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It's Still Billy Joel to Me

Not long ago I sat down with a DVD compilation of Billy Joel videos and promotional films. As I watched him play an unshaven guardian angel, car mechanic, and game show contestant I was reminded again of my abiding love for his music. Granted, it doesn't take much to remind me. I've been a fan since I was six years old and my mom played tapes of An Innocent Man (1983) and Greatest Hits (1985) over and over in the car as we drove around town. In college I did a deep dive into his catalog and found that and found that Billy's music - even the songs I didn't listen to growing up - helped ground me whenever I felt lost in the process of growing up. 

This deep connection has continued through adulthood, and I haven't shied away from writing about him on this blog over the years. In fact, I've written reviews about four of his 12 studio albums. So it occurrs to me that he is a prime candidate for an every-album-reviewed project. In case you're new around here, I've done this for some of my big musical crushes (The Beatles, The Monkees, "Weird Al" Yankovic, XTC, Talking Heads).

The last time I did it was with REO Speedwagon, and that proves to be an interesting point of comparison. I approached that project as a REO neophyte, knowing only Hi Infidelity and their greatest hits, but I have a great deal more familiarity with Billy and his life's work. But the two are similar in other ways, both highly successful in their heydays, both considered deeply uncool by people who care about that sort of thing.

Though I love the way writing about each album chronologically ends up creating a narrative about the artist and their work, I've decided to approach this project backwards. I'll start with a couple of posts covering the music Billy has released since his retirement from recording in in 1993, and work my way all the way back to his 1971 debut.

So please join me each week as we sail down the River of Dreams, pull back the nylon curtain, pass by some glass houses on 52nd Street, hop a few turnstiles, and dock in Cold Spring Harbor.

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