| Streetlife Serenade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Billy Joel | ||||
| Released | October 11, 1974 | |||
| Recorded | 1974, Devonshire Sound, North Hollywood, CA | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 37:41 | |||
| Label | Family Productions/Columbia | |||
| Producer | Michael Stewart | |||
| Billy Joel chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (C) [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (Not Rated) [3] |
Streetlife Serenade is Billy Joel's third album, and his second with Columbia Records.
Streetlife Serenade was released in 1974 (see 1974 in music), after the hit songs "Piano Man" and "Captain Jack" from the album Piano Man. The album did not enjoy the financial success of its predecessor, and marked the beginning of Joel's frosty relationship with music critics and the music industry in general. In the song "The Entertainer", Joel mocks the callousness of executives who care little about a musician's artistry or even feelings (even references the fact that many radio stations at the time would only play a severely radio edited version of "Piano Man"):
"The Entertainer" reached #34 on the US Singles Chart.
The album contains two songs that featured in many of Joel's live shows. He would regularly open the program with "The Mexican Connection" (One of the album's two instrumentals; "Root Beer Rag" was the other) and finish with the short piano-only (and encore ready) ballad "Souvenir."
Contents |
All songs by Billy Joel.
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | US Billboard Pop Albums | 35 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "The Entertainer" | Pop Singles | 34 |