Billy Joel The Stranger Poll. Pick Your Favourites & Discuss.

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Bobby Morrow, Apr 19, 2018.

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  1. Szeppelin75

    Szeppelin75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Panama
    Y
    ou forgot Only the Good Die Young
     
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  2. bare trees

    bare trees Senior Member

    Anthony's Song
    The Stranger
    Vienna
    Only The Good Die Young
    Get It Right The First Time
    Everbody Has A Dream
     
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  3. TimM

    TimM Senior Member

    An album I listened to a lot back in the day, but it doesn't get much play anymore. For some reason Billy Joel hasn't aged well for me. My favorite songs were: Movin' Out, Scenes From an Italian Restaurant and Only the Good Die Young.
     
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  4. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Early piece on Billy.

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    I've been participating in your polls, but so far my response for every one of them has been "I love the whole album" and "I love the artwork." So I haven't been commenting very much.
     
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  6. AdamChanSiuLung

    AdamChanSiuLung Forum Resident

    Location:
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK
    This was my first Billy Joel album and always my favourite. I voted for the album artwork and every song except for Vienna and Everybody Has a Dream. Nothing against those 2, they just didn't catch my fancy.

    My stupid female sibling complained about Billy "hating women" because of the lyrics in She's Always a Woman and Only the Good Die Young and for a while ruined my appreciation of those songs. Same thing about the overuse or reference of Just the Way You Are in some tv shows/movies, but I'm glad to say that I'm now cured of that hostile brainwashing.
     
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  7. rancher

    rancher Unmade Bed

    Location:
    Ohio
    This was one of the first albums I ever bought on my own, just walking down to the record shop and buying it with my own money. I still like it fairly well, but I just don't listen to Billy Joel anymore ... anyway, I voted "Movin' Out"
     
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  8. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Even the Olivia Newton-John one?

    :D
     
  9. Standoffish

    Standoffish Smarter than a turkey

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Whoops!

    Only the Good Die Young

    A fun little ditty about a teenage boy trying to get busy with a teen girl. He's trying to convince her, but she's having none of it. Sorry, kid...you ain't getting none (good for her!). Catchy tune.
     
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  10. Tree of Life

    Tree of Life Hysteria

    Location:
    Captiva Island, FL
    The whole album for me
     
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  11. Basenote66

    Basenote66 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Not a massive Billy fan but I do have this album and play it through regularly. Strong material and impeccably produced.

    Love the album cover too - it’s so seventies on a good way
     
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  12. bvb1123

    bvb1123 Rock and Roll Martian

    Location:
    Cincinnati Ohio
    It came out when I was 7 and the only songs I remember from back then are "Just The Way You Are" and "She's Always A Woman". I really, really liked SAAW, so much so that my parents bought me the single which they only occasionally did. I eventually got the album and had it right up until my (ex)wife made me sell my record collection in 1999. My favorites off of the album nowadays are "Movin' Out", "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and, of course, "She's Always A Woman". Great album. I saw him once in concert back in 1990 I think. He was awesome.
     
  13. maxwell2323

    maxwell2323 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    Why is this thread making me think of the movie St. Elmo's Fire ?
     
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  14. CBS 65780

    CBS 65780 "Could I do one more immediately?"

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    First seven songs are all gems.
    Voted for them all.
    Last two I left out. Just to not be ridiculous, give some quality control consideration.
    Love the record. Love the artwork.
    Think the back cover shot is great, too. My fave album of his probably, overall.

    The use of Vienna in 13 Going On 30 when Jennifer Garner goes back home to her folks is sheer genius. Perfection in terms of mood and atmos.
     
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  15. nick99nack

    nick99nack Forum Resident

    Location:
    Spotswood, NJ
    My first Billy Joel album. I loved it at the time and still think it's good now, although I don't listen to it much anymore. I prefer Turnstiles, myself.

    I picked Movin' Out, The Stranger, and Scenes From an Italian Restaurant (which I think would have worked well as an album closer). Only the Good Die Young has been played to death on the radio, and I wouldn't mind not hearing it again for a long time.
     
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  16. Elton

    Elton I Hope Being Helpful, Will Make Me Look Cool

    Location:
    Carson Ca.
    I think this true in that, it aloud Billy Joel a foot hold in the Top 40, because other then "Piano Man" he was having trouble getting on the radio, In America, Elton was first and the country (the U.S.) was going to rank there piano players. Elton started first and had the best show (Glasses, piano bench throwing, outfits and the best player). Joel came next (Attitude, story, Rock player). But Joel's biggest problem was Barry Manilow, came along at the same time (Safer player, a big story (Clive Davis, Bette Middler, his new label, her former piano player, on TV special) and he took the #2 spot in the radio race, Joel only had "The Entertainer" in the top 40 between 73/77. With The Stranger, Joel caught the radio and took over the #2 spot from Manilow, and gave Elton a run for his money, even into the 80's, because he did videos, and Elton never did them well. Joel took advantage of his moment, and his talent shown through.
     
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  17. Vinny123

    Vinny123 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I have the SACD. I’m not a big fan. I’m from NY, and the NY attitude doesn’t do anything for me. That said, he’s a good songwriter, just not my cup of tea. I bought the SACD mainly because I was an early adopter and there weren’t many discs available.
     
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  18. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Billy certainly made better albums than Elton between 1976-83. I think from Too Low For Zero onwards, though, Elton (mostly) regained his crown. Of course, Elton also put out a lot more albums than Billy.:)
     
  19. kippyy

    kippyy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oakland,CA,USA
    I think Billy followed Elton in some respects.
    Is it a coincidence that Cold Spring Harbor (1971?) motif was sensitive singer-songwriter just like the Elton John album (1969-1970)?
    Then after Tumbleweed Connection (1971) with an Americana/Western/country theme, Piano Man (1973) had the same style?
     
  20. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    A perfect record start to end—just like its predecessor, Turnstiles. Joel would never be quite this good ever again, at least not for an entire album.
     
  21. DesertHermit

    DesertHermit Now an UrbanHermit

    A great album and another one that reminds me of my childhood. One of my father’s favourite albums. My favourite tracks are Only The Good Die Young, The Stranger and I also really enjoy Scenes..., Just The Way You Are and Movin’ Out. This is an album I have never got around to buying. I can recite probably every word to every song but have never picked it up. I am starting to expand my Joel collection and will be adding this one soon. Is the original CD or LP the best?
     
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  22. Mr Sam

    Mr Sam "...don't look so good no more"

    Location:
    France
    I picked 3 favorites
    - Movin' Out - best song
    - The Stranger - second best song
    - Just The Way You Are - third best song and imo radio overplay couldn't really kill it

    Beating a dead horse:
    Scenes
    - the 4th best song - sounds so much like a smoother Jungleland that I don't know how to feel about it: it's like being ecstacic about Live And Let Die while pretending that McArthur Park has never existed.

    I never cared much for side 2.
     
  23. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    They usually are.:D

    To be honest, I’ve owned multiple CD copies of The Stranger and none have been bad. The 30th anniversary deluxe is the most brickwalled, IIRC. I currently favour the MOFI hybrid SACD. The SACD sounds great, but I’ve never played the CD layer.
     
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  24. DesertHermit

    DesertHermit Now an UrbanHermit

    I have not explored SACDs yet. Please don’t get me started, I spend too much on CDs and LPs as it is- the last thing I need is a new medium! :help: I think I will try to track down an original CD or LP as I have seen cheap copies on Discogs and EBay.
     
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  25. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I wouldn’t recommend starting with SACDs. It’s a dying format and they tend to be a lot more expensive than CDs. They do generally sound a lot better, though.

    An early CD should suffice. As I recall the 1998 remaster was pretty decent too. Bet it’s cheap as well.
     
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