The Stranger - 30th Anniversary Edition (2CD's + DVD) (1977)

"Much of the success of Billy Joel's fifth album has been attributed to his pairing with producer Phil Ramone. But Joel already had his artistic breakthrough on 1976's "Turnstiles" and "The Stranger" built upon that, carrying through on that record's combination of dramatic spectacle, gentle ballads, and McCartneyesque melody. The bonus disc captures Billy's concert at Carnegie Hall on June 3, 1977, held just prior to the recording of "The Stranger", while the DVD contains a concert first aired on the BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test in March 1978, along with the live promo videos for "The Stranger" and "Just the Way You Are" (there's also a 30-minute documentary on the making of the album). This, combined with the emphasis in David Fricke's liner notes on how Joel and band performed most of the album live in the studio, winds up shining the spotlight on Billy's strengths as a bandleader and showman, as well as his songs." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)