Billy Joel/Live from Long Island Japanese Special Edition

The official out-of-print video “LIVE FROM LONG ISLAND” was produced in the midst of a string of big hits. This is the definitive edition that combines two special Japanese versions. “LIVE FROM LONG ISLAND” is a truly illusory masterpiece. It was a multi-camera pro shot taken at the “Uniondale performance on December 29, 1982”, which was one act of “THE NYLON CURTAIN Tour”, and it was also Billy’s first video work. It was a fate of the video popularization era that it went out of print in a flash, but for some reason it has not been made into an official DVD until now, and South American DVDs and CDs of the video drop have been distributed under the guise of being official. This work is a two-disc set that compiles two of the best versions of such classic and out-of-print footage. Now, let’s introduce each disc. [DISC 1: Japanese broadcast version with great lyric subtitles] First up is the broadcast version that was released before the official video was released. This is the Japanese special “Hot Wind in the Skyscrapers… Billy Joel New York Live” version, which was broadcast on a certain Japanese commercial station. Our shop introduces the finest masters of core record enthusiasts, and this work is one of them. You can enjoy the precious broadcast version with superb quality that is not inferior to the laser disc version described later. And the content is also special. The broadcast time frame of about 52 minutes is shorter than the official product version described later, and of course the number of songs included is significantly fewer. So is it meaningless…? Not at all. It is sprinkled with (plenty) charm that you cannot experience in the product version. Unique charm 1 “Until The Night” The official product version has a total of 16 songs, while the broadcast version has only 7 songs. It’s not a match at all, but only one of them, “Until The Night”, is not included in the product version. Unique charm 2 “Interview” What you can’t see in the product version is the interview inserted between the songs and the biography corner introducing Billy’s career. The bio is chronological, but the interview is valuable. The scene where he shows his fingers that can no longer move due to the aftereffects of a motorcycle accident is particularly vivid. Unique charm number 3: Lyric subtitles And the best part is the Japanese subtitles. Of course the interviews are fully subtitled, but the lyrics are also subtitled in Japanese. And all 7 songs. This is a technique that is not often seen in today’s world where the nuance of the original lyrics is emphasized, but the vivid meaning of the lyrics is still a special pleasure. Unique charm number 4: Nostalgic commercials Just watching the main live performance is enough, but what’s even more shocking are the commercials that are played in between. This special program was sponsored solely by a certain electronics manufacturer, and the commercials are intense. When the commercial part starts, a black screen suddenly appears with white letters saying, “Do you know what a compact disc is?” Yes, this was a time when the abbreviation “CD” had not even been established. Then, the logo is displayed on the screen and he begins to say solemnly, “Perhaps it’s a sound you’ve never heard before. That’s what a compact disc is.” Furthermore, Billy’s song is played with the caption “Listen to the invention,” and the principle of the optical disk (which is now common knowledge) is solemnly introduced. The mood is as if they had discovered the monolith in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” And it’s not just CDs. In the second half of the program, Beta hi-fi is promoted with the message “Are you conscious of the sound when you watch videos?”, and it is said that “1983 must be remembered as the year when video sound achieved a quality suitable for the digital audio era.” Of course, such memories are lost, but just as the gap in time cannot be filled, an important announcement is made at the end of the program: “We are pleased to announce the birth of the first Walkman.” Of course, it is not the first Walkman, but it is loudly declared that it is the same size as a cassette case. And the final blow is the price of each. It’s okay that the Walkman is 27,000 yen, but a simple CD deck is 145,000 yen, and a Beta deck is 299,000 yen. The seriousness of the manufacturer towards the arrival of the digital age, and the contrast between the heavy production and the poor content. We have introduced various music program commercials so far, but such a strong commercial video has never been seen before. [DISC 2: The highest quality Japanese LD version] It’s been quite long, but it’s DISC 2 that has musical meaning. This is the highest quality reprint of the official work “LIVE FROM LONG ISLAND” in history. The source is the Japanese laser disc released at the time. It has been meticulously digitized from that mint quality version. The quality is truly the best. The resolution itself is different from VHS, and the storage capacity is incomparable to analog tape. Moreover, there is no physical playback unevenness that is unavoidable with tape, and there is no noise degradation. The Japanese broadcast touted CDs and Beta hi-fi, but LD was a much more amazing technology… the beautiful images show this fact. And the biggest attraction of this version is the number of songs, about 80 minutes, which far exceeds the broadcast version. Finally, let’s summarize the contents. 70’s (11 songs)・The Stranger: The Stranger/Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)/Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (★)/Just the Way You Are/Only the Good Die Young (★)・52nd Street: My Life/Until the Night (＊)/Big Shot・Other: Piano Man (★)/Souvenir/Prelude/Angry Young Man (★)80’s (6 songs)・Glass Houses: It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me (★)/Sometimes A Fantasy (★)/You May Be Right・The Nylon Curtain: Allentown/Scandinavian Skies (★)/Pressure*Note: * marks are only included on DISC 1 (Japan broadcast version), ★ marks are only included on DISC 2 (Japan LD version). Billy Joel in the early 80’s, despite his motorcycle accident, continued to climb the ladder of success. This is the definitive edition that reproduces the official footage that symbolizes that time in two versions. The broadcast version has a huge impact with lyric subtitles and powerful commercials, and the Japanese LD version has the most beautiful visuals in history. This is the definitive edition that couples two special Japanese versions of the out-of-print official footage work “LIVE FROM LONG ISLAND”. DISC 1 is the Japanese broadcast version at the time, and it features “Until The Night” and lyric subtitles that were not included in the retail version. It also includes the nostalgic commercials that promote “CDs” in their entirety. DISC 2 is a DVD reproduction of the Japanese LD version of the highest quality in history. This is a treasure that fans all over the world have been hoping for but have not yet been officially released on DVD. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, USA 29th December 1982 PRO-SHOT(from Original Video Master)*UPGRADE Disc 1(52:10)★Super beautiful JAPANESE BROADCAST Broadcast date: 19th September 1983 “TV Asahi ’83 Summer Special” Title: “Hot Wind in the Skyscrapers…Billy Joel Live” 1. CM　★Women’s Hearts and Men’s Hearts Are All Happy 2. Interview　★Introduction to the show 3. Allentown 4. My Life 5. Interview　★Motorcycle Accident 6. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) 7. CM　★Do You Know Compact Discs? (145,000 yen) 8. Interview　★Thoughts on NY 9. Billy’s Biography　★Timeline 10. Until The Night　★Rare 11. Just The Way You Are 12. Pressure 13. Interview　★NY and Inspiration 14. The Stranger 15. CM ★Do you watch videos while paying attention to the sound? (Beta/299,000 yen) 16. Big Shot 17. You May Be Right 18. Souvenir 19. CM ★We will announce it. First public appearance of the birth of the Walkman (27,000 yen) Disc 2 (80:49) ★ Super clean JAPANESE LASER DISC Taken from the original Japanese Laser Disc (96LM1) 1. Allentown 2. My Life 3. Prelude / Angry Young Man 4. Piano Man 5. The Stranger 6. Scandinavian Skies 7. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) 8. Pressure 9. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant 10. Just The Way You Are 11. It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me 12. Sometimes A Fantasy 13. Big Shot 14. You May Be Right 15. Only The Good Die Young 16. Souvenir PRO-SHOT COLOUR NTSC Approx. 133min. (TOTAL)