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

veg on the mark.

I just hate podcasts though.

Do they give Nixon the ol' Grover Cleveland treatment since he appears twice in the song?

the long-awaited double-length "back again" episode

the only good thing about the song said podcast is based on is it gave us the opportunity to randomly insert "JFK, BLOWN AWAY, WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO SAY" as a non-sequitur into random conversations

https://i.imgur.com/ZQnlQjx.png

I saw Billy Joel a few nights ago at MSG. It was my wife's idea to get tickets as a present for our 11-year old son who is a fan. We were in the cheap seats, and we were surrounded by very young and enthusiastic Gen-Z kids who sang along and danced to all the hits (and even some of the album cuts that casual Joel fan me didn't recognize), or who got laughs by calling out ironically for "Tiny Dancer" or starting to sing "Benny and the Jets" between songs (not sure what the joke is exactly, other than that they are both old famous piano guys?) Anyway I have to respect Joel for his professionalism. The dude is in his 70s and had a slight cold, is apparently no longer super steady on his feet, but still seemed to be having a blast and the crowd was eating it up. The show was supposed to be on a Saturday but got postponed to a Tuesday because of the Rangers playoff game, but the place still seemed to be pretty full. My son was starting to get tired at about the 2/3rds point, but Joel (the canny professional that he is) of course had saved most of the high-energy hits for the end so once that started, he didn't want to leave. He did a "We Didn't Start the Fire" standing up and playing guitar - even tossed the mic stand around! I've always felt that song was cheesy to be honest, but the kids loved it. I know Joel gets dinged for being unauthentic or not writing songs from the heart, but I think this is related to the allergy of many rock fans for songs written in character, which Joel does in many of his songs, much like Steely Dan, another band people ding for insincerity. I think he is actually pretty underrated as a lyricist.

It’s cool that your 11 yo likes him

"Vienna" was one of the album cuts I didn't recognize that most people could sing along to. I guess that one has risen in popularity. It's not on my Greatest Hits CD.

An 11 year old Joel fan in 2023 is not something I was expecting. I can remember teen/tween Joel fandom being seen as a bit corny in 1983, and again in 1993.

O. Nate, your son is... dare I say it... keeping the faith

Yeah, glad to hear 11-year-olds are still getting into Billy Joel. I would have loved to see him live when I was that age. My parents listened to him a lot when I was a baby/toddler and they tell me I liked him then, but I was exactly 11 when River of Dreams came out and that's when I got into him on my own. Didn't seem corny at all at the time, but by the time I was 12/13 I definitely had some friends I wouldn't have wanted to know I liked Billy Joel.

Billy Joel seems to be a timeless entity. when I was in a production of High School Musical in 2017, majority of the cast was in high school, and one of the cast members was very into him and knew his entire history, would wax philosophically about what "Captain Jack" was about.

I got my parents tickets to see him in 2019 I think (back when my dad could still go to that sort of thing), and I opted not to join. kinda regretted that - mom sent videos and it seemed like it was a good time.

Now I’m remembering. I did make my only purchase of a BJ tape when I was around that age - it was Storm Front I think - and it was because I heard “big man on mulberry st” on tv - maybe Moonlighting - and I liked the song and grew up a few blocks away from the real Mulberry st

O. Nate, your son is... dare I say it... keeping the faith

Some of his other favorites are Weird Al, Queen, Huey Lewis, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Taylor Swift, and Edvard Grieg. His best friend is also a connoisseur of older music, but he says most of the other kids in his class just like pop music (by which I think he means contemporary stuff).

happy birthday, BJ!

https://i.imgur.com/TwRKbnr.png

I just realized that the chorus of "I Missed Your Party" by Camera Obscura has a Billy Joel reference. I missed it before because she sings it as "Billy jo-EL" with the accent on the second syllable.

I listen to Billy Joel
I watch Flashdance again
I'm going to get through Walt Whitman
I'm going to be in bed by ten

madison sq garden residency ending july 2024! this thread should buy a block of tickets for one of the last shows, before our billy gets put in the back in the discount rack like another can of beans!

(i've seen two of the msg shows and, as anyone left on this thread should know, dude's still a really really good arena rock entertainer!)

He didn't start with music
He had lots of verses
That were bad to worsest

He didn't start with music
The chorus was boring
Even fans were snoring

before our billy gets put in the back in the discount rack like another can of beans

A can of red beans
A can of white
Whatever kind of mood you're in tonight

Lol

I’ve seen a couple women wearing BJ shirts in the last week, what is it

Went to the MSG show with my 16-year-old daughter earlier this month. I was a mess for the first few songs, but emotionally recovered by the time he brought out his 9- and 7-year-old daughters out to sing "Jingle Bells".

It was a lot to take in, but the man still exceeded my somewhat-handicapped expectations. High points were "Zanzibar" and "Sometimes a Fantasy". Low points were the Christmas songs. Biggest WTF point was bringing out Elvis Costello and playing "Pump It Up" and duetting on "Allentown".

He can't sing [''An Innocent Man''] now.

he hasn't been able to sing this for at least 25 years! crystal taliefero started singing the high note for him when she joined his touring band, which was circa 1990.

― fact checking cuz, Sunday, October 22, 2017 2:14 PM

He hit 'em on this night! He even did this big self-depreciating intro of saying how he wrote the song in 1982 because he knew it was only a matter of time before his voice would stop going so high. But he was going to give it a shot anyway, and he nailed it! Taliefero had her mouth closed the whole time!

(Now, was there some Billy Vanilli happening? "Innocent Man Until Proven Guilty" will be my conceit here.)

"Vienna" was one of the album cuts I didn't recognize that most people could sing along to. I guess that one has risen in popularity. It's not on my Greatest Hits CD.

― o. nate, Friday, April 28, 2023 8:35 AM

There were two 13- or 14-year-olds in front of us who went NUTS when the opening chords started, launching into each others' arms like they had just heard John play the opening chord to "A Hard Day's Night" from the Shea Stadium pitcher's mound. I looked over at my daughter, who just shrugged her shoulders.

Innocent Man Until Proven Guilty

lol. but also kol. kvelling out loud. go get those high notes, billy!

love everything about your post, pplains, except i can't believe billy didn't make elvis sing "sleeping
with the television on." or "sometimes a fantasy."

HUWUNN
TWOOOO
HWUN TWOO THREEE FAWW

― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl),

i can't believe billy didn't make elvis sing "sleeping with the television on." or "sometimes a fantasy."

I know, right? At one point, I was all He doesn't have Elvis confused with Billy Bragg or somebody, does he?

hahaha

at least some PA miner types hated this song, iirc. Elvis Costello has an anecdote about being insulted in an elevator by someone who thought he was Billy Joel.

― P as in pterodactyl (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, October 9, 2017 4:24 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4x3hH-B4pI

as documented itt, liberty devitto rocks

There were two 13- or 14-year-olds in front of us who went NUTS when the opening chords started, launching into each others' arms like they had just heard John play the opening chord to "A Hard Day's Night" from the Shea Stadium pitcher's mound. I looked over at my daughter, who just shrugged her shoulders.

― pplains, Thursday, December 28, 2023 11:47 AM (two weeks ago) bookmarkflaglink

my theory is "vienna" is crucially placed in eternal teen classic 13 going on 30

If I could I'd post last night's karaoke performance of "A Matter of Trust."

DeVitto is good, sure. But he seemed decidedly bitter in the hired gun documentary. Like, dude, you got to be famous and globally admired for decades

I really think "Vienna" will be his "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," if it's not already.

One takeaway from that Liberty video is how his left hand and right foot work together in the Prelude.

I strugggle to describe this to non-drumming people - the way one must start by thinking diagonally, and then develop limb independence over time.

But one essential thing is that your body can be thought of as an X. If you drum right-handed in the American style (as I do, even though I am left-handed), you connect your left hand to your right foot, and your right hand to your left foot. Liberty understands this.

In golf there is a saying: drive for show, putt for dough. Liberty does all those showy crashes with his right hand, but the real meat of what he's doing is on the left.

my theory is "vienna" is crucially placed in eternal teen classic 13 going on 30

I think you're right, according to TikTok.

love that liberty vid!

(i wouldn't have minded a slightly more inquisitive host, though)

FCC: Liberty has not been quiet about his level of hurt about being let go. But he's clearly still trading on his Joel-related work, which is his right (because he actually played those parts).

It's nuanced.

oh i get that. i wanted the host to be more inquisitive about his drum parts! like when they're talking about "angry young man" (around 10:50 in the video), liberty says "in the middle there’s that clopping part. i did it on billy’s chest. we laid him on a chair." the interviewer weirdly neglects to say "wait, wut???"

also i would've loved to hear about that left/right diagonal drumming concept from them in the video, rather than from you in this thread, though i'm very glad you did bring it up. really interesting! what's the point of doing a 46-minute one-on-one video with a great drummer if you're not going to geek out like that with him?

Yeah it was a pretty dull video in some ways, the level of analysis was basically “so you did that, huh? awesome!” and I don’t need to see a literally identical pattern played for the entirety of JTWYA, or any part of AMOT whatsoever. Wish they’d gone for songs with more interesting parts.
Also, and it’s awkward to ask, but wasn’t his timing off in several places? I was wondering if he may have begun to waver and that led to his ouster.

i couldn’t tell! but i was watching it at a very low volume so no one in my household could roast me for listening to billy joel

i had no idea “just the way you are” was one part over and over again until i saw it in the video, hilarious, but soo tasteful and perfect for the song

drumeo guy is consistently one of the most awkward interviewers i’ve ever seen. earnest drum nerds from canada don’t always ask the most interesting questions in the moment on camera i guess

Mattt, to be fair, Prelude is probably the most challenging/weird/spiky drum part in the Joelian pop catalog.

Quite true. I guess I would have liked to see some Stranger or even “Rosalinda’s Eyes”.

STOP THE PRESSES

DRUDGE SIREN

It's time to TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON. Brand new single coming February 1st. Pre-order here: https://t.co/Wtiyj8qJe3! pic.twitter.com/cN6BUh7gt5

— Billy Joel (@billyjoel) January 22, 2024

!!!

And: good use of a personal fave NYC landmark! That's the Loew's 175th Street / United Palace of Cultural Arts.

!!!

No, this sounds like it's Billy Joel song. I hear no traces of dance-punk on this at all from that snippet.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear no traces of dance-punk on this at all from that snippet

it's still rock and roll to me

Should I get a Target Stanley Cup
And some wide-flared J. Crew pants?

If this new single begins with him taking a really deep breath before launching into EARTHQUAKE SERIES, NO MORE WALL, GEORGE BUSH, PANAMA...