Piano Man (Billy Joel album)
1973 studio album by Billy Joel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Piano Man is the second studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on November 14, 1973, by Columbia Records.[3] The album emerged from legal difficulties with Joel's former label, Family Productions, and ultimately became his breakthrough album. It was initially planned to be released in the UK in May 1974 by Philips but ended up being released there in April 1975 by CBS.[4]
| 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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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 $8,000 in royalties (US$47,866 in 2025 dollars[5]).[6]
Legacy edition
Columbia Records released a two-disc legacy version of Piano Man in November 2011.[7]
This edition features a somewhat abbreviated live 1972 broadcast from Philadelphia's Philadelphia 93.3 WMMR FM radio, capturing early performances by Joel recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. This particular broadcast was instrumental in catalyzing Joel's musical career. Following the recording of the show, the live rendition of "Captain Jack" became a staple on the station, ultimately becoming the most requested song in WMMR's history. The burgeoning popularity of this live recording attracted the attention of Columbia Records executives, who subsequently offered Joel a recording contract. Additionally, the broadcast included three tracks—"Long, Long Time", "Josephine", and "Rosalinda"—which were not featured on any of Joel's studio albums.[8]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C[10] |
| Creem | D+[11] |
| Disc | [12] |
| The Guardian | [13] |
| Rolling Stone | positive[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.[14] 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]
Track listing
Original release
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 | |
2011 Legacy Edition bonus disc
Disc 2: Live at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 15, 1972
- "Introduction by Ed Sciaky" – 0:29
- "Falling of the Rain" – 2:33
- "Intro to Travelin' Prayer" – 0:17
- "Travelin' Prayer" – 3:11
- "Intro to Billy the Kid" – 0:50
- "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" – 5:36
- "Intro to She's Got a Way" – 1:03
- "She's Got a Way" – 3:08
- "Intro to Everybody Loves You Now" – 1:19
- "Everybody Loves You Now" – 2:56
- "Intro to Nocturne" – 0:59
- "Nocturne" – 2:46
- "Station ID and Intro to Turn Around" – 1:31
- "Turn Around" – 3:26
- "Intro to Long, Long Time" – 1:19
- "Long, Long Time" – 4:46
- "Intro to Captain Jack" – 1:19
- "Captain Jack" – 6:56
- "Intro to Josephine" – 1:40
- "Josephine" – 3:23
- "Intro to Rosalinda" – 0:33
- "Rosalinda" – 3:03
- "Tomorrow Is Today" – 5:11
Personnel
Adapted from the AllMusic credits.[17]
- Billy Joel – vocals, acoustic and electric pianos, organ, harmonica
- Michael Omartian – accordion, arrangements (tracks 1–4, 6–10)
- Jimmie Haskell – arrangements (track 5)
- Richard Bennett, Larry Carlton, and Dean Parks – guitars
- Eric Weissberg – banjo, pedal steel guitar
- Fred Heilbrun – banjo
- Wilton Felder, and Emory Gordy Jr. – bass guitar
- Ron Tutt – drums (tracks 1–9)
- Rhys Clark – drums (track 10)
- Billy Armstrong – violin
- Laura Creamer, Mark Creamer, and Susan Steward – backing vocals
Live at Sigma Sound Studios, April 15, 1972
- Billy Joel – piano, harmonica, vocals
- Al Hertzberg – acoustic and electric guitars
- Larry Russell – bass guitar
- Rhys Clark – drums
- Dennis Wilen – producer
Production
- Michael Stewart – producer
- Ron Malo – engineer
- Ted Jensen – remastering
- Beverly Parker – design
- Bill Imhofe – illustration
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[28] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[29] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[30] | Gold | 7,500‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[31] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||