52nd Street - BILLY JOEL****

Big Shot/Honesty/My Life/Zanzibar/Stiletto/Rosalinda's Eyes/Half A Mile Away/Until The Night/52nd Street

52nd Street consolidated the reputation of pianist Billy Joel as one of the best composers to emerge in the late 1970s, a position he would maintain for some years. Features The US No. 3 hit My Life. (US:1 UK:10)

“While this is a good album it doesn't live up to its predecessor, but that was always going to be a huge task. What 52nd Street offers is some more very good songs, that use the same pedigree as what has come before. Taken on face value without any negativity, this album is an enjoyable and interesting listen.”

“52nd Street contains a little jazz, a little rock ‘n’ roll, and a lot of pure pop. It would also feature some of the best piano playing of his career. He showed much creative growth while maintaining his commercial appeal, which is difficult at best. Big Shot and My Life are both rock oriented up-tempo tracks. The first has an odd cadence and a guitar edge to back his vocal. The second includes some more guitar riffs that support his lyrics of moving on with life.”

“Some of Billy's finest work surfaced on 52nd Street. It's not as good as its predecessor, but similar in terms of grittiness and quality. Big Shot is as good as anything he ever recorded, while Stiletto is one of his most under-rated songs.”

“The first side is on par with anything from The Stranger, but the second side lacks the intensity. It opens with the boisterous, Big Shot, a scathing attack on a show-boater, who turns out to be the singer himself. Honesty is one of those pretty little pop ballads that Joel excels at. The biggest hit from the album was My Life. The track boasts an irresistible melody, and is the best song to be found here. Zanzibar, is a bouncy number that pays homage to Steely Dan. Stiletto and Rosalinda's Eyes keep the pace going. Until The Night is good 1960s homage, but it tends to drag on a bit longer than I would like.”

“Billy Joel is capable of writing incredible songs, so it always annoys me to find obvious filler on even his best albums.”

“The eclectic nature of Joel's recordings is one of their great strengths, and the versatility of the artist is evident on this album.”