200 MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS : #29. Continues tomorrow.

THE CAFFE` LATTE`

200

MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.

#29

AN INNOCENT MAN: BILLY JOEL 

 [1983] 

On 'An Innocent Man', Billy Joel paid tribute to the early rock and R&B music that influenced him as a performer. Each track recalls the seminal sounds of the late 1950s and Sixties. There's a nod to Motown in "Tell Her About It", his US #1 hit from this LP. "Uptown Girl" is in the tradition of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Album opener "Easy Money" evokes the Stax/ Volt sound of acts such as Otis Redding. The title track channels Roy Orbison. The vocal / doo wop groups are represented by "The Longest Time". Most important is that there is fun oozing out of each track. "This Night" is a joyous old school track. The Joel on this album is a man in love. "Christie Lee" is a straightshooting rock 'n roll ode to his new partner. His relationship with Christie Brinkley was blossoming at the time and influenced the record's cheerful mood. There's no filler and the album flows well from start to finish. Unfortunately, this was Joel's final album of consistent quality.

Highlight tracks: Uptown Girl; This Night; An Innocent Man; The Longest Time & Tell Her About It.