The Stranger

Billy Joel began his long collaboration with producer Phil Ramone on The Stranger, recording with a band whose playing gives the songs a strong sense of place. The arrangements move between piano-led intimacy and busy street-level scenes without making either side feel separate from the other.

“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” joins several musical settings inside one story. “Just the Way You Are” works more quietly, while “Movin' Out” pushes forward on rhythm. Those different forms let Joel's character writing and melodic instincts support each other.