Billy Joel

[Joe G]

I guess I've just become sick and tired of hating. I really don't hate anything anymore. I try to find something worthwhile in everything I hear. If I don't find anything, I don't hate it, I just don't like it. For me I guess it's become something of a quest to become open to everything. And it's working. I've bought things I NEVER thought I'd listen to a few years ago. I feel that nothing good ever came from ignorance. And if you haven't sat down and digested an album, that's what you're speaking from: Ignorance.

Isn't there somebody you just love to hate?

[chris olivarez]

And I don't care about Elton/Bernie either (except for extreme dislike), having seen them help me turn my generation into mushbrains.

Especially the dudes.

Well. Aren't you the ungrateful one.

OOPS! I take no credit whatsoever!

Nah man, I saw a whole generation of guys turn into clueless pseudo "sensitive" types thanks to Elton, only to have their hormonal chain simultaneously yanked by Grand Funk. Garbage on both ends, and it showed as the years passed.

You can blame the worst of 1970s Heartland American Young White Male Behavior of the 70s (which is to say almost of of it) almost entirely on Elton John & Grand Funk Railroad.

And if there's anything left over, add Gary Muledeer to the list.

Not me man. During the 70's I didn't listen to a lot of radio except the "progessive" but sometimes they'd put those dudes on and that was about the time I dialed out. The only other radio I listened to was the sports outlet in Phoenix. Other than that I contented myself with getting stoned and listening to my albums(mostly jazz and blues). The only things that have really changed for me is now I listen to my cd's(mostly jazz and blues)and I don't get stoned anymore. I will confess to listening some to Billy Joel but never to Grand Funk(never was into them)nor Elton(I never could stand him.)

[Alexander]

I grew up listening to his music because my parents liked him. Since, along with the Beatles, this was the first music I ever heard, I have a certain nostalgia for it. The one Joel album I really like (and own on CD) is called "Turnstiles." It contains a wonderful song called "Summer Highland Falls" that ranks as one of my all time favorite pop tunes. I recommend checking it out. "Turnstiles" was the album Joel recorded before "The Stranger" made him into a big star, and for me it's like "Revolver" to "Sgt. Pepper": It's not as well known or celebrated, but it's actually the better album.

I have every BJ album ever made on cd. My mom won a contest and got all of his cd's in the mail. I wanted to sell them, but she wouldn't let me.

I have listened to Turnstiles. Say Goodbye to Hollywood and James, and there's another track on it, that has some good arrangements. I think it's number 7. Don't know the name. I was just listening to it this morning.

Track 7 on "Turnstiles" is "I've Loved These Days." It's a good song, but I like "Summer, Highland Falls" better. It's just a gorgeous melody. It's track 2.

[Alexander]

I remember when The Stranger exploded all over pop/AOR radio and since I'm a bit older than Alexander, I can cop to actually owning the album, which is in fact a true classic, IMO. Subsequent albums revealed too much of his latent sensitive singer-songwriter side as well as a super-sized ego. I grew less and less interested post-The Stranger until my brother came home from college with an album titled Songs From The Attic which takes the best of his pre-Stranger songs and presents them in various live settings from small club to big arena. This led me to explore his earlier albums, none of which are as consistently satisfying as Songs From The Attic.

Having established that there are Billy Joel songs and albums that I enjoy, I must also say that there has got to be a toasty place in hell waiting ever since he wrote "We Didn't Start The Fire".

I do like "The Stranger," just not as much as "Turnstiles." I also enjoy "52nd Street" and "Streetlife Serenader." I have all three on LP (inherited).

[chris olivarez]

Bennie & the Jets=Jukebox in Hell.

[md655321]

I love M. Ward. I fucking hate Billy Joel.

And I dig alot of Springsteen. Nebraska is one of the best albums of the 80s.

[Teasing the Korean]

Don't like him at all. Generally agree with previous comments, though, regarding the Turnstiles album.

[Larry Kart]

Clem -- That was Catullus, not Ovid, though I'm sure Ovid did his share of both.

[7/4]

Elizabeth, eh? You sure edited that damm quick Clem.

Edited September 26, 2006 by 7/4

[Big Al]

Listening to a Billy Joel record, for me, is akin to reading a Berke Breathed comic strip. I'm not even sure they're not the same person, when it comes right down to it.

Who the hell is Slint, Spoon, David Pajo, Tortoise???? Why the hell should I care? I mean if it's just because I really really REALLY dig Rather Ripped, well..... thanks for the recs, but I've got about 1,265,978 recordings I wanna hear first before I buy something simply because you don't like it. Which isn't to say the idea doesn't intrigue me.

Aaaaaand... I'm sure this'll surprise Clem to no end..... Love is my personal cure for insomnia. Ah well, not like we ever agreed on anything anyway, and everybody needs their own personal online abuser, so there you go. Be it known, however, that St. Ann Richards is the only Democrat I ever voted for (as opposed to voting Democrat just to displace a hated Republican..... wait, she was running against Clayton Williams! Does that still count?). Anyway, I believe I voted for her against Dubya, but then the same principal applies, so what the hell?

God bless ya, Clem, for adding an otherwise bizarre dimension to this boring, intellectual white man's life. (Don't laugh, y'all; he really called me that!)

Edited September 26, 2006 by Big Al

[Big Al]

Do you not love The Byrds (first five lps only), Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, "Aoxomoa" & "Anthem of the Sun."

Absolutely (and ESPECIALLY number five); haven't heard them having heard OF them; nope, puts me to sleep even faster than Love; not a Dead fan; and haven't a clue.

Not a Pavement fan either, although I'm sure I jizzed about their first album at some point in my existence, going through some kind of probably-no-very-likely-SY-inspired pseudo-fuzz fest at the time. Learned my lesson there.

But back to BJ..... on second thought, no. Joe G had it right on in his assessment of "You May Be Right," although I have to confess to being a fan when I was in high school and thinking "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" was really COOL! You think I'm clueless now, you shoulda seen me back when I REALLY didn't know any better.

Edited September 26, 2006 by Big Al

[md655321]

I love the Truckers too. Probably more than anyoneelse you have mentioned on this thread (and thats ALOT of people)

You are correct that they DESTROY M. Ward. Other than that I am familiar with about 95% of the names you constantly throw out. VERY familiar with probably 50%. M. Ward isnt trying to make pseudo-blues, if you judge it on those merits, yes it will fall very short. Judge as just an album by a guy making music, and he is brilliant. Especially his latest, Post-War.

Oh, and I LOVE Spoon too.

And the Misfits arent even music. They are an embarrassment to mankind. I stopped being 14 when I turned 15, so I dont listen to them anymore.

[robviti]

the only two things to like about billy joel:

1) the well-crafted pop solo by phil woods on i love you just the way you are

2) early on while paying the bills as a cocktail lounge pianist, he performed under the name billy martin

[Joe G]

When doing solo shows in '84 Elvis Costello used to make jokes in-between songs about "this next one is a Billy Joel number" just to scare the audience. Can't remember the song but one of his did start very similar to "Just The Way You Are."

I wonder what Elvis thinks of his wife's cover of that very song.

the only two things to like about billy joel:

1) the well-crafted pop solo by phil woods on i love you just the way you are

A very nice solo from Phil.

Edited September 26, 2006 by Joe G