Am I alone on this one? Hands down my favorite musician/singer/songwriter.

I went to see him in '08 at the Farewell Shea Stadium concert. He was OUTSTANDING! 100 times better than when I saw him way back in 1986. To me Joel is like a fine wine --- he get's better with age!

Definitely one of the best.

I'm a Billy fan. A couple of years ago I saw "Movin' Out" on B'way. Fantastic. I've never seen him in concert, but BJ is truly an American musical ICON. My favorite...."NY State of Mind", especially since I had to move to NJ.

"Big Man on Mulberry Street" is one of my favorite songs, hands down.

Scenes From An Italian Restaurant = Best Song Ever.

I was backstage at a Meadowlands show and was a pube away from meeting him, but then the governor showed up.

I assume you were the enteree rather than the enterer.

This is totally cool. I knew there had to be more Billy fans here! I saw him in '83 and '89 and agree he totally rocks out in concert. All the songs you guys mentioned are my favorites as well.

I like Billy Joel, but can't stand "Piano Man." That song makes me want to jump off a bridge.

I saw him at the Meadowlands in '86, DC. "The Bridge" tour. It was a Christmas week concert, which made the news because Billy was dressed as Santa giving out gifts to kids. But he wasn't in very good voice that night. I still love him, though.

BJ is a great singer. I love just abouut everything he sings. Sorry Klyd I like Piano Man.

Klydon 1 is a friend of mine,
He represents me for free.
And he's quick with a joke
and I know he don't smoke
nowhere else he'd rather be. (than on the Gangster BB)

la-la-didee-dah, etc.

That was well done.

There's a local deli here, called The Sanwichman, and whenever we decide to order from there I sing:

Make me a sub, you're the sandwichman
Make me a sub tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for some ham and cheese
And you know how to make it just right.

I know that, like Mig, most people love this song, and I'm in the minority. His song about Allentown was always popular growing up as we lived relatively close to Allentown, which wasn't the depressed town that it was made out to be. There were other places more fitting for the song, but didn't fit the meter and rhyme scheme.

I liked that he could write songs that were incredibly specific in terms of location and time but that were still universal. That's a talent.

I thought it was the Lido Shuffle??

I love Billy Joel. I don't have all of his music but love most of it. Among my favorites: Movin' Out, Anthony's Song, We Didn't Start The Fire, Only the Good Die Young. I never saw BJ in concert, but I too saw Movin' Out and loved it.

BTW, Piano Man isn't one of my favorites either. I know, I know, it's a good song, just not my favorite. Anyway, I'd love to see him in concert some day, but he seems to appear mainly on the East Coast no?


TIS

I heard Billy Joel being interviewed on the radio here in NY before a Madison Square Garden concert. He said that he reserves several seats in the front row and, just before the concert starts, sends his people into the nosebleed seats to look for people to bring up front. I thought that was wonderful.

Just saw Joel on the HBO Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concert this past Sunday. I like a lot of his music. I think one of his coolest songs is the historical-based "We Didn't Start the Fire." I was always partial to "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me," "Matter of Trust," "Sometimes a Fantasy," and "NY State of Mind." I was never a big fan of the Motown influenced album An Innocent Man.

"Angry Young Man" would have been a great "Sopranos" song. I could see the credits rolling after one of Christopher's temper tantrums and that unbelievable piano solo starting up in the background.

There's a place in the world for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend he refuses to crawl
And he's always at home with his back to the wall
And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost
And struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross
And likes to be known as the angry young man

I will never forget Billy Joel's performance at the concert right after September 11th. He performed "NY State of Mind". It was just him at a grand piano, and perched on the piano was the helmet of a slain NY firefighter. It was an amazing performance.

SB,

That was televised right? Cause I think I saw it. Anyway what an appropriate song for that particular concert.

I thought I read somewhere that he never cared for Anthony's Song, but it's one of my favorites. Oh, and what about Uptown Girls? And "It's Still Rock & Roll." Lots of good tunes. He's a very talented artist.

TIS

I also love "Only The Good Die Young".

I'm surprised no one mentioned Billy Joel's best song.

Honesty.

One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

My favorite is Lunatic. I think that's the name of it.

Eh. I get lucky once in a while, Mark .

I guess "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" would be too obvious. Maybe just the intro, "bottle of red, bottle of white," while Artie was pouting and cooking the rabbit that he shot.

Re: Billy Joel; His daughter is in the hospital for what is being reported as an attempted suicide. I remember one video of BJ's in which Christy Brinkley was holding her baby. I believe it's Alexa. Anyway, she looks so much like her dad. I think (and hope) she'll survive and be ok.

TIS


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/billy_joel_daughter_overdoses_in_DHjTBMospMkwI2Y1T2tasI

Kinda spooky that we started this thread the same week his daughter, Alexa, tried to commit suicide. I've seen her interviewed and she seems like a very sweet, very down to earth, young lady. I hope she's going to be okay.

You mean with the lyrics..."It just may be a lunatic you're lookin' for?" I believe the title is "You May Be Right". I love that song too.

FWIW, one very popular BJ song that to me is just ok IMHO is "Just The Way You Are." I like it ok, but not as much as some of the others.

TIS

Oh Tis. You're such a thistle arse .

Ha ha...Don't you just love that phrase? I mean how often is one called a "Thistle Arse?"

I couldn't get that expression out of my head on Friday night, Tis. My Dad turned 80 last week and I turned 50 last month, so we went out for dinner Friday night with the whole extended family.

I was a little tipsy and called my brother a "thistle arse." He turns around, looks at me funny and says, What the fuck is a thistle arse?

I told him I had no idea .