Last night CBS broadcast Billy Joel’s 100th concert at Madison Square Garden. In the middle of the final song of the concert - Piano Man - CBS abruptly cut to the nightly news.
After being inundated with complaints from fans, the network announced it will rebroadcast the concert Friday evening.
He’d probably agree with you: he’s described it as his least liked song (of his own). It’s the only time he’s written the lyrics before the music, resulting in a song with no melody. Seems like it grates on him.
They do like the royalties though I'm sure.
They do like the royalties though I'm sure.
Started late, too many commercials and the Heidi shit was frustrating, but a hellava concert!!!
BJ is the man!
I find the remake even worse
Now we have a piano and no Billy Joel piano stool...who knew?
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the whole band hates We Didn't Start the Fire. His musical director/lead guitarist Tommy Byrnes plays with Mike DelGiudice Big Shot, actually said it on stage at the Oyster Festival a few years back. I can't stand it, never could.
They do like the royalties though I'm sure.
Started late, too many commercials and the Heidi shit was frustrating, but a hellava concert!!!
BJ is the man!
No question! He's great.
I did like in the opening artistic montage he gets in a train bound for Hicksville. He never owned that as his home town.
Mike DelGiudice lives near my sister. She sees him often around town.
I did like in the opening artistic montage he gets in a train bound for Hicksville. He never owned that as his home town.
Mike DelGiudice lives near my sister. She sees him often around town.
It was the commercials over content. I know someone who was at the concert at MSG when it was filmed and watched on SUnday, said it was cut to ribbons by CBS.
Weird take. He’s not very good because he didn’t play the particular songs you like?
Anyway, this was heavily edited by CBS. About half the concert was cut from the broadcast. Full setlist:
Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
My Life (with “Ode to Joy” snippet)
Vienna
The Downeaster "Alexa"
An Innocent Man
The Longest Time (Started with snippet of The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
Turn the Lights Back On
Big Man on Mulberry Street (with Sting) (Duet with Sting)
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police cover) (with Sting)
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Half a Mile Away
The Entertainer
Don't Ask Me Why
Allentown
New York State of Mind
Only the Good Die Young
The River of Dreams
Nessun dorma (Giacomo Puccini cover) (sung by Mike DelGuidice)
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Piano Man
Encore:
We Didn't Start the Fire
Uptown Girl
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
Big Shot
You May Be Right
A few years back, Billy was on the radio here in the UK talking to jazz pianist and occasional radio DJ Jamie Cullum, and I have to say it was one of the best interviews I've ever heard from a musician, talking about the early days of his career playing among the New York jazz scene.
Here he is doing Piano Man on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, back in the day. Great 1970's hairstyle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSmo7e9MVdc
you'd be amazed how many people go crazy for that damn song. I can't stand it. It was the lowlight of an otherwise fantastic show when I saw him in 2018.
I lost my virginity when i was 16, with a Billy Joel song playing (I think it was Big Shot). This pretty fine girl invited me to her house after school and had her way with me (she ended up doing that everyday for the next couple yrs (poor me)).
She played the shit out of Billy Joel and I've kind of disliked him ever since. And that was BEFORE We Didn’t Start the Fire and Uptown Girl!
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My personal hell is hearing Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ on repeat. Haha,
He’d probably agree with you: he’s described it as his least liked song (of his own). It’s the only time he’s written the lyrics before the music, resulting in a song with no melody. Seems like it grates on him.
My 4th grade class had to learn the damn song when it came out....haha. We studied the lyrics too, so from a social studies standpoint it had some merit.
Luckily we also had to learn "New York State of Mind", so my introduction to Billy Joel wasn't off putting forever. 15 years later I would tackle the rest of his discography.
Always funny mixing music with hooking up. So many schools of thought when it comes to the "soundtrack".
On a semi-related note, I have a friend who digs Joe Satriani and I've challenged him to play that in the bedroom....LOL.
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There were at least 10 songs I wanted to hear that weren't played. It was Billy Joel for the masses..
Weird take. He’s not very good because he didn’t play the particular songs you like?
Anyway, this was heavily edited by CBS. About half the concert was cut from the broadcast. Full setlist:
Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
My Life (with “Ode to Joy” snippet)
Vienna
The Downeaster "Alexa"
An Innocent Man
The Longest Time (Started with snippet of The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
Turn the Lights Back On
Big Man on Mulberry Street (with Sting) (Duet with Sting)
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police cover) (with Sting)
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Half a Mile Away
The Entertainer
Don't Ask Me Why
Allentown
New York State of Mind
Only the Good Die Young
The River of Dreams
Nessun dorma (Giacomo Puccini cover) (sung by Mike DelGuidice)
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Piano Man
Encore:
We Didn't Start the Fire
Uptown Girl
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
Big Shot
You May Be Right
Wow, totally forgot this thread. It should have said IT wasn't very good or I was disappointed with the playlist. He sounded fine. I also didn't realize many songs were cut off. I definitely didn't see a bunch of those.