Billy Joel Is 68 Today — And His Music Is Still Terrible

[Machiavelli]

Jake Romm
The Forward
May 9, 2017

What does the typical Billy Joel fan look like? It’s a serious question. We can, I think to at least a small degree of accuracy, guess what the typical Sex Pistols fan looked like back in their heyday, or the typical Spice Girls fan in theirs. But, what about Billy Joel? His music is so nondescript, so family-restaurant friendly, so bland, so cheesy, that its lack of concrete identity aside from its popularity and its blandness makes it difficult to imagine just who buys his albums, just who packs the sold out arenas.

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[Frank Cannon]

This steaming pile of shit seems to be written by someone who wasn't around when Billy was making music. I think we call those people brain dead Millennial.

Captain Jack and Only the Good the Good Die Young were on the cutting edge when they came out due to subject matter.

BTW Jake, it's better to have your music played in chain restaurants than to have your blog posts forgotten a half second after you post them.

[Wingnut]

The Jewish Daily Forward?  Give me a break.

[Machiavelli]

The Jewish Daily Forward?  Give me a break.

Easy there, @Wingnut

Now known as simply, The Forward, the publication is considered by many to be liberal, if not leftist. It does not speak for all Jews.

Also, we have Jewish members here and my darling wife is a Jew.

[EC]

The hells the moron who wrote this on about?

Billy Joel's music is terrible - said of the man who wrote one of the best FU songs of all time. 

[truth_seeker]

Billy Joel's music is fine. Light, entertaining.

[Frank Cannon]

Also, we have Jewish members here and my darling wife is a Jew.

That's irrelevant. I don't give a shit who you're sleeping with, it's still a garbage website selling a genuinely vapid argument.

[Wingnut]

Easy there, @Wingnut

Now known as simply, The Forward, the publication is considered by many to be liberal, if not leftist. It does not speak for all Jews.

Also, we have Jewish members here and my darling wife is a Jew.

That was their name for many years.  Just stating a fact.  Try not to make a mountain out on a moyle hill. 

[EC]

That was their name for many years.  Just stating a fact.  Try not to make a mountain out on a moyle hill. 

Dude .....

You missed a perfectly good pun there. Still, I too won't make a mountain out of a mohel.

[Wingnut]

Dude .....

You missed a perfectly good pun there. Still, I too won't make a mountain out of a mohel.

Speel check failed me again.

[Millee]

This writer probably has "One Direction" posters over his bed.

Billy Joel was one of the best concerts I've ever been to and has more talent than this hack could ever dream of.

[skeeter]

This writer probably has "One Direction" posters over his bed.

Billy Joel was one of the best concerts I've ever been to and has more talent then this hack could ever dream of.

The compulsion to claim the authority to declare who's music is good good and who's not worth listening to - to the point of insulting those who might disagree - should be a quality found only in high school age teenagers. I wonder how old Mr Romm is.

[geronl]

The compulsion to claim the authority to declare who's music is good good and who's not worth listening to - to the point of insulting those who might disagree - should be a quality found only in high school age teenagers. I wonder how old Mr Romm is.

Yep, the author doesn't know that everyone has different preferences in music. He doesn't seem to understand that his opinion isn't any more valuable or authoritative than anyone else's. I think someone who sold 150 million albums might actually have an audience.

[EC]

Yep, the author doesn't know that everyone has different preferences in music. He doesn't seem to understand that his opinion isn't any more valuable or authoritative than anyone else's. I think someone who sold 150 million albums might actually have an audience.

Two words: Justin Beiber.

Or one word: Nickleback.

 

[jmyrlefuller]

The compulsion to claim the authority to declare who's music is good good and who's not worth listening to - to the point of insulting those who might disagree - should be a quality found only in high school age teenagers. I wonder how old Mr Romm is.

I feel like certain music critics, and this is particularly true, for example, of the kingmakers at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, seem to value "authenticity" (whatever that means) over actual musical ability. A bunch of punks whose ethos is "screw the system" is laudable art, while progressive rock virtuosos get panned as pretentious.

Ironically, these critics actually become what they claim to be against. The article Romm cites, Rosenbaum's, is a perfect example. He goes on for a full article, whining about how Billy Joel complains about phonies in his music but is wealthy and successful, and in the process he's basically doing what he accuses Joel of doing, complaining about a phony.

[geronl]

Two words: Justin Beiber.

Or one word: Nickleback.

 

 

Joel has sold more than Springsteen,, Madonna and Michael Jackson hasn't he?

[EC]

Pretty sure he has.

[Free Vulcan]

What a pompous d-bag. How you can trash Billy Joel when we have what we have in pop music today just ends all credibility right there. Saying Joel is too light and bland means throwing out about 3/4 of the pop music since the 40's, especially Italian stuff since that's where the influence is from.

Joel's music is wrapped in a velvet glove but it was creative and deep and powerful. Allentown is my favorite and one a masterpiece example of that. If you grew up in a blue collar factory town in the 70's and 80's and watched it die, you feel the pain that he sings about because you lived it. Most of his songs are like that, subtle as they are.

This d-bag will never get it because he probably grew up in some little picket fence suburb and not the Bronx or Jersey or anything near a factory of any kind. He can't relate so he trashes what he can't understand.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV2jvngnvqg

[skeeter]

Music is all about how it effects the listener. Since we're all different, obviously any particular song effects us all differently.

The only other measure of value is how many people have been positively affected by an artists work. Its pretty clear Joel, currently worth 180 million, has nothing to prove to anyone.

@jmyrlefuller
@geronl

[EC]

Its pretty clear Joel, currently worth 180 million, has nothing to prove to anyone.

@jmyrlefuller
@geronl

Not for his writing. Not for his playing. Not for his singing. He's proved himself in all those areas many times over.

Just wish he wouldn't try to dance. That's cringemaking to watch. 

[Frank Cannon]

Allentown is my favorite and one a masterpiece example of that. If you grew up in a blue collar factory town in the 70's and 80's and watched it die, you feel the pain that he sings about because you lived it.

I hate to burst your bubble, but those of us Living Here In Allentown never knew what the hell he was singing about.

[Free Vulcan]

I hate to burst your bubble, but those of us Living Here In Allentown never knew what the hell he was singing about.

Not having been there I'll take your word for it, but he pretty much describes the Midwest Rust Belt during the 80's.

[Frank Cannon]

Not having been there I'll take your word for it, but he pretty much describes the Midwest Rust Belt during the 80's.

Then he should have named the song Cedar Rapids, but then it wouldn't be so catchy.

[Smokin Joe]

Well, Jake Romm, go ahead with your own life and leave me alone.

I like his music, especially the earlier stuff.

[Frank Cannon]

Well, Jake Romm, go ahead with your own life and leave me alone.

LOL. Well played.

[Wingnut]

LOL. Well played.

Don't encourage him!   

[Smokin Joe]

Don't encourage him!   

[Frank Cannon]

Don't encourage him!   

If I don't encourage him he won't flourish into another wise ass which this site desperately needs.

If I have to watch another thread degenerate into a fight over Bible Verses/ John Kasich/ Issues with the Power Grid,  I'm going to have to pull a Bob Owens.

[Smokin Joe]

Hmmmmm.  a fight over Bible Verses/ John Kasich/ Issues with the Power Grid...

THat almost sounds like a challenge, sorta like the perfect country song...

[Frank Cannon]

Hmmmmm.  a fight over Bible Verses/ John Kasich/ Issues with the Power Grid...

THat almost sounds like a challenge, sorta like the perfect country song...

You're right, but someone already made the stupidest country song ever....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZqGJONH68

[Smokin Joe]

You're right, but someone already made the stupidest country song ever....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZqGJONH68

Oh I dunno...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07_rnlBezQg

[dfwgator]

Jake Romm
The Forward
May 9, 2017
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And there's always a place for the angry young man
With his fist in the air and his head in the sand
And he's never been able to learn from mistakes
So he can't understand why his heart always breaks
But his honor is pure and his courage as well
And he's fair and he's true and he's boring as hell
And he'll go to the grave as an angry old man

I suspect this describes the writer to a "T".

[Frank Cannon]

Oh I dunno...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07_rnlBezQg

Oh yes. That turd. I haven't heard that for years...... and I'm glad for that. I can't believe that got air play back in the 80's.

[Smokin Joe]

Oh yes. That turd. I haven't heard that for years...... and I'm glad for that. I can't believe that got air play back in the 80's.

I think it was the record for the month around here...

[Frank Cannon]

I think it was the record for the month around here...

I just looked it up. That "classic" was country music single of the year in 1983. Good grief.

[EasyAce]

Billy Joel's best song . . . in its best version . . .


Ronnie Spector & the E Street Band, "Say Goodbye to Hollywood"

[Wingnut]

Oh yes. That turd. I haven't heard that for years...... and I'm glad for that. I can't believe that got air play back in the 80's.

80's country was full full of craptastic songs like that.  It reminds me of what is happening today in country with all the Tractor rap auto tune shit that is passed off as country music.  Jason Aldean, Florida georgia line..

[Smokin Joe]

80's country was full full of craptastic songs like that.  It reminds me of what is happening today in country with all the Tractor rap auto tune shit that is passed off as country music.  Jason Aldean, Florida georgia line..

I haven't paid much attention since the 'poop scoopin' boogie' came out, just because, well, that ain't country to me. If a couple of folks can't sit around and play it over beer with a guitar, banjo, and/or fiddle, it isn't the sort of music that would have been played in my wife's grandma's kitchen on a Saturday night when the family got together. I remember those days.

[rodamala]

I just looked it up. That "classic" was country music single of the year in 1983. Good grief.

@Frank Cannon

I recall listening to Q100 and WZZO in the 80's when I was a kid... but I also listened to a country station, that I could swear was also out of the Lehigh Valley.  I think this was back before "Cat Country"...

Any idea what the circa 1982 country station was in the valley?

[Frank Cannon]

@Frank Cannon

I recall listening to Q100 and WZZO in the 80's when I was a kid... but I also listened to a country station, that I could swear was also out of the Lehigh Valley.  I think this was back before "Cat Country"...

Any idea what the circa 1982 country station was in the valley?

The only country station we had was WSAN an AM station. I can't remember the frequency but the station is still there next to the Sears. I think it is Spanish now.

[Silver Pines]

@Machiavelli

I completely agree that everyone has different music tastes.  I happen to agree with the author, lol. 

[Machiavelli]

@Machiavelli

I completely agree that everyone has different music tastes.  I happen to agree with the author, lol.

@CatherineofAragon

I have no opinion of Billy Joel. I'm a classical music fan.

[Silver Pines]

@CatherineofAragon

I have no opinion of Billy Joel. I'm a classical music fan.

@Machiavelli

Classical is lovely, but I know absolutely nothing about it.

[Wingnut]

@Machiavelli

I completely agree that everyone has different music tastes.  I happen to agree with the author, lol.

Well, it's no big sin to stick your two cents in If you know when to leave it alone!
But you went over the line you couldn't see it was time to go home
No, no, no, no, no, no, you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to open up your mouth you had to be a big shot, didn't you!

[truth_seeker]

@CatherineofAragon

I have no opinion of Billy Joel. I'm a classical music fan.

I like several styles of music, from folk, country, blues, rock, jazz, and even some classical.

Saw a good video recently with Celine Dion and Pavarotti. It was posted by a member of my inlaw's family, which has gifted musicians.

My BIL traveled with Celine and her husband years ago. 

[Silver Pines]

Well, it's no big sin to stick your two cents in If you know when to leave it alone!
But you went over the line you couldn't see it was time to go home
No, no, no, no, no, no, you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to open up your mouth you had to be a big shot, didn't you!

@Wingnut

Who you telling to go home?   

[Silver Pines]

I like several styles of music, from folk, country, blues, rock, jazz, and even some classical.

Saw a good video recently with Celine Dion and Pavarotti. It was posted by a member of my inlaw's family, which has gifted musicians.

My BIL traveled with Celine and her husband years ago.

Really?  That's interesting. The woman has a voice, no doubt about that.

My husband likes just about every kind of music there is, except for opera.  He even likes some eighties and nineties rap, though not the hardcore kind.  My dad, a blue-collar railroad engineer, used to never miss an opera on PBS. 

I'm not quite as much of an equal opportunity fan.  I like rock, pop, some classical (though like I said I'm ignorant about it), and some of the New-Agey Enya type music. 

[EasyAce]

Blues, jazz, classic soul, classical and experimental music, reggae, some world and ethinc musics, vintage rock
and roll (when it really was rock and roll and not just a bunch of misogynistic, grooveless b.s.) for me.

[berdie]

Blues, jazz, classic soul, classical and experimental music, reggae, some world and ethinc musics, vintage rock
and roll (when it really was rock and roll and not just a bunch of misogynistic, grooveless b.s.) for me.

I am pretty much the same. I will add classic country. I'll listen to anything except rap or opera. (maybe if I spoke Italian I could learn to love opera, lol.)

Billy Joel is an excellent lyricist and has a great voice IMVHO.

[geronl]

I am pretty much the same. I will add classic country. I'll listen to anything except rap or opera. (maybe if I spoke Italian I could learn to love opera, lol.)

Billy Joel is an excellent lyricist and has a great voice IMVHO.

Like Phil Collins...