Saw Billy Joel Friday Night

[Sputnik]

For the prog fan I would think "Turnstiles" would be the ticket. It is one of my favorites by Joel.

Up until now, The Stranger and Turnstiles were my only two Billy Joel albums. I like turnstiles a lot. I'm not sure it particularly scratches a "proggy" itch (as someone else mentioned), but that isn't especially what I listen to Billy Joel for.

I have some reservations about post Glass Houses Billy Joel. Yeah, there are some good songs, but something about the sound is different to me. It's just not as diverse and not as organic. I will sample Nylon Curtain again, there's definitely a song or two from that album I like, so I'll have a fresh listen. I saw him on the Nylon Curtain tour, and it was really good. But mostly because of the back catalog stuff he played for me.

In any case, good to see there are other fans here, and it really has been interesting re-exploring his catalog.

Bill

[JKL2000]

I'm not sure it particularly scratches a "proggy" itch (as someone else mentioned), but that isn't especially what I listen to Billy Joel for.

I can't imagine anyone does.

[Fracktured]

Laura from The Nylon Curtain is one of my favorite non hit songs. It's Billy lyrically at some of his best.


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[pb2015]

Isn't Dave Rosenthal, who was in the reformed version of Happy The Man, also in Billy's band?

As far as I know Rosenthal is still in his band too, yes.

[SteveSly]

[QUOTE=GuitarGeek;742532]The Nylon Curtain has a lot of great songs on it, like Pressure (it was years before I really understood what all the words were about), She's Right On Time, and Goodnight Saigon.

One song of his that nobody seems to mention is Scandinavian Skies, which he said once was his homage to Strawberry Fields Forever. It's a great, weird tune, and I bet if you put it on for someone who didn't know it, they'd never guess it was Billy Joel, at least, not until he starts singing, and of course you'd probably recognize his voice.


Agree "Scandinavian Skies" is a cool tune. "Pressure" is one of my favorites from him.

[SteveSly]

Isn't Dave Rosenthal, who was in the reformed version of Happy The Man, also in Billy's band?

Chuck Burgi also played in Rainbow (I believe again with Rosenthal), Blue Oyster Cult, and I believe he was one of the drummers who played with Zebra, while their regular drummer Guy Gelso was out of commission during the mid 90's.

Yup, Rosenthal was playing with Joel in Chicago. I got to meet him when he played ProgDay back whatever year that was. He seemed like a very nice guy, and very down to earth. We chatted a bit about playing big stadiums with Billy Joel and then playing something like ProgDay. He was totally cool about it and seemed to really enjoy the more intimate atmosphere.

[chescorph]

Yes, Billy Joel’s band has 2 former members of Rainbow in it:

David Rosenthal on keys
Chuck Burgi on drums

Chuck is only 3 years younger than Billy, you would never guess it seeing them on the same stage.
He needs to bottle whatever he uses and sell it to Alan White.

[chescorph]

Chuck Burgi was also in Brand X.

[GuitarGeek]

Yup, Rosenthal was playing with Joel in Chicago. I got to meet him when he played ProgDay back whatever year that was. He seemed like a very nice guy, and very down to earth. We chatted a bit about playing big stadiums with Billy Joel and then playing something like ProgDay. He was totally cool about it and seemed to really enjoy the more intimate atmosphere.

I heard a story about how Ros got the Happy The Man job due to the fact that he had once met Stan Whittaker, I thikn it was, back in the 80's, and had shown him the transcriptions he had done of the pieces off the first two Arista album, which he had done while he was studying at Berklee (and playing with the likes of Steve Vai and Stu Hamm). Apparently, Stan was astounded by how accurate the transcriptions. When Kit Watkins chose to opt out of the reunion project, Stan decided Ros was "the guy" since he obviously already knew all the music already.

I know I talked to Ros for all of like a half a minute at that second NEARfest. I don't even remember what I talked ot him about, other than that I asked if he was in Rainbow (because I recognized his name and face, but couldn't place it at first...of course, I had read the bio that was in the NEARfest program, which I did the next day, I'd have realized it named Rainbow as one of part of his resume).

I don't care what anybody says, Straight Between The Eyes and Bent Out Of Shape are both great records. Believe it or not, those two albums, plus the Live Between The Eyes video was my real introduction to the work of Ritchie Blackmore. Damn, now that I think about it, I should have tried to pump Ros for some Blackmore anecdotes, but I didn't think of it at the time.

[Scott Bails]

My favorite Joel album is still Turnstiles.

Same here. That trifecta of Turnstiles, The Stranger, and 52nd Street is pretty tough to beat.

I think an AllMusic review of that mega-selling Greatest Hits said something like when you listen to all those songs, you wonder why he's not had more critical acclaim for that period.

He's always seemed to have a feud with critics. I'm not sure why, as he seems like the kind of artist that should be critically acclaimed, like Springsteen, but I also think he's one of those guys who took criticism too personally.

I think 'Uptown Girl' and 'The Longest Time' are well done but he loses me around that time...too much overt commerciality, culminating in the regrettable novelty-style 'We Didn't Start The Fire'.

I love An Innocent Man. He does a great job of channeling those 60s influences.

[Vic2012]

I love An Innocent Man. He does a great job of channeling those 60s influences.

Never been a fan but I've always liked the hits off An Innocent Man. Haven't gotten around to getting that album.

[arturs]

^^^ I enjoyed those songs a lot too. I have never owned any Billy Joel music but I saw him once in concert around the time of Innocent Man and I thought it was a great show.

[SteveSly]

I love An Innocent Man. He does a great job of channeling those 60s influences.

Although Doo Wop is not really my thing, Joel really did nail the style well.

[Scott Bails]

Although Doo Wop is not really my thing, Joel really did nail the style well.

I saw him here in Philly a couple years ago and he brought up Boyz II Men to do "The Longest Time" a capella. Very cool.

[ronmac]

Some of those '70s FM broadcasts out there are pretty incredible. He was on such an amazing run back then.

[Fracktured]

I saw him here in Philly a couple years ago and he brought up Boyz II Men to do "The Longest Time" a capella. Very cool.

That must have been really cool. They probably all enjoyed that.


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