Billy joel discography blogspot
John found much of his rocker side again contributing to "You May Be Right", and even if Joel's vocal style struggled with "Candle in the Wind", he was able to elevate songs like "The Bitch Is Back" into leaner, more ragged rockers.įollowing the opening four tunes, Joel's piano disappeared into the stage and John and his band began their proper set. Their vocal swapping worked well in most instances, too, making songs like "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" (and even the cliche adult-contemporary lilt of "Just The Way You Are") fresher and arguably better than their recorded counterparts. Obviously, each has the chops to both perform and improvise upon the other's music at a moment's notice, and a high point of the show was hearing the pair trade fours in the extended outro of "Bennie and the Jets". It was genuinely fascinating to hear the two legends trade verses and piano fills on their material. The joint sets that opened and closed the show offered perhaps the most highlights. And while the audience sang along for nearly 90% of the concert, there was not a whiff of weariness in even the most obvious song choices. As the pair took the stage and began the first of their two mutual sets, it occured to me that these two gentlemen have produced some of the most well-known songs in the popular rock canon. That said, the show was energetic, electric, and alive with all the accomplished playing and good vibes that one would expect from two of RIAA's ten top-selling mu sicians of all time. Last night's ticket to their Gillette Stadium show was a late-breaking surprise and could not have been more exciting. I've even performed ten or so of his tunes on stage. My respect for Sir Elton's work is there and I enjoy many of his projects, but Joel's discography is rife with some of my favorite songs and albums of all time. I should clarify that while I am not the biggest Elton John fan, Billy Joel is on my short list of artists I can apply little critical reasoning to.
Happily, last nights Elton John and Billy Joel pairing falls in the latter category. Other double-billings arise from a mutual respect between two artists who complement their counterpart's catalogue in interesting ways and foster an environment where the best in each others' work can shine through. These artists are frequently packaged by the promotion company and may not even interact with each other, let alone collaborate. Often, fans of one artist are left with a perfunctory half-set, hearing only the most obligatory hits before the stage is handed over. Double-billed concerts can sometimes be a mixed bag.