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Product Description
CD
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
This brilliant jazzy and atmospheric album is a great example of Billy Joel's excellent songwriting talent. Every song is a gem. The album opens with the brash "Bigshot", journeys through the sensitivity of "Honesty", "Until the Night" and "Rosalinda Eyes", the catchy tunes of "My Life" (his smash hit) and "Half a Mile a Way", the jazziness of "Zanzibar" and "Stilleto" , finally a bluesy epilogue of the title track. This is a great album featuing some great jazz artists including Michael Brecker. The grammy award for album of the year says it all. This is a classy album and a must for anyone who likes Billy Joel.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Avid Reader
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having had this album in LP format years ago I decided to purchase it on a CD as I always loved it. Even after all these years it does not disappoint. In my opinion Billy Joel is an underrated composer and performer on this side of the Atlantic. He is extremely talented and this album is one of his greats. I'm a jazz fanatic and his love of this genre definitely comes through in some of these titles. My favourite is "Zanzibar" which I can never get out of my head when I've played it a couple of times - it stays for days. I also love "Rosalinda's Eyes", but seriously, every track is great and I recommend this CD.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Dabbler
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a review of the SACD version of this disc.
I bought this after realising that several older Billy Joel albums had seen re-released on SACD and I've liked his music for years. It should be noted that this a hybrid stereo CD/SACD version not the multi-channel disc. It's unfortunate that they have decided not to re-release that version as it's expensive to buy now.
Initially I was disappointed, the sound quality of this disc seems very limited in the treble response. The vocals are very warm and close sounding, although I would think it represents very well what was recorded at the time. The opening track 'Big Shot' does lack the wow factor that I was expecting. That said it's been years since I listened to the original CD, it makes me want to go back and listen to that disc to compare.
On later tracks I was really starting to get absorbed by the music, in particular by the time I had got to 'Half a Mile away' I was really starting to appreciate the music. Then I came to a real revelation, 'Until the Night'. I must have heard this track at least a dozen times before from regular CD. This time it gave me goosebumps, the sense of immersion was absolute, the fact that this wasn't a 5.1 disc didn't matter. I was listening to this disc on headphones and it felt like the music was coming from all sides, just amazing.
I now want to go back and listen again, and I have ordered more SACD discs both stereo and multi-channel. Time to rediscover some classics.
I bought this after realising that several older Billy Joel albums had seen re-released on SACD and I've liked his music for years. It should be noted that this a hybrid stereo CD/SACD version not the multi-channel disc. It's unfortunate that they have decided not to re-release that version as it's expensive to buy now.
Initially I was disappointed, the sound quality of this disc seems very limited in the treble response. The vocals are very warm and close sounding, although I would think it represents very well what was recorded at the time. The opening track 'Big Shot' does lack the wow factor that I was expecting. That said it's been years since I listened to the original CD, it makes me want to go back and listen to that disc to compare.
On later tracks I was really starting to get absorbed by the music, in particular by the time I had got to 'Half a Mile away' I was really starting to appreciate the music. Then I came to a real revelation, 'Until the Night'. I must have heard this track at least a dozen times before from regular CD. This time it gave me goosebumps, the sense of immersion was absolute, the fact that this wasn't a 5.1 disc didn't matter. I was listening to this disc on headphones and it felt like the music was coming from all sides, just amazing.
I now want to go back and listen again, and I have ordered more SACD discs both stereo and multi-channel. Time to rediscover some classics.
By Colin Arthur
Format:MP3 Download|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of my all time favorite chill albums. It brings me back to my family record/cd collection and just listening to good tracks in house as a kid.
By Doug Reid
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
SACDs are a premium product and therefore command premium prices over ordinary CDs. You would therefore expect the packaging of the disc to be commensurately high quality but, in this case that is definitely not the case. No plastic jewel case to protect the disc just a cheap cardboard gatefold sleeve. The quality of the disc itself and the recording is excellent however. Come on, don't we consumers deserve a better deal than this!
By JT
Format:Audio CD
Missed this album first time round. Heard a track on the radio that I knew but was not on the greatest hits album I had and found it on this one. Brilliant album.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
In my opinion, Billy Joel is probably the most underrated of 'mainstream' rock artists. He was at his peak between 1977 and 1986 although some of his later work contained some real gems. His music is original with some great lyrics and arrangements, which are never over the top.'52nd Street' is from his golden period and is one excellent piece of work with no weak tracks and three that really standout for me - 'Honesty', 'My Life' and the Spectoresque 'Until The Night'. Highly recommended.
By JimD
Format:Audio CD
I have been meaning to replace my old vinyl copy of this album for years with the CD and finding myself going through a bit of a Billy Joel phase I ordered this album with a couple of others of his.
One of his very best.
One of his very best.
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Billy at his best
I just felt like listening to some music from my teen years and this album is simply brilliant. Along with the Stranger, this is Billy Joel at his best.
Published on 10 April 2011 by Tallyman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Joel's Magnus Opus
Magnificent tour de force from a premium artist at the peak of his powers. This Grammy winning album of the year is probably the best singer-songwriter disk of the '70s. Read more
Published on 14 April 2006 by Chief Wiggum
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