Billy Joel - An Innocent Man

Billy Joel An Innocent Man on numbered limited edition Hybrid SACD from Mobile Fidelity

Infectious doo-wop, carefree soul, harmonious pop a testament to music of Joel's childhood

Another Joel blockbuster: Seven-times platinum 1983 affair includes "Uptown Girl," "For the Longest Time," "An Innocent Man," and "Tell Her About It"

After making The Nylon Curtain, Billy Joel felt the need to exhale and get back to the carefree music of his childhood. He also met supermodel Christie Brinkley, who brought serious degrees of levity and romance to his world. In love, relaxed, and out to have fun, the singer crafted An Innocent Man, arguably the most easygoing and pleasing album of his career. Featuring four Top 40 pop singles and the same number of Top Five Adult Contemporary hits to grace the Billboard charts, the record remains a commercial staple. 

An essential title in Mobile Fidelity's Billy Joel catalog restoration series, An Innocent Man is mastered from the original master tapes. The resulting presentation effortlessly outshines that heard on all previous editions of this 1983 set. Particularly, the effervescent harmonies now possess an airiness and extension that lends to realistic tonal decay. Instruments are balanced and placed on a wider, deeper soundstage, contributing improved to improved imaging and spaciousness. Joel's voice, too, comes across with tremendous clarity, presence, and body. These songs have never sounded so contagious.

Whether floating on a cloud on the giddy "Uptown Girl" (check out his falsetto), doubling as both the lead and background vocalist on the reminiscent-themed "The Longest Time," or tapping gospel undercurrents on the tribute "Keeping the Faith,"Joel revels in 1950s and '60s pop constructs, turning out amiable refrains and unforgettable moods. Love perfumes the air, and Joel can't get enough, and it's a feeling he passes on to his listeners. This product is a Hybrid SACD designed to play in both CD and SACD players, as well as all SACD-compatible DVD players.