The Stranger

Вполне сносный лёгкий рок, мелодию заглавной песни я точно раньше слышал

Bisschen zu langsam und sad. Gibt mir manchmal Cowboys vibes. Hat mir nicht geholfen beim Lernen.

Parts of this were killer. There are a few hits here that I've long been a fan of, Only the Good Die Young and Moving Out I really enjoyed the 'Brenda and Eddie' segment of Italian Restaurant, which was new to me. There's also some stuff here that's a slog for my tastes. Still, a solid damn album ultimately.

So many nistalgic songs that make you question your life. I did like it and enjoyed listening to it

Saxophone solos, so much maraca, and a bald 30 year old trying to do his best Paul McCartney impression while whinge-singing both cynically and insincerely about Italian-Americans.

Not my CUP of tea

His fifth album. Pop / Rock. Chandler Bing was such a middle of the road, boringly beige man. He was a number cruncher at some faceless corporation, he drank coffee at the same place every single day, could only get laid by his best mates sister and hid his fear of anything unknown or remotely edgy with lame attempts at humour. He is welcome to listen to this middle of the road album as he walks around in his beige outfit harassing women who can clearly see he barely has a wank in him.

eh. Mid.

Jeg er vanligvis svak for den myke vestkystrocken, men dette funka desverre ikke helt. Som regel når jeg gir et album 2, så sitter jeg igjen med enn følelse av irritasjon eller agg. Irritert over at plata er med på lista, eller rett og slett fordi det er et dårlig album. Etter at jeg har hørt dette albumet sitter jeg kun igjen med sympati og vennlighet ovenfor Billy. Man merker at han prøver så godt han kan, og han kan mye og får til mye, han er bare ikke flink nok. Men han skal ha for forsøket!

Nice, I offensive, middle of the road, song writing. Piano is fine - not pushing the boat out, music your nan would probably like.

It wasn’t AS offensive but still not an album I would choose to listen to before I die

A tad cringe. She's always a woman is a great song though

Abuuurrido

Number: 70 Date: 03/13/2026 Artist: Billy Joel Album: The Stranger Year:1977 Genre: Soft Rock Rating: 2 Notes: Before: OMG. I used to like this a little, back when it came out. I don't think I like it at all now but it's been a long time since I listened to any of these songs. My brother was a big fan so I heard it a lot back then. For sure, I don't have nay of these songs on my favorites of 1977. I mean comparing this to Never Mind The Bollocks..., my favorite album from 1977, it's like night and day. Of course I didn't know anything about the Sex Pistols back then and even if I did I probably would have been scared of them. Billy Joel is like the opposite of the Sex Pistols. I wonder what he thought about them back then? During: Well here goes nothing. I'm not looking forward to this but I guess I have to do it. Nothing much to say, I was doing other stuff while listening. After: It wasn't so bad. I did not skip through any of them. I liked the last 20 seconds of The Stranger and the last 1:20 of Everybody Has a Dream. I think that is what Discogs is calling "Untitled", which I gave a 4. 2 Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) 1 The Stranger 3 Just The Way You Are 1 Scenes From An Italian Restaurant 3 Vienna 3 Only The Good Die Young 4 She's Always A Woman 3 Get It Right The First Time 2 Everybody Has A Dream 4 Untitled 2.33 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song length) 2 - my personal rating 3 - suitability for this list 2 - relevance ----------------------------- 2 - composite rating

I actually liked this more than I expected too…

Only the Good Die Young can live.

first song was a banger then it becomes a bit crap

This is some trite shit

revisit later 2

Snore. The gospel choirs at the end of the record were nice at least.

Some classics on here and an amazing opening track, but a number of songs are fluff at best. Decent.

Sounds a bit too much like what my parents - if they were still together - would at this point be listening to on a romantic night in, clothes coming off quite rapidly and the camera pans away towards the crackling fireplace. By all means, enjoy your evening, but leave me out of it.

Had a classic song but other than that very slow and boring

I didn’t know he wrote and performed so many songs I can’t stand. Save for one song this was painful.

I’ve only heard a couple of Billy Joel songs. I think that We Didn’t start the Fire song is great. Piano Man isn’t too bad. Movin out (Anthony’s song): 6.6/10 Not too bad. A bit too jolly sounding. The Stranger: 6/10 Just the Way you are: 6.3/10 Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: 6/10 Vienna: 6.1/10 Only the good die young: 6/10 She’s always a woman: 6/10 Get it right the first time: 6/10 Everybody has a dream: 6.4/10

i can appreciate the musicianship on this but i did not gaf about this, sounds like a musical and i hate (most) musicals. All i thought about while listening to the first track was kanye sampling it. I think this might work better if i was drunk. Fav Song: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

I was surprised that I actually knew a couple of tracks on this having really paid little to no attention to Billy Joel in my near 47 years on earth. But even those I found a bit drab. I won't maul your face off if you put him on, I just won't come round again.

MOR but not unpleasant.

It was fine, easy, calm listening. But didn't really do anything for me.

billy joel songs feel aggressively unrelatable to me. what the fuck are you talking about man? and why do you have so many versions of the song equivalent of "new york city is a character in the movie?" yuck. the music is mostly nice though.

Not good, not bad. Gave me nothing.

not bac

i didn't care for his voice

Songs on this album are good, I would probably like them if I hadn't grown up hearing them on restaurant Muzak systems and commercials. I'm just sick of most of these.

Hi dad!

I've avoided Billy Joel in the past, and after listening to this one I will continue to avoid him. Not for me, sounded cheesy and poppy and had gimmicky instruments.

Billy gets a lot of play in our house because the children love it. The children also love pouring sand down their pants and chewing on gravel so what do they know?

A few recognizable hits on here, I enjoyed the short term nostalgia. Still, the songwriting on here reminds me of Elton John and the overgratuitous piano banging is just not my thing.

2.5/ - 2 songs stuck out to me but the rest didnt reach deep, Musically soesking it was solid but it didnt speak to me.

Too dramatic for me

Too dramatic for me

A couple good classic jams. Overall a slow vibe.

Boring, not cohesive and uninteresting. Many songs I’d usually skip. I liked the stranger (song). 2/5

All my friends who listen to show tunes love this album. I do not like show tunes, although I will concede that The Stranger is a good song.

not interested

Was okay :/

deu pra entender que ele gosta de um pianinho né enfim, pra mim é bem chato/cansativo/toda música é igual pqp

This album was kinda eh for me. Not bad but nothing too exciting. Favourite song is Vienna but I did know that song prior. 2-3 stars for me Very meh, had to get through the bullshit (Italian Restaurant) to reach the good stuff (Vienna). He has a good voice though.

Has a truly tremendously good album cover. The man looks mournfully down on his delicate doll mask, clown-faced and meaningless; it'll hide the sadness, so he just has to put on the brawling boxing gloves behind him and put on his pretty face. It matches the surprisingly (enjoyably, half the time) bleak tone of these tunes - their plays into tragedy, their anticlimaxes and sadnesses matched to a silky smooth Billy Joel tone.... And fucking none of it is interesting. Each of these songs has 25% of the sauce. I've never seen a man give up in every single fucking song and repeat his 'killer line' in lieu of making a chorus, or finishing the song, or driving the story home (only Scenes From An Italian Restaurant defeats this defeatism, i.e surrendering writing the lyrics contained within defeatist music) and it just such an agonizing technical exhaustion atop exhausting content and I didn't find a lot of joy in this one. To make sure I'm not in danger of making a decent and level-headed review, here's some aggravations; DIRTY JOE and his SAD BOY MUSIC SLOP FAIL to ENERGIZE and FASCINATE Really good album cover though.

Thoroughly elevator music. Vienna is good, and I like the Glee version of Only the Good Die Young, but otherwise a very lackluster album.

Not a fan

Some good hits. Ok in general.

I started off pretty well but then rapidly settled in the mid territory. Not really seeing what the fuss is about even if it wasn't terrible...

It was strange that there were a few songs that I loved and sang along to and the rest I wanted to turn off. To have such highs and lows in one album is not something I have come across before.

Could not finish. In fairness, I tried to listen to this while working out. It mostly made me mad in the same way as Steely Dan does, but not the good kind of anger that propels you to work out like a beast.

Not my style.

ε(^o^)з¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫ | (ಠ_ಠ)┌∩┐ -> ε(´סּ︵סּ`)з

I've only ever heard his singles, never wanted to dig into his albums. He's always come across as a cornball making phony tough guy music for dorks, but it's not the worst music I've ever heard. Listening to this album just strengthened my opinion on him.

Has not changed my pre-existing opinion that this album sucks.

#161/1001. Another musical gap in my life filled, this time in the shape and size of a full Billy Joel album, 9 songs, 42 minutes. How does this fixture protect me from the various atrocities laid upon us by mankind? Weakly. I can't really cling on the saxophone solos, or to the "this must be from a musical" feeling. There is no songs to play to the four horsemen of the apocalypse, or to play on repeat while stuck in limbo waiting for the final verdict: bottle of red, bottle of white - perhaps rose instead? There might be a place and time for this, so I'll give it a second spin when they invent space-time and alternative universe travel.

At a certain point a fella’s gotta pick whether he likes Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, or Billy Joel. One is acceptable, more than one is a problem. I picked Paul McCartney. Sorry Billy, I think this kinda stinks.

Album got off to a good start, and I thought I was about to have another pre conceived view ruined. But it all slowed down too much and got too sickly for me.

Inoffensive

I mean, I like to hate on Billy Joel as much as the next man... I have little to follow up on that. Ok, he writes a good pop song. I don't especially *like* any of them, but it's more tolerable as an entire album than I would have thought.

This man has had too much sax

2,3/5

A couple of good songs, a few bad ones

I've never understood the fascination with America's budget Elton John. At least Movin' Out proved to be excellent sample fodder for Das Racist.

Thought I would hate it then thought I would love it based on the strength of the first song but did not love it. Just felt very overproduced and shiny for no reason. I was actually surprised at how well written most of the songs were but I just really didnt enjoy the production Fav song: Movin Out

Too poppy for me? Ballad-y which I’m not into Always a woman Vienna

Not my favorite due to too much radio play growing up but its got over a billion plays on Spotify

There's some awesome bangers on there, but found some of the lyrics a bit odd ie. 'catholic girls' etc.

I've had a visceral dislike for Billy Joel since hearing Uptown Girl and Just The Way You Are. I have never listened to a whole album and was not looking forward to it, even more so when I saw The Stranger was from 1977, the year punk broke, where there was so much good music being released. It was better than I was fearing and I enjoyed Vienna and She's Always A Woman but some of the tracks were dreadful, particularly Only The Good Die Young and Get It Right The First Time. I'm relieved to see this is his only album on the list. It wasn't quite as bad as I expected, but I in no hurry to listen to it again. 1.7 stars rounded up to 2.

meh

En mycket skicklig melodisnickrare, definitivt. Men jag behöver också lite som skaver. Det blir rätt tråkigt.

This album is just Boomer suburbanism in its purest form. A few decent tracks, I guess.

Eher langweilig und auch gar nicht mein Geschmack.

Only the good die young is one of the only Billy Joel songs I like. However I know a majority of this album, but don't care for it.

This album was a relatively good surprise. I only knew Billy Joel through his cheesy 80s hits, so I expected something terrible. But The Stranger was something else. It’s a surprising mix of influences, with some very 70s music and a few interesting experimentations that probably helped define the sound of the 80s. The first couple of songs were really good, but the rest of the album was unfortunately less exciting, and some song were very forgettable. I had a reasonnably pleasant moment overall ; but ultimately, it’s really not my kind of music, nothing really struck a chord or made me excited. I’ll give it a 2* for effort and originality, but I can’t go higher, since I’m pretty sure I won’t listen again.

Started ok but got progressively cheesier and more irritating

Das Album The Stranger wurde überwiegend in den A&R Recording Studios in New York aufgenommen. Billy Joel, ein US-amerikanischer Musiker, war zum Zeitpunkt der Produktion bereits durch frühere Veröffentlichungen etabliert, erreichte mit diesem Werk aber eine neue Breitenwirkung. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Pop, Rock und leichtem Jazz-Einfluss. Joel kombiniert eingängige Melodien mit erzählenden Texten, die oft Alltagssituationen und persönliche Beobachtungen thematisieren. Besonders bekannt sind Titel wie „Just the Way You Are“, „Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)“ und „Only the Good Die Young“. Diese Stücke veranschaulichen die stilistische Bandbreite des Albums, die von ruhigen Balladen bis zu rhythmisch betonten Titeln reicht. The Stranger gilt als kommerzieller und künstlerischer Wendepunkt in Joels Karriere. Die Produktion ist zurückhaltend, aber klar strukturiert, und erlaubt dem Songwriting viel Raum. Insgesamt bietet das Album einen repräsentativen Einblick in Billy Joels musikalische Handschrift der späten 1970er-Jahre.

2/3

Kann im Hintergrund laufen, total uninteressant, werde jetzt ch nie wieder hören und falls doch nicht wiedererkennen.

Fattigmans Elton. Habilt hantverk, vissa bra låtar och melodier. Väldigt radioanpassat. Samtidigt lite identitetslöst, han försöker vara all over the place med sången och stilar. Drar åt radioskval och blir lite forgettable. Kommer lyssna igen: nej Bästa spår: just the way you are (d1) Vienna (d2) Betyg: D: 5 av 10 / 2 av 5 D2: 5 av 10 / 3 av 5

From what little Billy Joel I've listened to, I was dreading this album, and it was just as tedious as I expected.

Billy Joel. Not for me.

Cheesy. Way too much sax for my liking.

Sounds like he wished he could write a musical.

Reeks of white privilege but its chill. I was going to give it a 3 but he should be embarrassed by the song “Everybody has a dream”

Give his pecker a stroke with a fuzzy hand - the stranger

I was expecting to like this more because I loved Moving Out when I heard it in Glee. This was like he took the worst parts of the beatles feel good era but put a piano at the forefront

This is music for walking in a light breeze, maybe on a long pier or something. When it’s good. Then the white reggae hits. The calypso-adjacent nonsense. The supermarket background muzak. It makes me want to eat a bullet.

This just didn’t do anything for me. Every song just kept putting images of Cheers in my minds eye.

Movin Out - Ack ack ack The Stranger - Cheesy and does he always drop the r’s from the ends of words? No, he pronounces the r in the last “stranger”. So just a weird affectation “Just The Way You Are” is pleasant enough but Joel’s vocal limitations are evident. Nice sax though. “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” is memorable for its opening line and its rhapsodic structure but really seems like three different songs stitched together. “Vienna” is a nice showcase for Joel’s piano skills and lyrically is one of the more interesting songs on the album. “Only The Good Die Young” is a fun little homage to Joel’s beloved Fifties rock and roll and deserves its place among Joel’s hits. I could live without “She’s Always A Woman” and find it kind of misogynistic but in fairness it has nice acoustic guitar and flute. “Get It Right The First Time” is totally forgettable but it’s got a flute too. Makes a good ‘deep cut’ because most people have probably never heard it. “Everybody Has A Dream” has Joel in full piano lounge mode with vocals that seem forced. The full chorus and organ take it in a gospel direction that works here well enough for a pop star from LI. The song would be a lot better if it was two minutes shorter and we weren’t returned to the whistling.

Quite the lively sound for a set of songs so bland. 2/5 stars.

maybe just not the biggest fan. Not one at all. Like musical stuff cool just his voice is not for me and thats that goodbye.

I can't give more than two stars to an album that has so many cynical, middle of the road radio ballads on it. Not from somebody with the talent and potential to make good music. Two stars for general competence and the semi-decent stuff songs like Only The Good Die Young.

pas mon style ligne de batterie de get it right the first time repris par RadioHead dans un son de In Rainbow ???

Easy high-school rhymes, sophomore piano. Thematically banal. The album cover: wait, you're saying she masked her real self? whooaah. Too harsh? Sorry the whole thing bothers me.

Artiste connu de nom. Je l'ai entendu souvent à la radio, sans jamais retenir les morceaux ... Même effet avec cet album. Plutôt agréable, avec quelques chorus réussis de sax, mais ... rien ne me donne envie d'y retourner. =>2/5

It was OK. 2/5

I can't deny his talent, but I've never enjoyed his music. It lacks dynamism, depth, tension. Sounds contrived to me.

Annoying theatrical NYC twoddle

Litt irriterande, men ikkje fullt så ille som forventa

I've never been a fan of Billy Joel's, but I didn't expect to be as annoyed by this as I was.

Few classics on here but still not really my thing

it was alright Billy, alright not great.

Better than I was expecting, considering my disappointment when I saw it was Billy Joel being served up today, but I won’t be returning to this in a hurry.

Didn't do it for me

Litt irriterande, men ikkje fullt så ille som forventa

I think Billy Joel rubs me the wrong way for the same reasons Paul Simon does, their American kitchen sink realism lyrics and how they position themselves. I don't know how exactly to explain it, this posture of being a wise observer chronicling scenes from Italian restaurants or wherever else. The instrumentation doesn't work for me either, it's too Elton John. This kind of thing needs either someone with some edge (Harry Nilsson) or an absolute musical genius (Paul McCartney).

Going into this: “Scenes from an Italian restaurant” is the one song of his I like. “Movin out” and “just the way you are” are among my least favorite pop songs by anyone. Listening: -okay, “Vienna” isn’t bad either. Am I just a fan of Billy Joel deep cuts? -I didn’t realize how many truly awful people got most of their personality from “only the good die young”. Late ‘70s high school yearbooks hate to see that song coming. -“she’s always a woman” is a new contender for least favorite Billy Joel song. Got a metric ton of competition. River of dreams is *tough*. Alright, two songs I like. I want to hate “only the good die young” but it is catchy, I will admit that. Just hate the lyrics. And then six truly terrible songs I would prefer not to hear again for the rest of my life. Let’s call that a 2.

ok

Mawkish lyrics, twee melodies, and an overwhelming vibe of insincerity. Sorry to Billy Joel fans but I don't get this at all.

Ok record. Billy Joel has never been my thing

I feel like this albums demographic is wine drunk suburban housewifes.

Medio inbancables algunos temas tbh

Nahh

Today, maman died

Annoying man

Only the Good Die Young is probably Matt Gaetz’s favorite karaoke song.

We beklaagden ons over het feit dat de generator er weinig aan deed om ons in de kerststemming te krijgen. Bij deze. Mijn enige connectie met Billy Joel (naast natuurlijk het dronken, arm om arm, gezwaai in de kroeg bij 'Piano Man') is de Top 2000, en in die context slik ik het zonder al te veel problemen. En waar ik ondanks mijn beperkte albumkennis van de beste man wel het gevoel heb dat dit zijn werk is wat het best te pruimen is, staat het over het algemeen toch echt mijlenver af van wat ik versta onder lekkere/goeie muziek. Dat up-tempo, Broadway-esque gearrangeerde stijltje van hem bevalt me niet, en verbergt vaak wat hij in zijn mars heeft. Want mooie liedjes schrijven kan 'ie wel, zoals in 'She's Always a Woman' en in mindere mate 'Just the Way You Are'. Wat dat betreft is de mix wel goed op deze plaat, en krijg je z'n hele - ietwat beperkte - pallet wel te horen. Prima moment van het jaar om deze weer eens te checken, maar ik merk dat ik door de jaren heen alleen maar meer gedistantieerd ben geraak van Billy. 6/10 Highlights: The Stranger (Steely Dan/Paul McCartney stilo) She's Always a Woman

Best leuk om nog even in de Top2000 sferen te blijven hangen. Maar na een paar nummertjes ben ik de piano-ballads en sax-solo's wel beu. Billy is een sterke liedjesschrijver, zoals Elton dat ook is. Alleen luister ik er gewoon niet zo graag naar. Zeker Scenes from an Italian Restaurant en Vienna vind ik simpelweg kitsch (accordeon?). 6/10 Highlights The Stranger She's Always as Woman

Βαρετη μουσικη. Μονοτονη. Με καποια καλα στοιχεια. C-

Is there merit here? Sure. Do I like Billy Joel? No.

O clip de uma das músicas empolga mais que o disco todo!

Like most Billy Joel, I find this overly schmaltzy. But there are a few solid tracks.

It's all just a bit too saccharine and bland. Some of these have been played to death on classic rock radio and I'd get by if that'd stop. He is the type of songwriter you get the feeling doesn't really listen to or enjoy music.

Not a fan of Billy Joel in general. The first song was alright, not a fan of the rest though.

2.33

Not bad. Pretty distinctly REM. Some good hits on here.

Really like the title track, that has some groove. Otherwise the album is very dependent on lyricism and storytelling that I just can't relate to. Probably a demographic issue but some artists can overcome that

So aggressively *fine*. Only the Good Die Young is fun but otherwise not much doing a lot for me. 2.5 stars

2.5

Only the Good Die Young and some other songs. Some people adore Billy Joel, and he is talented - but he doesn't do much for me.

Too cheesy for me

I didn’t massive mind this. There are a few nice tunes which are “classics” of sorts if you like that kind of thing, and a few I didn’t know he had done. I mean, you could prob successfully wheel it out in the background when your Auntie comes round for dinner. But otherwise, obvs never going to listen again.

Well it is kinda likeable to an extent. But I just can’t get past the feeling that in this album he sounds rather like a corny pound shop Elton John, with some Benny Hill sax thrown in for good measure. Not for me.

I wonder who came first, Billy or Elton. Some serious theft going on. Billy likes his wine and doesn't dress like a clown, so gets my vote. Never heard movin out, which is a classic of this tinkering genre.

Meh. Some good but dragged in places. Overall I don't think I'll ever listen to it again. 4/10

Billy Joel has always been on the edge of my consciousness but never taken much notice apart from a slight recognition of his biggest hits. There’s one or two of them on this album and cannot deny that they are good memorable pop songs. First time then that I have sat down and seriously listened. I was pleasantly surprised. An enjoyable listen although unlikely to go out and buy any Billy Joel albums. 2/5 4/10/24

Creo que a estas alturas ya no está tan mal visto decir que Billy Joel da algo de flojerita.

70s soft pop-rock. There’s like 2 tracks that get you tapping your feet. But that does not make a great album.

Something that I like about this album is how each word in the song is expressed slowly, to make every single word sink in, which reveals a deeper meaning, which is we think about somebody even though we don't know much about them. Overall, personally, I think that the music that Billy Joel makes is okay, I don't love it or hate it either.

It's ok. But I don't really like his music too much.

The Stranger was a huge hit when it was released, and people who loved it then probably still do today, but it just doesn’t do it for me. It sounds like the best of Randy Newman combined with the worst of Elton John with a dash of yacht rock. But it must have paid for Billy’s veneers, so more power to him.

-sehr entspannt

It's alright

Billy Joel has a very recognizable voice. I know plenty of his hit songs but I don't own any of his albums (a part from a compilation). This album is ok but it wouldn't be on my "to have" list.

Not bad, but not my thing

Pretty bored

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: Creepypasta Mix: El Fuego Mucho Musik: Die Banalität des Blöden Wertung: 🎭(🎭)/5

do i need this when we have chicago's saturday in the park?

Nothing to report. Easy listening, non memorable

Yes it's polished and well written pop music. The band of the time were fantastic too. 'Just the way you are' is one of the earliest songs i remember hearing. I just can't be doing with it. I can't deny the quality of the song writing, musicianship, production and Billy's expressive voice but for some reason it rubs me up the wrong way. Not for me.

Mets fans lol

Almost offensively inoffensive, slick, safe and edge-free throughout, but there are some undeniable hits.

Not really my jam. maybe too theatrical for my taste

Someone gave a pub musician a big band. Not my thing.

Not really interested other than the classics

Hmm...I'm not sure how to approach reviewing this record. First off, it's the kind of mainstream music that really leaves me a bit cold, and secondly (as a consequence) I have never really listened to Billy Joel except for a few hit singles that were quite inescapable. That said, as I play through this record, it seems like pretty inoffensive stuff, and there are elements there I quite like and it's pretty skillfully put together.

Lots of recognizable hits, and I get that he's talented. Just not my style.

Billy Joel blows. She’s always a woman was a highlight. Moving out would have ranked higher if it didn’t have that heart at ack ack ack

The saxophone smooth funk sounds dated. I was going to write that the later tracks grew on me, but then "Only the Good Die Young" came on...hm. Day 31 and still no album by a solo woman.

Kind of boring.

I am more of a Bruce Springsteen girlie.

From memory this was an OK BJ album but it contains some of his most iritating songs.

Nothing here interests me, not that it's that unpleasant that would make me skip a track but would not consider playing again. Quite surprised it has sold 10million copies!

Not bad but not my thing

Movin' Out: 5/10 ehhh The Stranger: 6/10 cool Just the Way You Are: 8/10 one of the 2 good songs Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: 4/10 don't like it Vienna: 8/10 one of the 2 good songs Only the Good Die Young: 7/10 decent She's Always a Woman: 5/10 super recognizable but kinda mid Get it Right the First Time: 2/10 what Everybody Has a Dream: 3/10 ehhh Album Score: 4/10 2 stars couple songs are ok, couple songs are good, a lot of misses imo i understand critically this might be good but I didn't like it

Some of the tracks are alright, but I just don’t get the Billy Joel hype. Meh.

Can see why people like it, but not for me

Meh.

Billy Joel makes songs that are really easy to listen to. Lots of radio play classics on here like Movin' Out, Just the Way You Are, Only the Good Die Young, Vienna, and She's Always a Woman. 5 songs with staying power on a 9 track album is a good ratio, but not all of them move the needle for me. Then you have songs like Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, which is 7:36 long and I don't ever get that time back. I dunno, I'm never gonna sit and listen to this one but the good songs are good.

This album was a mixed bag of easy listening with a couple of not great tracks. Not usually my thing and not Billy Joel's strongest.

I have a lot of feelings about Billy Joel and I am trying to leave them out of this. He's so aggressively uncool. I can appreciate that there are very catchy songs on this record, and that it is like, important to the history of music and probably did a lot for a lot of people, but it doesn't do a lot for me.

hmm... IDK. not so much

Not fan of Billy Joel - better than remember.

catchy, fine

didn’t know I knew so many songs by him not my favorite but I understand the appeal

The only thing that would boost this rating is if this was the album with Billy Joel's Good Song: "You May Be Right"

Solid basic sound.

I liked two songs. “Thank god it’s over” - me when the last song ended

I was really disappointed to have to listen to this goofball, it didn’t help that it was really boring for a while after the first track, scenes from an Italian restaurant made me cringe, Vienna is a banger of course, only the good die young is great because the lyrics are depressing but the music is like :D, annnnnd she’s always a woman is kinda creepy, over all 2 outta 5 for me lol

While I’ve liked some Billy Joel songs here and there, I now understand why Anthony Bourdain banned Billy from his restaurants. Some of the songs have done catchiness, but I really couldn’t listen to this more than once. It’s like elevator music, but annoying. Honestly, the elevator version of this album is probably better.

Cool.

“Vienna” is fantastic. Everything else? Meh. I like a lot of the melodies and musical ideas, but Billy’s voice and personality just rub me the wrong way. “Just the Way You Are” is one of the most offensively cheesy songs I’ve ever heard. 2.5/5

I’ve heard track 1 enough times to know I’m all set on not listening to this. That track makes me feel like I’ve lived in this one small town in New Jersey in the '70s for much longer than I wanted. Mama, I’m leaving.

This is the most tolerable Billy Joel record. Some good songs, but the bad ones are really bad. Case in point “Get it right the first time” yuck. He didn’t get it right the first time

Didn’t resonate at all with me this. Very MOR pop music. The sort of thing an Aunty or Uncle would stick on on a Sunday afternoon in the 90s (I can attest to that). Quite enjoyed the first track but that was it, the rest reminded me of Elton John. 1.5

I got Billy Joel and Billy Idol mixed up, so I was very disappointed rebel yell wasn't on this. Lots of songs on this I'd put in the 'American Pie' bucket of hugely famous, overplayed songs that are painfully bland and get on my nerves. Otherwise it was very much American 80s standards, bit too much saxophone than is necessary, just not my thing.

These are undeniably super catchy songs, and the album is full of hits, but it's so cheesy. I can't bear it for too long. Going to listen to yesterday's album again to detox.

I have never made it through a Billy Joel album before. Probably won’t again, unless another one comes up on this list. Not terrible, but didn’t do much for me.

Some catchy tracks and instrumentation. This record is also quite diverse. It just didn’t really click with me though.

idk I just got bored these 70s soft rock story songs never do anything for me

I really enjoyed the intro as well as Scenes from an Italian. otherwise, I felt super white and old listening to this. Not really for me

5/10. Not for me but recognize the talent.

Movin' Out: slaps The Stranger: pretty good, the intro and outro are solid, not a massive fan otherwise Just the Way You Are: kinda mid... Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: Very good song, idk if it's liked songs worthy, but definitely really solid Vienna: slaps Only the Good Die Young: Pretty good, I would say just below Scenes She's Always a Woman: idk kinda forgettable Get It Right the First Time: Pretty good, probably third favorite unliked song, meaning 5th overall in the album Everybody Has a Dream: outro slaps again, otherwise decent but not great Overall: maybe I'm not in the right headspace to review this album, it couldn't hurt to go through it again some other time. I'm also doing homework so I'm not really focused on it, and I think that meant I didn't get the overarching story.

Nah

Pretty forgetful! Like the hits

Blimey it's the demo button from the casio keyboard from my 80s youth "Just the way you are", never knew it had lyrics just used to press that magic yellow button and it would play the music, changing sounds every 5 seconds or so just to make it that much more annoying. This was cutting edge stuff and at the time we were able to convince relatives we were playing, (maybe they were being nice). After intial hilarity and the intrigue of trying all the 99 different voices the keyboard was just used to annoy other family members. Never learnt to play much to my regret, still had a laugh.

If Paul McCartney tried to emulate Elton John would it make anything better? No

You can tell from the cover that this album has a lot of psychology. It's a farily diverse album, some tracks have an interesting combination of a broadway pop sensibility with the sounds of 70s arena rock (Movin Out, The Stranger, Get it Right), there's a Long-Island-Stevie-Wonder jazz ballad (Just the Way You Are), some corny crooning (Vienna, Always a Woman), showtune ethnography (Italian Restaurant), barroom (more like golf club bar and grill) singalongs (Only the Good Die Young) and Hey Jude cosplay (Everybody has a Dream). The whole thing is like a Paul Giammatti fronting a Wings coverband. Somehow this is even more boomer than the Woodstock-era stuff.

I’ve always heard this is an “all-time classic” but it didn’t do anything for me

I respect Billy Joel's songwriting chops. These are incredibly successful songs and have been played on radio a bazillion times, and I know most of this album backwards just from the ubiquitous nature of the thing. But it bores me to tears. In Slipped Discs – the Worst Rock ’n’ Roll Records of All Time by Jimmy Guterman & Owen O’Donnell, they list Billy Joel as the Worst Rock and Roller of All Tie, stating "No single performer has done more to encourage musicians without a shred of rock credibility to think that pretending to rock out is the same thing as rocking out than Billy Joel." I strongly agree. Billy Joel is not rock and roll (despite Billy's later protestations); it's much more popular song based in the Broadway tradition. And it is very successful in that mold. But I don't really need it in my life. Sorry.

I obviously know just about every song on the album, and they are almost all great. However, I don’t think I’d ever sit down and decide to listen to the album. Not sure why. I’m giving it a 2 knowing that it really is a secret 3 for me and likely deserves a 4.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah it was decent, not as hard hitting as I was expecting though Favourite song: Track 7 - She’s Always a Woman

Dit album begint aantrekkelijk. Maar wisselt toch de iets leukere nummers af met saaie nummers. Sta gewoon iets te vaak in de wacht...

Huoh ei kyllä Billyn määkinä oikein sytytä. Tai ole koskaan sytyttänyt.

1 good song and pretty lightweight otherwise

I can respect the musical talent, but Billy Joel is not for me.

This is an affable album, but little had me wanting to linger or return.

Aha - several of my friends' dads had this record when I was little (I thought the cover was creepy), but I have never listened to it before as far as I know. Goes off a cliff quite quickly, most of the songs are pretty terrible with lyrics so bad they could be performance art. Sesame Street parodies Paul Simon, perhaps. Movin' Out is great though

Insoportable. Conocía una canción, la inescapable Just the Way You Are, pero el resto no conocía y no veo cómo mi vida es mejor después de haber escuchado este disco. Supongo que puedo entenderlo más como historia de la música gringa, que de la música en general. Siendo así, claro que puede ser percibido como esencial: a los gringos les encantan sus héroes de los 70. Pero seamos serios, la influencia de Billy Joel decae el minuto que su música cruza las fronteras de ese país.

Boring

Beautiful instrumentation but so boring otherwise

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

Lite smörigt, lite trist. Helt okej ändå

I didnt enjoy this

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

didn't sit right with me

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.

Blarf

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

Bore.

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

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

inoffensive.

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.

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

It's a good album, but I don't get how it's supposed to be an essential

Elton John's Wish version...

It's alright.

I never warmed to this guy. Just no substance or heart to him at all.

I mean, this is fine for a Doctor's office

The boy’s got hooks! It’s got a weird tone though that I didn’t really enjoy. Seems smug in some way.

Generic.

Vienna Mouais

Na Elton John was dit niet bepaald leuk... ik was al wel een beetje klaar met dit type muziek.

Nee. Dit is gewoon best vervelend eigenlijk.

Ik had hier wel zin in. Ik dacht aan ‘piano man’ en dat Saigon-lied. Helaas bleek het supermarkt-muziek.

Struggling with the passive misogyny of Billy Joel.

2/5 Didn't think I knew this album, but it seems I do Can we talk about how weird the album cover is? Fine... Movin out is a good start. 'The Stranger' more what I expected (i.e. worse) Just the way you are' is what it is, a very lovely, soft-pop classic Scenes, Vienna is meh. Only the good - picks up a bit but lacks intensity She's always a woman - the sexual politics are very dated and immediately blaring - nice, sub-dylan lyric line, tho' Get it right - far superior in my eyes. funky rhythm and lyric. Not horribly sexist. Everybody has a dream - not mine. Mostly forgettable pop shite with 2-3 standout tracks that are deviations from the artist's main work.

I thought it was going to be a banger from "Moving Out" but it turned to sappy 70s bullshit real quick, instant 2. Any album that starts with a bang and cannot keep the energy always loses points in my book. It turns out I like Moving Out due to Neil Cicierega.

This is full of pearls, nice. I like it. Bit mellow for me, but there are some catchy good tunes there. Nice..

Få hyggelige numre. Ellers siger det mig ikke så meget

Slick, but not really my taste

Crazy pianos. I’m too sane for this.

For me, Billy Joel is in that category of musicians for whom I have great respect but rarely listen to. There's nothing wrong with his songs to my ear, and they are well-written, performed nicely, and often memorable. It's really just a matter of personal taste and preference, I suppose. I get why so many people love him.

I am imaging myself being stuck at a wedding where Scenes from an Italian Restaurant is playing and I hear: "I will meet you any time I want, in our Italian restaurant." and I instantly feel nauseous. Billy Joel is a classic, he has a good voice, quite some lyrical talent and creativity, but this record is incredibly overrated. However, I do really enjoy Movin' Out, The Stranger and Get It Right the First Time, as they are not as disgustingly sweet and cheesily written and carry good rhythym and energy. Overall I feel like a 2/5 is a fair score for this overly sentimental heap.

One or 2 tracks I like, I guess you need to be a fan.

This be old bruh

Too mellow

When I think of Billy Joel I think of New York and smoke filled cabaret bars just off Broadway. This album does nothing to spoil that illusion. It’s tracks ooze city life after dark scenarios and they do it in spades. Almost all the songs here are familiar and draw at least a few memories to reflect on. Billy Joel’s voice is also probably at its best. It’s a fun album even if the hits have been done to death over the years. 2 Stars!

Not for me.

3.5

J'aime la première chanson ''Movin' out''. Un classique. Mais après ça, maudit que c'Est vieux. C'est vieuxxxxxx ça sonne vieuxxxx. J'aurais dû en écouter un plus récent.

big white boomer energy here. much more suburban midwest than new york to me.

I was enjoying myself for the first couple tracks, but after that my opinion nosedived back to where I expected it to go. It's a mostly unobjectionable pop album, honestly. But so many of the instrumental sections are beyond cheesy. I was familiar with Only the Good Die Young and still have a positive outlook on the song, but it's not enough to buoy the back half.

Chiant

I cant stand this type of stuff.

I don’t understand how someone can write so many love songs in such a loveless way.

I was going to give this two stars for being, you know, quite okay music, particularly by today's standards but once I got to Only the Good Die Young, my noticing sense started tickling and was convinced this guy HAS to be jewish. And what do you know, after a brief peek at the early life section, I was entirely right. So sadly I have to drop it down to just one star.

This is boring af omg

Why is this in any list?

Nul

No me gusto, nada armonioso No lo volvería a escuchar

After the opening track, the whole thing is just mediocre. none of the bombast of Elton John, none of the technical supremacy of Steely Dan, too much talk for it to be as fun as Disco. Back in the "Records for Old People" pile.

The torturous soundtrack assaulting teenagers working at the mall for fifty years on. 'She's Always A Woman' will forever be burned into my brain in the most horrible way. Anyway a bunch of curiously jaunty tunes about relationships imploding and Billy Joel being weird about women. Mostly hated it start to finish! I didn't realize how much Jake Shears is indebted to him in terms of vocal quirks, that much was interesting I suppose. CORNY/ANNOYING/FADED/GROCERY STORE SOUNDTRACK/OLDIES

This wasn't as bad as I expected, and I actually quite enjoyed the first couple of tracks before the schmaltz took over

Beyond dreadful.

Not my thing

E ok

I do not like Billy Joel.

Every mean thing I could say about Paul McCartney is true about this album. Occasional moments of nice melody, but too often actually annoying imo.

Out of all the albums on this list that I've heard before, this is easily the worst of them. No disrespect to the ack-ack-ack-ack but the rest of it's pretty grating.

Terrible album. Awful piano music for Americans who think they are sophisticated.

I'm not a fan of Billy Joel. I don't believe I've ever listened to this album start-to-finish, but just looking at the song titles, I think I know them all. As a musician, Billy Joel is quite talented, but his songs tend toward schmaltz, and I don't enjoy it. Also, some people really like his voice, but I don't. I feel like there's frequently an undercurrent of anger in his voice, and I don't know where I'm even picking that up. But it also tends to throw the feeling of his songs out of whack. Again, the rest of the band are fine players, but the "schmaltz" factor is a detriment to really enjoying them too.

I couldn’t do it sorry

Listened to it twice in a row but I ain't gonna lie..I was bored after three songs. Not for me.

It's a personal problem, but I’ve always disliked Billy Joel’s music. It’s a visceral reaction that I cannot get around. I know lots of these songs, not by choice, and do not ever want to hear them again. Sometimes they'll get in my head for no reason. I'm not saying this to be cool as I understand it's a thing with some people to dislike Billy Joel, and I'm sure he's a great guy and certainly talented, but I fucking can't stand the music he makes.

Sentient schmaltz

wtf

Stick to the animated films, Billy.

Not for me.

MEh. I never got the Billy Joel hype.

Jedinica iz principa. // Bila bi četvorka jer sam na moje ogromno iznenađenje baš uživala u slušanju.

1/2

I just don’t understand why anyone would listen to this.

he called it the stranger cause listening to it is an existential ordeal

I'm so sorry I just hated this

Sorry but I find this dull

I’m not into anything that sounds like a secondary school musical production. Especially things that aren’t a secondary school musical production.

couldn't listen to the album. It's a music style I don't enjoy.

I just have bad associations with this. Can't really give it a fair listen.

i have heard this so many times against my will. this is what happens, in my opinion, when an annoying theater guy becomes too famous. i just really find his style of music so grating, i don’t care for his voice, i don’t like his storytelling. it is just decisively not for me

Just dull

My god that was terrible.