901. Billy Joel / Streetlife Serenade. 1974. 2.5/5

After two albums that had had varying degrees of success and popularity, and a career that was beginning to head in the right direction, the story goes that Billy Joel was under some pressure from the record company to get out another album to build on the success of Piano Man. Writing time was at a premium, and one could safely say that that does seem to come through in the music on Streetlife Serenade.

"Streetlife Serenader" starts the album off calmly and, dare I say it, serenely. As it turns out, the opening song seems to set the standard for the majority of the album, as for the most part the songs here are set in a calming atmosphere that is rarely broken free of. "Los Angelenos" and "The Great Suburban Showdown" are songs that are fine but that don't quite break out of the mould that has been set here. "The Great Suburban Showdown" could have been an Eagles song without the harmonies that band would have brought to the table.
"Roberta" is a pretty song, featuring the best of Billy's 'sweet' vocals. "Last of the Big Time Spenders" is again kept afloat more by Billy's marvellous vocals than by the music itself. "Weekend Song" sounds like it should be being performed live in a blues club, while "Souvenir" is a short piano ballad which on its own is another that showcases the best of his ability on both the keys and his vocals.
The two piano instrumentals on the album are of differing styles, and both are excellent. "Root Beer Rag" is very much as the title suggests, a honky tonk ragtime musical piece "The Mexican Connection" closes the album in its beautiful style, upbeat in mood and writing, it has the other instruments firmly in the background while the piano takes centre stage. It is a clear, crisp musical interlude to finish off the album on a high note.
"The Entertainer" is the song that stands out from the crowd on this album. It is the one song that shows some urgency, some real passion and energy. The song builds throughout its 3 minutes and 41 seconds, with another instrument coming into the song with each verse, until by the end we have a cacophony all blended together to make the song sound like a musical production in itself. Billy's vocals also build through the song, starting off quietish as he explains his way through his career, until we get to the end where he is at his biggest point. It's a cleverly written and performed song, which is still one of my favourites of his, and really does tower over this album as its masterpiece.

I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about this album. You can't question the musicianship on the album, but it does feel as though there is something missing in the song writing. "The Entertainer" is the absolute stand out song on the album, but apart from that the others all have little to distinguish themselves from the ordinary. It is an easy listen to put this album on and let it run through, but even now when it is over, there's probably not a lot of encouragement to listen to it once again.

Rating:  "I'm not a serenader, and I'm not a long haired band".  2.5/5