Streetlife Serenade [Enhanced]

1. Streetlife Serenader

2. Angelenos

3. Great Suburban Showdown

4. Root Beer Rag [Instrumental]

5. Roberta

6. Entertainer

7. Last of the Big Time Spenders

8. Weekend Song

9. Souvenir

10. Mexican Connection [Instrumental]

Tracks:

Streetlife Serenader
Los Angelenos
The Great Suburban Showdown
Root Beer Rag
Roberta
The Entertainer
Last Of The Big Time Spenders
Weekend Song
Souvenir
The Mexican Connection

Customer Reviews:

the album that gave Joel early success / more early success.......2007-06-30

Luis Mejia (son)- Many would consider that the first three Joel's albums are unknowned, but for the ones who've followed his career will have a diffeent point of view about it. The album isn't only a mild new sound experimentation by Joel, as it can be seen in the tracks like Los Angelinos and The Entertainer, it also shows a little "accusation" tone on it's songs. And He also came with his classic ballads, the ones that make the album an incredible work, specially Roberta, Streetlife Serenader, and The Great Suburban Showdown, which I consider the best track in the album. The album was also a challenge for Joel, mainly because he was having some financial troubles and also for the start of a cold relationship with professional critics. The album is totally enjoyable and accesible 'cause it shows a great part of Joel's works later in time, and Streetlife Serenader is also the big start for Billy Joel; even when Piano Man got his success, the fame and criticism was reduced to the tracks, mainly the classics Piano Man and Captain Jack. When it comes to the instrumentals I think Joel didn't thought about having any kind of success or compositional credit with them, I see them more as a "break" for introducing and ending this incredible work.

An excellent cd with a lot of effort.

Early classic from Mr Joel.......2007-01-03

This remastered edition of Streetlife Serenader again highlights how evolved Billy Joel's songwriting became. All the tracks rank among his very best. From the wistfulness of Souvenir to the heartbreaking Great Suburban Showdown to the jazzy Root Beer Rag this is where Joel became focussed and did'nt let up.

Billy at his best........2006-11-06

This album and "52nd Street" are my two favorite Billy Joel albums. They both have variety and vitality and I consider them to be his finest works. The reason I mention "52nd St." here is because it's necessary to have both albums to adequately cover his phenomenal range.

Just a kick ass Billy Joel album.......2006-02-04

You would think without any real radio hits except for maybe "The Entertainer", this wouldn't be a very good album, and before I purchased this I had my doubts, but this is just brilliant stuff, and that's no joke. This album doesn't get respect kind of like CHICAGO III didn't have any big hits either, but it's my favorite Chicago album. Billy kicks on the piano for the instrumental "Root Beer Rag". "The Great Suburban Showdown" is just brilliant. Some of my other favorites are "Last of the Big Time Spenders", "Streetlife Serenader", and "The Mexican Connection". I have no idea how hardly anything from this album got any radio play, but it's the radio's loss because this has some of the most endearing songs that he ever wrote, so get out to your music stores and buy this gem. Believe me, you'll thank me!

Contains many forgotten Billy Songs - especially of his LA Days.......2005-12-03

"Streetlife Serenade" was the third album released by Billy Joel. His prior album, "Piano Man" enjoyed some commercial success. "Piano Man" contained such signature songs as the title-track and "Captain Jack". From a commercial standpoint, "Streetlife Serenade" was considered somewhat of a disappointment. It failed to build on the momentum of Joel's 2nd album. However, this album is at not loss from a quality standpoint. In fact, there is some very good material from both a musical and lyrical standpoint. Overall, this album (along with "Cold Spring Harbor") probably is Billy Joel's most overlooked album and therefore provides a refreshing change of pace - especially when you are someone who has heard Billy Joel's chart topping hits.
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I look at Billy Joel's career as having three phases. The first phase is what I call "Old Billy Joel". This basically includes all of his material from "Cold Spring Harbor" through "Turnstiles". These are perhaps the strongest days as the piano sound, but they also contain most of Joel's least heard material. The next phase is what I call "Middle Billy Joel". This was his most successful period and covers from "The Stranger" to "Billy Joel Greatest Hits Volume 1 and 2". Joel would go through a transition during this phase - expanding his musical horizons and exploring different avenues. The final phase is the "Later Billy Joel" phase - this covers "The Bridge" to "River of Dreams". In this phase, Billy would start to incorporate some of his older styles of music while not abandoning his desire to continue to explore new avenues. "Streetlife Serenade" falls into the heart of the "Old Billy Joel" era as it solidifies Billy's reputation as the 'Piano Man' with lots of piano based tunes.

Following his 1971 debut album of "Cold Spring Harbor", Billy Joel would leave the familiar surroundings of New York and go to California. The song "Piano Man" reflects Billy's experience as a lounge singer in Los Angeles. "Streetlife Serenade" continues the theme of Billy reflecting about his personal experiences in California. It would be his follow-up album to "Streetlife Serenade" - "Turnstiles" where Billy would "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and return to New York.

One thing to note, the remastering of this album is going to make a great difference. This album was released in 1974, but the sounds that are going to come out of this album are amazing - you would think it was recorded in the 1990s. It is amazing what technology can do.

Here is a Track by Track breakdown:

"Streetlife Serenader": The opening piano notes are going to set the stage for the album - and Billy singing over the Piano and then folding in the rest of the band shows a staple of what would become his career. Lyrically this is a good song as Billy as he perhaps describes himself being a product of "the simple life" when it comes to music.

"Los Angelinos": A staple of Billy's career has always to sing about places. In this song, Billy pays tribute to the people of Los Angeles. This is more of a guitar and rock song, but it works well. Billy delivers great passion.

"The Great Suburban Showdown": A soft song that won't excite you musically, but this is a strong one musically. In this song Billy sings about "flying east" to "Sit around with the folks". Definitely reflects Billy's visits back to New York from California.

"Root Beer Rag": This is one of two instrumentals on this collection. In my opinion, Billy should do more instrumentals. This is an Old "Rag-Time" Style piano number. This is the Piano Man at his best. It's a shame this song often gets forgotten about.

"Roberta": In this song Billy describes an experience (whether its based on fact or fiction, we don't know) with a prostitute. Billy's piano is outstanding in this song. Once again Billy delivers some passionate vocals.

"The Entertainer": This is the most well-known song on the collection. This features a combination of synthesizers and guitars. I think the best part of this song is the lyrics. Billy delivers a strong commentary against what was the current state of the music industry. In a lot of ways, this is something that can still be applied to today's music - such as: "Today I am your champion, I may have won your hearts; But I know the game, you'll forget my name; And I won't be here in another year; If I don't stay on the charts" and "If you're gonna have a hit you gotta make it fit; So they cut it down to 3:05"

"Last of the Big Time Spenders" : Another tune where Billy sings over the Piano and then folds in the rest of the band. This song definitely reflects on Billy's time as a struggling musician while in California as he sings lines such as "When it gets down to desperation; You make the best of the situation".

"Weekend Song": The Piano and the Band strike a good balance here. This song reminds me a lot of some of Billy's material from the "Later Billy Joel" period and sound ahead of his time. Lyrically Billy sings about looking leaving a day's work and looking forward to kicking back.

"Souvenir": This is a short song on the album (about 2 minutes). It doesn't excite me very well, but it is well written. Billy sings about the memories being a stronger "souvenir" than the actual physical souvenirs.

"The Mexican Song": This is the album's finale and is the second instrumental on the album and is another gem. It starts out with Billy on the piano and the band comes in. The "Mexican" theme reflects on the close distance from Southern California to Mexico. This song has a very catchy feel to it.

The remastered collection includes all of the lyrics. Overall, there is some good stuff that gets forgotten about when looking at Billy Joel's career. This is highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Bring on that Root Beer Rag, LA Billy!
Cool album!
For pity's sake get this, it's brilliant!
Not for everyone, but great
A Showcase of Billy Joel's talent on this CD!

Streetlife Serenade
Billy Joel
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Turnstiles [Enhanced Version]
Cold Spring Harbor
The Nylon Curtain
The Stranger
Glass Houses

ASIN: B000002539
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Streetlife Serenader
Los Angelenos
The Great Suburban Showdown
Root Beer Rag
Roberta
The Entertainer
Last Of The Big Time Spenders
Weekend Song
Souvenir
The Mexican Connection

Customer Reviews:

Bring on that Root Beer Rag, LA Billy!.......2005-08-03

While a few songs drag, this is one of Joel's most interesting albums. It really produced no big hits (a rarity), but has some of his best early work. There is a rift developing between "LA Billy" and "NY Billy," represented by his sardonic accounts of "Los Angelinos," which by the way, is the best rocker on the album. It would have made a better single than "The Entertainer." Fans know Billy would eventually move back to NY, but his western singing is amusing (he even loses the NY accent and attitude for this set). Root Beer Rag is pure genius and pure fun; it's amazing very few people have heard it. It, alone, is worth the price of the CD.

Cool album!.......2005-03-02

Billy Joel,still under contract with Columbia Records,immediately began work on this album following the release of PIANO MAN. This is Joel's third album overall,but the second Columbia one. The only Top 20 hit from this album is THE ENTERTAINER,not to be confused with Marvin Hamlisch's song of the same title from the 1973 Paul Newman-Robert Redford film THE STING. Every song was composed by Joel. That song would later appear on the compact disc GREATEST HITS VOL. 1 & VOL. 2(the LP and cassette doesn't contain it). STREETLIFE SERENADER and LOS ANGELENOS would be recorded live in 1980 for 1981's SONGS IN THE ATTIC. This album features two instrumental tracks,ROOT BEER RAG and THE MEXICAN CONNECTION. RBR would inspire the postally-requested Billy Joel Newsletter. Hey,since those songs have no lyrics,Joel could have symphony orchestras record their own versions(Joel has been writing classical music since 1999). The other songs are good.

For pity's sake get this, it's brilliant!.......2003-04-06

Okay, I know I sound a bit like I'm promoting the damn thing rather than actually just raving about it, but I genuinely believe that this is Billy Joel's finest albums. It is because of him that I wanted to learn to play the piano to a relatively high level, but it is because of root beer rag, possibly the best song joel has ever done, that I will keep practising. Even though it is only instrumental, it is pure genius.
Souvenir is a real thought provoker at 2 minutes long and streetlife serenader and roberta are also lovely ballads to listen to. But, don't get bored by those thoughts because the entertainer is there to kick into life with its crescendo of sound. The weekend song also helps out if there was ever any problem of it getting to quiet!
Los angelinos is pretty good, and last of the big time spenders and the great surburban showdown are great fun to play all you piano players out there. And of course, the mexican connection, which possibly seems out of place on this album, but is still pretty good if root beer rag is not your thing. However, if root beer rag is not your thing, there's something wrong..!

Not for everyone, but great.......2003-03-10

This CD is a little off the path Billy Joel would carve in later years; it was made before Billy formed his steady band, and the studio players he employed do give the music kind of a country twang. In addition, the Moog synthesizers, etc. definitely date the album. Despite all this, this CD represents one of Joel's finest hours. This is a unique portrait of an artist before commercialization and fame (i.e., before he came out with "The Bridge," which states that the name "Billy Joel" is a registered trademark), and the result is that it's just honest, soulful music, played hard. With the possible exception of "Songs in the Attic," I don't think I've heard another Billy Joel album as energetic as this one; he really pours his heart and soul into these performances. The lyric material, too, is as brilliant as anything Joel ever wrote. "The Entertainer," of course, provides a satirical look at what it takes to be "famous" in America's music world, but "The Great Suburban Showdown" is a surprising standout: it's a bitingly sardonic attack on the monotony of suburbia. "Weekend Song" is one of those high twang-factor songs, but it's a rocker nonetheless, and makes the kind of impression Joel wanted to make with "Glass Houses" six years later--except that he sounds even more impassioned here. This is also the case with the funky "Los Angelenos." "Last of the Big Time Spenders" and "Roberta" are both ballads, although "Spenders" is more bluesy while "Roberta" is more reflective (and it handles the subject matter better than Sting's "Roxanne," in my humble opinion). This album also contains what was until recently a rarity in the Billy Joel world: instrumentals. "The Mexican Connection" is another surprising standout; it definitely sounds like the '70s, but it's a funky-yet-relaxing piano-driven piece that does indeed sound like a summer day on the beaches of Mexico (or at least, like my conception of same). "Root Beer Rag" is just awesome in its virtuosity, and provided America with its first real indication that the "Piano Man" could back up that title in spades. Not much to say about "Streetlife Serenader," actually; it's an OK song, but it's not up to the level of the rest of this album. The thing is, that level is surprisingly high. This is Billy Joel in his formative years as a musician, and knowing where he would go from here makes this music, which is already brilliant, that much more enthralling.

A Showcase of Billy Joel's talent on this CD!.......1999-07-13

Streetlife Serenade is one of my favorite albums and the best music i've ever listened to before. Like some of the songs are the showcases highlighted for Joel's piano solo like "Root Beer Rag" and "The Mexican Connection" are quite good tunes heard. And also I enjoy him singing "Streetlife Serenader" as well included here!

Average customer rating:

Streetlife Serenade
Billy Joel
Manufacturer: Sony Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0002ZEZA4
Release Date: 2004-11-15

Tracks:

Streetlife Serenader
Angelenos
Great Suburban Showdown
Root Beer Rag [Instrumental]
Roberta
Entertainer
Last of the Big Time Spenders
Weekend Song
Souvenir
Mexican Connection [Instrumental]

Album Description

Japanese remastered reissue of 1974 album packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. CBS. 2004.

Album Details

Special Japanese Limited Edition in an LP Sleeve Replica with the Original Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Streetlife Serenade

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000EGCZS0
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Rock Music:

Rock Music