This piece of news may be a non-issue for some. But anyone that has followed the career of Billy Joel might be well enamored of his The Nylon Curtain gem from 1982. I can say that I find the album to be his unsung masterpiece. With songs like “Allentown”, “Laura”, “Pressure”, and the unrelenting perfection of “Goodnight Saigon”, the album has more going for it than it was/is given credit for.
For those of us with SACD players, and some of you lucky to have PS3s with SACD capability, it is my absolute pleasure to inform you that Mobile Fidelity will be reissuing this classic in Original Master Recording series Hybrid SACD format on October 2.
What more can I say about this than I’m very excited. As excited as I am to get a Steve Wilson remixed Trilogy (ELP) album. And let me say…that’s quite excited.
Thanks, Mobile Fidelity. You have just made my year!
I am guessing that this isn’t a 5.1 release. What sucks is that I just bought The Nylon Curtain when you wrote about it several months ago, extolling it’s virtues. I wish I would have waited.
Mobile doesn’t do 5.1…but I would – and will- stop at nothing to get his SACD, even if just to hear the beauty of “Good Night Saigon”.
I’m not sure it’s worth getting an SACD player for just this, but if there’s an album worthy of the format it’s definitely The Nylon Curtain!
I agree. Great album like this could urge me towards a player
A sacd player isn’t that expensive 129.99 in a Sony bluray player.
just do a google search for Sony BDP-S590 and one of the first choices is Sony.com.
Of course if you don’t already have a 5.1 receiver and speakers the player is just the tip of the iceburg.
This is myself favorite Billy Joel album. In fact, it is the last album of his that I even like but that is a whole different story. I’m sure the remaster will sound good but let’s hope they don’t over compress it as is common these days. It would be a shame to lose the quieter moments. I would have preferred to have a 5.1 mix if nothing else just for “Scandinavian Skies” but a good stereo SACD is better than a regular CD.
Coleman, you couldn’t be more wrong about Billy not having anything worthwhile after The Nylon Curtain. An Innocent Man, while about as different as you can get from The Nylon Curtain, is every bit as classic an album.
Also, I think River of Dreams is not only Billy’s most underrated album, but one of the best, most underrated albums of the 90s. I think that album’s right there with The Nylon Curtain, The Stranger, and An Innocent Man for his very best.
Some albums are better than others, but I don’t think he ever had a total dud, and every album of his has something, several somethings, worthwhile. I only wish Billy hadn’t quit writing songs. It’s been almost 20 years!
I’d love to see Rick Rubin, or someone of similar stature, kick his ass into gear and get him back in the studio.