"Billy Joel: Every Album, Every Song"/Lisa Torem [Episode 80]

‘In the beginning,’ Billy Joel entertained Long Island locals, with The Hassles and Attila, prior to forging a solo career in 1971. One year later, the singer-songwriter-pianist captivated college students when “Captain Jack” dominated the Philadelphia airwaves. ‘And so, it goes…’ ‘Cold Spring Harbor’ was rife with barrelhouse piano and tear-stained balladry but with ‘Turnstiles’ Joel realized his dream of forming a stellar band. The success of ‘The Stranger’ led to sold-out arenas and ‘52nd Street’ honored the heyday of American jazz, while ‘The Nylon Curtain’ highlighted socio-economic inequities and wartime brotherhood. 1993’s ‘River of Dreams’ fused reggae and world music. Then, in the early 2000’s, his celebration of classical works ushered in a sea change.

Unquestionably, Billy’s catalogue has thrived, despite constantly changing trends in the music industry. Over a fifty-plus year span, many of his relatable songs have become standards, covered by countless artists. The third best-selling solo artist in the U.S. has continued to attract multi-generational audiences across the planet, so if you’re ‘all in the mood for a melody,’ read on. As part of Sonicbond’s On Track series, “Billy Joel Every Album, Every Song” contains behind-the-scenes stories and an analysis of Joel’s extensive studio recordings, many of which became top 40 hits in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The book also features a foreword by legendary Billy Joel drummer Liberty DeVitto.

Rock journalist Lisa Torem has written features, profiles and reviews for American and British outlets for over a decade, and has interviewed Ian Anderson, Colin Blunstone, Eric Burdon, Dave Brubeck, Dave Davies, Janis Ian, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Sarah McLachlan, Robin Trower, Suzanne Vega, Dweezil Zappa among others. She co-authored “Through the Eye of the Tiger” with Survivor’s Jim Peterik in 2014 and “All That Glitters” with vocalist Ava Cherry in early 2022.

Purchase a copy of "Billy Joel: Every Album, Every Song" in the UK through Burning Shed: https://burningshed.com/lisa-torem_billy-joel-on-track_book

Purchase a copy of "Billy Joel: Every Album, Every Song" in the US through Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1789521831/


Listen to a playlist of the music discussed in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/78ncIeq4uBzxoBwYFeSt40?si=bbe7010b260f486c

Listen to “Wonder Woman” by Billy Joel’s early band Attila: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWvjb4I8lIY

Follow Lisa Torem:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisatorem
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Also from Lisa Torem:
"Tori Amos: Every Album, Every Song" in the UK through Burning Shed: https://burningshed.com/lisa-torem_tori-amos-on-track_book

"Tori Amos: Every Album, Every Song" in the US through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tori-Amos-every-album-song/dp/1789521424


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