March 23, 2012

Billy Joel

I think this is my first post, and it's about Billy Joel.

Specifically, it's about this three year old article, which someone for some reason posted on Facebook today. I hate Billy Joel but I find him fascinating. I first noticed this about 10 years ago, when the NYT Magazine ran a long piece about what a hard time he was having trying to meet women. It was illustrated (I think) with all these gritty Anton Corbijn photos, and contained the line "Billy Joel is keenly aware that he is 'Billy Joel,' but he doesn't seem to understand fully how that designation is the cause of virtually everything good and bad about his life."

Anyway, I was going to write something about how even though I agree that (most of) BJ's work is execrable, I think the author of the three year old article is missing a certain degree of authenticity in BJ's work. But I don't have time, so I will leave this off with the probably-not-controversial assertion that "We Didn't Start the Fire" is at least as much of a crime against humanity as "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me."

6 comments:

  1. I have only joy that you are posting, O Tiger. And also that you refer to Billy Joel as "BJ."

    Plus, I agree with each and every point you make, although "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" is still the #1 As of Yet Unprosecuted War Criminal in Song Form.

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  2. Although it only mentions BJ in passing (leave that phrase alone, please), I think this 19-year-old NYT Magazine piece is still the best thing I've ever read that involves him: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/22/magazine/the-devil-in-long-island.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

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  3. Oh, wait, it's the same guy, doing the same thing, 16 years later. Never mind.

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  4. So the first dirty joke I remember hearing was this:

    How long did Lionel Ritchie sit on the toilet?
    ALL NIGHT LONG.

    This is probably the root of my irrational hatred of poor L. Ritchie.

    Why do I mention this? There's a similar Billy Joel joke, of course:

    How long did Billy Joel sit on the toilet?
    (I'll leave the punch line to the next intrepid commenter. Answer right and you get a prize!)

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  5. Replies
    1. HEY-O! My historical prize is a punch in the (literal or metaphorical) nuts, whether internal or external or otherwise. But I think I can offer something more people want and that fewer perverts will see as a sex thing.

      WE HAVE A WINNER.

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