Joel, Billy - The Stranger (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Edition Vinyl)

Billy Joel - The Stranger (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Edition Vinyl)

Billy Joel entered 1977 with a great track record but in need of a breakthrough. Pairing with producer Phil Ramone (Carly Simon, Simon & Garfunkel), who developed the requisite ingredients missing from Joel’s formula, the singer-songwriter became a household name and chart-topping success courtesy of The Stranger. Ranked #67 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and certified ten-times platinum, Joel’s artistic and commercial smash remains a pop-rock benchmark.

Sourced from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition hybrid SACD emphasizes the crucial touches and insightful techniques Ramone brought to a batch of material that ranks among Joel’s most clever, catchy, and sagacious. Whereas a handful of Joel’s preceding efforts feature a near-flawless mix of melodic arrangements and poignant lyrics, the aspects he sought in order to graduate into a more serious artist arrive here via Ramone’s more muscular, fleshed-out, and rock-enabling production. The streamlined approach strips back the sweeping developments heard on Piano Man and Turnstiles, allowing the vocalist’s bittersweet yearning, rollicking 88 notes, and working-class conviction to emanate on this reissue with full-bodied detail, vivid color, and grand-scale dynamics.

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