Billy Joel A to Z

It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me is the fourth track off Billy’s 7th studio album “Glass Houses”. It was released as a single on May 12, 1980 and became the number one hit in the nation on July 19th. This is one of Billy Joel's biggest song ever and yet, it has the words Beau Brummell Baby. I guess that's when you know people love you whatever you do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You) is the eighth track off Billy’s second studio album “Piano Man”.  Modulating to a different key? What? That's nothing, wait until you see one of Billy's heroes completely ripping off this melody 10 years later. Ooooo. Controversy. Fun times on Billy Joel A to Z. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve Loved These Days is the seventh track off Billy’s fourth studio album Turnstiles . It's sandwiched in between Angry Young Man and Miami 2017 so who remembers it. So, mostly we focus on the Glen Campbell classic, Rhinestone Cowboy . They came out at the same time and Billy was going to call the song, "These Rhinestone Days". Close call. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

I Go to Extremes is the fourth track off Billy’s eleventh studio album “Storm Front”. The song went all the way to Number 6 on the Billboard Charts on March 17, 1990.  The song appears on numerous other compilation albums and Billy plays it live all the time. Also, I'm pretty sure our logo comes from the video of this song. So it's pretty popular. So why don't we like it? Ooooo, controversy....

I Don’t Want to Be Alone kicks off the second side of Billy Joel’s seventh Album Glass Houses, if, of course, you were listening on Vinyl way back in 1980. Another fun loving song about loneliness that for some reason seems to rock. Gotta love this guy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the always exciting Wrap-Up episode - this time for the letter "H". We finish our discussion of the great "Half a Mile Away", the medium "Honesty" and the awful "House of Blue Light". Later, we discuss the new "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" official video that just came out, the new 9 pack Vinyl compilation that is coming out AND the apparent sketch by Andrew Dice Clay and Billy Joel tha...

Stacey and Avery Lender are mother and daughter. Stacey used to be an actual "Roadie" for Billy Joel back in the '90's and that led to her daughter, Avery, becoming a super fan. Avery is an up and coming Stand-Up Comic who is still in college for the time being. Stacey, like Elon, used to run the student music concert committee at Cornell University and parlayed that into working for Billy Joel, a...

House of Blue Light was only available as the B-side to the single of the legendary We Didn’t Start the Fire released on September 27, 1989. It is the second instance of a Billy Joel single being backed by a non-album track (the other one being Elvis Presley Boulevard ). It now officially appears only on Disc 2 of the My Lives Compilation Album. It is what one critic called, "a blues son...

The second song off of Billy Joel’s sixth and Grammy Winning Album of the Year, 52nd Street and released as the third single from the album on April 21st 1979. Honesty spent 11 weeks on the charts and peaked at number 24 on May 26, 1979.  A predecessor to what would become the Power Ballads of the 80's and 90's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The H's begin with the fast moving Half a Mile Away song. Half a Mile Away is the seventh song off of Billy Joel’s sixth and Grammy Winning Album of the Year, 52nd Street and was released only as a B-Side, depending on what country you live in, on the 45 RPM of Big Shot , which came out on January of 1979. And, in trivia this week -- which Billy Joel album covers were shot "a half a mile away...

It's the G's Wrap Up everybody. Who isn't excited talking about the 5 songs with the letter G? Well, at least there's 5 this time. 😂. Just wrapping up the greatness of Get It Right The First Time -- cause, you know, that's the main thing. And, of course, reminiscing on the awesome interview with Gary Gulman. Also, more Karen Carpenter and that weird Hammond B3 Organ. What is that all about? Liste...

It turns out Gary Gulman is a huge Billy Joel fan. And who better to have after we wrap up the "Gs" then Gary G. Gary has, among other things, an amazing comedy special/documentary on HBO Max entitled, The Great Depresh , which is now a new comedy album as well. He is also scheduled to play Carnegie Hall November 13, 2021 -- so it's a HUGE deal that he was able to take a few moments and talk a lit...

Great Ships & Great Oceans is an unreleased song originally written by Billy Joel in 1972 for the Piano Man Album. A really interesting song that a songwriter almost has to get out the way to achieve greatness so it's great to see the process. Most of us just gargle with salt water but Billy has written like 20 songs about it. Now that's productivity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

Got to Begin Again is the tenth and final track that completes Billy’s first album Cold Spring Harbor which was released on November 1, 1971 and, famously rereleased, in December of 1983. In this episode find out why certain songs on Glass Houses may sound like Carpenter's songs. Yes, the musical group. I know. A fascinating discovery in the world of what is Billy Joel A to Z . Hosted on Acast. Se...

Goodnight Saigon is the fourth track of Billy Joel’s eighth studio album, The Nylon Curtain . Goodnight Saigon was released as a single in February of 1983 and spent 7 weeks on the billboard charts. So then, what do this song, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd and comedian Artie Lange have in common? Find out on this episode. Exciting!   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Another final track - this time off The Bridge album. Getting Closer was only released as a B-Side to our first podcast’s song, A Matter of Trust and released on July 9, 1986. The third and final duet off of the album -- this time with Li'l Stevie Winwood, who can't get enough of the Hammond b3 organ. Whatever that is. Like Ray Charles, Steve Winwood was one of Billy's heroes starting out. Hosted...

The eighth and penultimate song of Billy Joel’s epic sensation, The Stranger . Get It Right the First Time was released only as a B-Side of Dave's favorite wrong song title, "Don’t Go Changing” ( Just the Way You Are ). Possibly, the only Billy Joel song with a full on Disco Beat. Yay 70's! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another letter wrap up, this time for the " F "s. In this episode we talk about having two more ending album songs; what a great time our Live Watch Party was and continuing to thank everyone for showing up so a good time could be had by all; and talk about our amazing guest Alec Sulkin and the great revelations he bought up about how the show Family Guy indeed feels about Billy Joel. Also, listen...

Alec Sulkin is the show runner from the epic show Family Guy on Fox and is also the co-writer of the movies, Ted , Ted 2 and A Million Ways to Die in the West . Of course, he is also a tremendous Billy Joel fan, as is evidenced in almost every season of the 20 year old Family Guy . We had such a good time talking to him we can't wait to already have him back. In this episode we find out if Billy i...

After last week's episode, fascinatingly another Final track on an album, this one on the album of the same name - 52nd Street . 52nd Street , the song, was only released as a B-Side to the classic song My Life on October 28, 1978.  The final song off of the album that won it all in 1980 by beating out Donna Summer and Supertramp. Based on this song, it may not have been a classic year....

The last song every written on an album by Billy Joel released August 10, 1993. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn anymore." Oh Burn!!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fifth track and final song on side one of Billy's debut album Cold Spring Harbor released November 1, 1971. And, as we begin the F letters, after waiting so long for a song from Cold Spring Harbor , we go back to back this time with Falling in the Rain . Will Dave like this one as much as he liked Everybody Loves You Now ? Billy is even known for mocking this one. 😂 Epic. Hosted on Acast. See...

A recap of the E's, a preview of the F's, plus listener feedback and rankings. Also, recapping Dave's first reaction listen to anything (amazingly) off Cold Spring Harbor . AND, of course reiterating how our E's guest, Dennis Blair, inspired the entire An Innocent Man album. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dennis Blair is a living legend in the comedy world BUT for this podcast's importance he is the writer of the classic Rodney Dangerfield movie, Easy Money , which as you know contains the theme song of the same name. So, if Dennis Blair, wrote the movie Easy Money and Billy Joel was asked to write the song Easy Money and then he said, "I like this song, let's do an entire album of songs like Easy...

The third track off of Billy's debut album Cold Spring Harbor and released as the B-Side to She's Got a Way in January of 1972. The Billy Joel A to Z Podcast's first song off of Cold Spring Harbor AND the song on the album that uses the title Cold Spring Harbor . AND, since I'm clearly trying to see how many times I can use Cold Spring Harbor in a sentence, now Billy Joel's worst nightmare, as he...