Maps of Music

Songs in the Attic (1981)

Where the lyrics of Songs in the Attic take you, and where it was really made.

Billy Joel's first live album brought songs from his 1971 debut to a wide audience for the first time.

Key places

Recorded at Madison Square Garden (1981)

Recording site Madison Square Garden — Tracks A1 and B4 were recorded live at Madison Square Garden in June 1980. The point is set at building level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Paradise Rock Club (1981)

Recording site Paradise Rock Club — Track A5 was recorded live at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston in June 1980. The point is set at building level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Toad's Place (1981)

Recording site Toad's Place — Track A4 was recorded live at Toad's Place in New Haven in July 1980. The point is set at building level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Rosemont Horizon (1981)

Recording site Allstate Arena (formerly Rosemont Horizon) — Track B5 was recorded live at the Rosemont Horizon, listed in the candidates as Allstate Arena, in July 1980. The point is set at building level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Songs in the Attic is the first live album by Billy Joel, released in 1981
• At release, it was the first widely available appearance of music from his debut album Cold Spring Harbor, released in 1971
• Tracks come from his early albums, and the live versions were recorded on his 1980 US tour
• The record contains live recordings from concerts in eight cities

Background

• On earlier albums, most instruments were played by session musicians, while Joel sang and played piano, keyboards, and harmonica
• By the late 1970s Joel had a fairly consistent touring and recording band
• He wanted to showcase his songs as played by that band
• Liner notes by Joel say the album introduced his earlier work to fans who came to know him after The Stranger

Recording

• Live material was taken from June and July 1980 concerts
• Cities included New York, Boston, Washington D.C., St. Paul, New Haven, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Chicago/Rosemont
• Recorded by The Tom Jung/Road-80 Recording Truck
• Produced by Phil Ramone; mixed by Elliot Scheiner and Jim Boyer; mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
• Half-speed mastering was done at the CBS Recording Studios in New York

Cover

• Design by Paula Scher; photography by Dan Weaks

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born May 9, 1949 in the Bronx, New York City; raised in Hicksville on Long Island.
• Began piano lessons at age four at his mother's insistence.
• Saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show and decided to pursue a music career.
• Played in the Echoes, the Hassles, and Attila before going solo.

Career

• Debut solo album Cold Spring Harbor (1971); signed with Columbia Records in 1972 after a Philadelphia radio broadcast of "Captain Jack".
• Breakthrough with The Stranger (1977), Columbia's best-selling release at that time.
• 52nd Street (1978) won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
• Released 12 self-written studio albums from 1971 to 1993; over 160 million records sold worldwide.
• Performed a long Madison Square Garden residency from 2014 to 2024.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released in 1981 as Billy Joel's first live album
• It was the first widely available appearance of music from Cold Spring Harbor, the debut released in 1971
• Two songs were issued as singles: Say Goodbye to Hollywood and She's Got a Way
• Three of the promotional videos were released as worldwide official singles
• The track selection comes from his first four albums (ja wiki: 初期4枚のアルバムで発表された曲が選ばれ)
• Among the tracks, Captain Jack and The Ballad of Billy the Kid are long concert versions in the set

Records

• Say Goodbye to Hollywood peaked at number 17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
• She's Got a Way reached number 23 on the same chart
• The Billy the Best compilation includes live versions of these songs (本作のライヴ・ヴァージョンが収録されている)
• The album's tracks were recorded across 1980 concert dates and assembled into a single live release in 1981

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Five promotional music videos were filmed: four at Sparks Saloon in Huntington, NY, and one in a recording studio.
• Track length of A5 was corrected: the printed 2:44 on the center label is replaced in the tracklist by the actual 2:59.
• Most of the instruments on the earlier albums were played by session musicians, while Joel sang and played piano, keyboards, and harmonica.
• The album was mastered at half speed at the CBS Recording Studios in New York.
• The Billy the Best compilation later included live versions of two songs from this album.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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