Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student assistant Julie (class of 2028) and features Billy Joel’s classic 1977 album The Stranger. Thanks, Julie!

Billy Joel
The Stranger

The Stranger is easily my favorite album by American pianist and singer-songwriter, Billy Joel. I grew up hearing his music blasting from the radio and my dad’s speaker, and while this album contains several of his popular, more up-beat hits such as “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” and “Only The Good Die Young,” I have to admit that “Vienna” and “She’s Always A Woman” have my heart.

Easily recognizable by its iconic piano introduction, “Vienna” leaves the listener with a gentle reminder to stop and smell the roses as a young adult; life doesn’t end with old age!

“She’s Always A Woman” is, I think, one of the most beautiful love songs out there. While it’s certainly mellow, the complexity of Joel’s melody and instrumentation make it stand out in a crowd without losing its approachability.

I’ll always jump at the chance to use my CD player, and for me, I found The Stranger to be the perfect soundtrack for a rainy day study session. With a stellar group of songs perfectly representing a wide variety of emotions, this album truly has something for everyone.