Billy Joel: Songs In The Attic (1981)

Billy Joel had been making solo albums since 1971, including "Cold Spring Harbor", "Piano Man", "Streetlife Serenade", "Turnstiles", "The Stranger", "52nd Street" and the most recent "Glass Houses". The last three were a huge success. Billy also won a Grammy Award on each of them. Of the first four, "Piano Man" had yielded him the biggest single, but in 1981 these would become the basis of his first live album "Songs in the Attic".

For, you see, songs like "She's Got a Way" and "Everybody Loves You Now", taken from "Cold Spring Harbor", and "You're My Home", "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" and "Captain Jack" from "Piano Man", followed up by "Streetlife Serenader", "Los Angelenos", "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" , "Summer, Highland Falls", "I've Loved These Days" and "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go out on Broadway)", from the last two LPs, were not as familiar as the singles from the other three albums. Hence the title and the concept of "Songs in the Attic"!

This wasn't just going to be the first Billy Joel live album, but also his chance to readdress some of these older songs. According to Uncle Wiki, "Cold Spring Harbor" was not a widely available album at this point either. It was also Billy's opportunity to perform these songs with his band who had worked with him so well on the previous three albums. The pre-"Stranger" recordings for the most part had been session musicians. This album would also feature Phil Ramone as producer, this time working with Brian Ruggles on the live recordings. Billy and Phil's first work together had been "The Stranger".

Really, it was a win/win situation all around. Billy got to release these songs again, the public got a live album, and new fans who had discovered the music with "The Stranger" or "52nd Street" would almost be hearing new material (I wonder if they could have used this trick again after "River of Dreams" or "Fantasies and Delusions". Let's re-record "Zanzibar" and "Through the Long Night". How many people would actually know? Not that there would be any kind of deception. It would just appear new.)

As for "Songs in the Attic", the live performances were all compiled from concerts that took place between June and July 1980, from venues ranging from Madison Square Garden, New York to Paradise Rock Club in Boston, Massachusetts. Big songs like "Miami 2017", "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" or "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" were drawn from shows that took place at Madison Square Gardens, whereas more intimate ones like "She's Got a Way" or "Everybody Loves You Now" came from the Bayou in Washington, D.C. or the Paradise Rock Club. This is all quite effective.

In the end, you're not just getting the Billy Joel live album. You're getting remakes, featuring the band as they might have sounded had they been recorded after "The Stranger".

Single wise, "Songs in the Attic" produced three of them: "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", "She's got a Way" and "You're My Home", all of which should have done considerably well the first time around. Ah but better later than never, especially with the "Cold Spring Harbor" song. This single, reaching 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100, finally vindicates the early classic. It vindicates "Cold Spring Harbor". For this reason alone, I am a fan.

Album wise, "Songs in the Attic" reached Number 9 on the Australian albums chart with an even higher 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Things were well and truly moving steadily along before we could get to the next classics, "The Nylon Curtain" and "An Innocent Man" released in the following five years.

Let's look at the songs.

"Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go out on Broadway)" --- the album begins with this thunderous version of the post-apocalyptic classic from "Turnstiles". This improves on the album original for me. You also want to hear the version from the Carnegie Hall gig on "The Stranger" 30th.

"Summer, Highland Falls" --- the scope of the music shifts with this second classic from "Turnstiles". I would say both versions are about equal to me.

"Streetlife Serenader" --- again, both versions are equal, but this is the album that really exposed me to this song. It's pretty haunting to hear it live.

"Los Angelenos" --- the live setting for this song just seems to bring it more atmosphere than the studio.

"She's Got a Way" --- yes! This version gives this song the kudos it always deserved. Whenever it gets played on the radio, I feel so grateful. It was uncovered. It was redeemed. It was taken out of the attic. It should have done this well the first time.

"Everybody Loves You Now" --- like "Los Angelenos", the live setting gives it more atmosphere. I'm completely forgetting though what the band brought to this, which was clearly missing from the beginning.

"Say Goodbye to Hollywood" --- on last listen, this probably has the edge over the original for me. Oh what am I saying? I'm sure it does.

"Captain Jack" --- this gives me some idea of the excitement that must have surrounded this song in the beginning, which led to Billy's exposure to Columbia Records and his signing, which has ultimately led to this moment.

"You're My Home" --- another would-be hit, and honestly I wish it had more exposure again, but I can't complain really. There is certainly an audience of fans who admire this song and I'm part of that.

"The Ballad of Billy the Kid" --- this classic from "Piano Man" is given a live makeover with this classic version. I probably like both versions equally.

"I've Loved These Days" --- we come to an end with a selection from "Turnstiles". The character in this song has loved these days. I've loved the material drawn from these four albums and so this is a perfectly fitting conclusion.

Maybe an encore of "Piano Man" would have added something more to the proceedings, but then that would have been beside the point. It's "Songs in the Attic" and that's what you’re going to get in this LP which I thoroughly recommend to all music fans, far and wide, if you've never heard it before. And if you've heard it once, twice, a hundred times, play it again.

Thank you for reading, 

Ryan.