The Stranger (album)

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Allmusic	(Deluxe Edition)
Robert Christgau	(B-)
NeuFutur	(Deluxe Edition)
Rolling Stone	(Deluxe Edition)
Slant Magazine
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The Stranger is the fifth studio album by musician Billy Joel, released in 1977. While his four previous albums had been moderate chart successes, this was his breakthrough album, and is generally regarded by critics as his magnum opus, spending six weeks at #2 in the U.S. album charts. It remains Joel's best-selling non-compilation album to date and was ranked number 67 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

History

Songs

The Stranger contained nine songs; "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," "She's Always a Woman," "Just the Way You Are," "Everybody Has a Dream," and "Only the Good Die Young" were all written prior to recording, while "Vienna," "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," "The Stranger," and "Get It Right the First Time" all came from short tunes or fragments of songs that Joel finished in the studio. Each song had stories attached to it. The seven-and-a-half-minute epic "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" began as the shorter "Ballad of Brenda and Eddie," a section that now forms the third part of the song. Joel came up with the signature whistle line for the title track, which he whistled to producer Phil Ramone, claiming that he needed to find an instrument to play it. Ramone replied: "No, you don't. That's 'The Stranger,' the whistling."

Four singles from the LP charted on the Billboard Hot 100: "Just the Way You Are," (#3), "Movin' Out" (#17), "She's Always a Woman," (#17), and "Only the Good Die Young" (#24). Many of the songs on the album are now staples on classic rock FM radio stations.

"Everybody Has a Dream" was covered by Jessica Sanchez on top 10 week of American Idol season 11.

Release and reaction

Much of the album's success is attributed to Joel's collaboration with producer Phil Ramone, whose innovative production methods complemented Joel's songs. This fruitful collaboration would continue for a decade. Singles released from the album include "Just the Way You Are" (which won the Grammy for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year), the acoustic ballad "She's Always A Woman," the mildly controversial "Only the Good Die Young," and "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," which later lent its title to Movin' Out, an acclaimed hit Broadway musical based on Billy Joel's songs. This album overtook Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water album to become the best-selling album on the Columbia Records imprint at the time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 67 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Legacy and 30th anniversary edition

In July 2008, a special 30th Anniversary Edition of The Stranger was unleashed. It contains two special editions - a 2 CD Legacy Edition and a Deluxe Limited Edition including 2 CDs plus a bonus DVD. The limited deluxe edition of The Stranger includes a CD of the original album, in its entirety, remastered by producer Phil Ramone; a CD of a previously unreleased concert featuring Billy and his band, Live At Carnegie Hall 1977, recorded at the historic Manhattan venue on June 3, 1977, one month prior to the sessions for The Stranger album and newly restored for the new editions of The Stranger; and a DVD showcasing two live promotional videos from The Stranger and the long-awaited release of Joel's appearance on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, a seldom-seen sixty minute cavalcade from 1978 that has aired only once on the UK's BBC2. Also included in this box set is a facsimile poster from the 1977 Carnegie Hall concert, and a facsimile notebook that contains copies of rough draft lyrics for many of the songs that appeared on The Stranger. The remastered version is much louder than the original and has much less dynamic range.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Billy Joel.

Side 1

1. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" – 3:30
2. "The Stranger" – 5:10
3. "Just the Way You Are" – 4:52
4. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" – 7:37

Side 2

5. "Vienna" – 3:34
6. "Only the Good Die Young" – 3:55
7. "She's Always a Woman" – 3:21
8. "Get It Right the First Time" – 3:57
9. "Everybody Has a Dream/The Stranger (Reprise)" – 6:38

Live at Carnegie Hall, June 3, 1977 CD

1. "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)" - 5:11
2. "Prelude/Angry Young Man" - 6:05
3. "New York State of Mind" - 8:20
4. "Just the Way You Are" - 4:56
5. "She's Got a Way" - 3:32
6. "The Entertainer" - 6:09
7. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" - 7:35
8. "Band Introductions" - 2:02
9. "Captain Jack" - 6:51
10. "I've Loved These Days" - 4:29
11. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" - 6:45
12. "Souvenir" - 2:09

30th anniversary edition DVD

• Live Promotional Videos, 1977

1. "The Stranger"
2. "Just the Way You Are"

• The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC 1 (First transmitted 14 March 1978)

1. "Intro"
2. "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)"
3. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
4. "New York State of Mind"
5. "The Entertainer"
6. "She's Always a Woman to Me"
7. "Root Beer Rag"
8. "Just the Way You Are"
9. "Only the Good Die Young"
10. "Souvenir"
11. "Ain't No Crime"

• 30 Minute Making of The Stranger Documentary

Best Buy exclusive bonus CD (Live at Nassau Coliseum 12/77)

(packaged with both the 2CD Legacy and 2CD/1DVD 30th Anniversary Edition)

1. "Just the Way You Are"
2. "Vienna"
3. "The Ballad of Billy the Kid"
4. "Get It Right the First Time"
5. "Summer, Highland Falls"

Target exclusive bonus DVD

(packaged with the 2CD Legacy Edition)

1. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" (Live from Long Island)
2. "The Stranger" (Live from Long Island)
3. "Only the Good Die Young" (Live from Leningrad)
4. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" (Live from Yankee Stadium)
5. "Piano Man" (Live from The River of Dreams Tour)

Online store bonus tracks

1. "Prelude/Angry Young Man" (Live Version) (Version 2) (iTunes Album Only Exclusive Track) - 5:03
2. "She's Got a Way" (Live Version) (Version 2) - (AmazonMP3 Exclusive Track) 3:42

• NOTE: The iTunes and AmazonMP3 Exclusive tracks are different than the ones featured on the "Live At Carnegie Hall, June 3, 1977" bonus disc, hence the "Version 2" distinction.

Personnel

• Billy Joel – acoustic piano, vocals, electronic keyboards, synthesizers
• Doug Stegmeyer – bass guitar
• Liberty DeVitto – drums
• Richie Cannata – tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute, organ, tuba
• Steve Khan – six and twelve string electric guitars, acoustic rhythm guitar, high string guitar
• Hiram Bullock – electric guitar
• Patrick Williams – orchestration
• Ralph MacDonald – percussion on "The Stranger", "Just the Way You Are", "Get It Right The First Time" and "Everybody Has A Dream"
• Hugh McCracken – acoustic guitar on "Just the Way You Are", "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", "She's Always A Woman", "Get It Right The First Time" and "Everybody Has A Dream"
• Steve Burgh – acoustic guitar on "Just the Way You Are" and "She's Always A Woman"; electric guitar on "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"
• Phil Woods – alto saxophone on "Just the Way You Are"
• Dominic Cortese – accordion on "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna"
• Richard Tee – organ on "Everybody Has A Dream"(credited) and Fender Rhodes on "Just The Way You Are (uncredited)
• Phoebe Snow – background vocals on "Everybody Has A Dream"
• Lani Groves – background vocals on "Everybody Has A Dream"
• Gwen Guthrie – background vocals on "Everybody Has A Dream"
• Patti Austin – background vocals on "Everybody Has A Dream"

Chart positions and certifications

Albums

Year	Country	Chart	Position	Weeks	Certification (if any)	Sales/shipments
1978	Australia	Kent Music Report	2
1978	Holland	Dutch Albums Chart	36	10
1978	Japan	Oricon Weekly LP Chart (Top 100)	3	75		370,000+
1978	New Zealand	New Zealand Albums Chart	2	67
1978	United Kingdom	UK Albums Chart	24	40	Gold	100,000+
1978	United States	The Billboard Pop Albums	2	137	Diamond	10,000,000+

30th anniversary edition

Year	Country	Chart	Position	Sales
2008	Japan	Oricon Weekly Albums Chart (Top 100)	28	6,000+

Singles

Year	Country	Single	Chart	Position
1978	North America	"Just the Way You Are"	The Billboard Hot 100	3
1978	North America	"Just the Way You Are"	Billboard AC	1
1978	United Kingdom	"Just the Way You Are"	UK Singles Chart	19
1978	North America	"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"	The Billboard Hot 100	17
1978	North America	"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"	Billboard AC	40
1978	United Kingdom	"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"	UK Singles Chart	35
1978	North America	"Only the Good Die Young"	The Billboard Hot 100	24
1978	North America	"She's Always a Woman To Me"	The Billboard Hot 100	17
1978	Japan	"The Stranger"	Oricon Weekly	2

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Winner	Category
1978	Just the Way You Are	Record of the Year
1978	Just the Way You Are	Song of the Year

Issues

Media	Release Date	Publisher	Catalog Number
Vinyl LP	09/1977	Columbia	JC 34987
Vinyl LP Australian release	1977	Columbia (CBS Inc.)	SBP 237057
CD 1st Issue Japan	06/03/1982	CBS/Sony	35-DP-2
2CD/DVD 30th Anniversary Edition	07/08/08	Columbia/Legacy	88697 30801 2
Cassette	1990	Columbia	JCT 34987
CD	1990	Columbia	CK-34987
CD Remastered	10/20/1998	Columbia	CK 69384
Super Audio CD	07/31/2001	Sony	CS 69384
2CD Legacy Edition	07/08/08	Columbia/Legacy	88697 22581 2
2CD/DVD 30th Anniversary Edition	07/08/08	Columbia/Legacy	88697 30801 2