I can totally get with Elton's melodicism, but when I listen to what he's singing it makes me want to smash my stereo
― Jilly Boel (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:09 (twelve years ago) link
kinda the same with Joel altho I think he's much weaker in the melodies dept. I find his proto-doo wop stuff the catchiest.
― Jilly Boel (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:10 (twelve years ago) link
lol Taupin's best known non-EJ lyric is "We Built This City"
― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:12 (twelve years ago) link
starship really had to go get outside help for that one huh.
― pplains, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:13 (twelve years ago) link
fuckin lyricshow do they work
― Jilly Boel (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnrSqZwT2pg
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:52 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqg2rClfLIc&feature=related
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:54 (twelve years ago) link
Now you're posting Weird Al videos. Billy Joel wins again, my friend.
― pplains, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:55 (twelve years ago) link
You'd better cool it off before you burn it out. You've got so much to do and only so many hours in a day.
― pplains, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:56 (twelve years ago) link
and "These Dreams"!
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 17:57 (twelve years ago) link
hm, news to me!
― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 18:06 (twelve years ago) link
good weird al vids
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 18:17 (twelve years ago) link
the deal with Bernie Taupin is he's kind of like what if language poetry met popular song. the only matter of import is whether the syllables sound awesome together when delivered by a good frontman, which they do. I don't doubt that if he put his mind to it, he could write a lyric consisting only of nonsense syllables that sounded good to him, and it'd still sound terrific once Elton John got hold of it.
― same old song and placenta (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 18:22 (twelve years ago) link
He did, and that song was called "Nikita." It was terrible.
― i love the large auns pictures! (Phil D.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 18:41 (twelve years ago) link
"Solar Prestige a Gammon"!
Taupin could write good lyrics when it suited him ("Hard Luck Stories," "Someone Saved...") but Elton didn't demand them.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 18:43 (twelve years ago) link
so Bernie Taupin is like proto-Elizabeth Fraser
― Jilly Boel and the Eltones (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 18:46 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, except the Leonard Cohen and Talking Heads song have menacing music that matches the lyrical mode. They're not some hoaky serenade set to some ersatz Elton boilerplate.
i know, i was defending joel's lyrics against aero's "worst lyricist of all time" slam. personally, i like his tunes too. "menacing" can be great, but i can't imagine that "miami 2017" would be any more appealing if they were less cheesily anthemic.
i have no real problem with taupin as a lyricist, either. a lot of his stuff is cringe-inducingly schmaltzy, sure, but sometimes the shmaltz just plain works. i've always found "daniel" quite moving, and that's a product of the lyrics as much as of the music and performance.
― preternatural concepts concerning variances in sound and texture (contenderizer), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
^ not to say that i really admire taupin as a lyricist...
― preternatural concepts concerning variances in sound and texture (contenderizer), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 19:25 (twelve years ago) link
nor billy neither
In Praise Of... Billy Joel's "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Down On Broadway)"
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 12 April 2012 01:18 (twelve years ago) link
Even though it's not on the greatest hits, "Summer Highland Falls" is my POO. I don't think he ever did something that good again--almost a one-off sadly. Songs in the Attic and Turnstiles (as well as The Stranger) are my go-to Billy.
― Iago Galdston, Thursday, 12 April 2012 01:24 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah "Songs In the Attic" is like an alternate "greatest hits."
IMO "Stranger" -> "52nd street" -> "songs in the attic" -> "glass houses" -> "nylon curtain" was a decent run, even though they all contain songs I hate, but I'd rather listen to a mix of my favorite 20 songs from those 5 albums than the greatest hits collections.
― billstevejim, Thursday, 12 April 2012 01:28 (twelve years ago) link
The thing is that Summer Highland Falls is basically a Ben Folds song with all of the smugness and immaturity taken out, and since I love Ben Folds but hate that side of him just like everybody else, that song is basically an ideal for me when it comes to piano-led pop.
Voted Allentown in this one.
― ascai, Monday, 23 April 2012 00:41 (twelve years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Saturday, 28 April 2012 00:01 (twelve years ago) link
crap, never did vote in this - - - agggh!
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 28 April 2012 00:36 (twelve years ago) link
Got it down to these:
StrangerScenes from an Italian RestaurantMovin' out (Anthony's Song)Only the Good Die YoungUptown Girl
Still feel like in a way "Uptown Girl" is my straight favorite out of those but it feels weird not to pick one from the "classic" string of albums. Ahhhhh jeez.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 28 April 2012 00:39 (twelve years ago) link
btw,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ogFWISPuw
never knew this had a video. Don't think I've even listened to the song in close to ten years except maybe if I let the record keep playing and wasn't paying attention. Not as bad as I remember.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 28 April 2012 00:44 (twelve years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Sunday, 29 April 2012 00:01 (twelve years ago) link
wow...only 3 zeroes
― Iago Galdston, Sunday, 29 April 2012 00:07 (twelve years ago) link
Can I say I'm shocked by the result? I never knew "Allentown" really had a base of support anywhere. It sent a chill down my spine as a kid but it seems a little bit...heavyhanded and obvious? But I guess like I said above, dude's a populist and sometimes an unsubtle one, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Pretty great turnout!
― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 29 April 2012 00:38 (twelve years ago) link
Also - listening to Streetlife Serenade right now and really can't fathom having "The Entertainer" on this greatest hits. Don't think that's just being familiarity with the tracklist that we had growing up...I mean, I like the song a lot, it's just that it's so sonically removed from the other stuff. Really different vibe on the Los Angeles records.
― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 29 April 2012 01:30 (twelve years ago) link
Allentown and Movin' Out both the lead-off hitters on their respective albums.
Yeah, I don't think "Easy Money" really stood a shot.
― pplains, Sunday, 29 April 2012 02:58 (twelve years ago) link
Didn't see this poll at the time; the best song is clearly Movin Out.
This album, Graceland and the West Side Story soundtrack were the trifecta of childhood holiday car albums for me.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Sunday, 29 April 2012 03:19 (twelve years ago) link
Ooh yay what great results! And I absolutley will concur to the 3 zeros. The Entertainer alone irritates the HELL out of me
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 29 April 2012 06:48 (twelve years ago) link
she's got a way is incredibly lovely, no? must have been a poll malfunction.
― keythhtyek, Sunday, 29 April 2012 13:40 (twelve years ago) link
veg, if you're out there, the listening thread needs your reaction to the "you're only human" video
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 4 November 2017 15:29 (six years ago) link