My wife and I spun The Stranger LP last night, it was good. I didn't realize that was his first album...not a bad first album by any means.
My wife and I spun The Stranger LP last night, it was good. I didn't realize that was his first album...not a bad first album by any means.
As I mentioned earlier, Cold Spring Harbor is a good album, but it's been lost since Billy disowned the album due to the speed mixup with the original version. The version currently in print is a poor 80's remix. The original mix speed corrected is available here and there online. Here is a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXAKedxxVe4
Here is the second song from Cold Spring Harbor with the hilarious extended ending (understandably left off the remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkNdRLwRLGE
That's a beautiful song, probably the only one I know from this album from live versions I've heard. But that recording just sounds awful. I'm not sure if that is an artifact of the speed correction or if that is the way the original sounded, but it is very warbly and tinny. If this got a proper re-release with full versions of the songs at the proper speed with good sound, I might bite. But at this point, that is unlikely to happen.
I am thinking I might need to get Songs in the Attic, though. A friend of mine used to spin that album to death, and I remember it as being a particularly good take on a lot of those pre-Stranger tracks.
Bill
I have songs from the attic. Maybe I'll play that today.
That version you heard of "she's got a way" according to what the guy posted on youtube is recorded from a turntable with the pitch adjusted. Not sure that's the way it's meant to sound but it's still probably better than the first version which BJ said made him sound like one of the chipmunks.
[QUOTE=Sputnik;1037696]
I am thinking I might need to get Songs in the Attic, though. A friend of mine used to spin that album to death, and I remember it as being a particularly good take on a lot of those pre-Stranger tracks.
I was just going to mention "Songs From The Attic" but you beat me too it. I think the live versions of all of those tracks are better than the studio versions.
I just listened to songs in the attic earlier today(like I said I would). It's very, very good. It was a lot better than I expected. I like how he deliberately focused on the earlier part of his career for this set. A big thumbs up from me as well.
Last edited by Digital_Man; 04-10-2021 at 06:29 PM.
One of my favorite recordings of his:
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
I always find it interesting to hear someone’s take on albums when they are listening to an artists back catalogue that they aren’t familiar with. I knew billy Joel’s albums from when they came out, they were played to death on philly radio stations. He was very big in the philly area long before he became a huge success. So I still have a certain perspective on his career and songwriting. Someone else’s views can feel more like looking at the songs from the outside while I view them from the inside.
Back to Billy. I believe the Stranger deluxe edition has that Nassau Coliseum show as disc two. If so that is a great concert and the best reason to buy that version of the Stranger on cd.
oh! gonna go look now...
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Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit
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