Joel's previous studio effort, Turnstiles, had sold modestly and peaked low on the US charts, prompting Columbia to consider dropping him if his next release sold poorly. Joel wanted the new album to feature his touring band, formed during the production of Turnstiles. The band consisted of drummer Liberty DeVitto, bassist Doug Stegmeyer, and multi-instrumentalist saxophonist/organist Richie Cannata. Seeking out a new producer, he first turned to veteran Beatles producer George Martin before coming across and settling on Ramone, whose name he had seen on albums by other artists such as Paul Simon. Recording took place over three weeks, featuring DeVitto, Stegmeyer and Cannata. Other studio musicians filled in as guitarists on various songs.

Billy Joel – The Stranger (2013, Gatefold, Vinyl) - Discogs Billy Joel – The Stranger (2013, Gatefold, Vinyl) - Discogs

As a special bonus, The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 2 presents the first-ever audio edition (3LP) of Billy Joel – Live from Long Island, the celebratory homecoming concert/party Billy and his band threw for fans at the Nassau Coliseum on December 29, 1982. A broadcast edit of the legendary show originally aired on HBO in 1983 while a longer version of the show was a massively popular VHS title. This explosive performance is highly regarded as one of Billy’s best of the era and one of the few to be professionally filmed and recorded. Its inclusion as an audio album in The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 2 is an essential addition to the classic Billy Joel catalog. The Stranger spent 17 weeks in varying positions within Billboard 200 chart's top 10 albums, first entering the bottom position on January 21, 1978 (around four months after its initial release). A month later, on February 18, the album reached its peak position at number 2 on the chart and remained there for six more weeks. The second single from the album, "Just The Way You Are", peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, [7] having received a boost in popularity following Joel's performance of the song on an episode of Saturday Night Live. [13] The other three singles were all top 40 hits, with "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" and "She's Always a Woman" both peaking at number 17. While "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" was the first single released for the album, radio stations put little attention towards it, instead expressing interest in "Just the Way You Are"; thus, the latter song was released just six weeks following the debut of "Movin' Out", after which it achieved far larger success. The single for "Movin' Out" was later rereleased, after which it achieved higher success and ultimately became a hit. [14] According to Joel, "Only the Good Die Young" sold poorly when it was first put out as a single; however, following the song's release, Christian groups and archdiocese areas began calling for the song to be banned on several radio stations across the nation. The controversy helped raise the song's popularity, particularly among rebellious youth according to Joel, and the single thus fared much better as a result, ultimately peaking at number 24 in the US singles chart. [15] [16] The Stranger remains one of Joel's best-selling original studio albums to date, achieving a "Diamond" certification for surpassing sales of 10 million units. [15] At the time, it had surpassed Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water to become Columbia Records’ best-selling album release. [17] In Canada the album spent 72 weeks in the Top 100 Album charts between November 1977 and April 1979. Top Albums/CDs - Volume 29, No. 2, April 08 1978". RPM. April 8, 1978. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014 . Retrieved September 8, 2013. a b Gamboa, Glenn (August 1, 2015). "Billy Joel talks 'Scenes from an Italian Restaurant': I couldn't do a show without it". Newsday . Retrieved September 28, 2018.

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a b Pierczynski, David (September 29, 2017). "Billy Joel's 'The Stranger' Turns 40!!!". WLS-FM. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018 . Retrieved September 24, 2018. Leopold, Todd (July 8, 2008). "When Billy Joel met 'The Stranger' ". CNN . Retrieved October 16, 2020. Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Billy Joel – The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 2 on November 3, continuing an ongoing celebration of the legendary artist’s 50-plus years of musical magic, on-stage and in-the-studio.

Billy Joel - Stranger (vinyl) : Target Billy Joel - Stranger (vinyl) : Target

Gaar, Gillian G. (September 1, 2008). "Billy Joel > The Stranger". American Songwriter . Retrieved October 16, 2020.

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Joel's fifth album, released in September of 1977, and Joel's breakthrough album, as well as Joel's first collaboration with producer Phil Ramone, with whom he would work on every studio album until 1989's Storm Front. A massive success upon release, the album reached #2 on the Billboard Charts, won 2 Grammys, and transformed Joel's status in the public eye from a one-hit wonder to a hitmaker. Certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (their highest certification), from the time of its release until 1985, The Stranger was Columbia Records’ biggest selling album: the album has also been named one of the 500 greatest albums of all time by influential music publication Rolling Stone. Murray, Noel (February 3, 2011). " Taxi, 'Vienna Waits' ". The A.V. Club . Retrieved October 16, 2020. Staunton, Terry (September 2008). " The Stranger: 30th Anniversary Edition | Billy Joel". Record Collector. No.353 . Retrieved January 9, 2016. Compared this to a 70's US Columbia pressing and here are my thoughts on the MoFi compared to that: Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings Celebrating 50+ Years of Billy Joel’s Musical Artistry with Release of Billy Joel – The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 2 on Friday, November 3

Billy Joel – The Stranger (1978, Vinyl) - Discogs

Browne, David (May 22, 2007). "Billy Joel: The Stranger". Blender. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010 . Retrieved October 19, 2015. In July 2008, a special "30th Anniversary Edition" of The Stranger was released. It contains two special editions: a two-CD Legacy Edition, and a Deluxe Limited Edition (which includes two CDs and a bonus DVD). The limited deluxe edition of The Stranger includes a CD of the original album in its entirety (remastered by producer Phil Ramone), and a second CD of a previously unreleased concert featuring Billy and his band, Live at Carnegie Hall 1977, recorded at the historic Manhattan venue on June 3, 1977, one month before the sessions for The Stranger album. The Deluxe Limited Edition included a DVD showcasing two live promotional videos from The Stranger; and Joel's performance on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, a seldom-seen 60-minute set from 1978 that has aired only once on the UK's BBC2. Also included in this box set is a facsimile poster from the 1977 Carnegie Hall concert, and a facsimile notebook that contains copies of rough draft lyrics for many of the songs that appeared on The Stranger. Deluxe Box Set Library Includes First Vinyl Release of Fantasies & Delusions (2LP) and First-Ever Audio Release of Billy Joel – Live from Long Island (3LP), the Artist’s Homecoming Concert at Nassau Coliseum (December 29, 1982)The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020 . Retrieved October 16, 2020.