The Stranger: 30th Anniversary [Legacy Edition] - 2 CD Set [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Billy Joel

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: July 8, 2008
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony Legacy
• ASIN: B00168PTFQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,321 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
2-CD 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition

CD of "The Stranger" remastered by the original album producer, Phil Ramone

CD of "Live At Carnegie Hall 1977"- previously unreleased

24 Page Booklet with liner notes by Rolling Stones Editor, David Fricke and un-seen photos from the original album photo shoot

The Stranger CD Tracklist:
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
The Stranger
Just The Way You Are
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Vienna
Only the Good Die Young
She's Always A Woman
Get It Right The First Time
Everybody Has Dream

"Live At Carnegie Hall 1977" CD
On June 3, 1977, one month prior to the recording of The Stranger album, Billy and his band performed at the historical Carnegie Hall in NYC. This show has been brilliantly restored to be released for the first time as part of the 30th Anniversary edtion of The Stranger

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Terrible remaster of original album; great live show unnecessarily edited, July 9, 2008

By	David Pearlman "sound fanatic" (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

OK, first things first: The Stranger is the album that made Billy Joel a household name throughout the world (though not because it was a breakthrough album in terms of content; the earlier "Turnstiles" is at least as good). It is a very well recorded album with many of Joel's best loved songs. It has been reissued multiple times in the digital era (the original CD, the remastered CD, the SACD version, etc.). It is hard to imagine anyone interested in this expensive expansive edition doesn't already own AT LEAST one other digital version of the album, so the inclusion of the album on this package is a money grab.

Unfortunately, it's worse than that: The remaster of The Stranger included here is far-and-away the WORST remaster of the album to ever appear. It is extremely compressed and maximized, which means it sound nice and LOUD, but it sacrifices all sorts of subtleties of the music itself. If you are only interested in The Stranger, go and buy yourself any other edition. Or if you already own The Stranger in some other digital edition, keep that if you buy this: The version here is just plain junk.

Now, on to the bonus CD which, honestly, is the lure of this package. On the second CD you get a TRUNCATED version of the shows that Billy Joel played in New York City in Summer 1977. This was Joel and his band at the height of their powers, and with a trunkload of great material (from the Stranger and earlier albums) to draw upon. To any fan of Billy Joel, this is essential, terrific stuff. UNFORTUNATELY, you don't get an entire show (neither a real entire show, nor a cut-and-paste from separate performances to simulate an entire show). This is a real travesty and begs the question "Why?" The source material to offer a full show is available. Someone made the decision to offer the abridged version here, and, given the relatively high cost of this package and that fact that a full show from era of Joel's career is not legitimately available anywhere is just criminal. What's here is excellent, but it's just not enough.

(Note: There is also a more deluxe version of this set available, which also includes a DVD and more elaborate packaging. The DVD on that version includes an hour long show originally recorded for the UK's Old Grey Whistle Test. Again, it's excellent, but does not represent a full show of the era (even if an hour is all that Joel and his band recorded for that fixed format show). There's also a documentary and a bit of other ephemera that's nice, but won't merit repeat viewings in most households.)

In all, this is an opportunity missed. A poor remaster of the original album coupled with a tantalizing but unsatisfying abbreviated version of a classic era show. Bad decisions were made here and--sadly--I'd guess there won't be a another physical media attempt to correct them in the future.

Hardcore Joel fans will buy this, as well they should (what legitimate alternatives are there for the live material?) But anyone on the fence should think hard before jumping.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Celebration of a Great Album!, July 16, 2008

By	J. Moore (Aliso Viejo, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not sure what all the negativeness in the other reviews is about. The original album sounds great. And the live disc is a great bonus - eliminated the need to buy "Songs in the Attic" (which as I remember is a great album also). Actually, the live disc song selection is better than "Attic" (includes "Angry Young Man" and 2 then unknown songs from The Stranger). There is also some humorous talk between him and the audience about the house lights being turned on if (and eventually when) they don't stop smoking.

Great booklet included with this. I can't speak for if it sounds better than earlier versions - so if you have one maybe you don't need this. But even if you do this might be worth the live disc and the booklet if you are a big fan.

Also, currently Amazon has many of his discs for very low prices (some for $5). I picked up "The Nylon Curtain" with this for under $5.

Rock on Billy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Could have had a little more included on the CDS, August 4, 2008

By	J. A. Crabb (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well ten years later, we are treated to yet another remastering of "The Stranger," this time in celebration of the 30th (actually 31st) anniversary of the album. While for most fans who owned the original CD master, then graduated to the 1998 remaster, I'm sure folks would agree there should have been more added to the first CD. There are alternate takes out there, some which made their way onto the "My Lives" boxset. Would have been nice to pad out the full length of the cd with some bonus studio tracks.

The live CD is the gem of this re-release. Why has Sony sat on this recording all these years? A remarkable performance, in a location which is notorious for making decent quality recordings (e.g. Chicago IV.) This is almost as good as "Songs in The Attic," as you get many of those songs, only slightly rearranged for this earlier performance. I am hoping that with the success of this release Legacy will do for Billy what was done for Neil Diamond with his Stages cd set...a box set of live shows (more of the earlier ones that are still unreleased on cd). So far we've got concert releases from 1980, 1987, 1999, and 2005, it would be nice to have a 70s, early 80s which are complete concerts, with minimal exemptions. Why? Because Billy is one of the best performers I have ever seen... He shows his roots well in this show because at certain points in the show the Carnegie Hall technicians bring the house lights up because people are smoking, and each time that happens, Billy says "I'll play with these lights on if you don't mind!"