Customer Reviews

The Stranger: 30th Anniversary [Legacy Edition] - 2 CD Set

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!"

New York native Billy Joel released his fifth album The Stranger in November of 1977.
Prior to The Stranger, Billy was almost seen as a pop one-hit wonder thanks to the title track from his 1973 album Piano Man (despite the fact FM rock stations played "Captain Jack" and "New York State of Mind"). However, pop radio ignored him. It was in the summer of 1977 that Billy and producer Phil Ramone (famed for work with The Carpenters and Paul Simon) went into A&R Recording Studios in New York to record Billy's fourth album for Columbia, which (had it not sold) might have been his last time at bat. Is the album the classic it is or some artifact from a bygone time, read on and find out.
We start the album with a great rocker out of "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" which is driven by piano and guitar. Next is The Stranger's title cut which its intro and outro (also repeated at album's end) sounds like it could have been recorded for a Bogart film before giving way into another great rocker. Next we slow things down with the album's famous ballad "Just The Way You Are" (which won the 1978 Record of the Year Grammy) and was Billy's biggest hit up until that point. He almost left it off the album had it not been for female singers Phoebe Snow (who appears on the album's last track) and Linda Ronstadt persuaded Billy to release it and the rest is history. The first half ends with the epic centerpiece of the album is "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" which is almost like listening to one of the medleys on The Beatles' Abbey Road as it's three songs stitched into one and one of the sections told the tale of the rise and fall of Brenda & Eddie.
"Vienna" starts the second half of the album off and was one of the lesser known songs on the album but a great number. Next is the acoustic guitar and piano driven rocker "Only the Good Die Young" which is still a great number though some religious groups cried foul and some stations banned the record. Next is another classic ballad out of "She's Always A Woman" which is a nice ballad. We then have another rocker out of "Get it Right the First Time" which is a great piece. We end with the gospel sounding ballad "Everybody Has a Dream" which is a nice track and the album ends with the reprise of The Stranger's title cut's intro and outro this time with an orchestra.
The Stranger paid off as it hit #2 on the Billboard album chart upon release and became Billy's first Platinum selling album and righfully sold to date 10 million copies in the US alone.
In 1998, The Stranger was re-released in a remastered version which soundeed better than the 1980s sterile CBS release and includes all original LP art.
Now in 2008, The Stranger was given a 30th Anniversary fit for a king in two incarnations. First is a 2-CD reissue which has The Stranger remastered by Phil Ramone. Second is a unreleased concert from the famed Carnegie Hall in New York recorded one month before The Stranger's release. Billy always delivered on stage and the versions of overlooked tracks like "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", "New York State of Mind", "Captain Jack" and "Angry Young Man" are all performed better than the studio versions. Also, you had preview versions of "Just the Way You Are" and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" all recorded a month before The Stranger was recorded. The other re-issue is a 3-disc package which will be reviewed next.
Recommended!

this is my favorite era of Billy Joel's. this was his peak and Prime era right here. so many great songs that showcased his songwriting and playing chops. he had that edge in his voice as well. the title track is so cool as well.Just the way you are alone is one of those songs you will never forget. he made his mark as a songwriter. the bonus stuff is cool,but the mastering is hit and miss. but i still dig the overall tone and feel of this album. this is the edgy Billy Joel that long ago is missed.but this compilation is a good reminder of how Good he once was.

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!

One of my first concerts my Senior year in High School was to see a new comer with alot of potential and up and coming musician who was Billy Joel. He was touring promoting this Album and I was in the front row listening in amazement of how good this man was. Starting the show was the very song he titled this CD with and I remember him sitting on his piano whistling to the tune of The Stranger. The rest is history and so years later I find this reissued CD and immediately bought it from Amazon and still remember that concert like it was yesterday. This is one of Joel's best work and I highly recommend that if you are a fan of this great musician that you buy this CD. It will not leave you disappointed.

I'm really happy with this set. The live disc alone is well worth the price. Miami 2017, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, Souvenir and I've Loved These Days, some of my all time favorite songs by Mr. Joel. And The Stranger..easily one of the best all time albums.
I find the sound quality very satisfying. My Harman Kardon and JBL's say so as well.

Where'd it all go? Still sounds just as good, although the last song, everybody has a dream, still sounds like a left over from turnstiles or earlier.
Live piece from 77 is good although sounds almost exactly like songs in the attic.
Best Buy had a 3rd live disc with it, a piece of the famous bottom line show from around that era. I have it on tape and Billy had a grand time acting like paul simon, springsteen and others.

I will not elaborate on the original album since I had previously written a review for it. This item arrived later than it should have(around fall 2007 was the actual 30th anniversary). It's understandable that the original nine-track line-up isn't enough,so you get another live CD,this one recorded at New York City's Carnegie Hall in June 1977 with some of THE STRANGER tracks that were not yet taken to the studio(s). In fact,these live performances chronologically precede SONGS IN THE ATTIC. There is also a three-disc version of this item,that one including a DVD of a December 1977 concert. I will say that TS is Billy Joel's first Top 10 album,later surpassed to the top by the follow-up 52ND STREET. 52ND STREET should get this same treatment as well and now is the time so it would hit stores this fall,

Was anyone really clamoring for a fifth digital incarnation of The Stranger (chronologically confused as a 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition - "31" years after the original 1977 release date.) The Stranger is a solid period piece but hardly rises to the timeless stature of Born To Run or Hotel California somewhat calling into question the motivation for tendering this very pricey re-release. With no shortage of ways to own The Stranger still available across all formats it is extremely hard to justify this "legacy event" as anything more than a highly cynical money play rolled out by an individual who has been commercially dormant for the last fifteen years.

To a certain extent I feel for Joel as many of these classic compositions have been muzaked into the public domain by every wedding band/DJ since the dawn of time - unfortunately rendering many of them generic but also making it virtually impossible for the all-to-frequent re-release of these songs to refresh our appreciation for an "album" that has never really gone away.

As for the companion live CD that completes the package it is at best, a very average accompaniment to a very lazy offering. Joel would have been better served by looking at how Rhino executes "legacy" - alternate takes and unpublished songs that failed to make the original line-up would have made The Stranger 2008 a far more important contribution to his work. As it is, there are simply better, more complete releases already offered in Joel's live catalogue - Songs In The Attic immediately comes to mind.

Bottom line - there is not nearly enough new here to justify either the cost of the release or the narcissism that provoked it. Sorry William.