Toxic in the Lounge
-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:
It doesn't have to be a Tuesday for things to get toxic in 2009. I don't ever recall so many notable deaths in one year, and the year isn't over yet. The list of the celebrated, talented dead increased again in the past couple of days with poet/author/singer-songwriter Jim Carroll meeting his demise by a sudden heart attack and actor/dancer Patrick Swayze expiring after a long hard-fought battle against a terminal illness. Rest in peace, guys.
Meanwhile, all too many tiresome hacks in show business continue to hang on. Which brings me to Billy Joel, the self-styled "Piano Man," tin-pan troubadour of Long Island, chaser of supermodels, and, if the police reports are to be believed, incredibly inept driver. Even as I admit to liking Joel's keyboard-pumping paean to a dying way of life "Allentown," I blanch at the thought of his disingenuous "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"; his doo-wop rip-off of the Four Seasons, "Uptown Girl"; and his helter-skelter please-make-it-stop laundry list of historical touchstones "We Didn't Start the Fire." (And I would gladly start the fire if it immolated every copy of the latter song.)
Joel had released an LP on an indie label in 1971 to minimal response. But it all really started for him in 1973 with his first album on Columbia Records - and the success of the title song "Piano Man," a supposedly romantic view of an honest, hard-working, yet solitary entertainer doing his best to keep the customers happy in a sad little dive. From the bogus Dylan-style harmonica (played, if the first promo video of the song is to be believed, by Joel himself) to the overly earnest Broadway tenor delivery, and trite lyrics, it's as dreary as can be. See and hear for yourself via the aforementioned video of "Piano Man" and the more professional, tidied-up version that his record company probably insisted that he make. Amazing to think that this banality launched such a long and, to my sensitive ears, toxic career.
"Piano Man" (Original Video)
"Piano Man" (Official Video)
Comments (14)
always thought this song reminded me of Harry Chapin's Taxi however Chapin was the better artist and it allways seemed that Joel was riding what ever was popular at the time, a follower not a leader.But like you say I do like his piano chops.however if you look at the fact that he is a classically trained pianist his output seems somewhat less than what it could be. a toxic artist if there ever was one
...well now......I confess to liking this song, long ago, to a degree. But its been played to death since & so I shall once again decline to listen...but as always...I enjoyed the read.
I'm with bones on this one. This is on the lower end of the toxometer
cpetersonart3: Chapin always tried my patience. Clever and tender one moment, then heavy-handed and mawkish the next. On the other hand, Joel just bored or annoyed me - again, with the exception of "Allentown."
dmdm: Never dug it. Always thought it was crap-ola. That hasn't changed. But thanks for reading. ;-)
inrumford: Can you really say that about "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." "Uptown Girl," and "We Didn't Start the Fire"? Really?
"Amazing to think that this banality launched such a long and, to my sensitive ears, toxic career"
That about sums it up, Mr. Knife. There's an awful lot about the 70's that's sacred to me, but - as much as I liked the era's other end of the keyboard (Mr. Elton John) - I never bought into Joel's shmuck. "dreary as can be" is perfect for Piano Man; a cast of characters who I don't think I'd walk in on...how could such a reminder of misery spawn a career??? Of course, the gys ethics are not much different than most sports superstars...I guess that's entertainment!
scot: True. The '70s brought us glam-rock, pub-rock, punk-rock and new-wave, jazz-rock, L.A. country-rock, confessional folk-rock, funk, Springsteen, and so on. But there was a hell of a lot of baloney, and Joel sliced it on a regular basis. I'd rather not even think of the pompous wankings produced by Styx, Kansas, Journey, etc. during that era.
That is a truly awful tune. Well done, Mike....
Not a big fan, but I'd watch my back in NYC Mike..folks out here love that fella. The water in Allentown,toxic. Billy's attitude: toxic. If you call this tune toxic, you pretty much, by default, call his whole career toxic..I can't go there. I have a family.
"Stilletto" has a great pianio loop sample!
He always seems angry to me, and that's the part I don't get. All the money ,all the adulation, and still not happy.
Potentially the only avilable outcome for a Brill Building raised rock star?
Sad really..ok, toxic.
Ok so these are primitive loops of stiletto, but mana to the talented..
Anna: The punishing diatribes of Toxic Tuesday - where "truly awful" and "well done" can happily co-exist.
C.B.: You say I should watch my back, and then you post bits of "Stiletto." Uh-oh.
I'm just sayin' Mr. Philly, I'm just sayin'..on the flip o' that it is the only BJ tune I own and I bought it today..
C.B.: My respect for you goes deep enough that I will heed your advice and make sure that I avoid Mets home games and weekends in the Hamptons unless accompanied by my bodyguards. Now to unwind by listening to DJ Jay-R's mash-up of "Allentown" and Eminem's "Guess Who's Back."
'Please don't ever change, I love you just the way you are.' God I hated that drivelling sentiment and 30 years later I still hate it. It's everything wrong with reality, songwriting, and if I remember adequately, arranging. (The producion was kinda nice.) Did like 'We Didn't Start The Fire' though. ;-)
Don't go changin', Jonh! (How the hell did I forget about that stinker? Sorry, Billy. I just don't like you - "Just the Way You Are" or otherwise.)