Vintage Vinyl Records: Billy Joel - Piano Man: Legacy Edition

Additional Information:

In late 1973 Columbia Records released Piano Man, its first album by Billy Joel. A New York-bred singer- songwriter-keyboardist, the artist would have a profound impact on popular music for years to come. The album's title track single, "Piano Man" took its time before debuting on the Hot 100 in February 1974, where it eventually rose to #25. The album went on to sell more than 4-times RIAA platinum to date, and is one of the corner-stones of Billy Joel's Columbia catalog of nearly 20 studio and live albums.

Almost four decades later, Piano Man (Legacy Edition) puts the groundbreaking 10-song album back in the spotlight. The new package includes a bonus CD of an entire previously unreleased 1972 live radio concert (predating Joel's Columbia signing by a year), a crucial stepping-stone in his career. Early support for Joel came from Philadelphia, specifically the top-rated FM station WMMR, which programmed a live concert series taped in the intimate Sigma Sound Studios. Billy recorded a concert for the series on April 15, 1972. Three of the 12 songs that he performed were destined for inclusion on his next album (more than a year and a half away) Piano Man: "Travelin Prayer," the Aaron Copland-esque "The Ballad Of Billy The Kid," and the notorious "Captain Jack." Tapes of the 'MMR concert made the rounds, with "Captain Jack" turning into an "underground" FM favorite. Some of those listeners happened to work for Columbia Records, and soon the groundwork was being laid for Billy Joel to come to New York and audition for the label. The rest, of course, is history but without the Philadelphia radio concert, that history might have taken a different direction indeed.

Disc 1: Piano Man
  1. Travelin' Prayer
  2. Piano Man
  3. Ain't No Crime
  4. You're My Home
  5. The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
  6. Worse Comes To Worst
  7. Stop In Nevada
  8. If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)
  9. Somewhere Along The Line
10. Captain Jack

Disc 2: Live April 1972 At Sigma Sound Studios, Wmmr Radio, Philadelphia, PA
  1. Introduction By Ed Sciaky
  2. Falling
  3. Intro To Travelin' Prayer
  4. Travelin' Prayer
  5. Intro To Billy The Kid
  6. The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
  7. Intro To She's Got A Way
  8. She's Got A Way
  9. Intro To Everybody Love You Now
10. Everybody Loves You Now
11. Intro To Nocturne
12. Nocturne
13. Station Id And Intro To Turnaround
14. Turnaround
15. Intro To Long, Long Time
16. Long, Long Time
17. Intro To Captain Jack
18. Captain Jack
19. Intro To Josephine
20. Josephine
21. Intro To Rosalinda
22. Rosalinda
23. Tomorrow Is Today