God Bless The 80s, Part III: Billy Joel
3 Comments Ryan Welton on Sunday, September 02, 2007 at 1:56 AM.
When it comes to the genre of piano rock, it seems most folks are divided between Elton John and Billy Joel. I'm not divided at all. While I like Elton, I think he pales in comparison to Joel.
Actually, it's a discussion for another time, but I think Ben Folds is every bit as good as Joel, perhaps not at the height of Joel's career but certainly in general.
However, when you talk about Billy Joel, you have to examine his work in ages.
He had the singer-songwriter phase of the early 1970s. He had the 50s troubadour thing goin' in the mid-1980s, and in the early 1990s, he had much of an album-oriented adult contemporary vibe happening.
But in the early 1980s, he was a synth-pop master. Hell, he even had kind of a punk edge in songs like "It's Still Rock & Roll To Me," and the song I'm blogging about today, "Pressure."
In my musical rearing, The Nylon Curtain was a seminal album. Every song was great, and the composition was sophisticated, even "Allentown," which is widely reviled among music critics. I love that song, this album and everything about this part of Joel's career.
Believe it or not, "Allentown" was by far the bigger chart hit for Joel, landing at No. 17 for a record six consecutive weeks. "Pressure" peaked at No. 28, but even if "Allentown" meant more to me growing up, this song means more to me as a musician.
And what's more, the video is brilliant, too.
I'll agree with lots of folks that the 1980s sucked musically compared to the 1960s or 1970s. It depends on the context of the discussion; however, "Pressure" was absolutely a gold-star for the decade musically.
I think Billy Joel is(was) the greater talent in comparison to Elton john. Part of that could be generational. Some of my judgment could be greater appreciation for the singer/songwriter. I think it comes down to self respect. Billy Joel would never perform dressed as a duck or wearing clown glasses.
I loved Elton - still do, come to think of it. When I went to the duet-themed concert (a fantastic idea, btw, since it gave them both solo time and duet time while providing a continuous supply of music to us Starplex-supporting fools), I was very much surprised. Joel was, by far, the better entertainer.
I actually like Elton's music better, at least on studio pieces. But Billy Joel rocked the house. BJ performing EJ's music? That was amazing.
To me, at least.
BTW, I just came back (well, last weekend) from a really ... um ... interesting 80s concert. Tommy Tutone, the Romantics, Missing Persons, and 10,000 Maniacs.
Worth every second of suffering through Missing Persons (I didn't realize you could be that drunk and still stand up, let alone sing), to hear Jenny live. Not that it was good - it was never good. But it was great, nonetheless.
10KM still going strong, by the way, but the fact that they came on after midnight (for a concert with a 7pm opening) and also after Missing Persons was a pretty big disappointment.