The music is beautiful, the vocals and lyrics are superb.

It is Joel's treatment of these natural human emotions and experiences coupled with great music and lyrics that makes this a stellar album

It is a beautiful love song with great music, vocals and lyrics.

Great music and vocals, with what has become his trademark cynical lyrics.

It is Joel's treatment of these natural human emotions and experiences coupled with great music and lyrics that makes this a stellar album

However, "scenes from an italian restaurant" is probably the highlight of the album, and the beautiful ballad "she's always a woman to me" comes next.

She's Always a Woman" is one of his most straightforward pop ballads with it's gentle and sincere delivery.

This album contains two beautiful love ballads JUST THE WAY YOU ARE and SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN

This is as close to perfect as you will get from Billy Joel

That is followed by the lovely "She's Always a Woman," another one of Billy Joel's most popular ballads.

The difference is that this song is highlighted by some great piano work and a terrific chorus featuring Gwen Guthrie and Patti Austin as well as more Ralph McDonald percussion

The album gets off to a strong start with "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," a terrific mid-tempo power pop song featuring solid rhythm guitar work and saxophone playing.

This song is highlighted by some great acoustic guitar work.

This song is also highlighted by some terrific guitar work."Just the Way You

What I never REALLY noticed on that song before is Liberty DeVitto's terrific work on the brushes, but this mix gives you a great chance to hear every swipe of the drumskin.

If you are a lover of these songs you will love this CD.

The music is alive as only the super audio CD format can achieve.

Oddly enough, the sound quality of the great Madison Square Garden concert on my standard CD player is better than the Stranger CD

This is an awesome CD and a must-have for any Billy Joel fan

This is an awesome CD and a must-have for any Billy Joel fan

This is the most stellar Billy Joel album, and it includes my favorite Joel song, Vienna

I admit I'm a casual fan of his, but if I had to narrow down my favorite Billy Joel songs to one album, "The Stranger" would easily be it

30th Annversary edition is a great buy not just for die hard Billy Joel fans who just love him for the way he really is, a great pianist

This could have been my favorite Billy Joel album, but I heard 52nd Street long before I ever heard The Stranger

This is the classic Billy Joel album, and if you want to understand what he was trying to achieve as a musician, you need look no further than this.

For the MoFi record: I cleaned both records with my Nitty Gritty and record wash and ran some groove glide over the record before the 1st play (might have been a bad idea).

"Just The Way You Are" (which won the 1978 Record of the Year Grammy) and was Billy's biggest hit up until that point

What I noticed first whas that the levels had been boosted so high that the whole recording sounded overly loud, almost obnoxoiusly so.

But yes, if you have an SACD player, this is a wonderful new way to enjoy the record and hear all the details.

"Just The Way You Are" (which won the 1978 Record of the Year Grammy)

This is followed by "The Stranger," which features a moody piano-and-bass jazz prelude that explodes into an electric guitar-driven rocker.

"She's Only A Woman" which is an extraordinarily beautiful love song - great piano, pretty lyrics - it makes my heart swell every time I hear it

The title track starts out with a slow piano shuffle with a melancholy whistle, then breaks out in a funky guitar

Then there's the tranquil, dinner-by-candlelight sound of "Vienna," one of Joel's best piano songs, which brilliantly leads off side two

The classical piano and whistling intro(and close) of this song is legendary, but its some powerful lyrics.

For all it takes is one spin of this pop-rock masterpiece to realize how gifted Joel is with concise melodies and subversive lyrics.

The composing on Turnstiles (the actual melodies) may have been a touch better, but the clever arrangements and cutting lyrics made Billy Joel into America's most popular songwriter.

One can always hum a Joel melody effortlessly

Not only are these great songs with entertaining, memorable lyrics and melodies, Joel uses these songs to portray common life experiences for people in today's world: Anger, disillusionment, the struggle to be truly vulnerable with a lover, despair, love for another, the temptation of drugs, raw sexuality and hope for the future

Not only are these great songs with entertaining lyrics and melodies, Joel uses these songs to portray common life experiences for people in today's world: Anger, disillusionment, the struggle to be truly vulnerable with a lover, despair, love for another, the temptation of drugs, raw sexuality and hope for the future

It is Joel's treatment of these natural human emotions and experiences coupled with great music and lyrics that makes this a stellar album

The instrumentation, the lyrics and the timing are all super.

Great music and vocals, with what has become his trademark cynical lyrics.

For all it takes is one spin of this pop-rock masterpiece to realize how gifted Joel is with concise melodies and subversive lyrics.

The Title track (#2) is a bit of both, lulling us in with soft whistling and then hitting us with a hard beat and great lyrics.

This is the most stellar Billy Joel album, and it includes my favorite Joel song, Vienna

This is almost certainly "The Classic Billy Joel" album.

This could have been my favorite Billy Joel album, but I heard 52nd Street long before I ever heard The Stranger

Billy Joel has been criticized over the years by rock critics who have pigeonholed him as a formalist hack.

30th Annversary edition is a great buy not just for die hard Billy Joel fans who just love him for the way he really is, a great pianist

(In "Movin' Out," "The Stranger," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Just The Way You Are," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Only The Good Die Young," and "Everybody Has A Dream," respectively.)

This is Billy's masterpiece, his signature album, it's integrates his faster rock and roll style in "Movin' Out" and "Only the good Die Young" (aside: if I have to explain "Only the Good Die Young" to one more person, I'm gonna freak), to his ballads in his heartwarming "Just the way you are

Songs like Movin Out, Only the Good Die Young, Just the Way You Are, and Scenes from an Italian restaurant showcase the songwriting craft of Billy Joel

Songs like Movin Out, Only the Good Die Young, Just the Way You Are, and Scenes from an Italian restaurant showcase the songwriting craft of Billy Joel

Scenes from and Italian Restaurant, Only The Good Die Young, Just The Way You Are, and Movin Out

The long and scene stealing "Scenes From An Italian Restaraunt" and the cool title track make it more than just pop music, there's elements of grandeur here but not over the top

Among the other tracks, there is a great story song - Scenes from an Italian restaurant

(In "Movin' Out," "The Stranger," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Just The Way You Are," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Only The Good Die Young," and "Everybody Has A Dream," respectively.

Containing such hits as "Only the Good Die Young" and "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" the album provides a solid set of songs all the way to the end

(In "Movin' Out," "The Stranger," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Just The Way You Are," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Only The Good Die Young," and "Everybody Has A Dream," respectively.)

(In "Movin' Out," "The Stranger," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Just The Way You Are," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Only The Good Die Young," and "Everybody Has A Dream," respectively.

(In "Movin' Out," "The Stranger," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Just The Way You Are," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Only The Good Die Young," and "Everybody Has A Dream," respectively.)

(In "Movin' Out," "The Stranger," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Just The Way You Are," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," "Only The Good Die Young," and "Everybody Has A Dream," respectively.)

"Just The Way You Are", "Only The Good Die Young" and "Always A Woman", but surprisingly

Plus it has hit after hit - "Only The Good Die Young", "Movin' Out", "She's Always A Woman" and