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The Stranger
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work
The Stranger · After the poorly selling Turnstiles, Columbia Records threatened to drop Billy Joel. He wanted to record his next record with his own touring band: drummer Liberty DeVitto, bassist Doug Stegmeyer and Richie Cannata on saxophone and organ. At first he thought of George Martin, but he eventually chose Phil Ramone as producer. The recording in the summer of 1977 took three weeks. Guitarists varied from track to track.
The album has nine tracks. The whistled main melody of the title track was whistled by Joel himself to Ramone, who thought it exactly right and let it stay. Movin' Out is about Anthony, a boy from Long Island with big dreams. Vienna came about after a visit to his father in Austria. Four singles reached the American Top 40, and Just the Way You Are won two Grammy Awards. The album became his commercial and artistic breakthrough.
Listening
Track list
- 1Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)3:30Apple Music ↗
- 2The Stranger5:11Apple Music ↗
- 3Just the Way You Are4:51Apple Music ↗
- 4Scenes from an Italian Restaurant7:36Apple Music ↗
- 5Vienna3:34Apple Music ↗
- 6Only the Good Die Young3:56Apple Music ↗
- 7She's Always a Woman3:22Apple Music ↗
- 8Get It Right the First Time3:56Apple Music ↗
- 9Everybody Has a Dream6:35Apple Music ↗
30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗