Billy Joel's Last Chance
In comes, The Stranger, to the rescue!
When your back is up against the wall and your record label says put up or we're going to drop you, what do you do?
You do exactly what Billy Joel does here. You release one of the best albums of the late 70s. You tell them, here's a masterpiece and just sit back and listen.
It's true, due to subpar performances of his previous two albums, Turnstiles and Street Life Serenade, Columbia was ready to pull the plug and dump him.
The Stranger contains a few of my favorite songs. The first being being, Just the Way You Are. This was actually my parents' wedding song, so it holds a special place in my heart.
Another great song I love is, Moving Out (Anthony's song. This is about a lower middle class guy who details what he thinks his life would be like when he 'makes it'. It's tells the story of a blue collar working who's trying break away from his working class roots with possessions such as a Chevy or Cadillac. This was similar to Joel's life before he made if big in music.
But let's talk about one of the finest songs ever made in my mind. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant. This song has everything, great lyrics and great instrumentation. It's absolutely perfect. Joel actually said it was a combination of a few songs hence the changing of musical style in parts of the song. It changes from piano work to Dixieland jazz and then back to the piano. It is about reminiscing about your past but as the lyrics say 'you can never go back there again'. A sad commentary but a poignant one nonetheless.
Overall a fantastic album and one that saved Billy Joel and gave us a chance to enjoy his genius for many years to come.
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Billy Joel - The Stranger
Columbia, 1977
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