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Old-school pop music masterpieces.

There are many, but I believe Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is one of the best. It's far more complex, beautiful, and meaningful than any Beatles shit including "Hey Jude" and their other sappy drivel.

I'm not even a real Billy Joel fan, I hate Piano Man and find some of his songs pretty bad, but this one is amazing and stands the test of time. It has musicality, it's interesting, it sets the scene, and it does such a good job at telling its story that you feel as though you know the characters.

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by Anonymousreply 170August 17, 2020 5:27 AM

Live.................

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by Anonymousreply 1August 11, 2020 12:07 AM

Too many to list, bitches.

by Anonymousreply 2August 11, 2020 12:09 AM

"Layla."

by Anonymousreply 3August 11, 2020 12:10 AM

Life in a Northern Town.

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by Anonymousreply 4August 11, 2020 12:11 AM

I loathe Billy Joel, but I agree with you about that song, OP.

by Anonymousreply 5August 11, 2020 12:12 AM

One of the most beautiful songs of any genre, imo.

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by Anonymousreply 6August 11, 2020 12:12 AM

Another great story telling song. Harry Chapin's "Taxi"

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by Anonymousreply 7August 11, 2020 12:15 AM

Baker Street

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by Anonymousreply 8August 11, 2020 12:20 AM

"Inspector Morse's Theme."

R.I.P., Barrington Pheloung.

by Anonymousreply 9August 11, 2020 12:21 AM

They're all assholes, but "Suite: Judy Bue Eyes" still holds up.

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by Anonymousreply 10August 11, 2020 12:21 AM

Suite Judy Blue Eyes is a great one, R10.

by Anonymousreply 11August 11, 2020 12:24 AM

Hey, Jude (start at 0:49 if it doesn't start there automatically):

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by Anonymousreply 12August 11, 2020 12:28 AM

R8, Excellent choice! When I hear the saxophone parts (and I do, as the CD is in my car's CD player as we speak), I think of Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" and the "woman wailing for her demon lover" (I reiterate, as I've mentioned this before).

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by Anonymousreply 13August 11, 2020 12:30 AM

OP: that song shows how much pop was still influenced by Broadway in the '70s.

And I want to go on record: I fucking HATE "Hey Jude."

by Anonymousreply 14August 11, 2020 12:30 AM

R12, wtf was that at :49?

by Anonymousreply 15August 11, 2020 12:31 AM

Well I want to go on record: I fucking HATE R14.

by Anonymousreply 16August 11, 2020 12:31 AM

How is "na na na na nahhhhh" so great? "Let it out and let it in, let her under your skin" terrible, terrible, terrible.

by Anonymousreply 17August 11, 2020 12:33 AM

That extended na na na but was a wank

by Anonymousreply 18August 11, 2020 12:34 AM

but=bit

by Anonymousreply 19August 11, 2020 12:34 AM

Annoying as fark

by Anonymousreply 20August 11, 2020 12:35 AM

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant > Hey Jude

by Anonymousreply 21August 11, 2020 12:35 AM

As epic as pop gets! Bonus points for the highly homoerotic music video and eerie imagery.

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by Anonymousreply 22August 11, 2020 12:37 AM

Here Comes the Sun

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by Anonymousreply 23August 11, 2020 12:37 AM

I’m showing my ass here, but it’s anonymous: I always thought it was “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes”.

Also thought the lyrics were “I am the sun and the air...” (instead of “I am the son and the heir...”)

!!!

by Anonymousreply 24August 11, 2020 12:37 AM

"The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel.

Actually, that whole album - "Bridge over Trouble Water" is one pop music masterpiece after another.

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by Anonymousreply 25August 11, 2020 12:44 AM

R24 I think the "son and heir" makes an effective pun—you start the song thinking someone is having ecstasies of cosmic oneness, which turn out in the next line to be crushing self-doubt. The fantasy of the id yields to the oppression of the superego, but the possibility of ecstasy might still exist ("just like anybody else does").

by Anonymousreply 26August 11, 2020 12:44 AM

This autoplayed after "Total Eclipse." Old-school enough?

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by Anonymousreply 27August 11, 2020 12:46 AM

OP back here.

Can someone with a deeper knowledge of music explain Scenes From an Italian Restaurant technically to me? How many different types of music are influence it?

It starts off kind of like a ballad, then changes pace with the "things are OK with me" lyric, then changes again after he sings, "cold beer, hot lights, my sweet romantic teenage nights" into a jazzy sound, then back to a ballad after that astounding piano solo.

by Anonymousreply 28August 11, 2020 12:47 AM

Toni Childs - Union

by Anonymousreply 29August 11, 2020 12:52 AM

"I'm Not In Love" - 10cc

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by Anonymousreply 30August 11, 2020 12:53 AM

"Jailhouse Rock."

"Nights in White Satin."

"Downtown."

"I Only Want to Be With You."

"A Whiter Shade of Pale."

"Gimme Some Lovin'."

"Pretty Woman."

"Respect."

"Be My Baby."

"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."

"Born to Be Wild."

"My Girl."

"Needles and Pins."

"I'm Gonna Be Strong."

"To Sir, With Love."

"Summertime Blues."

"Maggie May."

by Anonymousreply 31August 11, 2020 12:56 AM

R24 I forgive you.

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by Anonymousreply 32August 11, 2020 1:04 AM

"How is "na na na na nahhhhh" so great? "Let it out and let it in, let her under your skin" terrible, terrible, terrible."

Oh shut up, you fool. You don't even get the lyrics right, dummy:

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

Hey, Jude, don't be afraid

You were made to go out and get her

The minute you let her under your skin

Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain,

Hey, Jude, refrain

Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

For well you know that it's a fool

Who plays it cool

By making his world a little colder

Hey, Jude, don't let me down

You have found her, now go and get her

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in,

Hey, Jude, begin

You're waiting for someone to perform with

And don't you know that it's just you,

Hey, Jude, you'll do

The movement you need is on your shoulder

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her under your skin

Then you'll begin to make it better, better, better, better, better...

by Anonymousreply 33August 11, 2020 1:06 AM

Naaa na na na na na na......

by Anonymousreply 34August 11, 2020 1:07 AM

Na na naaaa naaaa na na nahhhhhh

by Anonymousreply 35August 11, 2020 1:08 AM

Different Drum - Linda Ronstadt's version

Snowbird - Anne Murray

by Anonymousreply 36August 11, 2020 1:09 AM

Thank you r34 the song never got played very often, so we've all forgotten the lyrics.

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant could easily fit on a Broadway Original Cast album, so it's appeal here is not surprising

by Anonymousreply 37August 11, 2020 1:10 AM

"Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is a bit.. overwrought for my tastes. I much prefer "Vienna."

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by Anonymousreply 38August 11, 2020 1:13 AM

How is it overwrought, R38??

Vienna is nice too though.

by Anonymousreply 39August 11, 2020 1:14 AM

OP, that Joel song is thoroughly enjoyable but kinda tacky. There's nothing original about it not to mention the strong kitsch factor that a lot of his music has.

The Beatles best work was much more refined and sophisticated.

by Anonymousreply 40August 11, 2020 1:14 AM

R39 It's just too much for me! I don't care about Brenda & Eddie, ok!!

by Anonymousreply 41August 11, 2020 1:15 AM

OMG, R40. You can't be serious? It's very original and not tacky at all, unlike so many Beatles songs.

by Anonymousreply 42August 11, 2020 1:18 AM

Every time I'm subjected to "Hey Jude," I wonder, "When will this monotonous piece of shit ever end?"

by Anonymousreply 43August 11, 2020 1:18 AM

That's "Brender an' Eddie," r41.

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by Anonymousreply 44August 11, 2020 1:18 AM

You tell me which Beatles song is more refined than Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, R40? Enlighten me. I'm waiting.

by Anonymousreply 45August 11, 2020 1:20 AM

Thunder Road

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by Anonymousreply 46August 11, 2020 1:20 AM

Norwegian Wood R45

by Anonymousreply 47August 11, 2020 1:22 AM

Not R40, but "A Day in the Life."

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by Anonymousreply 48August 11, 2020 1:22 AM

R45 "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is nice enough but banal. Pleasant but insignificant.

Not even Billy Joel would place it any where near what the Beatles could do.

by Anonymousreply 49August 11, 2020 1:25 AM

Not even close, R47 and R48.

by Anonymousreply 50August 11, 2020 1:26 AM

R50 Just because YOU prefer Billy Joel to the Beatles, doesn't mean that they aren't musically sophisticated.

by Anonymousreply 51August 11, 2020 1:27 AM

"A Day in the Life," is just studio garbage, not actual music.

by Anonymousreply 52August 11, 2020 1:27 AM

[quote]which Beatles song is more refined than Scenes From an Italian Restaurant?

For No One (my favorite Beatles song, but is "refined" the point?)

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by Anonymousreply 53August 11, 2020 1:30 AM

The Mamas and The Papas- If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears,

by Anonymousreply 54August 11, 2020 1:31 AM

The Beatles wrote songs that became standards....did Billy Joel ever write anything that Frank Sinatra or Nina Simone or Peggy Lee or etc. would have recorded?

by Anonymousreply 55August 11, 2020 1:33 AM

R55 What, you can't imagine Tony Bennett crooning "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"?

by Anonymousreply 56August 11, 2020 1:35 AM

No, R55, because it's hard to match his vocals and style.

by Anonymousreply 57August 11, 2020 1:35 AM

Billy Joel SUCKS.

by Anonymousreply 58August 11, 2020 1:36 AM

R58. I don't like much of his music, but sorry, Scenes From an Italian Restaurant is a masterpiece.

by Anonymousreply 59August 11, 2020 1:38 AM

Op, I prefer Billy Joel’s And So It Goes

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by Anonymousreply 60August 11, 2020 1:40 AM

Anyway, back to more songs. What a pointless argument going on here.

by Anonymousreply 61August 11, 2020 1:42 AM

"Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End" is up there in the pop rock stratosphere.

"Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is just not very important.

by Anonymousreply 62August 11, 2020 1:42 AM

According to who, R62? Music critics have hailed it as an important piece of work.

by Anonymousreply 63August 11, 2020 1:44 AM

"Every time I'm subjected to "Hey Jude," I wonder, "When will this monotonous piece of shit ever end?"

Oh, please. You're embarrassing yourself.

by Anonymousreply 64August 11, 2020 1:45 AM

Nothing by fucking Billy Joel is better than The Beatles

by Anonymousreply 65August 11, 2020 1:45 AM

Uh, incorrect, R65.

by Anonymousreply 66August 11, 2020 1:46 AM

[quote]What a pointless argument going on here.

OP started it, r61. He could have made his case for "Brender 'n' Eddie" without mentioning the Beatles. But no, he had to take a piss all over "Hey, Jude." Pointless, indeed.

I love both songs, fwiw. Each gets a "soundtrack of my life" credit.

by Anonymousreply 67August 11, 2020 1:46 AM

Na, na, na, na-na-na na (yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude (Jude Jude, Judy Judy Judy Judy, ow wow!) Na, na, na, na-na-na na (my, my, my) Na-na-na na, hey Jude (Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude) Na, na, na, na-na-na na (yeah, yeah, yeah) Na-na-na na, hey Jude (yeah, you know you can make it, Jude, Jude, you're not gonna break it) Na, na, na, na-na-na na (don't make it bad, Jude, take a sad song and make it better) Na-na-na na, hey Jude (oh Jude, Jude, hey Jude, wa!) Na, na, na, na-na-na na (oh Jude) Na-na-na na, hey Jude (hey, hey, hey, hey) Na, na, na, na-na-na na (hey, hey) Na-na-na na, hey Jude (now, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude) Na, na, na, na-na-na na (Jude, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude (na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na) Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na (yeah, make it, Jude) Na-na-na na, hey Jude (yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!) Na, na, na, na-na-na na (yeah, yeah yeah, yeah! Yeah! Yeah!) Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude Na, na, na, na-na-na na Na-na-na na, hey Jude

by Anonymousreply 68August 11, 2020 1:46 AM

R67, I "pissed" on Hey, Jude because it's not the default pop masterpiece people think it is.

Everyone knows a Brenda and Eddie couple. I think that's what makes the song so relatable.

by Anonymousreply 69August 11, 2020 1:50 AM

But instead of illuminating the universality of SFAIR, r69, all you did was incite a fight over an irrelevancy.

by Anonymousreply 70August 11, 2020 1:52 AM

My fave song from The Stranger is actually Only The Good Die Young. This song was banned in some places.

by Anonymousreply 71August 11, 2020 1:53 AM

Oh well, R70. Lines have been drawn I guess. I prefer Scenes over Hey, Jude and anything else by the Beatles.

I'll admit that there's one other Billy Joel song that I like. It's probably considered to be terrible, but I like "Keeping the Faith." Don't know why, but I do. Maybe it's the beat and the line, "the good old days weren't always good, tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems."

The video is the height of 80s tackiness, but I like it, lol.

BTW, who's the judge? He looks familiar.

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by Anonymousreply 72August 11, 2020 1:58 AM

I’ve been listening to a lot of a Flaccid Rock from the 70’s ...like 10cc and Ambrosia...good songs that make me very nostalgic

by Anonymousreply 73August 11, 2020 2:01 AM

How much I feel

by Anonymousreply 74August 11, 2020 2:03 AM

[quote]Oh well, [R70]. Lines have been drawn I guess. I prefer Scenes over Hey, Jude and anything else by the Beatles.

So fucking what??? You're unable to discuss any music unless you compare it to the Beatles? You're the one who drew the lines.

by Anonymousreply 75August 11, 2020 2:05 AM

I've survived the lockdown with a lot of help from Bread (both the band and the food)

by Anonymousreply 76August 11, 2020 2:06 AM

No, R75. I said I liked other songs here as well. I only compared ONE song to the Beatles. Sheesh.

by Anonymousreply 77August 11, 2020 2:07 AM

You’re brave to admit that OP. Billy Joel is hated around here.

by Anonymousreply 78August 11, 2020 2:09 AM

[quote]I only compared ONE song to the Beatles.

Who have NOTHING to do with your ONE song.

by Anonymousreply 79August 11, 2020 2:09 AM

Jimi Hendrix: "Voodoo Child"

Joe Cocker: "A Little Help From My Friends"

Bruce Springsteen: "Jungleland"

Don Mclean: "American Pie"

Gordon Lightfoot: "If You Could Read My Mind", "Carefree Highway", "Early Morning Rain"

Bob Dylan: "Like A Rolling Stone", "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", "Desolation Row", "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Every Grain of Sand"

Looking Glass: "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)"

Benny Mardones: "Into The Night"

Carly Simon: "You're So Vain"

Phoebe Snow: "Poetry Man"

by Anonymousreply 80August 11, 2020 2:19 AM

Almost every song the Raspberries recorded.

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by Anonymousreply 81August 11, 2020 2:20 AM

[quote]Scenes from an Italian Restaurant could easily fit on a Broadway Original Cast album, so it's appeal here is not surprising.

Joel's music has always been more bombastic Broadway that rock. Wasn't there a Broadway show based around his music?

Comparing Billy Joel to The Beatles shows how clueless the OP is.

The Beatles catalog is extremely diverse, they went from what was essentially a 1960s equivalent of a boy band to more complex music. Don't forget the 5th Beatle, their producer George Martin, he was very essential to their music. Also consider how short The Beatles career was, especially thinking about the amount of memorable music they produced in that short span. The Beatles aren't even my fave rock band, but I can certainly acknowledge their massive talent and influence.

No Beatles, no Billy Joel. The Beatles were a huge part of the 1960s Youthquake. They changed music, fashion and much more.

by Anonymousreply 82August 11, 2020 2:25 AM

Most of everything ever recorded by the Beach Boys.

I have to admit that I never properly appreciated "God Only Knows" until I watched a Brian Wilson documentary that really broke down the choices made by Wilson that went into that song.

According to Paul McCartney, when it was released, he re-listened to it dozens of times over one weekend.

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by Anonymousreply 83August 11, 2020 2:27 AM

Nearly every version of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". It's a great song.

I enjoy the versions by Nina Simone, Joe Cocker, The Animals and Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity, to name a few.

I think Joe's version is amazing.

by Anonymousreply 84August 11, 2020 2:28 AM

[quote]Op, I prefer Billy Joel’s And So It Goes

The Jennifer Warnes version is the best.

by Anonymousreply 85August 11, 2020 2:31 AM

I was born and raised in England and I think The Beatles are overrated. I love ask it goes R60, one of my faves. Anther is Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills and Nash. I'd take that over any Beatles song.

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by Anonymousreply 86August 11, 2020 2:32 AM

The Year of the Cat

by Anonymousreply 87August 11, 2020 2:32 AM

So it Goes -R86 Here's a better link

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by Anonymousreply 88August 11, 2020 2:34 AM

Seven minutes of dreamy longing from Jefferson Starship.

Miracles is pop perfection from start to finish.

Also, where the fuck are the YouTube previews?

I WANT MY YOUTUBE PREVIEWS!

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by Anonymousreply 89August 11, 2020 2:36 AM

Age of Aquarius

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by Anonymousreply 90August 11, 2020 2:49 AM

Here is a pop music masterpiece.

Frank Sinatra "It Was a Very Good Year"

Listen to it again.

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by Anonymousreply 91August 11, 2020 2:52 AM

"Most of everything ever recorded by the Beach Boys."

Oh, please. A lot of what the Beach Boys recorded was dreck. They're probably the most overrated band in history.

by Anonymousreply 92August 11, 2020 3:18 AM

Comparing Billy Joel to the Beatles is like apples to oranges. Completely different acts with different styles and appeal. Both have their obvious merits, yet both suffer from overblown hype, too.

by Anonymousreply 93August 11, 2020 3:22 AM

Supertramp "The Logical Song"

ABBA "Our Last Summer"

Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah"

Genesis "And the Lamb Lies Down"

Queen "Now I'm Here"

by Anonymousreply 94August 11, 2020 3:25 AM

Carole King, the whole Tapestry album.

Mamas and the Papas, “California Dreamin”

Time of the Season

by Anonymousreply 95August 11, 2020 3:37 AM

Gorden Lightfoot. The Wreak of Edmund Fitzgerald

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by Anonymousreply 96August 11, 2020 3:39 AM

The La’s, “There She Goes”.

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by Anonymousreply 97August 11, 2020 4:00 AM

Since I'm late to the party and R8 already mentioned my first choice, Baker Street, which is perfect from its instantly recognizable intro to its instantly recognizable outro, I'll throw out an underrated Billy Joel song: "Until the Night". It's my favorite of his songs, more so than any of his hits. Lyrically, he captures the feelings and emotions of a sexual relationship growing into a full-blown love affair - a man who is overwhelmed with desire to see his lover again. Musically, I love that instead of using backup singers for harmony, all the voices are his, layered on top of each other, creating a Righteous Brothers sound. And the song is a series of slow builds, pulling back each time before it climaxes, then finally letting loose at the end. It's a very sexual progression.

That said, I wouldn't necessarily call it a "masterpiece". But it's a great song that's very well-written, well-arranged, and well-produced.

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by Anonymousreply 98August 11, 2020 4:57 AM
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by Anonymousreply 99August 11, 2020 7:04 AM

As much as I like the Brender 'n' Eddie song (and "Hey, Jude"), my favorite Billy Joel song is the supremely dramatic "Goodnight, Saigon."

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by Anonymousreply 100August 11, 2020 7:46 AM

Outing myself as not a Billy Joel hater, I like Until the Night too. Also An Innocent Man and Don't Ask me Why (love that Latin rhythm).

IIR, Joel himself mentioned in an interview that he considers And So It Goes one his best works.

by Anonymousreply 101August 11, 2020 8:17 AM

Fire and Rain - James Taylor

by Anonymousreply 102August 11, 2020 8:35 AM

Wasn't "You Can't Always Get What You Want," an attempt at rock opera by The Rolling Stones?

by Anonymousreply 103August 11, 2020 10:55 AM

Sorry, it's late. To appease the grammar queen(s), it should have read, "Wasn't "You Can't Always Get What You Want," by The Rolling Stones, an attempt at rock opera?"

by Anonymousreply 104August 11, 2020 10:57 AM

I was listening to Bowie's Sound and Vision the other day and I thought it had lost absolutely nothing of its musical genius, bite, innovation and freshness.

Same with Space Oddity, China Girl, Young Americans, Starman, Moonage Daydream.

Prince is timeless too. Raspberry Beret, Little Red Corvette, Purple Rain, When You Were Mine..

by Anonymousreply 105August 11, 2020 11:04 AM

Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky album. Absolute masterpiece.

by Anonymousreply 106August 11, 2020 11:26 AM

Boston -- "More Than a Feeling" 1976

by Anonymousreply 107August 11, 2020 11:31 AM

The Year of the Cat

Another vote for Year of the Cat; I love the lyrics "you know sometime you're bound to leave her, but for now you're going to stay"

I hate Baker Street, just because it's 70s rock that I remember playing NON STOP as a kid

Billy Joel's albums were some of the first records I ever actually owned, so they have sentimental value. I listened to them recently on Spotify, and I don't think they've really held up well, but I remember listening to BJ as a kid/young teen & thinking he was so deep!

by Anonymousreply 108August 11, 2020 11:37 AM

Gerry Rafferty was underrated. I really liked Baker Street and Right Down the Line. More Flaccid Rock.

by Anonymousreply 109August 11, 2020 11:46 AM

Gerry Rafferty really had a pop sensibility. There’s something almost sly about his songcraft, as if he’s teasing the listener with something low key but at the same time wildly irresistible.

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by Anonymousreply 110August 11, 2020 1:18 PM

Peggy Lee -- Is That All There Is?

by Anonymousreply 111August 11, 2020 1:26 PM

I have a playlist loop that’s Baker Street and Year of the Cat, only.

They match.

by Anonymousreply 112August 12, 2020 12:44 AM

R112 Two of my favorites. Yes, great match.

by Anonymousreply 113August 12, 2020 1:32 AM

Elton John: "Tiny Dancer."

by Anonymousreply 114August 12, 2020 1:54 AM

[quote]Peggy Lee -- Is That All There Is?

Peggy Lee's "Fever" is a pop music masterpiece.

"Is That All There Is?" is shitty kitsch. I remember when I first heard it and thought, "Who is this old drunk singing this novelty song?"

by Anonymousreply 115August 12, 2020 2:15 AM

R115 I agree with you about 'Fever'. That is one hot song. I also liked her "I'm a Woman"

by Anonymousreply 116August 12, 2020 2:58 AM

Gerry Rafferty in Steelers Wheel "Stuck in the Middle You". (1974)

by Anonymousreply 117August 12, 2020 9:02 AM

Good Humor (1998)-- Saint Etienne

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by Anonymousreply 118August 12, 2020 11:26 AM

Affection (1989)--Lisa Stansfield

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by Anonymousreply 119August 12, 2020 11:28 AM

I love St. Etienne

by Anonymousreply 120August 12, 2020 11:41 AM

Another vote for “Right Down the Line” and “Brandy”

“Chuck E’s in Love” Ricky Lee Jones

“Carey” and “Free Man in Paris” - Joni Mitchell

by Anonymousreply 121August 12, 2020 12:10 PM

"When Love Breaks Down" - Prefab Sprout

by Anonymousreply 122August 12, 2020 12:12 PM

Another vote for Gerry Rafferty. Also, "Chuck E's in Love"

by Anonymousreply 123August 12, 2020 12:16 PM

On Saturday Afternoons in 1963 was my RLJ masterpiece in 1979.

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by Anonymousreply 124August 12, 2020 12:45 PM

Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)

by Anonymousreply 125August 12, 2020 12:52 PM

Great thread, OP. I'm getting an introduction to some artists I never heard of - like St. Etienne - who I look forward to 'discovering' for myself.

by Anonymousreply 126August 12, 2020 1:00 PM

The Stranger is a great album.

by Anonymousreply 127August 12, 2020 1:01 PM

Prefab Sprout has some good tunes When Love Breaks Down and Appetite

by Anonymousreply 128August 12, 2020 1:48 PM

If you’re interested in St Etienne check out Only Love Can Break Your Heart and acid house club track of the Neil Young classic and Nothing Can Stop is Now. Also Spring is a beauty all off their album Foxbase Alpha

by Anonymousreply 129August 12, 2020 1:51 PM

A feel good, good time classic, Mr Blue Sky by ELO.

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by Anonymousreply 130August 12, 2020 10:10 PM

Led Zeppelin: "Over The Hills and Far Away"

Rolling Stones: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction:, "Jumping Jack Flash", "Gimme Shelter", "Brown Sugar", "Moonlight Mile", Wild Horses", "Honky Tonk Woman", "Under My Thumb", "Sympathy for the Devil"

Creedence Clearwater Revival; "Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "Fortunate Son", "Green River", "Up Around the Bend", "Have You Ever Seen The Rain", "Run Through The Jungle"

by Anonymousreply 131August 14, 2020 1:32 AM

If you're talking good Billy Joel songs, I'd recommend some early stuff like "The Entertainer", "Captain Jack" and "The Ballad Of Billy The Kid". Not classics, but I have a special place in my heart for "Travelin' Prayer" and "Root Beer Rag".

Elton John had the best concert opening number (Funeral For A Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding) and closing song (Burn Down The Mission).

by Anonymousreply 132August 14, 2020 1:46 AM

Oh, R126. They've been around since 91 and have a GREAT catalog. ENJOY!

Also their lead singer Sarah Cracknell has some solo stuff that's great.

by Anonymousreply 133August 14, 2020 9:56 AM

A couple of songs by female singer-songwriters from the mid-1970s:

"Poetry Man" by Phoebe Snow' "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian

by Anonymousreply 134August 14, 2020 11:23 AM

Wow, the Billy Joel fan gurls are out in full force here.

by Anonymousreply 135August 15, 2020 7:37 AM

I couldn't even make it through that BJ song, OP. How incredibly annoying it is.

by Anonymousreply 136August 15, 2020 7:44 AM

[quote] It's far more complex, beautiful, and meaningful than any Beatles shit

Two words: “Eleanor Rigby”

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by Anonymousreply 137August 15, 2020 7:51 AM

"Be My Baby" - The Ronettes

Rolling Stone magazine described it as a "Rosetta Stone for studio pioneers such as The Beatles and Brian Wilson."

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by Anonymousreply 138August 15, 2020 10:40 AM

Everybody has different tastes and tend to prefer the music of their time.

by Anonymousreply 139August 15, 2020 10:52 AM

R138 I like Bette’s version

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by Anonymousreply 140August 15, 2020 11:30 AM

R139 puts me in mind of another Spector classic, the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" (mono).

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by Anonymousreply 141August 15, 2020 11:45 AM

The mono versions of the Spector girl groups' songs were the ones to listen to, the true masterpieces.

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by Anonymousreply 142August 15, 2020 11:46 AM

The Beatles music is not standards. And when was the last time you heard a Beatles song? They have fallen off majorly in the last 20 years.

Their music always gimmicky and the written music and lyrics were always ‘once removed’ from them as performers.

by Anonymousreply 143August 15, 2020 11:47 AM

Our Lips Are Sealed is a really good, catchy pop song.

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by Anonymousreply 144August 15, 2020 11:48 AM

Elton Josh also does the detachment from his own music thing but he does it better.

by Anonymousreply 145August 15, 2020 11:49 AM

Billy Joel’s music always seemed authentic. He was doing his own thing, which was a combination of 20 other things. But it was a unique presentation, and honest.

Unlike the Beatles.

by Anonymousreply 146August 15, 2020 11:50 AM

[quote]Their music always gimmicky and the written music and lyrics were always ‘once removed’ from them as performers.

[quote]Elton Josh also does the detachment from his own music thing but he does it better.

What [italic]are[/italic] you talking about, "once removed," "detachment from his own music thing"?

by Anonymousreply 147August 15, 2020 11:51 AM

"It's My Party" - Lesley Gore, from the beginning

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by Anonymousreply 148August 15, 2020 11:55 AM

"Judy's Turn to Cry" - Lesley Gore, continued

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by Anonymousreply 149August 15, 2020 11:57 AM

I've survived the lockdown with a lot of help from Bread (both the band and the food)

I still love them.

Some of the songs, beautiful tunes and singing but OMG. the lyrics!!

Aubrey was her name, I loved her name...

I still love it though.

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by Anonymousreply 150August 15, 2020 12:08 PM

I made a mess of that - the first line was a quote.

by Anonymousreply 151August 15, 2020 12:08 PM

I came of age in the sixties and could never understand Elvis Presley's popularity, and still don't, though I like most kinds of music. It's a generational thing. You tend to like music that brings back memories of a time when you were young and life stretched out in front of you.

by Anonymousreply 152August 15, 2020 1:00 PM

It's interesting how different artists are perceived in different parts of the country.

I grew up in the 70's in Southern California, and Billy Joel, though he was very popular and had tons of hits, was never really very well-respected. He was the recipient of constant critical drubbings in the rock press, and I guess that's the narrative that took hold for us. Very talented, very successful, but also kind of a hack. Not a total hack, but enough of one to not be taken seriously.

It shocked the shit out of me when I met people from the East Coast and realized that they considered Billy Joel to be a really major, major, important artist, on par with Springsteen or Stevie Wonder. I'm not saying he's not, just that I never saw him in that way.

I have wildly different reactions to his songs. Some of them I find very interesting and well done...other ones I find totally obnoxious (especially "Only the Good Die Young" and "You May Be Right". Oh, and "Rosalinda's Eyes"...that fake Cuban accent, I just can't.)

I gotta hand it to him for "Allentown", though. That shit was on point, and it's STILL happening today. He was warning all these flyover Trump-voting dumbasses that their jobs were going away DECADES ago. They shoulda listened to the Beej.

by Anonymousreply 153August 15, 2020 1:06 PM

Yeah Billy was very East Coast / Long Island. They're very loyal to their own. Springsteen and Pat Benatar too. Springsteen was/is a great storyteller, I totally respect him but can only listen to around 3 songs of his in a sitting.

by Anonymousreply 154August 15, 2020 1:11 PM

Never saw Pat Benatar as primarily East Coast. Was it just fashion that she influenced Fast Times At Ridgemont High?

Bon Jovi's also had a big East Coast loyalty fanbase that for most part is hugely undeserved.

by Anonymousreply 155August 15, 2020 2:23 PM

The Allentown video has a lot of nearly naked men.

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by Anonymousreply 156August 15, 2020 2:29 PM

Near-perfect pop

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by Anonymousreply 157August 15, 2020 2:44 PM

I always thought Duran Duran’s Rio album was spectacular but they were widely dismissed as a pretty boy band.

by Anonymousreply 158August 15, 2020 3:40 PM

R156 OK, what was with the flaming shirtless flaming baton twirler at the end. I grew up in Pennsylvania and we did not have those in our color guard?

by Anonymousreply 159August 15, 2020 3:41 PM

Band on the Run.

by Anonymousreply 160August 15, 2020 3:56 PM

Flaccid rock is a really cool term I’ve never heard before.

Don’t shoot, but I think Blondie’s Maria is a brilliant pop anthem (called that by a NY Times reviewer). I also think Nothing is Real But The Girl comes close, particularly the longer UK Version.

R.E.M.’s Imitation of Life is another, and maybe Shiny Happy People and definitely Texarkana

A French pop song called Le Vent Nous Portera is another, but I can’t really listen to it anymore because the performer killed his partner in a drug binge. Too sad. That Band was called Noir Desir. What a shame.

by Anonymousreply 161August 15, 2020 4:24 PM

"The Beatles music is not standards. And when was the last time you heard a Beatles song? They have fallen off majorly in the last 20 years.

Their music always gimmicky and the written music and lyrics were always ‘once removed’ from them as performers."

The Beatles music "gimmicky?" You're an idiot. By the way, "Yesterday" and "Something" ARE standards. They're two of the most recorded, covered songs in history.

by Anonymousreply 162August 15, 2020 7:01 PM

IIRC, Gerry Rafferty was actually in a band with actor/comedian Billy Connolly. Think the band was called the Humblebums.

One of my all time fave songs is "Stuck In the Middle". For some reason, I find "Baker Street" super depressing.

by Anonymousreply 163August 15, 2020 11:29 PM

[quote]did Billy Joel ever write anything that Frank Sinatra or Nina Simone or Peggy Lee or etc. would have recorded?

Frank Sinatra covered Just the Way you are on his Trilogy album. Barry White also had a hit cover of it.

Barbra Streisand covered New York State of Mind twice. It's also been covered by Tony Bennett, Diane Schurr and Shirley Bassey.

Aretha performed And So It Goes in concert in the early 90's

by Anonymousreply 164August 15, 2020 11:39 PM

The Beatles sure weren't a gimmicky band. I'm figuring so many people posting are either very young or simply know very little about excellent pop music.

Pop music today does seem to be mostly garbage, the rest is derivative of past eras. Trash like CardiB is considered music? She's a hooker/stripper with zero talent, what she does isn't music.

I grew up in family of working musicians, producers and session musicians. I grew up listening to all sorts of music: rock, pop, jazz, classical basically everything. I can sure tell what is real and what is trash. I enjoy rap, but I listen to old school rap, Run DMC, Mos Def, Queen Latifah, CardiB is not up there with these rappers. It seem today's young people will latch on to so much garbage, they need to discover music which was recorded before they were born. There's a world of great music out there. There's no reason to complain about "today's music" especially as you aren't forced to listen to it or buy it. If the music industry stopped releasing music tomorrow, there would still be millions of already recorded songs to listen to.

Young people need to explore music from past eras. When I was a kid, even the AM radio stations had diverse playlists. One local station would play The Beatles, Hendrix, Motown and Sinatra, and whatever bubblegum pop song was a current hit, these types of formats sure don't exist anymore.

by Anonymousreply 165August 15, 2020 11:41 PM

West End Girls reminds me of being young and buzzed in Manhattan.

by Anonymousreply 166August 16, 2020 12:09 AM

Poor Gerry Rafferty met a sad end with alcoholism.

by Anonymousreply 167August 16, 2020 12:09 AM

Billy Joel, unlike Paul McCartney and Elton John has mostly kept his voice in good form. He doesn't sound as good as he used to, but still not bad.

by Anonymousreply 168August 16, 2020 12:24 AM

And So It Goes

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by Anonymousreply 169August 16, 2020 12:27 AM

IMO, I think what makes for a truly great pop song - or any song for that matter - is when someone can take it out of its natural "element", adapt or cover it especially in another style, and it still sounds as great as the original if not better.

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by Anonymousreply 170August 17, 2020 5:27 AM
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