^^ Great list!

chocolate1 said:

Thanx.

PricelessHo said:

I understand why people think he's a total cheeseball, but I have to say his level of musicianship is sorely lacking these days. That is a very creative song, and far elevated above what we hear from most artists.

I have musical snob friends who think Billy Joel is the lamest artist ever. One of them is a musician (as am I) and I said to him "I understand, but look at his song catalog. It's better than ours put together. The guy has written classics, standards, even." And he reluctantly agreed.

The reasoning they give to dismiss him is this: it's hard to name another person who was so popular for so long, musically talented, and yet contributed virtually nothing to the art of music.

There is nothing that you can say really "sounds like Billy Joel." There are Billy Joel songs that sound like Bruce Springsteen, Motown, Tom Waits, Beatles, but what is a song that someone else has done that sounds like Billy Joel?
[Edited 8/13/09 16:37pm]

NDRU said:

I don't really think he ever wanted to make his "own sound", he's basically interpreting his versions of the artists he grew up listening to as a kid. Billy didn't even wanna be a pop star.

Timmy84 said:

Probably, and even if he did want to make his own sound and failed, it wouldn't make his songs bad (except for We Didn't Start The Fire )

You are not alone.

chocolate1 said:

Its like that episode of Family Guy, where Peter is sitting there and someone mentions Manilow and he says he hates him than someone says a song and he says oh except that one i like and that before you know it he is front row at his concerts, realizing he loves the whole catalog

It's nice to see "Pressure" get some love.

I have two of his late-70s albums.....containing the hits "My Life","Only The Good Die Young","Just The Way You Are" and a few other familiar singles.I like his music from that period,but I never bought any of his other albums.

nd33 said:

That's my favortie BJ song too! Someone on the org posted (via U-Tube) a different "unreleased" version of that song, but I can't find it.

AlexdeParis said:

I do like this one

This is my all-time favorite Billy Joel track: "This Night" off the Innocent Man album. I love how he used Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata Movement 2.

I love Billy
There is good cheese and bad cheese, and i love me some Billy Joel cheese.MMM MM MMMMM

I always happily hum along to SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN

Took me a long, long time to like Billy. I like a few :

Movin' Out
New York State of Mind
Only the Good Die Young
My Life
The Stranger
You're Only Human (the music is incredible cheese, but I like the lyric)

lastdecember said:

Most people would say:












I would say:

Hes the soundtrack of my childhood, my Mother was a hardcore Billy Joel follower and I guess I bit. Hes alright although he gets tiresome at times. I went to see him in 1997 when he toured here with Elton John (Great Show), and he was more in form that Elton. In the early days I thought he was Italian. He sounds really Italian for a Jewish guy.
Essential songs

We didn't start the fire
Piano Man
Captain Jack
When the lights go out on broadway
Allentown
Matter of Trust
An Innocent Man
Keeping the Faith
Its all about Soul
River of Dreams
Leningrad
The Downeaster Alexa
Just the way you are
My Life
Movin Out (Anthony's song)
Piano Man
The Stranger 9His best ever)
Modern Woman
Tell her about it
Uptown girl
Shes got a way.
Don't ask me why

Theres quite a lot there, I guess I just love cheesy music like this and Air Supply

Ace said:

I'm from NJ. It seems like it's almost against the law to speak against him.

I went to a Bruce concert last summer with a friend, and I was like,
I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the show, but the level of tailgating and crowd interaction was something I'd never experienced at a concert.

Wwhen I was in dancing school as a child, my dance teacher used to use Billy Joel songs a lot when we practiced. Reading people's lists of songs brought back those memories of tap and jazz classes.

chocolate1 said:

Yes, I remember you posting about your Giants Stadium experience. I guess you're not going this summer?

Ace said:

Actually, I only saw on show this summer: Depeche Mode on 8/4/09. This has been a light one for me.

GetAwayFromMe said:

Christine Brinkley?

He's one of my faves. "Only the Good Die Young" and "Allentown" are my favorites.

harveya said: