Billy Joel Turnstiles (Numbered 180g Vinyl LP)

Billy Joel Expands Musical Horizons on the Album That Turned Him into a Superstar: Turnstiles Includes "New York State of Mind," "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," and "Angry Young Man"

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes: Brill Building Sound Courses Through with Stellar Transparency on Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM LP

By 1976, Billy Joel had proven his merit as an auteur of California-based singer-songwriter pop-rock. On Turnstiles, the legend focuses his attention on more ambitious matters: Making an album whose scope and range dwarf that of his previous work, and that shot his star into the stratosphere. Encompassing everything from urgent rock to soft pop and saloon fare, Turnstiles is a classic of major proportions.

Pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing and housed in a Stoughton jacket, Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP present Joel's encompassing music the way it was always intended to be experienced: Intimate, detailed, expressive, warm. The record's widescreen sonics are properly cinematic, flush with colors, textures, and atmosphere. You can hear the delicate nuances of Joel's phrasing, pregnant pauses, and introspective emotion with exceptional clarity. In addition, the spectrum of the orchestra's power, ravishing poignancy of the lyrics, and bittersweet qualities of the melodies bloom with unforced immediacy. The veiled sonic character and stultifying dryness of prior pressings are gone, presenting Joel and his crack band with illuminating feeling.

Progressing away from sensitivity, Joel casts his eye towards broader horizons. For him, that meant moving from the West Coast back to his native New York and embracing the city's doo-wop, Broadway, and R&B heritage. Joel's diversity comes through in a spectacle of memorable tunes, including the infectious "All You Wanna Do Is Dance," acerbic "Angry Young Man," and gorgeous "I've Loved These Days."

Still, no song better illustrates the allure and breadth of Turnstiles more than "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," bathed in the sort of fabulous Phil Spector sound, huge drum echoes, and Brill Building orchestral sweep that Joel grew up on. Similarly, the sprawling ballad "New York State of Mind" clearly states the singer's vision and mood. On the definitive track, Joel luxuriates in full string accompaniment and soulful saxophone playing that gives the pop standard its foundation. Not for nothing did Joel insist on keeping his touring band for the album.

Supported by talents such as arranger Kenny Ascher, guitarist James Herb Smith, and percussionist Mingo Lewis, Joel succeeds in wrapping his head around a rich swath of American pop music, stopping by way of New Orleans, Kansas City, Memphis, Chicago, and other cities on his way from California back to the Garden State. While lacking the fame of the subsequent The Stranger and 52nd Street, Turnstiles is in every way their equal.