DVD Talk Forum

DVD Talk Forum (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/)
-   Music Talk (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/music-talk-28/)
-   -   Billy Joel Reissues Thread (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/music-talk/534512-billy-joel-reissues-thread.html)

Decker 06-28-08 10:21 AM

Billy Joel Reissues Thread
 
Like they did with my other favorite album (Born to Run), Columbia is putting out a very thorough reissue for Billy Joel's The Stranger (though their timing seems to be off -- The Stranger came out in 1977). As I already have the long-out-of-print SACD version, the remastered sound doesn't impress me much. Still the box set's bonus material would make this seem like a must-buy for me.

http://www.billyjoel.com/sites/billy...tranger300.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...SL._SS400_.jpg

Billy Joel's The Stranger 30th Anniversary
Legacy Recordings proudly celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Billy Joel's breakout album "The Stranger" with the release of two special editions -- a 2 CD Legacy Edition and a Deluxe Limited Edition including 2 CDs plus a bonus DVD -- of the best-selling multi-platinum collection which catapulted Joel into the upper ranks of pop music superstardom. Each of the 30th Anniversary editions of "The Stranger" will be available online and in stores on Tuesday, July 8, 2008.

Originally released in September 1977, Billy Joel's fifth studio album, "The Stranger," marked the first of Joel's highly successful collaborations with producer Phil Ramone, whose mastery of the recording studio provided a sublime sonic context for Joel's timeless songs and classic performances. "I was very happy that we chose Phil Ramone," said Billy Joel in a recent interview for the 30th Anniversary edition of "The Stranger." "He got it right away."

The resulting collection became one of the top-selling albums of the year (peaking at #2 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart); won two Grammys (Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Just The Way You Are," "The Stranger" was nominated for Album of the Year); overtook Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" as Columbia Records Top Selling Album of the time, and generated four indelible singles -- "Just The Way You Are (#1 Adult Contemporary, #3 Pop Singles); "Only The Good Die Young" (#24 Pop Singles); "She's Always A Woman" (#2 Adult Contemporary, #17 Pop Singles); and "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" (#17 Pop Singles) -- that remain radio staples to this day.

"I don't recall particularly feeling 'this is going to be the breakthrough,'" said Billy Joel in an interview for "The Stranger - 30th Anniversary Edition." "We were just happy with the album we were making at the time.... But now, in hindsight, I can see it was a real important album."

Billy Joel's first Top 10 album, "The Stranger" is still the iconic performer's best-selling non-compilation album ever. Ranked at #67 on Rolling Stone's prestigious "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, "The Stranger" has earned the coveted RIAA Diamond Album certification (presented in recognition of US sales of more than 10 million copies).

"The Stranger - 30th Anniversary" will be available in two configurations from Legacy Recordings.

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 Billy's fabled 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.

Rounding out the limited deluxe edition of "The Stranger - 30th Anniversary" package is a 48 page booklet with liner notes from Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke and a multitude of photos, including never-before-seen images from the original photo shoot for the album.

Also available is "The Stranger - 30th Anniversary" Legacy Edition which includes the CD of the original album, in its entirety, remastered by producer Phil Ramone; the previously unreleased, newly restored "Live At Carnegie Hall 1977" CD; and a 24 page booklet with liner notes by David Fricke and unseen photos from the album's original photo shoot.



Now Amazon list the box set as 3 cd and 1 DVD, but I think they're wrong in the product description. They're selling the box set for $35, but Speedy is repoting that Target is selling the 2CD vesion for $13.99 and the 2CD/1DVD for only $15.99! I'm hoping that's really the case :fc:

Decker 06-28-08 10:26 AM

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
2. Stranger
3. Just the Way You Are
4. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
5. Vienna
6. Only the Good Die Young
7. Always a Woman
8. Get It Right the First Time
9. Everybody Has a Dream [Stranger Reprise]

Disc: 2
1. Miami 2017 [Live]
2. Angry Young Man [Live]
3. New York State of Mind [Live]
4. Just the Way You Are [Live]
5. She's Got a Way [Live]
6. Entertainer [Live]
7. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant [Live]
8. Band Intros [Live]
9. Captain Jack [Live]
10. I've Loved These Days [Live]
11. Say Goodbye to Hollywood [Live]
12. Souvenir [Live]

Disc: 3
1. [DVD]

Link to 3-minute trailer of The Stranger Making-Of documentary

Decker 06-28-08 10:45 AM

Updates found online:

Amazon is wrong, it is just 2 CD + 1 DVD. There were plans for a second concert CD but they were dropped.

Best Buy will give a free exclusive "Bootleg" CD with the box set. They are charging $29.99 for the set. They won't be too happy when I ask them to PM Target at half that price.
While supplies last, it also includes an exclusive bonus bootleg CD, featuring these previously unreleased live tracks from a 1977 show at Nassau Coliseum:
"Just the Way You Are"
"Vienna"
"Billy the Kid"
"Get It Right the First Time"
"Summer Highland Falls"


Amazingly, Best Buy also has the out-of-print SACD available in-stock for $15.99 if anyone's interested.

Hollowgen 06-28-08 01:06 PM

thanks for this thread... very thorough!

i can't wait for this set. the Born to Run set is phenominal in presentation & content, so seeing another great album given the same treatment is exciting.

civiclx 06-28-08 03:22 PM

I've been into hip hop for quite awhile but I enjoy most all genres of music and I have to say that Billy Joel is probably my favorite artist. He just has so many good songs that I like. I would't give myself the credit of being called a fan, but I really like his music. My first album was actually his last album, River of Dreams. (last rock album with lyrics right?) anyway, love every song on the album. I haven't bought any of his old albums but I did get the Essential Collelction and the My Lives box set.

Will definitely check this out. Thanks for the info!

DaveWadding 06-28-08 03:52 PM

If I can get the box version for speedy's reported price, I'll be so there.

nothingfails 06-28-08 09:21 PM

I like how affordable this is compared to the Born To Run anniversary

Decker 06-29-08 01:42 AM


Originally Posted by nothingfails
I like how affordable this is compared to the Born To Run anniversary

Well, Born To Run 30th Anniversary box set had a MSRP of $39.99
http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/image...._AA240_.L.jpg

while The Stranger 30th Anniversary box set has a MSRP of $49.99
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...SL._AA240_.jpg

so any savings is just due to what is hopefully not a misprint in a Target ad, per Speedy.

Looking at the two pics above, it appears that the Stranger CD isn't going to be a black CD/vinyl replica like Born To Run and the Deluxe DYLAN collection are. Bummer, since those are so much fun to hold and look at -- they feel like collectables.

civiclx 06-29-08 03:26 PM

decker, just curious but would you consider yourself a big billy joel fan?

Decker 06-29-08 05:09 PM


Originally Posted by civiclx
decker, just curious but would you consider yourself a big billy joel fan?

Funny, because right now I'm wearing a Billy Joel 1999 concert t-shirt. :lol:

He's one of my all-time favorites, though I rarely listen to his music much anymore. I always enjoy his stuff but as I get older, it isn't as interesting to me as it used to be when I was a teenager and in college.

And I've NEVER liked Piano Man -- that song totally annoys me and I kinda wish he'd never written it. A colleague saw my shirt today and said "Hey, the Piano Man!". I grinned through gritted teeth.

So that's my long-winded answer. Yes, I am with some reservations. :)

bigjim25 06-29-08 05:42 PM

Everybody from now on let's call Decker the PIANO MAN. :lol:

civiclx 06-30-08 12:38 AM

bwahahahaha...do you remember some concert they used to play on disney back in like the mid 90s? I'm thinking it might have been the river of dreams tour. do you have any imported albums?

Decker 06-30-08 01:34 AM

That concert video (although in edited form) is available as the fifth disc in the "My Lives" box set. It looks like crap and isn't that cleanly directed by today's standards, though it's much more easily watchable than that hideous abomination of the Yankee Stadium concert DVD. They really need to put together a great concert DVD, I'd love to see that HBO Russia show packaged with the "Matter of Trust" documentary and released together in remastered form -- maybe some day...

Anyway, here's the track listing from Amazon for the edited version of the River of Dreams Concert DVD:

Disc: 5
1. No Man's Land
2. Pressure
3. Ballad Of Billy The Kid
4. Leningrad
5. Allentown
6. My Life
7. I Go To Extremes
8. Shades Of Grey
9. The River Of Dreams
10. Goodnight Saigon
11. We Didn't Start the Fire
12. Hard Days Night
13. Big Shot
14. Piano Man


As far as imports, I do have one import/bootleg. I found it in an independant record store in the mid-90s. It's called (ironically) "A Matter of Trust" and it is the soundtrack to the Yankee Stadium concert. That's the only one I own.

civiclx 06-30-08 01:40 AM

i still haven't opened the my lives set yet...just been savioring the "brand newness" i guess lol do you have a favorite album? I find it surprising but I do like piano man. I think the only song from the Essential collection that I don't like is "the entertainer" i forget the song...maybe it's miami 2017 about "i saw the lights go out on broadway..."
do you know what that song is about?

Decker 06-30-08 02:01 AM


Originally Posted by civiclx
maybe it's miami 2017 about "i saw the lights go out on broadway..."
do you know what that song is about?

From the liner notes of "Songs in the Attic" (a fairly awesome 1981 live album of just older songs that had not been hits or well known to that point) :
"More science fiction now than then. A legacy for my unborn grandchildren". He poignantly played a somber, acoustic version of it during the Concert For New York after 9/11. Certainly not what he meant when he wrote the song and a little post-apocalyptic for such an event, but still strangely appropriate.

As far as favorites :
1: The Stranger (just....perfect)
2: 52nd Street (everyone knows side 1, but there are some good tracks on side 2)
3: The Nylon Curtain (very dark and underrated)
4: Glass Houses (huge bombastic stadium hits -- first album I ever bought myself)
5: The Bridge (beginning of the end, but some nice tracks on an uneven album)
6: Songs in the Attic

Amazingly enough, I dug out that "Matter of Trust" bootleg and itunes was able to locate the album information, albiet with spelling and gramatical errors.

reverie 06-30-08 10:05 AM

I'll be at Best Buy for this one. Billy Joel's the first musician I really got into, and it's sad that he's basically retired these days. There's still a good handful of things out there that need releasing of his, including the Sigma Sounds Studio broadcast (with a great unreleased, rocking song "Josephine").

Speaking of Miami 2017, that's one of my favorite songs of his! ;)

Decker 07-01-08 07:00 PM

OK, I got some clarification on sale prices in Speedy's weekly ad thread. It turns out that the $15.99 deal WAS too good to be true for the box set. :( It's acually an exclusive to Target version of the Legacy edition 2CD set. He's what I wrote in that thread:

OK, EXCLUSIVE dvd means something else. It looks like Target has arranged to have some sort of extra DVD concert footage packaged in with the 2CD legacy set. This is NOT the Deluxe box set. I found this link at cnn.com of all places showing a clip of Billy Joel singing "Only The Good Die Young". Looks to be about 1986; certainly not the 1977 concert video included in the box set.

edit : the text says "Billy Joel plays Russia". That would be the 1987 Концерт show. I wonder if it's the whole concert or just snippets
So there you go. Not counting vinyl, there are two versions of the release (a 2CD Legacy Edition and a 2CD + 1 DVD Deluxe Box set). In addition, there are two store exclusives - Target has some sort of a concert DVD showing at least one song from the Russian concert including with limited run of the legacy set, while Best Buy has a 5 song CD bootleg packed with the deluxe box set at $29.99. While the Target DVD might be awesome, especially if it includes the full Концерт show, Target exclusive DVDs tend to be reallly skimpy so this might just be a few songs. I can't locate any more information right now.

I hope that clears things right up for y'all! -ptth-

Decker 07-01-08 07:16 PM

Oh, also on CNN.com, I found another exclusive Target performance. This one is my "favorite song". It looks to perhaps be from a different show than the Good Die Young one. Can't tell for sure. No more information to be found right now.

DaveWadding 07-01-08 09:59 PM

dammit.

Decker 07-06-08 08:22 PM

http://www.bullz-eye.com/cdreviews/t...ry_edition.htm

It’s easy to look back at Billy Joel’s fifth album, The Stranger, and compare it to an album like Led Zeppelin’s fourth LP. At the time, it wound up running like a short list greatest hits album: You had “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” “Just the Way You Are,” the title track, “Only the Good Die Young,” and “She’s Always a Woman,” all big radio hits. Later on, even the epic “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” would become a concert and fan favorite and would even be appended to the CD version of Joel’s Greatest Hits Vol. I & II for that very reason. In essence, it was a huge album, not only for Joel, but for rock and pop music at the time. The funny thing is, the album didn’t take off like crazy when it was first released.

This could have been the deal-breaker for Billy. After serving up three albums for Columbia Records – Piano Man, whose title track became a modest A.M. radio hit and won Joel his first gold record (and also included “Captain Jack,” the song that actually netted Billy his contract with Columbia), Streetlife Serenade, which featured the sarcastic “The Entertainer” and eerily predicted Billy’s early career trajectory, and Turnstiles, Joel’s back-to-New York album whose songs such as “New York State of Mind” were scoring better as cover versions by Babs Streisand and Bette Midler – it was time to have a hit, come hell or high water. For those keeping score at home, Joel’s botched 1972 debut Cold Spring Harbor was only picked up by the label when its mix was corrected and reissued in 1984.

At first, it looked like things were going to go the usual route. The leadoff single from The Stranger, “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” didn’t set the charts alight at all. It wouldn’t be until the love ballad “Just the Way You Are” and the infamous “Only the Good Die Young” were released that the album started selling like crazy and literally turned Joel into an overnight success – if by overnight we mean after seven years. The album was produced by Phil Ramone, who had everything to do with capturing the essence of Billy and his band as they were in the studio. Joel’s prior albums had capable but somewhat sterile production (Turnstiles had been produced by Joel himself, who had hated the overall sound of his first two Columbia LPs). On The Stranger, though, Ramone brought out a super-professional and warm sound from the mix, with the overall quality sounding not unlike the heights Steely Dan had been hitting for years with producer Gary Katz.

http://www.bullz-eye.com/music/image...ly_joel-01.jpg
And so the rest is rock history. Billy Joel was never a stranger to the charts afterward. The Stranger begat 52nd Street which begat Glass Houses, and the list of hit albums and singles just keeps rolling on. Here it is 2008, and The Stranger has been dressed up as a “Legacy Edition” by Sony. This package comes in one of two editions. The first is a two-disc set featuring the original album remastered by Phil Ramone, plus a second live disc of Joel performing at Carnegie Hall in 1977 just before the album was released. It’s interesting to hear him at this point in his career, and hear the crowd cheer fan faves like “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go out on Broadway),” “The Entertainer,” and “Captain Jack” while being absolutely quiet and respectful during the then “new” tunes like “Just the Way You Are” and “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.”

The second version of this package features the two CDs, plus a bonus DVD featuring Billy on “The Old Grey Whistle Test” in 1978, and a deluxe 48-page booklet. For this review, I only received the two-disc set, so I cannot comment on the DVD or booklet. That said, the remastered disc by Phil Ramone sounds absolutely fantastic, sounding even better than the late ‘90s remaster of the album when Joel’s catalogue was given the complete overhaul treatment. There’s something even more immediate and “live” sounding about the album that it honestly never had in any previous versions. It sounds fresh and exciting all over again. Likewise, the live disc sounds just as great as Songs in the Attic – the recording is crisp and warm, and is certainly a treat for fans of all stripes. As stated earlier, it’s interesting to hear Billy in a concert setting prior to all the really huge hits.

Having now taken in this new version of The Stranger, I can only say that it would be great if the rest of Billy’s catalog could be given another remastering treatment by Ramone and the other respective producers. Regardless of that, this album remains one of the best of the ‘70s and certainly of Billy Joel’s career. It is the definite line of demarcation when he went from being an opening act to headlining stadiums all on his own. That the album escaped the trappings of the time in which it was recorded and still sounds as vital today is a testament to Joel’s talents as a songwriter and performer. The Stranger remains one of the best LPs of all time.

Decker 07-06-08 08:25 PM

Seriously, we're just a couple of days away and I STILL don't know which version to get. I think at this point the 2-CD set at Best Buy with the 5 CD bonus "Bootleg" is probably the best deal, especially PMing Circuit City's $11.99 price. I'd like the box set, but honestly I just don't know if the old TV special and 30 min making-of doc is worht the $18 price difference between the CD set and the $29.99 box set. Gotta think a little longer on this...

Hollowgen 07-07-08 07:44 AM

any rundown on the confirmed prices at retailers for both versions?

Decker 07-07-08 09:21 AM


Originally Posted by Hollowgen
any rundown on the confirmed prices at retailers for both versions?

Ok.

Best Buy : Legacy Edition (2CD) $14.99, Box Set (2CD + 1 DVD) $29.99
--note : both versions come with a 5 song exclusive bonus live CD

Circuit City : Legacy Edition $11.99 -- note : ad describes the edition as CD+DVD, but that's wrong. It's 2 CDs

Target : Legacy Edition $13.99. Target Exclusive Edition $15.99 (2CD + 5 song live DVD -- all songs available elsewhere per joelfan.com forum)

Note that neither CC or Target mention the box set. When I hit stores on Tuesday, I'll post their prices plus Costco (they sometimes give better prices on Columbia box sets)

Hollowgen 07-07-08 06:17 PM


Originally Posted by Decker
Note that neither CC or Target mention the box set. When I hit stores on Tuesday, I'll post their prices plus Costco (they sometimes give better prices on Columbia box sets)

Thanks! Costco is so flaky with new releases, but I'll be checking there as well.

Some online prices for the box:

Barnes & Noble:
$37.49 (or $31.87 with 15% off coupon floating around)
$33.74 for members (or $26.99 with 20% off coupon)
Includes free fast shipping for members.

FYE.com:
Regular Price:$48.99
Our Price: $35.99
After Rebate: $32.99
Member After Rebate: $29.39

Amazon.com:
$29.99 - and claims to be 3 CD + 1 DVD

Originally Posted by Amazon.com
Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition - 4 Discs (3 CDs and 1 DVD)

CD of "The Stranger" remastered by the original album producer, Phil Ramone

CD of "Live At Carnegie Hall 1977"- previously unreleased - On June 3, 1977, one month prior to the recording of The Stranger album, Billy and his band performed at the historical Carnegie Hall.

Bonus CD of a 2nd live show circa "The Stranger' tour

Bonus DVD of BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test - approx 60 minutes PLUS 2 live promotional videos


---

Trying to decide where to get the best deal with combination of price + bonus material is as ridiculous as it was for people to decide where to get the new Smashing Pumpkins album!

Decker 07-07-08 06:50 PM

I posted on the first page : The Amazon description is wrong. It's based on inital specs that were later changed. You can see both by the picture of the items in the set and by the track listings that it's a 2CD + 1 DVD set.

They're going to have some mighty pissed customers when the set comes out. On the other side of the coin, if you bought that from them, you'd have an airtight case to return it at Amazon's expense.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:20 AM.


Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.