52nd Street [ENHANCED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Billy Joel

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 1978
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000DCHD
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,561 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Following up his 1977 breakthrough smash The Stranger was no easy task for Billy Joel; 52nd Street shows he wasn't quite up to the challenge, though it sold similarly well and kept the momentum for his fast- track career until the more impressive Glass Houses appeared in 1980. 52nd Street isn't without its moments: "My Life" remains one of Joel's most memorable hit singles, "Half a Mile Away" is a wonderful slice of infectiously upbeat pop, and "Rosalinda's Eyes" sways to an alluringly airy Latin feel. But macho poseur numbers such as "Big Shot" and "Stiletto" are embarrassingly overwrought, while the arty "Zanzibar" ultimately comes across more as pretentious than adventurous. The closing title track fails to convince anyone Joel is a cool blues hound. --Peter Blackstock

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Joel's Best Studio Album, July 14, 2002

By	Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Billy Joel has always been better at producing first rate singles than recording coherent albums. That said, "52nd Street" is (arguably) the best of his original studio albums. Befitting the title, Joel flirts with adding jazz elements to his usual straightforward pop rock approach. The album starts with three ace hit singles, the rocking "Big Shot," the ballad "Honesty," and the teenage liberation anthem "My Life." After that comes the strongest set of album filler material Joel has ever recorded. The jazz influences comes through most strongly on "Zanibar," the title track, and "Stiletto," the latter of which features some of Joel's best ever piano playing. On top of all of that is "Until the Night," one of Joel's most underrated tunes and one of his best ever love songs.

Overall, a strong album from an artist usually more noteworthy for his hit singles.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawed & Lovable., February 26, 2004

By	M. Casarino (Wilmington, DE United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Just like the man himself, "52nd Street" is obnoxious and overambitious but thoroughly lovable. After "The Stranger" found Billy flirting with the dark side of AM radio, he went after a streetwise blues & jazz sound with "52nd Street." He found it, sometimes.

But even when he missed and overshot, he created some great, lasting music. "Stiletto" has an irresistible groove and some impressive hellcat piano work, while "Rosalinda's Eyes" and "Half a Mile Away" find him approaching a maturity that carries his angry-young-man themes into a realistic setting. The set's centerpiece, the would-be epic "Zanzibar," is notable for its attempt to shoehorn streetwise romantic cliches into an insanely ambitious arrangement. Featuring trumpet solos by Freddie Hubbard and shifting movements, "Zanzibar" is one of the most entertaining and interesting failures you'll ever want to hear. Which means it isn't a failure at all, but a joyously ridiculous piece of music.

The album's standout, however, is the gorgeously layered "Until the Night." Billy's not the most lovey-dovey fellow, but "Until the Night" is one of the great love songs in history, a tough, unsentimental track that acknowledges how crucial it is to share love when times get difficult. The song aims high and scores even higher - it's a truly transcendent piece of work.

Hey, I'm a Billy Joel fan, so I'm gonna love most of what he does. "52nd Street" might be my favorite album of his. I'm aware that it's not perfect - but heck, who wants to hear a perfect album anyway? For all his forced tough-guy stances, for all his "I'm a white boy singing funky blues" pretense, he hit enough homers with this album to make anyone a true Billy believer.

Oh, and when I was a kid, I assumed verse two of "Zanzibar" really was about baseball.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic, Jazzy Album, May 9, 2000

By	Christopher Cosci (Rockville Centre, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Whether you're listening to the beautiful Rosalinda's Eyes or the driving Half a Mile away, 52nd Street delivers a powerhouse punch. With it's jazz influence pouring over great songs like Zanzibar and the title track, this album maintains a steady pulse of great musicianship.

This is definitely among the best that Billy Joel has to offer. Highly recommended for both casual and avid fans.