hehe). A very romantic dream. Feel like I should be swaying with arms over people's shoulders. Backing tracks are very nice. Makes the song feel communal. Oh shit there is more! The piano and whistling once again! I believe it is the same music from The Stranger. Track 1 now feels even more out of place lol. This is a book end for "The Stranger." Just as many tracks are. The cycle of life I suppose. Oh shit it looped and Movin' Out jump scared the shit outta me. Pretty good. Pretty good. I like Movin' Out but it feels almost out of place with the rest of the album. The others songs all pertain to love. Maybe Movin' Out is how he is able to experience all these different love stories he portrays in the rest of the songs. It is not typically my kind of music but I enjoy it immensely still. I liked the balance of ballad type beats and a groovy energetic instrumental. All in all. I give this a 8/10.

Very good. Orchestrated nicely, great musicianship. Billy's voice is quite nice. Gets a little bit draggy for a 5 stars but we'll deserving of a 4

Probably his greatest studio album, every track is a candidate for a greatest hits collection. Surprising me was the use of saxophone on nearly every track, a feature explained by the history of the album and Billy's desire to use his touring band in the studio. It's really the first album by "The Billy Joel band"

didn't sit right with me

I was going to go 4 stars but then I listened again and realized this one is absolutely a classic. Some of the best and most "singable" of Billy's tunes.

7/9, 78%

Classic Billy Joel. #Scenes from Italian Restaurant.

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

Very cooolll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's ok.

Absolute classic album. The whistle on the stranger is iconic. Scenes from an Italian restaurant is also probably one of his best songs

Some albums surprise you. Some are just the way you expect. The big singles blighted my early years of listening to pop via the endless airplay on wunderful Radio One (UK only here). if Tina Turner's 80s input is music for people who don't like music, Joel is right up there too. The album tracks reveal nothing to change the situation.

Excellent album

Vienna alone prevents this from being less than 4

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

Great album, catchy songs. Saved tracks: Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), The Stranger, Vienna, Get It Right the First Time

Good stuff, really enjoyed.

A superb album by a national treasure

Extremely good

Great stuff

Comincia di sicuro molto bene. Bellissima 'Just the way you are', il resto dà delle Elton John vibes. Wow: un album stupendo!

5/5. Although the last song isn’t my favorite, every song after another is a classic. I can choose any song and be fine with listening to it.

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.

Really enjoyed this one. I associate songs like "She's Always A Woman" to Billy Joel, but he's got a lot of variety on the album. 4/5

I’m not a huge Billy Joel fan, always been more of an pre-baritone Elton guy, but this is easily his best work. It’s already basically a greatest hits, since everything but the last two has become a part of the public consciousness since it came out. And it’s a highly enjoyable pop rock album, well worth the spin even if you think you’re too cool for it. B+

Just bangers.

Outstandingly beautiful. Every song was masterfully crafted, im glad I got to listen to this.

A lot of hits on this one. I have the vinyl in the basement and am almost certain it was stolen from my brother. Whenever I see the LP, I think of our mom which means a 2 or 3 rating ain't happening. I remember her in the kitchen signing the songs and being so happy and feeling cool since she was listening to modern music. I expect one of the reasons she took a shine to Billy is that she thought he was a fellow Italian. Trust me, in 1977 Sudbury, no wop would know that Joel meant Jewish. There weren't any Jews in Sudbury then - except, perhaps, the lovely and talented Elisa Sch. but I didn't figure that out in 1977. I wonder how she's doing? I digress. My favourite songs are Scenes from an Italian . . , and Moving Out. The sax and clarinet work are excellent and work so well with the piano interchanges. As a good ole Catholic, half Italian boy, I've heard every line on Only The Good Die Young so many times over in the hood and could see the song play out on every street corner in Gatchell. I even like the ballads. I could understand people using the "weinie" label on "Just The Way You Are" but his vocals are so genuine it makes the tune likeable.

I bought this album when it came out, I'm not sure why. I liked the title track but that was about it. The sing-a-long choruses are annoying and the ballads are brutal to listen to. Hopefully, now that I've listened to them again, they won't be buzzing around my head. It's not surprising he picked Paul Simon's producer, because the LP does sound a bit like an amped-up, mid-seventies Paul Simon, replete with lame lyrics.

Wow, all I see are 4 and 5 star ratings for this so I'll probably take flak for this. Someone already stole my line that he's a less interesting and cheesier version of Elton John and I fully concur. There's no doubt that he has a knack for writing catchy pop songs, but the shmaltz factor here is simply too high for me. He somewhat redeems himself with the less commercial songs like the Stranger and Get it right. But he knows his audience and and I guess he hits the nail right on the head with this album that is loaded with bestsellers.

+catchy choruses +all the hits +varied instrumentation but still cohesive +doesn't overstay its welcome -deep cuts not so memorable - maybe overplayed? Fav song - only the good die young, scenes from an Italian restaurant Least - get it right the first time

Hard to think anything will top movin’ out, starts off very strong

Blarf

An interesting album from the cover, like many artists the magic of Joel is in their lyrics, some more complicated than others, but also a lot of magic it's in the music itself. A strange combination of relaxing rythms with some acoustic rock, a really enjoyable album.

Decent.

One of the best!

"Art decorates space, music decorates time". This album was from a well decorated period of my life and the songs herein are from back when I was alive and love was new and life itself was large. Great kick-off for the week

Beautiful

The piano man does not disappoint on this one. 52nd street may be a bit more familiar to most but this is equally as good.

Les paroles me semblent un peu naïves parfois. Je n’ai pas trop accroché, ça me semble un peu générique

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

Never intentionally listened to Billy Joel. Great catchy and story-driven songs. 4 stars

Bel album !

A vibe

Best album he has recorded

meh

Billy Joel makes you feel good.

billy joel’s breakthrough, what an album.

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

It was a pleasure revisiting this album again. I keep forgetting how many good songs are stacked in here ranging from pop, ballads and even a multi-part suite. Joel's piano and the sax plus woodwind goes hard too. Just a great time.

Good album.

Stone classic.

So smaltzy! Billy Joel is so not my thing but I have to admit this has some fine pop stuff on it.

This man has a knack for story telling

I don't really want to like Billy Joel. Not for any particular reason, it just feels vaguely weird to like a musician that my mom is really into because she has terrible taste in music (sorry mom, but all Christian music is garbage). I don't want to like Billy Joel, but goddmanit if that man can't write a catchy song. There's a lot of variation in style in this album while still sounding coherent, and this album is wall to wall hits. It's an album full of bangers for people who like to sit down at concerts. This may not have been the most interesting musical movement happening in New York in 1977, but it's pretty undeniable. Fuck. I guess I like Billy Joel 4/5

Sì, ok… ma dopo un po’ che palle

Brilliant album. So varied and each song is excellent. Really enjoyed one of the best so far

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

Great all the way through

Rating: 10/10

Just the other day a clown uploaded a meme that implied someone had told him Billy had no good songs and he was proving them wrong. Yeah, like someone would have said that lol. Great record, I don’t whine I’ve ever listened to it in full before but I recognized most of the songs.

really good

Pop-rock de Billy Joel. Venga, un 4, que canta bastante bien.

Billy Joel, what a legend. I know so many of these songs but never listened to the full album! Great stuff honestly. Big fan.

When it comes to Billy Joel I know some people get a little sick of it, stuff like Piano Man seemingly playing wherever you go, and a lot of his other songs being so well known that they seem to be heard at least once a week, but doesn't that just show the man's talent for this sort of thing, especially when the songs you don't hear everyday have that same level of quality? That level of quality doesn't shine brighter than The Stranger. Every single song on this album is excellent, even the longer ones which any other artist of the time would have caused it to feel as though the song is a drag, but not on this album. The album even flows well from song to song, with each placement just making sense. Sure, some of Joel's songs may be a little cheesy, but the musicality and enjoyment from each song on this album gives me no other choice but to give it five stars.

I love Billy Joel!!! What a great writer.

Any billy joel album is an easy listen on my 61 mile commute

Billy Joel made this album as an early 20-something on Long Island. As a fellow 20-something on Long Island, a lot of the themes still stand the test of time.

Nope, can't do it. I friggen hate Billy Joel, always have, always will. I really tried though!

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.

Bore.

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

Lightning in a bottle - so many familiar tunes from a great songwriter

Not bad

This album is basically filled with every one of his radio hits save "Piano Man". Overall, was never a Billy Joel fan, and this just reconfirms that. Somewhat of an off-brand Elton John, who I'm also not a fan of.

Demasiado pop, pero con algunas inoxidables.

Liked: Moving Out The Stranger Vienna She's Always a Woman Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

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

“Brend’er and Eddie are still going steady after the summer of ‘75 … Whoa, whoa.”

These days I have lots of respect for Billy Joel’s back catalogue - it’s not just Uptown Girl, like I thought when I was younger… This album in particular is stacked with great songs (+ the odd schmaltzy dud, but mainly just top-notch songwriting).

I had a wierd Billy Joel phase when I was about 10, this brings back good memories. He's a great storyteller / song writer

LOVE THIS ALBUM

Never really done Billy Joel, surprised how many songs I recognised, this was fabulous

Bottle of Red 🕺 Bottle of White 🕺 Not crazy about “Just the Way You Are” and “She’s Always A Woman”, but if that’s my personal low point, it’s still better than the highs of other artists. HL: “Scenes”, “Only the Good Die Young”, “Get it Right”, “Movin Out”

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.

Aikasemmin ei oo isommin tullu miestä kuunneltua, mut oli kova yllätys. Useemman rundi pyörähti tää levy

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

One of the best early Billy Joel Songs. I liked it listening, but wasn't blown away, even though most of the songs are quite good. 3.5/5

Not a big fan of Billy Joel. Nothing really sticks out for me, but, Just the way you are and She's always a woman are songs I did enjoy. Others were just OK. I'll give 2.5 out of 5. Probably not an album I would go out of my way to listen again.

2.5 Man, for how famous Billy Joel is I expected more. The hits are classics and I dig those but it’s almost like they belong on a different album by a different artist. It’s more piano filler music to me, but it isn’t cocktail party music so I don’t know where to place it. I felt the same about Piano Man too. It’s just whatever. Favorites: Movin’ Out, Only The Good Die Young, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant

2 I'm not much of a Billy Joel fan, though I've never listened to a complete album of his before this. I'm not sure exactly what it is... he sounds fine enough, but none of his songs have ever really grabbed me. This album didn't do much to change things. Just the Way You Are even kinda bored me, though I found myself enjoying Scenes From an Italian Restaurant despite it being the longest song on the album. Other than that, not particularly remarkable. Favorite songs: Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, The Stranger

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.

Boppin' soft rock from the piano man himself, this is just a fun time through and through. Melancholy and jovial in equal measure, and Billy is just having a blast on every track. I dig it.

Fabulously nostalgic. It feels crazy, but Billy Joel nails the feel of longing for the past while also sounding youthful. Old soul, young body maybe.

this one has so many of my fave songs by him

Wasn’t impressed by this. Aside from the hits, a bit dull.

I'll take it just the way it is.

i'll have the carbonara

I can't help it, I love this album.

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.

4.4/5. Very good instrumentals and fairly good vocals

I might get hate for this but it sounds very generic and uninspiring.

The Piano man played us a song, it was pretty alright

Nice

a lot of Billy Joel classics on this one

Loved this ‘80’s Goth.

Surprising, like a bit of Billy Joel, but didn't recognise the songs I know looking at the tracklist. This was a great journey of an album though.

highlights: -movin' out -the stranger -just the way you are -everybody has a dream liked: kinda yeah, my dad would listen to this

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

much better than I remember. A lot of fun songs!

Very enjoyable and not hugely removed from Steely Dan or Elton John. Several recognisable hit songs.

Pop-rock de Billy Joel. Venga, un 4, que canta bastante bien.

Bien, agradable. Just the Way You Are.

Pretty good fare from Billy boy

inoffensive.

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

It is blasphemous that this album only has a 3.75 star average at the time of writing (Jun 27, '22). Such an incredibly strong album from start to finish. Almost every song was a hit or recognizable. One of the easiest perfect scores I've give yet. 10/10

Ya got me billy

One of the greatest albums ever made, without a doubt.

Pretty cool

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

It was fun from the get-go. I liked his voice.

Even the lesser-known songs here are pretty strong. Really, everything through 'She's Always a Woman' is solid stuff. It was only the last two songs that I tuned out a bit. It's a lot of crafty songmansships and I dig it.

I can't believe that I found myself enjoying a Billy Joel album so much. I felt the same creeping shame as someone entering their credit card details onto a German fetish website. Shame, mingled with pleasure. You can't deny that this man knows his way around a tune, even if his miniature dramas don't quite pulse with the same vitality as that of a Springsteen. I'm yet to hear a song that mentions 'Hackensack' that I don't like.

I feel like the only other artist I can really compare Billy Joel to is Elton John, and isn’t it weird that they both have names that are really just two first names slapped together and the second one in both instances starts with a J? It’s the magical formula for pop piano storytellers. Also, I’m changing my name to Shawn Jerry. This is an enjoyable record. Even when I lose track of whatever story he’s telling, the tune is there to keep me engaged. I wouldn’t mind seeing another one of his albums pop up on this list and I suspect we will.

Always want to like Billy Joel - and he sometimes shines through - but he’s not Stevie Wonder or Elton John or McCartney that he tries to emulate in parts of this album. It’s interesting however when he makes it his own cocktail of piano balladry - like on ‘She’s Always a Woman’. I might stand to be corrected in time but as it stands I felt this album to be rather average.

I’ve always liked billy Joel but this album so far surpasses my expectations. He’s really like an Elliot Erwitt with his compelling narratives and playful barbs at the American condition. And then on top of that the sax rocks and there’s a random boss’s nova background band for get it right the first time. Just fantastic

tbh i was slightly disappointed by this — it’s still good, but i felt it dragged in a couple of places.

At first I found him too similar to Elton, but as the album went on, the songs diversified in tempo and musical instruments and maintained an outgoing ambience that was always there to enjoy. Great rock album.

What a great album! I knew if Billy's legend status but had never really heard anything of his music. This is how I expected and wanted Elton John's music to sound: pompous, sophisticated yet easy listening, meaningful lyrics yet catchy songs

Hell of an ear for a tune but the beat leaves a lot to be desired. As for his stories, simply not engaging, which has something to do with his treacly McCartney voice, and even more to do with hollowness plain and simple. Songs about nothing more than being songs.

fuck this nonce music. the 70s has a lot to answer for.

Billy Joel. The stranger in the bath, the finger in the anus. This man is so addicted to cheese that he goes to bed each night wearing pyjamas made entirely out of dairylea triangles.

"ACK, ACK, ACK, ACK, ACK".

I like where the first song goes "ACK, ACK, ACK, ACK, ACK".

4/5 I actually liked this!

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.

Ya have to get excited knowing you have a little BJ coming your way

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

Fucking dreadful

Undeniably Billy Joel's best

Wow, I quite enjoyed this album. I remember being a fan before I developed my own music taste and never revisited Billy since then so it was nice to reminisce a bit but also these are great songs. Faves: Movin' Out, Vienna

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.

I kinda hate and love Billy Joel at the same time. It’s so cheesy and corny, but I also crank every song and jam to it. Same with Bon Jovi. Plus I think every song on this album charted excepted for like two. That’s impressive.

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.

não estava preparado para gostar tanto desse álbum. baladinhas românticas com ótimos arranjos, numa pegada que me lembrou algumas obras do paul mccartney. merece estar em todas as compilações de soft rock e eu já devia ter ouvido antes.

Meh

really enjoyed this, a lot of hits and classics

Fun wide range of songs with great lyrics.

oh my god! this album! THIS ALBUM!!!!! i really grew up with this, with my parents playing this album a lot. it's perfect, from start to finish. "movin' out (anthony's song)" is one of the greatest opening songs. the tires screeching on the pavement! "just the way you are" is one of the all-time greatest romantic songs. with lyrics like "i couldn't love you any better/i love you just the way you are"--are you kidding me? "scenes from an italian restaurant," a song that creates such a vivid picture in my mind. "vienna" contains a wonderful life lesson. the whistling in "the stranger" in the beginning and end, tying the song together in a neat bow--then the melody and whistling returns in "everybody has a dream." billy joel, his melodic voice, his beautiful piano playing. every song is unique and contains beautiful lyrics. you couldn't stop me from giving this 5 stars. a joy to listen.

Another album where I know almost every song to some extent individually, but have never heard the album front to back. There really isn't a dull song on this album. The music stands out with its piano-forward rock sound, and the lyric writing is truly top notch -- all of these songs tell a truly memorable story; the lyrics aren't overly simple, but the storytelling is never sacrificed for the clout of sounding artistic, deep, or edgy. Billy makes it all seem so cool and effortless. This album just has an all-around major display of talent. An excellent inclusion in the project.

absolutely fantastic

fín

Billy Joel is fantastically talented. The lyrics in this album are great stories and woven with the instrumentals in a catchy way, making hit after hit. Great album.

Not a huge fan of Billy Joel but still fantastic album of his. Everytime I listen to this album I enjoy it, but I don't understand why I never revisit it myself. An example of this is probably maybe The Stranger, a beautiful song but there are parts of the track that gets me out of the emotional landscape he creates.

Really holds up well. The songs are all mini-masterpieces and my amazement at its quality seems as fresh 40+ years on. The songs are interesting and accessible and the playing suggests the band is having fun and there are just enough barbs, bitterness and irony to elevate it above commercial pop. The pure New Yorkiness is great, too – think early years of SNL and Woody Allen and the Big Apple’s bankruptcy. We know “Only the Good Die Young” is a great rock n roll song because Catholic mothers all over the country were warning of its evils in the late ‘70s. Only dud for me is the snoozefest “She’s Only a Woman.” The reprising whistle ending is a nice touch to close out a fun and musically substantive ride. 4.5 for 5.

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.

Really wasn't expecting to like this one* but the first two songs immediately won me over. Yes, the album does veer into sappy territory on occasion, but it was still really enjoyable. *The only track I recognized by the title was She's Always a Woman, a song I've always considered too corny for life. Fun fact: my friend still cannot listen to it, after a boy once confessed his 'love' for her, accompanied by this song, when we were all like... 14 years old.