This is one of those rock albums of the twentieth century where, if you consider yourself a dedicated fan to the genre of rock n roll music, you really should have heard. Whether you personally like it or not is irrelevant. Only if you've listened to this album can you honestly say you're an
afficionado of the music genre. In my opinion, it's as important to understanding the history of rock music, as
David Bowie's
Ziggy Stardust, or The
Beatles'
Abbey Road.
Released in
1977,
The Stranger was the
album which skyrocketed
Billy Joel into
superstardom. After the complete failure of his debut
Cold Spring Harbor, the surprising success of
Piano Man, followed by the lackluster performance of his third album
Turnstiles, Joel's fourth solo venture onto
vinyl would make or break his career. Would the youngster be destined to
join the ranks of greatness or wallow in
obscurity? Joel didn't really care either way. He always wanted to be a
songwriter and not a pop star.
"I don't trust rock-'n'-roll money. I've heard too many horror stories. I still eat pizza, walk around in jeans and T-shirts. I always thought millionaires looked like Richie Rich and Scrooge McDuck." - Playboy interview, 05/82
It's amusing to me when I hear people insult Billy Joel's pop icon status and question whether he deserves his popularity since he seems to vocally mimic greats like
Ray Charles and
Paul McCartney. Joel would probably buy them a beer while agreeing with them. He never meant to be a performer. However, it's equally possible he'd punch the bozo in the teeth, since he's often swore by the
epitath,
"Don't take no shit from nobody."
The title cut of The Stranger starts and ends with a pale, lonely
whistle in the darkness accompanied by a wistful tickling of
piano. It is in many ways the trademark Billy Joel soundbyte, while at the same time it's rather
anonymous. There are many even today, who would probably recognize the song but not know Billy Joel sang it. In the first five years, over twenty six million copies of the album were sold, insuring Billy Joel a place in
rock music history. However, it was five other songs on that album which would become mainstays in his repertoire to sold out audiences for decades.
Just The Way You Are,
Movin' Out,
She's Always A Woman To Me,
Vienna and
Only The Good Die Young:
"I didn't have a problem with the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church had a problem with me. What happened was {Only The Good Die Young} came out on The Stranger album and it was no big deal, and then Columbia decided to put it out as a single. That's when there were some problems. There was a radio station in New Jersey - they banned it. Then it was banned by the archdiocese of St. Louis. And then it got banned in Boston. All these archdiocese areas started putting pressure on radio stations to ban it. And the record as a single had been out a short amount of time and it wasn't doing that well. The minute they banned it, the album starting shooting up the charts because there's nothing that sells a record like a ban or a boycott!" - Performing Songwriter interview, 01/96
However, although that song is controversial, and although
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant is an incredible roller coaster ride and a feast for the
mind's eye in imagery and color, for me the title track has always been the
tour de force of this album, simply due to the power of the words. The sentiments are timeless and could apply to everyone. In fact, in his words Billy Joel is speaking about everyone:
roles people play in
public and
private. The individual you present yourself as before a board meeting or in a
classroom differs from the person you are when with friends or family members. A
football player behaves one way when on the football field and quite another when being
chastized by his own
mother. However, which face is the real person and which is a performance of the
ego? Are they both lies, or are they both the real person?
We all have a face that we hide away forever. We take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone. Some are satin. Some are steel. Some are silk and some are leather. They're the faces of the stranger, but we love to try them on.
We all fall in love but we disregard the danger. Though we share so many secrets, there are some we'll never tell. Why were you so surprised that you never saw the Stranger? Did you ever let your lover see the Stranger in yourself? Don't be afraid to try again. Everyone goes south every now and then. You've done it. Why can't someone else? You should know by now. You've been there yourself.
Once, I used to believe I was such a great romancer. Then I came home to a woman
that I could not recognize. When I pressed her for a reason, she refused to even answer. It was then I felt the stranger kick me right between the eyes. Well. We all fall in love, but we disregard the danger. We share so many secrets. There are some we never tell. Why were you so surprised that you never saw the stranger? Did you ever let your lover see the stranger in yourself?
You may never understand how the stranger is inspired. He isn't always evil, and he isn't always wrong. Though you drown in good intentions, you will never quench the fire. You'll give in to your desire when the stranger comes along.
Once, I used to believe I was more than satisfactory in the romance department. I'd married a great gal and thought things were doing swell. Then one day she told me she wanted a
divorce which kinda
came out of left field for me. I thought everything was fine. To my surprise, she'd been looking elsewhere for quite awhile. So Billy Joel's words helped me through some tough times a few years ago. I learned I wasn't the first person to feel a stranger's kick between the eyes.
My point, and I do have one, is that the song The Stranger has advice for all human beings. There's the public facade that we use to placate the people in our lives. There's the masks we use to placate ourselves. Ultimately they're all just different facets of the same jewel. Sometimes those
alter egos tend to
surprise others and even ourselves, but it's not anything new.
There's nothing new under the sun, so
get over it and
go drink another beer.
Track List
- Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
- The Stranger
- Just The Way You Are
- Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
- Vienna
- Only The Good Die Young
- She's Always A Woman
- Get It Right The First Time
- Everybody Has A Dream
- The Stranger, reprise