Following The Stranger was always going to be an insurmountable task for once perfection is reached, it’s often difficult to replicate what made the previous work so successful. That isn’t to suggest that 52nd Street, Billy Joel’s sixth studio album, didn’t give it a good shot, for it’s an excellent album when listened to without contrast, it just falls a little short when directly compared to Joel’s 1977 opus.
While the songs on 52nd Street aren’t as strong and don’t present Joel’s vocals as eloquently as had been heard the year before, I find that the production quality is the element that causes 52nd Street to be viewed differently. If it were any other artist, 52nd Street would be a landmark release, but we all know how capable a vocalist Joel is and his prowess simply wasn’t captured, within each song, on this record. Despite that, it’s still one of my favourite albums from 1978, I just wish there was a little more spit and polish applied to the recording and mastering of this classic album.
Where The Stranger was sonically lush, 52nd Street is hollower by comparison. As an Apple Digital Master, and Hi-Res Lossless version, it’s fair to say I expected more and can only put down the average sonic presentation to the recording style and processes. Granted, not every Apple Digital Master is a home run, but I find more often than not; they are. Yes, the style of music is slightly different with fewer rock and blues influences, replaced with a touch of jazz, but the problem is that you’ll be listening to your speakers rather than being enveloped in the soundstage. I liken it to Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell; another masterpiece that was poorly recorded.
Some may even suggest this underproduced feel adds to its appeal, but I know how I like my Billy Joel albums to sound and this is one example whereby the version provided to Apple Music isn’t flawless. Even adding a touch of EQ doesn't completely address these issues for it amplifies the problems in a different direction. For instance, adding a little bass and reducing the treble slightly results in a muddier midrange but doesn’t correct the flatness of the recording.
Does a better edition exist, particularly on a physical medium? Perhaps, but as I don’t have another version to compare it to, at this point in time, that comparison will have to wait for a future update.
Lamenting the sonic quality, however, I find it interesting to note the music falls into line with the album’s artwork as the rawness of the sound is visually represented. It’s one of those moments where you can forgive recording elements and look compellingly into the artwork and see correlations with the music. Subsequently, when looking at 52nd Street as an entire package, it makes sense that it’s a little underproduced if we consider the music against the album artwork.
Big Shot has never been my favourite tune as I feel it starts too abruptly and Joel’s nasally vocal can be grating on the senses. That said, if I have the album on in the background, and don’t pay particular attention to this aspect, it’s thoroughly enjoyable.
Honesty is an incredible ballad that has stood the test of time for it sounds as fresh with modern ears as it would have when initially released. It is Joel 101 and most certainly a highlight from 52nd Street; a beautiful song!
My Life has a great toe-tapping head-bopping rhythm. The piano work, Joel’s vocal (particularly the echo applied), and the rock-solid backbeat ensure that My Life is an exceptional tune. While Joel has never needed backing vocalists, Chicago’s Peter Cetera and Donnie Dacus are valued additions to My Life as their backing harmonies are exquisite.
Zanzibar is one of the more obscure tracks on 52nd Street for its somewhat off-beat nature and stylistic shifts throughout shouldn’t work, yet they do. It may take a few listens to fully appreciate Zanzibar, but when you let the music flow, rather than analyse it, you’ll find it’s much more enjoyable.
It should also be noted that the great Freddie Hubbard recorded the trumpet solos further linking the jazz influence to the overall style of the song and album. In fact, I think it would have been wonderful had Hubbard been included on other songs throughout as I feel the combination of styles would have taken 52nd Street to another level entirely.
However, the fade-out on the second solo begins too early. Thankfully, an unfaded version of Zanzibar exists on My Lives, thereby allowing Hubbard’s brilliance to become even more prominent on this classic tune.
Yes, sometimes less is more, but that is most certainly not the case here; although, I do understand why the second solo’s length was reduced as keeping it in would have not only detracted from the flow of the album but would have exceeded the ideal play length of the vinyl record.
Stiletto is one of the greatest songs of all time! That introduction, the beat, the rhythm, the jazziness. I love everything about Stiletto and the shifting styles, while risky from a fluidity perspective, is utterly perfect. A hidden gem if there ever was one.
Rosalinda’s Eyes is a little underwhelming, particularly after Stiletto. It’s a solid tune, but you’re unlikely to seek it out on its own.
Half A Mile Away picks up the tempo and brings us back to the brass-driven rhythm that works particularly well with Joel’s vocal recordings. Half A Mile Away may not have been a hit but it’s a great tune that should have achieved more recognition, if for no other reason than that incredible vocal performance.
Until The Night is another beautiful ballad by Joel and it would have been the perfect final tune as I don’t feel 52nd Street closes the album out well. The shift in vocal pitch, throughout, is a highlight as it lifts the listener’s attention through the more sombre elements of the song, but in all aspects Until The Night is a perfect song and another hidden gem that deserves more recognition than it often receives.
52nd Street, despite being the title track, is atrocious. It really should have been left off the album as it does nothing to encourage the listener to spin the record again and is one of the all-time worst closing tracks, on any record, by any artist, let alone one of such stature as Joel.
Overall, while it can be suggested that 52nd Street is the most unique of all of Joel’s albums, in that it doesn’t conform to a natural progression from his previous releases, it simultaneously offers music lovers an album filled with infectious melodies, intricate arrangements, and insightful lyrics. Yes, I’m critical about certain elements and while it isn’t his greatest album, I’ll be damned if I don’t admit to thoroughly enjoying it every time I listen to it. Let’s put it this way, Joel’s catalogue of music is enhanced by the presence of 52nd Street and, sometimes, that is all that is needed.