No Stranger

"The Stranger" is one of those albums which I owned first on a cassette tape, and then on vinyl, and now, on CD. I have always been a backwards-thinker. Scratch that, I am a loyal deconstructionist. I embrace technologies of yesteryear with the same value that I put upon today's electronics, or even more so. If it still works, then I don't see any reason to get rid of it. I like antiques that are still useful, and I'll use them.

While I wouldn't say "The Stranger" is an antique(Billy Joel is still making music and is very active performing many concerts every year), it definitely has a timeless quality about it.It is very listenable today as ti was back in 1977(when I was 3). I actually found this album at a K-Mart when I was maybe 15 or so, so about 1989.

I can't say what my favorite song off the album is, since there is so much to choose from. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is white hot, especially when Billy begins the part about "BrendandEddie"

"BrendandEddie were still going steady in the Summer of '75
Riding around with the car top down at the End of July"

It's a romantic and sad song at the same time.

Then the accordion(slow and easily Italian-flavored) begins for the second half of the song, bringing us back to the table and letting us in on the dinnner of two elders, who happen to meet again after many year

Bottle of Red/Bottle of White
It all depends on your appetite
At a table near the street/In our old familiar place
You and I/Face to face

It's got my vote for the best song.

But then there's "She's Always a Woman." Or what about "She's Got a Way"? And how about the controversial, "Only the Good Die Young"? So much to choose from! All awesome and easily the best Billy Joel album out there. Check it out!