Say Goodbye To POLLywood - Billy Joel Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II, THE POLL

That one has the great Toots Thielman on harmonica. Xp

one thing that strikes me is BJ is he's like a cynical, judgemental McCartney. He writes a lot of good storytelling songs but he often writes from the viewpoint of a judgemental 'other' witnessing the bad behaviours/failed lives of other people.Bit of an ivory tower thing, idk.

I could be full of shit, it just occured to me this afternoon.

"Everybody Besides Me Started The Fire"

that whole Stormfront period was just uggggghhh so gross.

At least we don't have to googleproof it here.

If anything this thread has mostly convinced me that I probably should own the An Innocent Man album.

one thing that strikes me is BJ is he's like a cynical, judgemental McCartney. He writes a lot of good storytelling songs but he often writes from the viewpoint of a judgemental 'other' witnessing the bad behaviours/failed lives of other people.Bit of an ivory tower thing, idk.

Someone wrote a long and brutal takedown of Billy Joel based largely around this idea. I think it was semi-recently linked and discussed somewhere around here. It's certainly true of certain Billy Joel songs: "Big Shot", "Movin' Out", "Captain Jack", "Angry Young Man", "Piano Man", etc. But it's never been his whole artistic POV, even in his most cynical years. And I don't think he's any more condescending or bitter than say, Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello or Mark E. Smith (lol ringer).

Also, wish I'd seen Hillary announcing her run for senate as "you just stay at home and masturbate" echoed behind her.

xpost yeah I probably should have switched often for sometimes/occasionally...he writes some really wonderful sincere stuff too

I always wrestle with that becuase I love the phrasing and hooks of Captain Jack, but the tone of it kinda irritates me sometimes.

i liked Leningrad when it came out. sorry there it is.

remember when everyone had a song about Russia

hey I liked We Didn't Start The Fire when it came out - but now I'm old I can pretend I didn't know what I was doing, lol

I really love the timing changes in Moving Out, and HEART-ATTACK-ACKACKACK

WEEELL I'M OOON THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA"

Attila still fills me with sheer glee

Innocent Man chart single I don't remember at all: "Leave A Tender Moment Alone"

yesterday at easter dinner with my in-laws the phrase "a tender moment alone" jokingly came into the conversation for some reason. We then had to go online to figure out where we picked it up from. Nobody remembered it was a Billy Joel song.

the context was something like "you'd like a tender moment alone with that ham, wouldn't you?"

ugh I forgot the synth helicopter on Goodnight Saigon, kinda ruins it

decided that I'm going to let my sister pick her favorite song and I'll vote for that one. Saves me the heartache, lol

well your MOTHER said that ALL THAT I could GIVE YA was a REPuTAtion

tbh I'll probably vote for "Pressure" which is the best of his synth pop stuff

Ses. Am. E. Street.
What. Does. It. Meeeean?

PRESSHHARRR

I suppose soon that somebody is going to sample the synth sequence from that song for a hit single.

The video looks for the most part like some Peter Gabriel thing, but then there are odd bizarre moments, particularly when the camera focuses on BJ's face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyv905Q2omU

got the feeling he always fancied himself as an actor from his videos

The "homoerotic" images in the "Allentown" video reportedly amused him.

xxp In many ways it's like many early 80's Elton John videos, big budget, few ideas, and the focal point is a not particularly rock star looking figure.

<i>I always forget that An Innocent Man was as much a part of the post-Thriller zeitgeist: five (!) singles...

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn).

Six, actually. And to a different comment way upthread, releasing "Volumes 1 and 2" of a GH as part of the same package wasn't without precedent when this comp came out - check the subtitle of Donna Summer's <i>On the Radio</i> back in 1979.

My sister's ruling is in: I voted Uptown Girl. Most gleeful, funnest to singalong to, best encapsulates our childhood Lego-playing :D

got the feeling he always fancied himself as an actor from his videos

He's no Dennis DeYoung, that's for sure

hahah

omg YES vegemite thank you for starting this! i can't let myself start reading this thread yet cause i'll want to reply to everything but i am stoked

:D

a friend of mine, who lived abroad, had to show up a week early to his freshman year of university. to pass the time avoid needing a place to stay, he signed up for PROJECT WILD, a hippie-wilderness-bonding thing that the school sponsored.

part of the program involved going 'solo' for 24 hours, but my friend made the mistake of choosing a tree or whatever too near a guy who spent most of the 24 hours repeatedly playing the main riff -- the only one he knew -- of 'piano man' on a harmonica.

there was a lot of scarring

oh fuck that would ruin you for life

what's wrong with "Friends"? Is it the theme song?
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, April 9, 2012 4:43 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I think its their haircuts iirc
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl)

Too cool to diss "Friends"? OK, then!

not me :)

OK, I checked out the youtube for "Tender Moment", and I TOTALLY remembered it from the opening harmonica part! Mostly I remember the harmonica, which I always assumed was a Stevie Wonder guest spot. (Never heard of Toots Thieleman back then.)

"Allentown", "Italian Restaurant", "Just the Way You Are", "Only the Good Die Young", "My Life" (which I loved as a kid), "Big Shot", "Pressure", "Still Rock & Roll", even "The Entertainer" all worthy contenders. They must not have been able to fit some of these on the vinyl version I bought when it was new.

for some reason the only other ILM Joel Poll was Greatest Hits V1 -- I didn't know it was released as a single volume though? Was it?

I'm so google-lazy today, I swear I'll do better tomorrow

It was double disc.

I'm kind of loving how Allentown is kind of a dark horse in this, I might just vote for that. Either that or Pressure for sure.

so hmmm... will ILM vote for synthpop, given the option? hmmm...

I'm beginning to suspect that Nylon Curtain might be one of those overlooked early-80s albums that I end up loving beyond measure (see: Cultosaurus Erectus, Return of the Giant Slits)

lol xp

i kind of want to go back and relisten, too. don't think i've heard it since i was 15, 16 tops.

Joel's favorite album reportedly. Is it any good?

WEEELL I'M OOON THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA"

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, April 9, 2012 5:35 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

i'd be into that tbh

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZZ-CqtHjAnk/TPaW2-8mfkI/AAAAAAACAiA/VgWPNDdEhRE/s1600/Alexa%2BRay%2BJoel.jpg

She looks like she chewed Allentown with those teeth.

i am all about the video for uptown GYUHRRHURRLLL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCuMWrfXG4E

SHE'S GOT HER TOYS!

ftr i believe ilx house band the fake accents/fake accidents/etc was once kicked up/downstairs at a gig due to said joel offspring