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Piano Man (Billy Joel album)

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For the greatest hits album, see Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel.
Piano Man
Studio album by
Billy Joel
ReleasedNovember 14, 1973 (1973-11-14)
RecordedSeptember 1973
StudioDevonshire, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length42:51
LabelFamily Productions/Columbia
ProducerMichael Stewart
Billy Joel chronology
Cold Spring Harbor
(1971) 		Piano Man
(1973) 		Streetlife Serenade
(1974)
Singles from Piano Man
  1. "Piano Man"
    Released: November 2, 1973
  2. "The Ballad of Billy the Kid"
    Released: April 1974 (UK)
  3. "Worse Comes to Worst"
    Released: June 1974
  4. "Travelin' Prayer"
    Released: August 1974[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Christgau's Record GuideC[4]
CreemD+[5]
Disc[6]
Rolling Stonepositive[7]

Piano Man is the second studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on November 14, 1973, by Columbia Records.[8] The album emerged from legal difficulties with Joel's former label, Family Productions, and ultimately became his first breakthrough album.

The title track, a fictionalized retelling of Joel's experiences with people he met as a lounge singer in Los Angeles, peaked at No. 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart. "Travelin' Prayer" and "Worse Comes to Worst" peaked at No. 77 and 80 on the Hot 100, respectively, while the album itself peaked at No. 27 on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in 1975, but Joel received only $8,000 in royalties (US$45,299 in 2023 dollars[9]).[10]

Legacy edition

[edit]

Columbia Records released a two-disc legacy version of Piano Man in November 2011.[11]

This edition features a somewhat abbreviated live 1972 broadcast from Philadelphia's Philadelphia 93.3 WMMR FM radio, capturing early performances by Joel recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. This particular broadcast was instrumental in catalyzing Joel's musical career. Following the recording of the show, the live rendition of "Captain Jack" became a staple on the station, ultimately becoming the most requested song in WMMR's history. The burgeoning popularity of this live recording attracted the attention of Columbia Records executives, who subsequently offered Joel a recording contract. Additionally, the broadcast included three tracks— "Long, Long Time," "Josephine," and "Rosalinda"—which were not featured on any of Joel's studio albums.[12]

Track listing

[edit]

Original release

[edit]

All songs written by Billy Joel.

Side One
No.TitleLength
1."Travelin' Prayer"4:16
2."Piano Man"5:37
3."Ain't No Crime"3:20
4."You're My Home"3:14
5."The Ballad of Billy the Kid"5:35
Side Two
No.TitleLength
6."Worse Comes to Worst"3:28
7."Stop in Nevada"3:40
8."If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)"3:35
9."Somewhere Along the Line"3:17
10."Captain Jack"7:15
Total length:42:51

2011 Legacy Edition bonus disc

[edit]

Disc 2: Live at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 15, 1972

  1. "Introduction by Ed Sciaky" – 0:29
  2. "Falling of the Rain" – 2:33
  3. "Intro to Travelin' Prayer" – 0:17
  4. "Travelin' Prayer" – 3:11
  5. "Intro to Billy the Kid" – 0:50
  6. "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" – 5:36
  7. "Intro to She's Got a Way" – 1:03
  8. "She's Got a Way" – 3:08
  9. "Intro to Everybody Loves You Now" – 1:19
  10. "Everybody Loves You Now" – 2:56
  11. "Intro to Nocturne" – 0:59
  12. "Nocturne" – 2:46
  13. "Station ID and Intro to Turn Around" – 1:31
  14. "Turn Around" – 3:26
  15. "Intro to Long, Long Time" – 1:19
  16. "Long, Long Time" – 4:46
  17. "Intro to Captain Jack" – 1:19
  18. "Captain Jack" – 6:56
  19. "Intro to Josephine" – 1:40
  20. "Josephine" – 3:23
  21. "Intro to Rosalinda" – 0:33
  22. "Rosalinda" – 3:03
  23. "Tomorrow Is Today" – 5:11

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from the AllMusic credits.[13]

Live at Sigma Sound Studios, April 15, 1972

  • Billy Joel – piano, harmonica, vocals
  • Al Hertzberg – acoustic and electric guitars
  • Larry Russell – bass guitar
  • Rhys Clark – drums
  • Dennis Wilen – producer

Production

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[13]
The Guardian[14]
Ultimate Classic Rock[15]

Rolling Stone mused that Piano Man "represents a new seriousness and flexibility" for Joel, comparing it to the stylings of Elton John.[7] Reviewing the album, Billboard stated that it shows that Joel has a "fine shot at establishing himself as consistent quality AM artist with large scale songs and dynamic performing range.[16]

Charts and certifications

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Piano Man by Billy Joel – Classic Rock Review". 29 January 2013.
  2. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 436. ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Piano Man". AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 27, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (March 1974). "The Christgau Consumer Guide". Creem. Retrieved March 3, 2012 – via robertchristgau.com.
  6. ^ Rosemary, Horide (10 May 1975). "Billy Joel – Piano Man" (PDF). Disc. Sutton: IPC Specialist and Professional Press Ltd. p. 20. ISSN 0308-1168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023 – via World Radio History.
  7. ^ a b Breschard, Jack (March 14, 1974). "Billy Joel Piano Man > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 156. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  8. ^ "RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America.
  9. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  10. ^ Bielen, Ken (2011). The Words and Music of Billy Joel. ABC-CLIO. pp. 29–30, 116. ISBN 9780313380167.
  11. ^ "Shop the Billy Joel Official Store". Archived from the original on 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  12. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: billyjoelVEVO (18 October 2011). "Billy Joel – Billy Joel on PIANO MAN – from THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION" – via YouTube.
  13. ^ a b "Piano Man – Billy Joel | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  14. ^ Hann, Michael (January 5, 2012). "Billy Joel: Piano Man (Legacy Edition) – review". The Guardian. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Thimou, Theodore (December 5, 2011). "Billy Joel, 'Piano Man' (Legacy Edition) – Album Review". ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  16. ^ "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. November 17, 1973. p. 60. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  17. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 156. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ^ "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 21, No. 9". RPM. April 13, 1974. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  19. ^ "allmusic ((( Streetlife Serenade > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  20. ^ "The Official Charts Company – Billy Joel – Piano Man". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  21. ^ "ビリー・ジョエル-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック" [Highest position and charting weeks for Piano Man: Legacy Edition by Billy Joel]. oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  22. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 24, 2013". Chart-Track. IRMA.
  23. ^ "Ultratop.be – Billy Joel – Piano Man" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 50/2020". Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  25. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 428. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  26. ^ "Cash Box Newspaper" (PDF). Cash Box. May 20, 1978. p. 20. Retrieved November 13, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  27. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Billy Joel – Piano Man". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  28. ^ "American album certifications – Billy Joel – Piano Man". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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