Billy Joel – An Innocent Man

s note - Lacquers cut by Kevin Gray. Same plates as 2011 edition.

First up, this is a very poorly recorded album, as far as vocals are concerned. There is so much sibilance it is ridiculous, and how it got out the door is beyond me. Thankfully, Kevin Gray has done as much as possible to tame these flaws. This pressing is by far the best - it’s even better than the MOFI 45rpm as even Kurt failed to get the vocal issue fixed. This pressing is probably as good as it will ever get.

With respect, this press is absolute junk. Yes the bass is great, however that’s where it ends. There is significant vocal distortion on Tell Her About. The EQ has been severely tweaked and not to good effect - the mids have been completely sucked out of the recording. The MOFI 45rpm is superior in every respect. Don’t waste your time or money chasing this one.

Been a long time since I listened to AN INNOCENT MAN, and it holds up very well. So many hits on this album, but the title track and "Tell Her About It" are personal favorites. This pressing sounds very good, drums and piano in particular are punchy and clear. My copy plays nice and clean with no surface noise of note.

Getting harder to find new, it seems. MusicDirect is the only place I found, and they’re charging $40 in late August of 2024 (extra $10).

Sounds good outta my tubes/Harbeths

MY favorite '80s Billy Joel album! He just couldn't misfire on this one if he really wanted to. I my mother having the audio cassette copy and playing it quite a bit back around the time of its release. Talk about childhood nostalgia hitting harder than it should, lol! Every track on this one is a bona fide gem. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED whether you're a Billy Joel fan or not. NOTE: early CD pressings have the proper track listing printed on the disc face in case you were wondering.

This Dutch pressed version is top tier. Red>Orange CBS label, Both sides should be cut at STERLING, one of the Sterling stamps is quite hard to pick out. Terrific pressing. Some of these were also used in the UK market as well.

Of the various UK versions this Dutch pressed one is THE one. It’s the only one which was cut entirely at Sterling Sound in NYC. It’s a fabulous sounding record, and cheap as chips as well.

Find a clean and quiet copy of this and it will blow you away. Fabulous sound quality.

Love this Japanese pressing. This is really great all around. it’s hard to imagine that any of them sound better than this pressing.