IT'S BETTER THAN DRINKIN' ALONE: The Official ILM Track-by-Track BILLY JOEL Listening Thread

I like all three, but these days I'd probably take "It's Still Rock and Roll" over "Pump it Up" or "I'm the Man". The subtle production touches are a plus. Lyrically its perhaps the corniest - Joel is not a cool ironist like Costello or Jackson - but he's right about the music.

I don't like the production on a lot of Joel's later '70s hits, but it really helps that he was aping something that was by design stripped down. But the sound was getting formulaic and by the time "It's Still Rock and Roll" came out, Costello and Jackson had already moved on to other sounds because they were wary of New Wave clichés. I'm not the biggest Joe Jackson fan, but I think his instincts about ska were right - I absolutely love the English Beat's records, and their first and best album came out then. Love Get Happy!! too.

i wish every single band that existed in that era had attempted at least one and maybe two albums in the Jackson/This Year's Model/Outlandos zone. I'm sure many or most would have been awkward failures but overall it makes sense that people would hear that music and wanna try playing it, it sounds fun!

"Close to the Borderline" is punkiest/Bernie Goetz Billy Joel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1fntXx2I4s

Is "Close to the Borderline" Billy Joel's idea of punk?

One clue about influences (related to that thread ^^) is the Wembley live version of the song, which he dedicates to John Peel in the intro and is sloppy af.

Surprised that none of the recent thread bumps are about the (pretty great, I think) Olivia Rodrigo song that namechecks our guy.

Wait what which one?

One clue about influences (related to that thread ^^) is the Wembley live version of the song, which he dedicates to John Peel in the intro and is sloppy af.

― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, July 27, 2021 5:00 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Oh wow, you're right -- and he leads it in with "This is a song for anytime you've ever gotten home from work and felt like blowing your brains out."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cii6ruuycQA

(xp)

xp he doesn't do the Johnny Rotten r roll on "Rich man" in the Wembley version though

The best Billy covers: https://www.covermesongs.com/2021/08/the-40-best-billy-joel-covers-ever.html

I don't think I know any of these, but I'm definitely interested to hear a few of them.

I remember listening to a different Muppets cover of "New York State of Mind" when I was 6 or 7 and thinking it was the most boring music I had ever heard...

Hah, just listened to the entirety of this guy's Glass Houses cover. Not bad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HKO7q-eZHg

Billy Joel relaxes on the beach before his performance at the Havana Jam Festival, Cuba, 1979 pic.twitter.com/bewehpFLL4

— Barney Hurley (@barneyhurley1) December 25, 2021

Oh, Havana, I've been searching for you everywhere.

When will you realize
Havana waits for you

Cuba be right
Cuba be crazy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS9179RQKjM

"i don't care what they say anymore / nope / this is my life / billy joel!"

location scout felt confident taking the day off after securing that spot, it would seem

lol

i loled (whole thread is p good)

The man who works at Mister Cacciatore's down on Sullivan Street was arrested for selling bootleg Neil Young records and marijuana paraphernalia in 1977. He cut a deal and cooperated with authorities to bust a drug ring. The man was and will always be a rat.

— Jake Fogelnest (@jakefogelnest) May 30, 2022

Something tells me there's going to be some pretty sparkling fenders.

— Jon Wurster (@jonwurster) May 30, 2022

The fuck, mr cacciatores was an actual place?

I think it's a comedy riff on the song

Idgi

You oughta know by now!

well i thought it was funny :/

you should never argue with a crazy mind

Seems like a waste of time.

A heart attackmatttkkk

the diner I'm at is tuned into some Sirius station that basically plays one Billy Joel song for every one oldie. over lunch, i've heard Uptown Girl, Movin' Out, We Didn't Start the Fire, and Only the Good Die Young, alternated with Blue Moon, Walk Like a Man, Do You Love Me and Stand By Me. the burger was not great but i think i may return.

Is it... the Parkway Diner perchance?

HUWUNN
TWOOOO
HWUN TWOO THREEE FAWW

― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, November 8, 2017 1

lol

Squire's Diner in Lower Manhattan, sadly.

https://i.imgur.com/Ey9p5Un.jpg

Someone’s had enough of Billy and frankly I can’t blame them

i forgot to report that i went back to that diner the following week, and got almost the same lineup of songs. paying closer attention, i took them down in full, with Joel tracks in bold. quite a ratio!

Sherry, I Feel Good, Uptown Girl, Blue Moon, Don't Be Cruel, The Way You Do The Things You Do, We Didn't Start the Fire, A Hard Day's Night, Do You Love Me, Walk Like a Man, Get Ready, Stay, Only the Good Die Young, My Girl, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, Movin' Out.

during "We Didn't Start the Fire," someone in the next booth proclaimed "Billy Joel is really just dumb Bruce Springsteen." i refrained from enlightening them.

Sounds like a BJ Pandora station.

Mama Leone left a note on the door,
Said, "Sonny, move out to the country,"

Was this a THREAT? "Hey, Sonny. Get your ass to the sticks if you know what's what."

Who leaves a note like this?

xp Following the Bob Lefsetz thread, BJ Pandora station now sounds like an intergalactic whorehouse.

_Mama Leone left a note on the door,
Said, "Sonny, move out to the country,"_

Was this a THREAT? "Hey, Sonny. Get your ass to the sticks if you know what's what."

Who leaves a note like this?

I don't drink them, but I do make love to them.

I assumed Mama Leone's time to be similar to a grandma insisting you gotta eat some more, you're all skin and bones, you look at your brother Billy, he's big and strong, etc. etc.

Er, Mama Leone's TONE.

DON: Well, yeah.

she's warning him to stay away from the Long Island tollbooth

Gotta say, I do love every detail of the Sergeant O'Leary verse.

https://i.imgur.com/ghVT67H.jpg

"and that one lyric, 'You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime,' haha, no one even comes close to you, Billy!"

"Well, that's nice of you to say, Mike..."

band class outcasts

dyin @ pplains