Cold Spring Harbor by Billy Joel
Cold Spring Harbor is the first solo album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on November 1, 1971. He had already released three albums as a member of the bands The Hassles (1966 to 1969) and Attila (1970). Cold Spring Harbor was released by Family Productions, but through an error in the album's mastering, the songs played slightly too fast, causing Joel's voice to sound unnaturally high , Joel joked that he sounded more like one of The Chipmunks than himself. According to a long standing rumor, when Joel first heard the finished product, he "ripped it off the turntable, ran out of the house, and threw [the record] down the street."
At the tender age of 22, Billy Joel laid the building blocks for his impressive career as a consummate storyteller and pianist on his revealing debut album. Beautiful ballad “She’s Got a Way” was the first of many unabashedly romantic declarations to come, over deliciously descending chords and a McCartney-esque melody. The piano sounds like a carnival on the barrelling “Everybody Loves You Now” and he shines a light on his impeccable keyboard skills with “Nocturne”, a delicate, haunting instrumental.
