Billy Joel fans: Click here if you are interested in an amazing soundboard of the Piano Man killing it at the Nassau Coliseum. Act fast, though!
Enjoy! -Ed.
BILLY JOEL
Nassau Coliseum 1977 [no label, 2CD]
Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, December 11, 1977. An excellent soundboard/ pre-FM recording. This is not a copy of the FM broadcast but the pre-FM tape.
Most loyal Billy Joel fans fumed when the 30th anniversary boxset of The Stranger came out in 2007. The bonus CD of the Carnegie Hall concert from 1977, the year The Stranger was released, was an incomplete show. Another grievous omission was the extra bonus CD available at Best Buy outlets was just five tracks from the Nassau Coliseum show of December ‘77.
Several of Joel’s shows were recorded in full. This show at the Nassau Coliseum was broadcast to promote The Stranger. Listening to the full show, I can only guess either Joel or Columbia, his record label, may have felt it wasn’t quite so magnetic. There are moments when the energy dissipates and the concert crawls along. Still, perhaps some deft editing would have solved that.
All of Joel’s strengths are in full view here. His easy lyrics and catchy melodies and that distinct vocal style of a New York sharpie. It’s a joy to hear a young Joel sing She’s Always A Woman To Me or The Stranger or Piano Man. There are many highlights in this show including the best of The Stranger - Movin’ Out and Scenes From An Italian Restaurant.
This show was part of a 54-date U.S. tour to promote The Stranger. It was recorded and broadcast on American radio. We’ve had to omit all the five tracks that have been officially released on the Best Buy CD.
Amazing sound quality with distinct stereophonic image and centered vocals. Just listen to the drums. Great. - The Little Chicken
"The Stranger" Live 1977:
1 comment:
I had the good judgement to record this live show on my Pioneer 10" reel-to-reel as it was being aired on WNEW 102.7 FM in New York. When I returned home from work late that night, I heard a show that was just magnificent. From the insightful commentary of the late Pete Fornatale, to the power Billy and the band's music and Billy's engagement with the crowd... well simply wonderful. I've shared that recording with many friends over the decades and all find it to be one of the best shows they've ever heard. I might be biased, being a native New Yorker, but after seeing upwards of 25 shows in over a dozen venues over the years, I still go back to that 1977 show when I need a solid dose of Billy. Rock on!
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