This is my first blogpost from home! As I was moving out, I decided to listen to Billy Joel’s classic 1977 album, The Stranger (the first track is called “Movin’ Out” hahaha I’m so clever). Anyways, I enjoyed it immensely and I knew as I was listening to it I had to pick one of the many outstanding tracks to break down. There are so many choices, if any of you are interested in Billy Joel I honestly recommend you just listen to the whole album. Still, I have zeroed in a unique, beautiful little gem from the back half of the album: “Vienna”.
This message about slowing down, relaxing, and enjoying life is directed at ambitious young people working themselves into the ground in the pursuit of success and excitement; I would say that applies to me, but then I remember what my Saturday mornings look like and realize that I already do a fair bit of “slowing down”. Moving on…
Vienna has this wonderful, slightly discordant intro/outro that sets it apart, despite its fairly standard chord structure. I’ve met a lot of people who don’t listen to a ton of old music, but somehow know and love this track, so I’ve concluded that even today it’s managed to maintain a niche little cult following across demographics and generations. There aren’t a lot of songs that do that, especially without being stadium anthems of some sort, so I’d say that counts for a lot.
You know what? Since I’m pretty sure I haven’t discussed Billy Joel before, and because I REALLY enjoyed my latest run through The Stranger, I’m gonna stay right within that album for my next song. This is Billy Joel’s masterpiece, one of his most famous and complex works, and a song I believe will continue to engage audiences for years and years to come: “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”.
From the opening piano riff, the track has an iconic feel to it that will forever excite concert audiences within moments. This trip through reminiscing about adolescence and following high school prom queen and king Brenda and Eddie was an instant classic when it came out in 1977, showcasing Joel’s unbelievable songwriting and piano abilities (note the bridge starting at 2:48), as well as some spectacular saxophone solos. Billy Joel’s ascension from barroom “Piano Man” to international rockstar is one of the coolest success stories in music history, and I’m always awed when I stumble across such a talented and instinctive songwriter. For reference, I hold few songwriters in higher esteem than Billy Joel outside of The Beatles, Rodger Hodgson, and… depending on my mood, that’s pretty much the list. Another gorgeous song of his, possibly my favorite, is “Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)”, an emotional musing on parenthood, mortality, and which parts of human nature will endure forever, and it’s worth checking out if you’re ever in the mood.
I’m not sure what we’ll be doing with our Passion blogs in the near future, given Thanksgiving, but until next time!
I haven’t heard Scenes from an Italian restaurant in a while but it brought me back to a memory I had cooking in the kitchen with family friends, and I just love how music can do that.
I love the clever title of this week’s post! I’ve neved been an avid listener of Billy Joel, but I’ve heard and enjoyed Piano Man and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.
I really liked the first song you showed us, “Vienna. I had never heard It before but I really resonate with this message.
I always recognized Scenes from an Italian Restaurant when I heard it, but I never knew what it was called. I almost saw Billy Joel in concert once, and now you’re making me wish I didn’t change my mind, haha.