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Songs in the Attic

 
Album Review: Songs in the Attic

  • Artist: Billy Joel
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1981 09
  • Total Time: 47:58
  • Type: Live, Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Having scored three multi-platinum hits in a row, Billy Joel took a breather, releasing his first live album, Songs in the Attic, as he worked on his ambitious follow-up to Glass Houses. Joel wisely decided to use the live album as an opportunity to draw attention to songs from his first four albums. Apart from "Piano Man," none of those songs had been heard by the large audience he had won with The Stranger. Furthermore, he now had a seasoned backing band that helped give his music a specific identity -- in short, it was an opportunity to reclaim these songs, now that he had a signature sound. And Joel didn't botch the opportunity -- Songs in the Attic is an excellent album, ranking among his very best work. With the possible exception of the Turnstiles material, every song is given a fuller, better arrangement that makes it all spring to life. "Los Angelenos" and "Everybody Loves You Now" hit harder in the live setting, while ballads like "She's Got a Way," "Summer, Highland Falls," and "I've Loved These Days" are richer and warmer in these versions. A few personal favorites from these albums may be missing, but what is here is impeccable, proving that even if Joel wasn't a celebrity in the early '70s, his best songs of the era rivaled his biggest hits. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go out on Broadway) Billy Joel Billy Joel (5:04)
Summer, Highland Falls Billy Joel Billy Joel (3:06)
Streetlife Serenader Billy Joel Billy Joel (5:17)
Los Angelenos Billy Joel Billy Joel (3:49)
She's Got a Way Billy Joel Billy Joel (3:00)
Everybody Loves You Now Billy Joel Billy Joel (3:07)
Say Goodbye to Hollywood Billy Joel Billy Joel (4:16)
Captain Jack Billy Joel Billy Joel (7:17)
You're My Home Billy Joel Billy Joel (3:06)
The Ballad of Billy the Kid Billy Joel Billy Joel (5:27)
I've Loved These Days Billy Joel Billy Joel (4:35)

Credits

Larry Franke (Associate Engineer), Russell Javors (Guitar (Electric)), Elliot Scheiner (Remixing), Richie Cannata (Keyboards), Billy Joel (Cover Art Concept), Richie Cannata (Wind), Larry Franke (Engineer), Billy Joel (Artwork), Brian Ruggles (Producer), Russell Javors (Guitar (Acoustic)), Dave Brown (Guitar (Electric)), Bradshaw Leigh (Engineer), Tom Rees Roberts (Associate Engineer), Dan Weaks (Photography), Dave Brown (Guitar), Ted Jensen (Digital Remastering), Billy Joel (Piano), Richie Cannata (Flute), Chaz Clifton (Assistant Engineer), Doug Stegmeyer (Bass), Richie Cannata (Organ), Liberty DeVitto (Percussion), Tom Roberts (Associate Engineer), Laura Loncteaux (Production Assistant), Liberty DeVitto (Drums), Billy Joel (Synthesizer), Elliot Scheiner (Engineer), John Naatjes (Tape Research), Billy Joel (Keyboards), Richie Cannata (Saxophone), Billy Joel (Liner Notes), Doug Stegmeyer (Guitar (Bass)), Billy Joel (Composer), Tom Roberts (Engineer), Dave Brown (Guitar (Acoustic)), Phil Ramone (Liner Notes), Ted Jensen (Remastering), Billy Joel (Producer), Ted Jensen (Mastering), Billy Joel (Harmonica), Michiko Oka (?), Phil Ramone (Remixing), Paula Scher (Design), Jim Boyer (Remixing), Jim Boyer (Engineer), Bradshaw Leigh (Associate Engineer), Billy Joel (Vocals), Russell Javors (Guitar), Richard Aaron (Photography), Phil Ramone (Producer), Russell Javors (Guitar (Rhythm))
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Wikipedia: Songs in the Attic
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Songs in the Attic
Live album by Billy Joel
Released September 10, 1981
Recorded June - July 1980
Genre Rock
Length 47:58
Label Family Productions/Columbia
Producer Phil Ramone
Professional reviews
Billy Joel chronology
Glass Houses
(1980)
Songs in the Attic
(1981)
The Nylon Curtain
(1982)

Songs in the Attic is the first live album by Billy Joel, released in 1981 (see 1981 in music).

At the time of its release, it was unique as being the first widely available appearance of music from his first album, Cold Spring Harbor from 1971.

This album was released in 1981 to introduce Billy Joel's early work to fans who had come to know him after The Stranger, according to liner notes written by Joel. In his earlier work, most of the instruments were played by session musicians, but by the late 1970s, Joel had a fairly consistent touring group, and so wanted to showcase the songs with this band: "...'Captain Jack' plays with much more power and conviction when a roaring Philadelphia audience sets off a kind of internal explosion and the adrenaline screams through our veins..." wrote Joel.

Two songs from the album, "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and "She's Got a Way," were released as singles, both making the top 25.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written by Billy Joel.

  1. "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" – 5:05 [1]
  2. "Summer, Highland Falls" – 3:03 [2]
  3. "Streetlife Serenader" – 5:17 [3]
  4. "Los Angelenos" – 3:48 [4]
  5. "She's Got a Way" – 3:10 [5]
  6. "Everybody Loves You Now" - 3:08 [2]
  7. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" – 4:25 [6]
  8. "Captain Jack" – 7:16 [7]
  9. "You're My Home" – 3:07 [2]
  10. "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" – 5:28 [1]
  11. "I've Loved These Days" – 4:35 [8]

Charts

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1981 "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" Adult Contemporary 35
1981 "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" Pop Singles 17
1982 "She's Got a Way" Adult Contemporary 4
1982 "She's Got A Way" Pop Singles 23

References

  1. ^ a b Performed June 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
  2. ^ a b c Performed July 1980 at Bayou, Washington, D.C..
  3. ^ Performed July 1980 at St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN.
  4. ^ Performed July 1980 at Toad's Place, New Haven, CT.
  5. ^ Performed June 1980 at Paradise Club, Boston, MA.
  6. ^ Performed June 1980 at Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI.
  7. ^ Performed July 1980 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA.
  8. ^ Performed July 1980 at Horizon, Chicago, IL.

Personnel


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Songs in the Attic" Read more