Billy Joel - “52nd Street” (1978)

Everything that Billy Joel intended to prove on 52nd Street, his 1978 followup work to The Stranger, is captured in the 40 minute cut, graced by an album cover to match. There he is: posted up, trumpet in hand, promoting the image of a “sidewalk voice” or “streetwise punk” (Rolling Stone, Ultimate Classic Rock) in one such dingy alley outside of New York’s East 52nd Street. 

Back in the 1940s, the simple reference to it was “The Street”. Rightly so, the title comes from the legendary jazz clubs on the block that housed the legends of the era in Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Count Basie. It was where the jazz, swing, and bebop movements all lived in the city, as the sounds of these spaces could be heard all around the jazz nightlife community.

Since jazz is the main inspiration for this album, it was only right that Joel sought inspiration from a place signature to the genre. It's also a setting that captures the main ideas of the album, centered around stories of nightlife and the clever one-liners that come from it.

Joel comes rocking onto the scene with the hits “Big Shot” and “My Life”, that stem from a place of frustration in both instances. The Halston Dress wearing, Dom Pérignon sipping, know-it-all woman in “Big Shot” is described by Joel in a sassy, fired-up type of way. “My Life” has a rather rebellious feel to it, as Joel tells the people in his life to essentially “Mind their business” - he is gonna live however the f**k he wants to. Sonically speaking, the pre-chorus slow down and build up that occur are everything in this song. The tension created here makes Joel’s singing of “Myyy Lifeee” feel like such an emotional release.

In between these two is one of the several piano ballads on this project in “Honesty”. I consider the song to be a juxtaposition to the flashy and materialistic feel of “Big Shot”. At this moment, Joel reflects on what values mean the most with living his “new kid on the block” lifestyle going forward. 

Then comes the groove! Vividly reminiscent of that 52nd Street vibe, we get “Zanzibar”. “I’ve got the old man’s car! I’ve got a Jazz guitar! I’ve got a tab at Zan-zi-barrr, Tonighhhtt, That’s wherrree, I’ll be, I’ll beee”. Here, Joel comes across as funky, playful, and overtly comfortable with his newfound jazzy style. Also worth noting is that my attention shifted to the lyrics of “Zanzibar” instantly, especially with the humorous comparisons between the yankees and romance in the second verse.

Grooving on, “Stilleto” features an intriguing storyline with some masterful production. I heard this song on XM Radio a couple of weeks ago and the piano riff on this song, with those exquisite complements of organ and snaps, has not left my head since. Picture a woman equally dangerous and manipulative as she is beautiful, clenching a stiletto in her hand. Her backup weapon is lust (which Joel clearly has for the lady) that exceeds any and all of the games she chooses to torture him with.

Halfway through the album now, and what we are left with is a bit of a mixed bag of moods and song topics. Both “Rosalinda’s Eyes” and “Until the Night” are a testament to Joel trying out other new styles on this album, aligning with the “experimental” trademark that has been placed on it. While “Rosalinda’s Eyes” doesn’t do much for me, “Until The Night” took some getting used to. Past the forced deep vocals and grand instrumentation of this song is a story worth telling; the tale of a nocturnal relationship, where life moves on when the lovers are apart, but stops when they are together. 

“Half a Mile Away” returns us back to the signature feel of the album, retelling the adventures of partying as a kid that most people can relate to in some form or another. You know, buying cheap wine, sneaking out of the house, and “Talk about women and lie, lie lieeee”. Ultimately, it captures the feeling of freedom one gets in transporting from a tame, at-home life to the nightlife scene that seems otherworldly.

At last, it all comes full circle on the closing track “52nd Street”. We might as well be enjoying a drink at “The Onyx” or “The Three Deuces” when listening to this song, as it takes us right to the source where the inspiration for this album began. Like those that played in the iconic clubs, Joel starts the song with a count-in, giving this soulful jam a very loose feel from the jump. I see it as a satisfactory ending to this album, with the fact that it pays homage to the work’s inspiration and immerses the listener in the nightlife scene with a fade-out to end it all off.