Out Of Print! Only a few copies left!
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time - "Piano Man" - Rated 429/500!
Numbered, Limited Edition! Half-Speed Mastered From Original Master Tapes!
Billy Joel Piano Man on Numbered Limited Edition 180g LP from Mobile Fidelity
Joels Breakthrough 1973 Album Filled With Memorable Character Sketches
Mastered from the Original Master Tapes for the First Time: Intimate Sonics
Sing a Song for the Piano Man: Joels Pathos Impacts Everyman In All of Us
Billy Joels Piano Man established a legend via two elements that became a trademark of his career: simple, yet disarmingly effective lyrics that speak to universal truths and instilled feelings of pathos. With the classic title track, Joel captures the emotions and expectations all of usconsciously or notattach to our favorite musicians: Sing us a song you're the piano man/Sing us a song tonight/Well we're all in the mood for a melody/And you've got us feeling alright, he croons. Indeed, Joel has everyone feeling good on this breakout set.
Never before properly remastered, Mobile Fidelity secured the original master tapes to present this 1973 singer-songwriter masterwork in unparalleled fidelity. The cavity of Joels piano, tension of the strings, and reach of his voice are astounding on this numbered limited-edition LP pressing. The New York native finally seems as if hes playing in your room rather than down the hall.
After the commercial failure of his debut, and resulting legal disputes with his label, a determined Joel took up a six-month residency as a lounge singer in Los Angeles. The vocalist continued to pen songs, including his signature track, Piano Man, a fictional narrative motivated by the real-life stories and actions of the patrons he witnessed during his cocktail club residency. Joel also drew inspiration from a fellow peer with whom hed ultimately collaborate on a series of highly successful tours that continue to this day: Elton John. The Englishmans Tumbleweed Connection fueled a creative spurt in Joel, who extends the records Western imagery and bluesy themes.
Ignoring introspection in favor of rich character sketches, Joel utilizes his knack for melodic flair, filling out the songs with comprehensive arrangements and a swift sense of purpose. His tales The Ballad of Billy the Kid, Captain Jack, Aint No Crime are supported with phenomenal harmonies and thematic flavors that arrive courtesy of instrumental accents from first-rate players that include guitarist Larry Carlton, banjoist Fred Heilbrun, and drummer Ron Tutt. Joel supplies the requisite emotions, and Piano Man oozes with life.
Mobile Fidelitys 180g LP possesses a warmth that, until now, none of Joels records possess. Soundstaging, imaging, and immediacy are refined and mannered, and the enthusiasm and completeness of Joels craft come into supreme focus.
No fan of '70s rock or pop should be without this stellar pressing!
"Joel grew up playing in rock bands, but a California hiatus as a lounge pianist (under the name Bill Martin) saw him pecking out standards for lost souls. 'It was all right,' he said. 'I got free drinks and union scale, which was the first steady money I'd made in a long time.'" - Rolling Stone
"If youre looking for an ideal example of the wealth of information available in a records grooves versus a high-resolution digital file, this is it. I favorably reviewed the SACD of this set several issues ago, yet the LP uncovers far more sonic treasures. The additional layers of texture, echo, and spaciousness in the oft-played title track are revelatory. It feels as if MoFi even captures the smokiness conveyed in the tune; such is the degree of piano texture available on this analog version." - Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio Magazine, No. 52, January 2013
Features:
Numbered, Limited Edition
Half-Speed Production and Mastering by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Specially Plated and Pressed on 180 grams of High Definition Vinyl
Special Static Free - Dust Free Inner Sleeve
Heavy Duty Protective Packaging
Mastered from the Original Master Tapes
Gatefold jacket
Selections:
1. Travelin' Prayer
2. Piano Man
3. Ain't No Crime
4. You're My Home
5. The Ballad of Billy the Kid
6. Worse Comes to Worst
7. Stop in Nevada
8. If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)
9. Somewhere Along the Line
10. Captain Jack
