As Music Director of WMMR in 1972, I booked, produced and mixed this Billy Joel Sigma Sound Show. I was pretty sure "Captain Jack" was a hit the night of live broadcast.

I became convinced when my mother, who was listening at home, called to say she didn't like that song about the suburban kids, especially the masturbate part and the mother makes your bed part.

BINGO! SUBURBAN TEENAGE ANGST!

The fixed drum flub is actually a relief to me -- it's been driving me crazy ever since then.

I am sad old friend Ed Sciaky, the WMMR DJ extraordinaire who announced the show, did not live to see this concert released officially. And I wish my mother was around to finally know this epic musical evening has reached the public, and I was at last credited by Sony/Columbia/Legacy.

Thanks to Jon Takiff for the great notes.

-- Dennis Wilen

Sometimes you DO get what you pay for. If you have an SACD player or even if you don't this CD/SACD disc features probably the best transfer I've heard of "Piano Man" in the digital realm. Joel's second album also generated a minor hit with the title track "Piano Man" but what it is most noticeable for is how it was influenced by The Band and Elton John--the latter's "Tumbleweed Connection" (itself influenced by The Band)clearly informed Joel's songwriting here whether it be about Billy the Kid with it's Aaron Copeland influenced string arrangement (that also at times recalls western scores like those from "The Big Country" and of composer Elmer Bernstein who wrote the score for the seminal western "The Magnficent Seven")or the epic commentary track "Captain Jack" about a suburban teenager's life including drug use to take the edge off his boredom. Each track has its own unique character and Joel manages to embrace a variety of styles from lounge singer to social commentator.

Lyrically this isn't Joel's best album with some lyrics a bit clumsy compared to his later work but the ambition and talent are both on display.

The CD layer sounds terrific and for those who have an SACD player, again, we get additional depth, warmth and a superior soundstage. The SACD layer IS NOT in 5.1 I should note as there are those that might wonder about that. Nevertheless, it sounds warm and captures little details that probably haven't been noticed since the album was first mastered.

Recommended.

Of the three albums released between 1971 and 1975, "Piano Man" is easily the best of Joel's recorded output from that period. It is by far his most cohesive and polished of the three ("Cold Spring Harbor" and the following year's "Streetlife Serenade" are the other two), and it includes some of the best material in his catalogue.

"Travelin' Prayer" is a mock country number set to a fast paced hodown rhythm as Billy, an admitted atheist Jew from Long Island, feably attempts to ask God to look after his loved one "far across the sea." Though it seems like a filler track, it is actually a very solid number, and the structure of the melody and the way it is arranged on record is nothing short of amazing. The blending of the piano with the bass and drums is beautiful, and the banjo playing is awesome.

Next comes the album's title track, which obviously needs very little to be said. Though Billy has done more complex and impressive material both lyrically and melodically, this song easily personifies Billy and is deserevedly his signature song. A true classic with rich lyrical detail and a timeless melody.

"Ain't No Crime" is a gospel rave-up with beautiful harmonies and tough, rollicking rhythm. This song was a major staple of Billy's live set list in the 1970s', and was even more exciting in that conext.

"You're My Home" is a beautiful, atmospheric ballad with great lyrics and some hugely impressive instrumental work. The guitar strumming on the intro is incredibly beautiful and one of the most complex arrangements Billy ever wrote.

"The Ballad Of Billy The Kid" is probably the second or third most well known tune on the album after the title track, an epic tribute to the Old West with fantastic lyrics, a piercing, atmospheric melody and arrangement, and a raw, powerful Billy vocal. I've seen Billy perform this song live three times, but I have yet to hear a version match the unbridled passion and intensity of the studio version.

"Worst Comes To Worst" is another, solid catchy albums that hold sits own against the album's stronger tracks. The lyrics are very clever and Billy's sly vocals adds an extra flair to them.

"Stop In Nevada" is another epic number, a tride and true 1970s' folk rock ballad reminscent of Poco, Bread and various other bands of that ilk. There are many great lines in this song ("With some money in her pocket, she's a rocket on the Fourth Of July"), and the song paints a vivid picture of the longing and detemination present in the 1970s', especially amongst females of the era. Great song.

"If I Only Had The Words" and "Somewhere Along The Line" are perfectly crafted MOR pop ballads, and should've been bigger hits than they were. The latter song sounds especially Elton John influenced, who at the time was the premier rock pianist until Billy hit his stride four years later with "The Stranger."

We come to the album's closing number, "Captain Jack." Ah, how hard it is to put my feelings towards this dark, brooding masterpiece in the word. A darkly atmospheric attack on the decadence of the early 1970s' drug culture post-Vietnam, this song is arguably the best thing Billy ever recorded. With its grim singalong chorus and graphic imagery (lines about masturbation, nose picking and smoking pot), this song is an absolutely chilling experienece that is also a pure crowdpleaser in concert.

"Piano Man" might not be a masterpiece, but it's definitely an exciting look at what was to come for the boy from Hicksville, Long Island.

Billy Joel's second solo album garnered good radio play and sales with the hit single "Piano Man". The remaster of the first disc is pretty well done (although the Mobile Fidelity SACD is the best sounding master out there)but the real reason to pick this up is the superb second disc--Joel did a live radio concert at Philadelphia's WMMR on April 15, 1972 putting on an exceptional performance with his touring band with selections from his first two solo albums.

This holy grail of live performances for Joel fanatics finally appears with excellent sound (it has been bootlegged over the years) and allows fans to hear three songs that Joel never recorded in the studio-- the exceptional "Long, Long Time", "Josephine" and a song written for Joel's mother "Rosalinda" (a different song from the popular Joel song "Rosalinda's Eyes").

The mastering here by Ted Jensen (and the remixing which includes some minor fixes to the tapes including the addition of a missing note and the removal of mistakes on one track by Joel's drummer at the time)is pretty good for the radio performance. Capturing Joel early in his career before fame began to overwhelm him and with his early touring band the performances are exceptionally good with Joel an engaging and charming performer. The song performances are separated out from Joel's introductions so that those who just want to hear the songs can program their CD player to skip the introductions or rip them without them.

We also get an excellent booklet that discusses the circumstances around both the recording of Joel's second album as well as the radio show performance and how it occurred.

I'm hoping that at some point the other albums will get deluxe reissues with various shows added as a second disc but even if this (along with the deluxe "The Stranger" from a couple of years back) is all we get, I'm satisfied with both the quality and the pricing (this is priced the same as a single disc release)of this set.

Highly recommended.

In my mind, it was the singers like James Taylor, Neil Diamond, and Billy Joel who shaped the music of the '70's and powerfully influenced pop music of the following generations. I might get argument in my feeling that there is noticeable influence by both of the other singer/writers in Billy Joel's output, and that's no putdown because he still has his individual style, even if flavors of the other two are there.

"Travelin' Prayer" is indeed a strong opening song, one that expresses love for the woman while portraying a feeling that there is a being listening, though he doesn't really know how to talk to that being. "Piano Man" is of course the signature hit. But "You're My Home" and "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" are definitely significant, and "Stop In Nevada" deserves recognition. And the conclusion, "Captain Jack", is up there with the best of the '70's.

If you're at all into the influential music that started in the 70's, you need at least one Billy Joel CD, and there is much more depth in this one then you'll find in a collection that just has his major hits.