Billy Joel – The Stranger (2LP, 45RPM, Ultra Analog)
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€189,00
Unsealed vinyl
This vinyl is in mint condition but unsealed.
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Billy Joel – vocals, keyboards, synthetizer, piano [click here to see more vinyl featuring Billy Joel]
Backing Vocals – Gwen Guthrie (D2), Lani Groves (D2), Patti Austin (D2), Phoebe Snow (D2)
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar – Steve Khan
Bass – Doug Stegmeyer
Clarinet – Richie Cannata
Drums – Liberty Devitto
Electric Guitar – Hiram Bullock, Steve Khan
Flute – Richie Cannata
Organ – Richie Cannata, Richard Tee (D2)
Soprano Saxophone – Richie Cannata
Tenor Saxophone – Richie Cannata
Orchestrated by Patrick Williams
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald (A2, D1)
Acoustic Guitar – Hugh McCracken (B1-2, C3, D1-2), Steve Burgh (B1-2, C3)
Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods (B1)
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald (B1, D2)
Accordion – Dominic Cortese (B2, C1)
Written by Billy Joel
2 LPs, gatefold jacket
Limited numbered edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Ultra Analog
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45 RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Record Technology Incorporated
Label : MOFI
Original Label : Columbia
Recorded July–August 1977 at A&R Recording, Inc., New York City
Engineered by Jim Boyer, Phil Ramone
Produced by Phil Ramone
Mastered by Ted Jensen
Remastered by Krieg Wunderlich, Rob LoVerde at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Lacquer cut by Krieg Wunderlich at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Photography by Jim Houghton
Originally released in September 1977
Reissued in 2013
Tracks:
Side A:
- Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
- The Stranger
Side B:
- Just the Way You Are
- Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
Side C:
- Vienna
- Only the Good Die Young
- She's Always A Woman
Side D:
- Get It Right the First Time
- Everybody Has A Dream
Awards:
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Ranked 169/500
Number 246 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums
Reviews :
“Billy Joel teamed with Phil Ramone, a famed engineer who had just scored his first producing hits with Art Garfunkel's Breakaway and Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years for The Stranger, his follow-up to Turnstiles. Joel still favored big, sweeping melodies, but Ramone convinced him to streamline his arrangements and clean up the production. The results aren't necessarily revelatory, since he covered so much ground on Turnstiles, but the commercialism of The Stranger is a bit of a surprise. None of his ballads have been as sweet or slick as "Just the Way You Are"; he never had created a rocker as bouncy or infectious as "Only the Good Die Young"; and the glossy production of "She's Always a Woman" disguises its latent misogynist streak. Joel balanced such radio-ready material with a series of New York vignettes, seemingly inspired by Springsteen's working-class fables and clearly intended to be the artistic centerpieces of the album. They do provide The Stranger with the feel of a concept album, yet there is no true thematic connection between the pieces, and his lyrics are often vague or mean-spirited. His lyrical shortcomings are overshadowed by his musical strengths. Even if his melodies sound more Broadway than Beatles -- the epic suite "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" feels like a show-stopping closer -- there's no denying that the melodies of each song on The Stranger are memorable, so much so that they strengthen the weaker portions of the album. Joel rarely wrote a set of songs better than those on The Stranger, nor did he often deliver an album as consistently listenable.” AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Ultra Analog™ : The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ Series stems from the use of the Gain 2 system, mastered at half speed from the original master tapes where possible, capturing and uncovering as before undiscovered sonic information.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4,5 / 5 , Discogs : 4.79 / 5