Streetlife Serenade

About Streetlife Serenade

Streetlife Serenade is the third studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on October 11, 1974, by Columbia Records. The follow-up to Piano Man (1973), it was his last release until 1993's River of Dreams to be mostly recorded with session musicians, while Joel himself sang and played piano and other keyboards, although some of his backing musicians, guitarists Don Evans and Al Hertzberg, and banjo/pedal steel guitarist Tom Whitehorse played on the album. Joel also used synthesizers for the first time, namely the Moog synthesizer. The album peaked at No. 35 on the charts, eventually selling over 1 million copies. That was less than its predecessor, and marked the beginning of Joel's frosty relationship with critics and the music industry in general. Joel's live shows in the 1970s frequently featured the instrumental "Root Beer Rag" and the short song "Souvenir", which Joel often played as the final encore . Live versions of "Streetlife Serenader" and "Los Angelenos" appeared on Joel's first live album, Songs in the Attic (1981) more »