Piano Man is the second studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on November 14, 1973, by Columbia Records.[8] The album emerged from legal difficulties with Joel's former label, Family Productions, and ultimately became his first breakthrough album.
Piano Man | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 14, 1973 | |||
Recorded | September 1973 | |||
Studio | Devonshire, Los Angeles, California | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:51 | |||
Label | Family Productions/Columbia | |||
Producer | Michael Stewart | |||
Billy Joel chronology | ||||
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Singles from Piano Man | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C[4] |
Creem | D+[5] |
Disc | [6] |
Rolling Stone | positive[7] |
The title track, a fictionalized retelling of Joel's experiences with people he met as a lounge singer in Los Angeles, peaked at No. 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart. "Travelin' Prayer" and "Worse Comes to Worst" peaked at No. 77 and 80 on the Hot 100, respectively, while the album itself peaked at No. 27 on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in 1975, but Joel received only $8000 in royalties (US$43,508 in 2022 dollars[9]).[10]
Columbia Records released a two-disc legacy version of Piano Man in November 2011.[11]
This edition included a slightly truncated live 1972 Philadelphia 93.3 WMMR FM radio broadcast of early songs that Joel performed and recorded at the Philadelphia-based Sigma Sound Studios. This radio broadcast was extremely important to the success of Joel's music career because, after the show was recorded, the live recording of "Captain Jack" was played by the station and quickly became "the most requested song in the station's history". Once the popularity of this live recording was known, people working for Columbia Records heard the recording and signed Joel to the label.[12] The radio broadcast included three songs ("Long, Long Time"; "Josephine"; and "Rosalinda") that were never on any of Joel's studio albums.
All songs written by Billy Joel.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Travelin' Prayer" | 4:16 |
2. | "Piano Man" | 5:37 |
3. | "Ain't No Crime" | 3:20 |
4. | "You're My Home" | 3:14 |
5. | "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" | 5:35 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "Worse Comes to Worst" | 3:28 |
7. | "Stop in Nevada" | 3:40 |
8. | "If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)" | 3:35 |
9. | "Somewhere Along the Line" | 3:17 |
10. | "Captain Jack" | 7:15 |
Total length: | 42:51 |
Disc 2: Live at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 15, 1972
Adapted from the AllMusic credits.[13]
Live at Sigma Sound Studios, April 15, 1972
Production
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [13] |
The Guardian | [14] |
Ultimate Classic Rock | [15] |
Rolling Stone mused that Piano Man "represents a new seriousness and flexibility" for Joel, comparing it to the stylings of Elton John.[7] Reviewing the album, Billboard stated that it shows that Joel has a "fine shot at establishing himself as consistent quality AM artist with large scale songs and dynamic performing range.[16]
Weekly charts edit
Year-end charts edit
Certifications edit
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