The Batlord

Cause it's heavy and catchy as ****, duh. This coming from a guy who thinks the Beatles can actually do old R&B songs justice. You ain't rock 'n' roll, dude.

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Josef K

Speaking of which, I still need further justification for the "nobody sings rock'n'roll like John Lennon" argument - he isn't even the one who sings the Beatles' R&B/rock'n'roll stuff. There's a reason McCartney does "Helter Skelter", all the Little Richard covers, and "I'm Down".

The Batlord

Let's be honest. None of them can sing rock 'n' roll. They'd seriously be better off trying to sing "Teenage Dream" than "Paint It Black".

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Pet_Sounds

I actully think Lennon would have done a fantastic version of "Paint It Black".

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Everybody's dying just to get the disease

Pet_Sounds

Few musicians are as critically maligned as Billy Joel. In fact, it seems that Music Banter can be divided into two groups: those who like Billy Joel, and those who dislike Billy Joel. As one firmly planted in the first group, my objective is to show those in the second that if you look beyond the overplayed hits--"Just the Way You Are", "Uptown Girl", and "We Didn't Start the Fire", to name a few--he's an artist worthy of his commercial success.

The albums won't be posted in strict chronological order. Rather, I'll be reviewing them in the order a radio listener would have heard them back in the day, beginning with 1977's The Stranger.

Whether you're a fan or not, I hope you will find something to enjoy in the coming weeks.

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Everybody's dying just to get the disease

Pet_Sounds

On March 9th, 2014, I had the pleasure of seeing Billy Joel perform at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Besides being my first rock concert, it was the only time I've been in the same building as another Music Banter member--both Burning Down and zombie kid were at the show. My discography reviews kick off just in time to celebrate the anniversary of that event.

In 1974, Billy Joel had released a single titled "The Entertainer". In it, he sang,

I am the entertainer,
The idol of my age.
I make all kinds of money when I go on the stage.
You see me in the papers, I been in the magazines,
But if I go cold, I won't get sold,
I get put in the back in the discount rack
Like another can of beans.

It seemed his prophecy was coming true. After minor success with the single "Piano Man" and its accompanying album, Billy had released two commercial flops. His self-produced, piano-centred sound desperately needed a change. That's when Phil Ramone entered the picture.

Ramone brought a new sound to Billy's music--backing vocalists, horn sections, and a smooth pop rock punch. The Stranger was a smash hit, reaching #2 on the charts for six weeks.

The album begins with the fuzzy guitar lick of "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)". Ramone's production is evident here. It's an upbeat, catchy tune and a promising start. "He's trading in his Chevy for a Cadillac-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack!"

"The Stranger" introduces a change of pace, with its jazzy whistled intro. It fades into the meat of the song, a pop rock reflection on our dual personalities. The intro is also used as an outro, which provides a rather haunting contrast.

"Just the Way You Are" continues with the jazzy sound. It's a very cheesy piece and overplayed to the point of annoyance, but there's still a beautiful melody and some smooth saxophone.

With the next four, the album really takes off. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is an epic. It begins as a piano ballad and touches on Dixieland before morphing into a straightforward piano rock tune, which then returns to the original theme. Billy displays his incredible skill on the keys for the first time here with an incredible solo.

Side two kicks off with "Vienna", a song I never appreciated until I heard it performed live. It's now my favourite Joel tune. Interestingly enough, it's also his. Lovely piano intro and accordion solo. I have recorded a cover, in fact, but I'm a little too ashamed to post it. I had a sore throat at the time.

"Only the Good Die Young" is about a guy who tries to convince a Catholic girl (named Virginia!) to "come out". Its lyrical content caused some radio stations to ban it. Despite that, Billy closes all his concerts with it, and its infectious shuffle beat makes it one of his catchiest tunes.

When I saw Billy, he performed everybody's upbeat favourites--"Uptown Girl", "You May Be Right", and of course "Piano Man", to name a few--but it was the quietest song that stole the show. "She's Always a Woman" is his most beautiful ballad, featuring piano arpeggios and an understated flute line.

"Get It Right the First Time" returns to the upbeat sound of "Movin' Out". This is the album's weakest track, in my opinion. Mind you, there isn't a single bad song.

The Stranger closes on an introspective note with "Everybody Has a Dream", which sounds like an early (and superior) version of "Honesty". Its soulful chorus fades into a reprise of the title track's whistled theme--the perfect way to end a fantastic listening experience.

Phil Ramone's production might have been the key factor in The Stranger's commercial success, but it merely served as a vehicle for what Billy Joel already had--evocative, story-telling lyrics; catchy melodies, whether upbeat or downtempo; and above all, an unisputed talent for playing the 88 keys of a Steinway grand piano.

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Everybody's dying just to get the disease

Bulldog

Can't say that Billy Joel has ever really been on my radar. He's a man I've heard of plenty of times, just never really felt moved to try out any of his material.

That was until I saw your last update here of course. Very good writing sir - you've got a real way of making all this new info very accessible. Definitely gonna be checking this album out when I can. That Vienna track sounds particularly promising. Something about a good accordion in a track that instantly qualifies it as one I'd like, kinda like how much of a sucker I am for a good vocal harmony.

Keep this up eh, I'll be reading as you do

Pet_Sounds

That's both high praise and exactly what I'm trying to accomplish with these reviews. Thanks, Bulldog.

I'm also a sucker for good vocal harmony, not to mention being turned off if it's sub-par.

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Pet_Sounds

Yeah, but it's also boring and absolutely nothing special.

"Twist and Shout", "She Said She Said", "Revolution", "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", "Dig a Pony", "Don't Let Me Down", even "Eight Days a Week" and "Ticket to Ride", for example, not to mention solo work like "Mother". McCartney can belt them out too, don't get me wrong ("Oh! Darling") but Lennon has a raw power and quality that he could never match.

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Josef K

None of these have the "raw power" that the McCartney songs I just mentioned do. "Twist and Shout" is possibly the exception, but even that's more lightweight.