yes he has written some dodgy songs but then so has prince...he has released some of the strongest albums i have ever heard.."the stranger" "the nylon curtain" and "an innocent man"... he is one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century...a superb pianist and great live.
...
... i will tell you how is shit...elton bloody john!!!

sorry wrong forum..oops.

blackboab said:

Don't worry! It was fun this thread anyway. I like Joel. I like this line from him:

"are you gonna laugh with the sinners or cry with the saints". Cosmic.

andy

andyf said:

I think it's "I'd rather laugh with the sinners..."


I love that song.

well he is really crap , thats whats wrong with him.

I mean for goodness sakes Uptown Girl is an abomination and as for "we didn`t start the fire" or whatever it was called.

The point about artists like these are that they are safe and harmless and middle of the road.

Please don`t bracket him with Prince.

Billy Joel makes music for middle class middle aged white people.

I`m middle class and middle aged , I think that is why I despise him so.

TheRainbowChild said:

Hmm. I'm neither, and I love him!

He's great. Anyone that doesn't see the value in his work doesn't really know his work. Each of his albums up through his last pop album "River of Dreams" was completely different from each other, yet they were all cohesive and fresh and stand the test of time. He only had a very few amount of weak tracks on his albums and he really knew how to write a catchy single.

It's about time he put down the beer and started writing songs again. It has been over ten years since he left rock n roll.

TheRainbowChild said:

Although I like a few songs here and there by Joel,
but am not really a fan, I gotta give you the
thumbsup for that post.

blackboab said:

Well, since we're stating our opinions here..

...I've always felt that Elton in his prime was a FAR better songwriter than Billy in his prime...

...neither one are my fav though, so I guess that discredits that, huh

-SWANGgoeshomenow

Piano Man
Piano Man Released: 1973

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet
And I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes"

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"
As a smile ran away from his face
"Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinking alone

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see
To forget about life for a while

And the piano sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say "Man what are you doing here?"

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright


It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
Glass Houses Released: 1980
What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing?
"Can't you tell that your tie's too wide?"
Maybe I should buy some old tab collars?
"Welcome back to the age of jive
Where have you been hidin' out lately, honey?
You can't dress trashy till you spend a lot of money"
Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound
Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

What's the matter with the car I'm driving?
"Can't you tell that it's out of style?"
Should I get a set of white wall tires?
"Are you gonna cruise a miracle mile?
Nowadays you can't be too sentimental
You best bet's a true baby blue Continental"
Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk
It's still rock and roll to me

Oh, it doesn't matter what they say in the papers
'Cause it's always been the same old scene
There's a new band in town
But you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine...
Aimed at your average teen

How about a pair of pink sidewinders
And a bright orange pair of pants?
"You could really be a Beau Brummel baby
If you just give it half a chance
Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers
You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers"
Next phase, new wave , dance craze, anyways
It's still rock and roll to me

What's the matter with the crowd I'm seeing?
"Don't you know that they're out of touch?"
Should I try to be a straight 'A' student?
"If you are then you think too much
Don't you know about the new fashion honey?
All you need are looks and a whole lotta money"
It's the next phase, new wave , dance craze, anyways
It's still rock and roll to me
Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound
Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

Two of his greatest songs. *Sighs*

Since the divorce of Christie Brinkly Joel stopped writting Pop songs and hit another spat of serious depression. Last I heard he checked out of a rehab center.

He still tours every couple of years though, mostly with Elton John. And he still seems to enjoy performing his old stuff, because he still puts on a great show.

Billy Joel is so "white" he makes Rush Limbaugh look like a brother.

He is high up on my short list of detested entertainers. In fact, right now it's hard to think of someone who is both more pompous and yet so utterly devoid of talent, than this creep.

Billy is now making classical music. He says he has no interest in recording albums with his vocals on anymore. He will however tour occasionally.

Sounds like Prince!

Billy's early stuff had a real edge to it. Sure, he went sappy in the late 80s, but I'll always respect his early, angry stuff. You can't go wrong with a song like "Pressure". That song just has so much venom in it.

I am a big Billy Joel fan but I am objective enough to admit he has put out some albums and songs that are pretty crappy, especially after the mid 80s.

His biggest detriment these days, and something that might help him out all around if he'd lay off it, is the booze.
[This message was edited Wed Dec 3 13:07:44 PST 2003 by PrimordialOoze]

Nothing wrong with Mr Joel.Fantastic songwriter and performer.Though i'm approaching my mid-Thirties so i would say that. i don't suppose he means alot to the average 18yr old though.

JediMaster said:

Ahhh, "Pressure", one of the earliest memories of MTV for me. It was in very heavy rotation.

He's one butt ugly MF for one.

He had the nerve to say that Prince needs to learn how to edit his songs, that they're too long.

That's probably Elton you're thinking of...

Ask Chris Rock!

I like a few of his late-70s hits ("Only The Good Die Young","Just The Way You Are","Big Shot") but I've never really been a big fan of his.He's talented though,but when it comes to this type of music,I prefer Elton John.

origmnd said:

Sometimes Prince DOES need to edit down. There are some tunes where he gets to the PERFECT place to end but he just keeps going. The one that really made me realize it was "White Mansion" off of Emancipation but there are some others. Bach had the same problem. Both fantastic musicians and writers but they both could use an editor at times.

I think the question is...

What's RIGHT with Billy Joel?

'dre

Long Live Boz Scaggs!!!

He stinks on ice.

Savannah said:

is she the one that does cheezy infomercials with Chuck Norris?