Billy Joel – The Nylon Curtain (2LP, 45 tours, Ultra Analog)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Melodica - Billy Joel [click here to see more vinyl featuring Billy Joel]
Bass – Doug Stegmeyer
Drums, Percussion – Liberty DeVitto
Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – David Brown (6)
Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Russell Javors
Strings – String Fever (A2, B4)
Snare – Bill Zampino (A4)
Synthesizer – Rob Mounsey (B4)
Accordion – Dominic Cortese (B5)
Cello – Charles McCracken (B5)
Saxophone, Clarinet – Eddie Daniels
Violin, Concertmaster – David Nadien (A1, A3 to B3, B5)
Horns & Strings arranged by Dave Grusin
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 Winter 1981 - Spring 1982 at A&R Recording, Inc., New York City
Engineered by Jim Boyer
Produced by Phil Ramone
Mastered by Krieg Wunderlich at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Photography by Benno Friedman
Originally released in September 1982
Reissued in 2024
Tracks:
Side A:
- Allentown
- Laura
Side B:
- Pressure
- Goodnight Saigon
Side C:
- She's Right On Time
- A Room Of Our Own
- Surprises
Side D:
- Scandinavian Skies
-
Where's the Orchestra
Reviews :
“Billy Joel hit back as hard as he could with Glass Houses, his bid to prove that he could rock as hard as any of those new wave punks. He might not have proven himself a punk -- for all of his claims of being a hard rocker, his work inevitably is pop because of his fondness for melody -- but he proved to himself that he could still rock, even if the critics didn't give him any credit for it. It was now time to mature, to move pop/rock into the middle age and, in the process, earn critical respect. In short, The Nylon Curtain is where Billy Joel went serious, consciously crafting a song cycle about Baby Boomers in the Reagan era. Since this was an album about Baby Boomers, he chose to base his music almost entirely on the Beatles, the pivotal rock band for his generation. Joel is naturally inclined to write big melodies like McCartney, but he idolizes Lennon, which makes The Nylon Curtain a fascinating cross between ear candy and social commentary. His desire to record a grand concept album is admirable, but his ever-present lyrical shortcomings mean that the songs paint a picture without arriving at any insights. He occasionally gets lost in his own ambition, as on the waterlogged second side, but the first half of the song suite -- "Allentown," "Laura," "Pressure," "Goodnight Saigon," "She's Right on Time" -- is layered, successful, mature pop that brings Joel tantalizingly close to his ultimate goal of sophisticated pop/rock for mature audiences.” 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 :
Discogs : 4.62 / 5