Billy Joel A to Z

On Tuesday January 23, 2024 Billy Joel released a small sample of his new song entitled, Turn the Lights Back On. The first REAL song since Famous Last Words in August of 1993. Elon, Paul and Dave huddled together live on Saturday January 27, 2024 to make predictions of what we all might expect or desire from a new Billy Joel song 31 years in the making. We'll see you all next week, when we all ge...

As we thought we were done with the unreleased tracks, this one pops up, but was actually released as an old fashioned B Side to "All About Soul". "You Picked a Real Bad Time" was apparently written with Eric Clapton in mind. In fact, Billy was hoping he'd sing it. Of course, he always says that and it never happened so. . . . You're welcome in advance that Billy Joel A to Z exists, otherwise this...

It's a Billy Joel encore classic today on the podcast as we finish up the final song (alphabetically) off the Glass Houses Album with, You May Be Right . This is actually one of Billy Joel's personal top 5 songs he's written. In fact it's so popular even the Chipmunks did a cover on their "Punk Album" - and that's clearly the catalyst of popular. Fitting to put this out right after the New Year as...

Happy New Year everyone. Welcome to the home stretch of the Billy Joel A to Z podcast as we open the brand new year with the oldest and the first of Billy Joel's album, Cold Spring Harbor . The Cold Spring Harbor Album was released November 1, 1971 and holds 2 songs that have been Billy Joel staples over the years. She's Got A Way is how we all may have discovered Billy Joel but Everybody Loves Yo...

Happy New Year everyone. Welcome to the home stretch of the Billy Joel A to Z podcast as we open the brand new year with the oldest and the first of Billy Joel's album, Cold Spring Harbor . The Cold Spring Harbor Album was released November 1, 1971 and holds 2 songs that have been Billy Joel staples over the years. She's Got A Way is how we all may have discovered Billy Joel but Everybody Loves Yo...

As we continue our journey down the Y's we make a final stop off of the Cold Spring Harbor Album in the 7th song entitled You Look So Good To Me. You Look So Good To Me is the fastest song on the album and even faster if you listen to the original pressing. It's a happy and peppy and bursting with love song. Where's the happy go lucky music video for this one? Should we make one ourselves? 😉 Host...

Oh my goodness 2 letters left as we begin our journey into the Billy Joel songs that begin with the letter "Y". We kick off with a terrific song off of the first album entitled, "You Can Make Me Free". This song is over 50 years old and reminds us that Billy Joel has been around a really long time and is still amazing and selling out stadiums.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Hello everyone and happy holidays. This is a special podcast for the Letter "X". Obviously since there are no Billy Joel songs that begin with the letter "X" AND the great Paul Loren was in town, the three of us decided to get together and just jam. So, recorded live at the Williams Center in Rutherford, NJ, we put together a little sing along with good cheer and good tidings and a little holiday...

It's been a long long time -- as the song goes - since we've done a letter wrap up but here we are wrapping up the letter "W" as we get down to only 2 letters left. We've got the rankings and listener feedback of course. Plus, finally, what everyone's been waiting for - we get to hear how Scenes From an Italian Restaurant sounded going from part 1 to part 2 on 8-Track Tape so many years ago. Spoil...

From his comedy specials Super Crazy , Spicy Honey , or his brand new one entitled, Domestic Short Hair to his television appearances on Bob’s Burgers , Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee or Comedy Bang Bang you may wonder why we have legendary comedian Todd Barry on our Billy Joel podcast. Well, many years ago Todd was in a Billy Joel cover band that only played the song that the band was called. I...

Today we discuss a great song off the Piano Man album entitled, " Worse Comes to Worst ". Worse Comes to Worst kicks off the second side of Piano Man and was actually released as a single as the follow up to the song " Piano Man " all the way back on November of 1974. It didn't do very well on the charts and he never plays it live but we sure would like him to. This song live is unbelievable as yo...

Why Judy Why is the first song we've covered in an entire year from Billy Joel's first album ever entitled, Cold Spring Harbor . Totally worth the wait. This beautiful song (now at the correct speed) is apparently about Billy Joel's sister. And why not? We've already heard about his wives, mother and childhood sweetheart - Judy was due. Again, another song where at the ripe old age of 20, he feels...

Hi everybody and thank you for listening to Billy Joel A to Z. In this episode we decided to do the hilarious task of wrapping up all of Billy’s unreleased tracks that we’ve done an episode on.  That's right all 15 songs ranked and packaged and to never be spoken about again after this episode anywhere. Some we say, "Why didn't he put this on an album?", and some we say - "Thank goodness he d...

Today on Billy Joel A to Z we discuss our FINAL Unreleased track in a tune Billy Joel A to Z has decided to call Where Was I . There’s no real actual title to this song, but it’s a beautiful unreleased track circa, 1970, 71. Once again Billy questions, how he's missed out on life at the ripe old age of 20. A theme he would hilariously continue into his 40's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Today on Billy Joel A to Z we come down to our final Unreleased Tracks. This one is entitled "Where's the Revolution". We estimate it to be circa 1971, perhaps part of the Cold Spring Harbor sessions. In this song Billy asks the question, what is the part of the musician during war time - of course he kind of answers that question 10 years later with Goodnight Saigon, so that makes this song, kind...

The Nylon Curtain was released on September 23, 1982 - wow 40 years ago. And with 40 years behind it has become an absolute fan favorite. Besides the massive hit of Allentown, this album is a very strange, and yet very musically complex masterpiece for the true Billy Joel fan. Considered Billy Joel's "Sgt. Pepper" The Nylon Curtain is a concept album that was nominated for Album of the Year and a...

The Nylon Curtain was released on September 23, 1982 - wow 40 years ago. And with 40 years behind it has become an absolute fan favorite. Besides the massive hit of Allentown, this album is a very strange, and yet very musically complex masterpiece for the true Billy Joel fan. Considered Billy Joel's "Sgt. Pepper" The Nylon Curtain is a concept album that was nominated for Album of the Year and a...

The Nylon Curtain was released on September 23, 1982 - wow 40 years ago. And with 40 years behind it has become an absolute fan favorite. Besides the massive hit of Allentown, this album is a very strange, and yet very musically complex masterpiece for the true Billy Joel fan. Considered Billy Joel's "Sgt. Pepper" The Nylon Curtain is a concept album that was nominated for Album of the Year and a...

Where's the Orchestra? Possibly considered Billy's best work by a multitude of musicians and fans. The final song off of 1982's The Nylon Curtain . A brilliant song about an idiot who goes to a Broadway show and didn't realize it's a musical. I mean. . . . Come On!! BUT, that being said, it sure is a terrific pretty song with lots of different meanings. A true Billy Hidden Gem. Hosted on Acast. Se...

Today we wrap up another one -- and this one is Billy Joel's 1989 and pen-ultimate album, Storm Front . Storm Front is definitely an odd one but it certainly sold alot of albums and turned over almost 7 singles. I mean, they're not classics but We Didn't Start the Fire is still a completely a bona fide hit even today almost 40 years later. So, we wrap up the ten songs that Paul Loren makes us re-t...

Today we wrap up another one -- and this one is Billy Joel's 1989 and pen-ultimate album, Storm Front . Storm Front is definitely an odd one but it certainly sold alot of albums and turned over almost 7 singles. I mean, they're not classics but We Didn't Start the Fire is still a completely a bona fide hit even today almost 40 years later. So, we wrap up the ten songs that Paul Loren makes us re-t...

If Billy Joel could take songs back -- he insists When in Rome would be the song he did. Although it's not a bad song and certainly moves the lyrics are a little bit silly for someone who can rhyme Nikita "Khrushchev" with the "Suez" Canal and have it be a number one hit so. . . . -- Either way we always have lots of fun talking about, as Paul Loren calls them, "the turds" as well so there's no wa...

Another album in the books and this time it's Billy Joel's 1974 album, Streetlife Serenade . The extremely little known album just before he'd become the Billy Joel we all know and worship. Billy himself has made it very clear that this isn't his greatest work -- even going as far as to admit he put two instrumental songs on the album because he ran out of material. BUT, over the years the true fa...

Another album in the books and this time it's Billy Joel's 1974 album, Streetlife Serenade . The extremely little known album just before he'd become the Billy Joel we all know and worship. Billy himself has made it very clear that this isn't his greatest work -- even going as far as to admit he put two instrumental songs on the album because he ran out of material. BUT, over the years the true fa...

Billy Joel's biggest song ever -- is not this one. 😅 Weekend Song is the third song off the second side of 1974s Streetlife Serenade album. A semi-rockin' song that tells the classic story of a Friday night after a week of work and let's get ready to party. Of course in Billy Joel world, that means 'pick me up at the train station in Long Island and let's get something to eat'. You gotta love the...