The Stranger, Billy Joel’s 5th studio album, was released in 1977. Following his not so highly acclaimed previous album Turnstiles in 1976, which was poorly received by audiences. Turnstiles peaked relatively low in the U.S. causing Columbia Records to highly consider dropping Joel if the next studio album they produced with him would turn out the same. In Turnstiles, Joel sounded like an immature kid complaining, but The Stranger took a different course. It was a brilliant coming of age, maturing, series that also delivers patriotic themes that are very relatable to American listeners without just shouting “USA” in our ears. Billy Joel knew there was pressure on him to deliver what Columbia records and the audience wanted, while still keeping true to himself and what he believed in. He needed hit songs that were multifaceted in themes and instruments and he didn’t hold anything back.
“Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”
Starting off the tracklist with the incredibly catchy “Movin’ Out” Joel perfectly lays out exactly how he feels about growing up, leaving home, and shooting for the stars. With lines to match those themes, like “who needs a house out in Hackensack? Is that all you get for your money” And “if that's what's considered moving up in the world then he’s moving out.” The key sounds in this song are the noticeable bass line with the up tempo piano melody.
“The Stranger”
Billy Joel claims that we don’t always know ourselves and what it is that we want in the second song of the album. We tell ourselves we want things we don’t always understand or need, and pretend to be someone we are not. Amazing lines about adolescence like “We all fall in love, but we disregard the danger.” This is my personal favorite song in the album and I can listen to it any time.
“Just the Way You Are”
I think by itself this song is amazing, but at times it does not match well with the rest of the ideas and themes of the album as a whole. It's a bit gooey and immature at times, and Joel even considered not adding it to the album. This was still early in his career where his love songs were sad and heartfelt rather than exciting and colorful like the notorious “Uptown Girl.” The ideas of being who you are and not changing it for anyone however do merge well with the other songs in the album. This song caught new listeners attention quickly when the album released and became one of the albums most popular songs, which was a big step in Joel’s soon to be stardom.
“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”
“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is a masterfully told three part story about Brenda and Eddie who were childhood friends of his who’d gotten divorced in what Billy Joel himself considers to be the greatest song he’d ever made. The song has a runtime of just over seven and a half minutes of music. It perfectly delivers themes of rushed love and problems with settling down for an “ideal” lifestyle, even if it doesn’t match yourself. In the story the king and queen of the highschool grow up, get married, and eventually get divorced. It's tragic, sad, and beautiful.
“Vienna”
“Vienna” very well may be the most famous song from the album. When approaching this album, Joel believed this may be his last musical project. Maybe he tried doing too much too fast, maybe his crazy dream was right all along. I cannot begin to name any lines that stick out because every word of Vienna is so perfectly put together. It’s a very relatable song for anyone. In my opinion, Vienna is a timeless piece of music that will live on for generations to come.
“Only the Good Die Young”
“Only the Good Die Young” is another amazing hit that was released on this album. My interpretation of the song is that it is another analogy for his music career possibly ending sooner than he’d wanted. I’d describe it as very bouncy and catchy.
“She’s Always a Woman”
In my opinion of the obvious “love” songs in the album this one is the better of the two. It’s another one of the most famous songs of the record, but also the most misunderstood. Most view it as a soft ballad where he is praising the woman. I think it's a more layered song than one about pure love and praise. He’s saying whether she's nice, mean, or cruel it doesn’t matter, that's not his point. She’ll always be a woman to him no matter what. It's not misogynistic but rather the opposite, she doesn’t have to be pretty and quiet, she can be strong, brutal, or tough and it's the same to him.
“Get It Right the First Time”
“Get It Right the First Time'' is a very simple concept for a song, but it's so hard to criticize. I really love this song. I believe this song is possibly another analogy for his music career up to this point. The song is about first impressions and how getting it right the first time is so important, because the second time is not the same. This is definitely one of the catchiest songs of the album.
“Everybody Has a Dream”
“Everybody Has a Dream” is Billy Joel’s grand ending. All of his ideas and themes he shared throughout the album all wrapped up into one big finale to conclude what could’ve been his last album. I’d describe it as a full collaboration of so many different instruments in an orchestra, grand scale finale. I see it as Billy putting everything he loves together into one last piece.
The Stranger is truly a rare album, not many come close to its greatness and impact. Billy Joel is a household name, and we hear his music all the time. Yet nearly none of his work would’ve ever been made if not for the success of this album. I think the album goes to show that when the pressure is on us as creators, it can push us to further lengths to create something entirely revolutionary.
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