Piano Man: the Essential Billy Joel

The Piano Man, the Angry Young Man and the Entertainer. Billy Joel is another artist that has changed the way I feel about music, courtesy of my Dad. This post is another beginners guide to becoming another Gen Y convertee like myself. Billy Joel has some great songs and albums, but to catch the Billy bug the following three are the ones to choose(btw, I have avoided the radio favourites, which are still great, but the hardcore fans choose the following):

1. The Stranger: a great album, that has some great songs including "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", "Only the Good Die Young" and "The Stranger". "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" is an epic hit with great sounds and a few fun lyrics. "The Stranger" is a beautiful and poetic melody about how "we all have a face that we hide away forever" and how "we may never understand how the stranger is inspired". This combined with some old fashioned piano sounds and perfectly pitched whistling make it great. "Only the Good Die Young" is an upbeat anthem that is the tune of choice for the bad girl (or guy!) in all of us. The Stranger is truly one of Billy Joel's best. Other great hits include" Movin Out (Anthony's Song)" and "Everybody has a Dream".

2. Turnstiles: an album marking Billy's change from L.A to New York and contains some great songs like "New York State of Mind", "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" and "Say Goodbye to Hollywood". These are classic Billy and are great for getting into his music. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" is a song about Billy's change of scene and is a favourite of mine. "Miami 2017" is a bit of an end-of-the-world song that shares some New York scenery with the listener. Forget 2012, Billy's betting on 2017. "New York State of Mind" shares Billy's fondness for the city and once again describes some famous NY scenery. Other notable tracks include "James" and "Summer Highland Falls".

3. The River of Dreams: the cover artwork is painted by Joel's then-wife, the songs are catchy and cool, and the album is one of Billy's most recognizable. "The Great Wall of China" is another autobiographical track about professional troubles and "It's All About Soul" is a great track. "It's all about faith in a deeper devotion, the woman's got soul"; I don't know why, but it's just so cool. The title track "River of Dreams" is a catchy, cool hit that will suck you into the Billy vortex. Another notable favourite is "No Man's Land" which is a quirky song that appears to be a metaphor for consumerism and new century life, e.g "Give us this day our daily discount outlet merchandise, raise up a multiplex and we will make a sacrifice". Nice.

Another notable album is Glass Houses and Piano Man is also a memorable song. Billy Joel has a vast range of music that you will want to devour once your into it. Most played songs on my iPod: "All for Leyna" from Glass Houses and "Only the Good Die Young" from The Stranger. Hope you guys enjoy the music.
Dannielle
xoxo