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Billy Joel Breaks Through with The Stranger Grammy-Winning Album Includes 'Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), Just the Way You Are, Only the Good Die Young, She's Always a Woman'Sourced from the Original Analog Master Tapes for Audiophile Sound Mobile Fidelity 180g 45RPM 2LP Set Plays with Full-Bodied Detail and Big DynamicsBilly Joel entered 1977 with a great track record but in need of breakthrough. Pairing with producer Phil Ramone (Carly Simon, Simon & Garfunkel), who developed the requisite ingredients missing from Joel's formula, the singer-songwriter became a household name and chart-topping success courtesy of The Stranger. Ranked 67 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and certified ten-times platinum, Joel's artistic and commercial smash remains a pop-rock benchmark.Sourced from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP emphasizes the crucial touches and insightful techniques Ramone brought to a batch of material that ranks among Joel's most clever, catchy, and sagacious. Whereas a handful of Joel's preceding efforts feature a near-flawless mix of melodic arrangements and poignant lyrics, the aspects he sought in order to graduate into a more serious artist arrive here via Ramone's more muscular, fleshed-out, and rock-enabling production.The streamlined approach slightly strips back the sweeping developments heard on Piano Man and Turnstiles, and on this reissue, lays bare the core of the material, allowing the vocalist's bittersweet yearning, rollicking 88 notes, and working-class conviction to emanate with full-bodied detail, vivid color, and grand-scale dynamics.A Grammy winner for both Record and Song of the Year, 'Just the Way You Are' epitomizes Joel's balladic reach, his ability to transfer wistful sentiments and lovelorn emotions. He also flashes a mean streak. The animated 'Only the Good Die Y
