Billy Joel – 52nd Street (Hybrid SACD, Ultradisc UHR)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Billy Joel – vocals, acoustic piano, Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers [click here to see more vinyl featuring Billy Joel]
Freddie Hubbard – flugelhorn and trumpet (4) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Freddie Hubbard]
Peter Cetera – backing vocals (3)
Donnie Dacus – backing vocals (3)
Frank Floyd – backing vocals (7)
Babi Floyd – backing vocals (7)
Milt Grayson – backing vocals (7)
Zack Sanders – backing vocals (7)
Ray Simpson – backing vocals (7)
Steve Khan – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Doug Stegmeyer – bass, backing vocals
Richie Cannata – organ, saxophones, clarinet
David Spinozza – acoustic guitar (2)
David Brown – electric guitar (3)
Russell Javors – acoustic guitar (3)
Hugh McCracken – nylon guitar (6, 8)
Eric Gale – electric guitar (7)
Liberty DeVitto – drums
Mike Mainieri – vibraphone and marimba (4, 6)
Ralph MacDonald – percussion (6,7)
David Freidman – orchestral chimes and percussion (6)
George Marge – sopranino recorder (6)
Robert Freedman – horn and string orchestrations (2, 8)
Dave Grusin – horn orchestrations (7)
David Nadien – concertmaster (2, 7, 8)
All songs written and composed by Billy Joel
1 Hybrid SACD, gatefold jacket
Limited numbered edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Stereo
Studio
Label : MOFI
Original Label : Columbia
Recorded July–August 1978 at A & R Recording, Inc., 799 7th Avenue at 52nd Street, New York City
Engineered by Jim Boyer
Mixed by Jim Boyer and Phil Ramone at A & R Recording, Inc.
Produced by Phil Ramone
Remastered by Rob LoVerde at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Glass master made by Sony DADC
Originally released in October 1978
Reissued in February 2022
Tracks:
- Big Shot
- Honesty
- My Life
- Zanzibar
- Stiletto
- Rosalinda's Eyes
- Half A Mile Away
- Until The Night
- 52nd Street
Awards:
Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - ranked number 352
Number 621 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums
1980 Grammy awards - Album of the Year
1980 Grammy awards - Best Pop Vocal Performance Male
Reviews :
“Once The Stranger became a hit, Billy Joel quickly re-entered the studio with producer Phil Ramone to record the follow-up, 52nd Street. Instead of breaking from the sound of The Stranger, Joel chose to expand it, making it more sophisticated and somewhat jazzy. Often, his moves sounded as if they were responses to Steely Dan -- indeed, his phrasing and melody for "Zanzibar" is a direct homage to Donald Fagen circa The Royal Scam, and it also boasts a solo from jazz great Freddie Hubbard à la Steely Dan -- but since Joel is a working-class populist, not an elitist college boy, he never shies away from big gestures and melodies. Consequently, 52nd Street unintentionally embellishes the Broadway overtones of its predecessor, not only on a centerpiece like "Stiletto," but when he's rocking out on "Big Shot." That isn't necessarily bad, since Joel's strong suit turns out to be showmanship -- he dazzles with his melodic skills and his enthusiastic performances. He also knows how to make a record. Song for song, 52nd Street might not be as strong as The Stranger, but there are no weak songs -- indeed, "Honesty," "My Life," "Until the Night," and the three mentioned above are among his best -- and they all flow together smoothly, thanks to Ramone's seamless production and Joel's melodic craftsmanship. It's remarkable to think that in a matter of three records, Joel had hit upon a workable, marketable formula -- one that not only made him one of the biggest-selling artists of his era, but one of the most enjoyable mainstream hitmakers. 52nd Street is a testament to that achievement.” AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Ultra High-Resolution (UHR) is a dual-layer hybrid SACD recorded with Direct Stream Digital Technology at a sampling rate of 11.2 MHZ and a frequency response of DC to 100KHz. In addition, a high-precision down-conversion is utilized for the CD layer (16bit/44.1kHz) to preserve the sonic integrity of the original DSD capture. The result: State-of-the-art sound on any machine that can play either standard compact discs or SACDs.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4 / 5 , Discogs : 4.5 / 5