Billy Joel performs during the grand opening of The Show, Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa’s showroom venue in Rancho Mirage. (2009/File Photo)
I’m in a singer/songwriter kind of mood today and after a long discussion with a friend, the conversation turned to Billy Joel albums.
Before I go any further, here are a couple of things you need to know about me:
-Between the two of them, my parents own every Billy Joel album from his debut through “The Bridge” on vinyl. “An Innocent Man” was always my favorite, and “Tell Her About It.
-Every single family vacation from the time I can remember was scored by Billy Joel. We’ve moved on from cassettes to CDs, but his “Greatest Hits Volumes I and II” are still the car trip soundtrack. Family favorite: “Only the Good Die Young.”
-I once used “Honesty” as an aid for a speech in a high school public speaking class.
-One of my most prized music-related possessions is my beat-up copy of the now-defunct Billy Joel newsletter the “Root Beer Rag,” that my parents brought me back as a souvenir from when they saw him in concert in Atlanta in 1985. It didn’t really console me since I missed the show, but I thought his band members had the best names ever, (dude, Liberty DeVitto). I finally saw Joel when he opened up The Show at Agua Caliente a few years ago, and even though he later told Rolling Stone he felt like a “call girl,” it was still pretty amazing to see him in such a small venue.
-On my bucket list is to learn “Prelude/Angry Young Man” on the piano. I should probably get started on that.