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12 Gardens Live
''12 Gardens Live'' is the fourth live album by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel, recorded during a former record run of 12 sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City in early 2006. It was released on June 13, 2006. Although some of the singer's best known hits are on the album, many of them are transposed into a lower key to accom Joel's deepening voice for the duration of the tour. This is also the first time Joel's signature song " Piano Man" has appeared on a live CD. Track listing All songs written by Billy Joel. Disc one # "Prelude/Angry Young Man" – 5:21 # " My Life" – 4:59 # " Everybody Loves You Now" – 3:04 # "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" – 5:30 # " The Entertainer" – 4:01 # "Vienna" – 3:35 # "New York State of Mind" – 7:05 # " The Night Is Still Young" – 5:13 # "Zanzibar" – 5:57 # " Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" – 5:03 # "The Great Wall of China" – ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Live Album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records collected in a bound book resembling a photograph album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl long-playing (LP) records played at rpm. The album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption from the mid-1960s to the early 21st century, a period known as the album era. Vinyl LPs are still issued, though album sales in the 21st-century have mostly focused on CD and MP3 formats. The 8-track tape was the first tape format widely used alongside vinyl from 1965 until being phased out by 1983 and was gradually supplanted by the cassette tape during the 1970s and early 1980s; the popularity of the cassette reached its peak during the late 1980s, sharply declined during the 1990s and had largely disappea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
My Life (Billy Joel Song)
"My Life" is a song by Billy Joel that first appeared on his 1978 album ''52nd Street''. A single version was released in the fall of 1978 and reached No. 2 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart. Early the next year, it peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Musical structure The song begins with drums, electric bass, and a left-hand piano part, followed by a keyboard riff in the right hand. The riff is also used as a fill between verse and chorus sections and is also played at the end. The section order is intro-verse-fill-chorus-bridge-v-f-c-b-solo-c-outro. Chicago members Peter Cetera and Donnie Dacus performed the backing vocals and sang along with Joel during the bridge and in the outro ("Keep it to yourself, it's my life"). "My Life" was used as the theme song for the ABC television series ''Bosom Buddies'' (1980–82), albeit in a re-recorded version with a different vocalist. However, due to licensing issues, it does not appear on the VHS and DVD releases of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" is a song written and recorded by Billy Joel originally appeared on his 1977 album '' The Stranger''. The track details the singer's disgust with the upwardly mobile bourgeois aspirations of working- and lower-middle-class New Yorkers who take pride in working long hours to afford the outward signs of having "made it". Characters have stereotypically ethnic names (Anthony, Mama Leone, Sergeant O'Leary, Mr. Cacciatore) and blue-collar jobs. Joel considers their rejection of their working-class roots (trading a Chevy for a Cadillac and buying a house in Hackensack, New Jersey) ultimately futile. Near the end of the recording is the sound of a car starting up and driving away; the bass player Doug Stegmeyer's 1960s Corvette was used. According to Joel, Anthony is not a real person, but rather "every Irish, Polish, and Italian kid trying to make a living in the U.S." Live performances of the song can be heard on '' 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert'' an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goodnight Saigon
"Goodnight Saigon" is a song written by Billy Joel, originally appearing on his 1982 album ''The Nylon Curtain'', about the Vietnam War. It depicts the situation and attitude of United States Marines beginning with their military training on Parris Island and then into different aspects of Vietnam combat. Lyrics and music The lyrics of "Goodnight Saigon" are about Marines in battle bonding together, fighting their fears and trying to figure out how to survive. The singer, a Marine, sings of "we" rather than "I", emphasizing that the Marines are all in the situation together. In the bridge Joel sings of the darkness and the fear it induced in the Marines. This leads into the refrain, which has multiple voices coming together to sing that the Marines will "all go down together", emphasizing their camaraderie. Images from the war captured in the song include reading ''Playboy'', seeing Bob Hope, listening to The Doors, smoking from a hash pipe, praying to Jesus, remembering "Charli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laura (Billy Joel Song)
"Laura" is a song written by Billy Joel that was first released on his 1982 album ''The Nylon Curtain''. Lyrics and music Producer Phil Ramone described the song as being "philosophical and dark." The lyrics of "Laura" depict the singer as being co-dependent on a woman named Laura. Musicologist Walter Everett describes Laura as being "an aggressive woman who traumatizes the singer." He can't resist taking her phone calls, even though he knows she is trouble and that his efforts to help will only lead to more problems. She calls him in the middle of the night and pushes his emotional buttons. According to music critic Mark Bego, Laura appears to be a friend, as the lyrics such as "Living alone isn't all that it's cracked up to be" seem to imply that the singer is reflecting on how his "newfound bachelorhood isn't as much fun as he had hoped it to be." In his frustration with Laura, Joel inserts an f-bomb into the lyrics, surprising listeners who regarded Joel simply as a bal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don't Ask Me Why (Billy Joel Song)
"Don't Ask Me Why" is a 1980 song by Billy Joel released as the third single from the album '' Glass Houses''. The song spent two weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at number 19 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The track contains all acoustic and Latin percussion instruments performing in an Afro-Cuban rhythmic style. An eclectic, instrumental "Latin Ballroom" piano solo, played over the bridge section after the second verse, is also featured in part of the song; Joel states that the mix for the midsection includes "fifteen pianos overdubbed on top of each other." Reception '' Billboard'' found the song to be "catchy" and felt that Joel's vocal performance sounded similar to Paul McCartney. '' Cash Box'' said it has a "crisp pop/Latin/rock rhythm" and that the lyrics deal with the "themes of success and chance." '' Record World'' called it "one of oel'seasy rollin' romantic piano ballads that often become pop standards." Charts Weekly charts Year-en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allentown (song)
"Allentown" is a song by American singer Billy Joel. It is the lead track on Joel's 1982 album ''The Nylon Curtain'', accompanied by a conceptual music video. Upon its release, and especially in subsequent years, "Allentown" emerged as an anthem of blue-collar America, representing both the aspirations and frustrations of America's working class in the late 20th century. "Allentown" reached No. 17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, spending six consecutive weeks at that position and certified gold. It was No. 43 on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 chart for 1983. The song later appeared on Joel's '' Greatest Hits: Volume II'' (1985), ''Концерт'' (1987), '' 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert'' (2000), ''The Essential Billy Joel'' (2001), ''12 Gardens Live'' (2006), ''The Hits'' (2010) and '' Live at Shea Stadium'' (2011) albums. Theme The song's theme centers around the resilience of Allentown, Pennsylvania and the region in the 1980s as it coped with the decline of its historical ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)
"Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" is a song written and originally recorded by Billy Joel which appeared as the final song on his album ''Turnstiles'' in 1976. Several live performances of the song have been released. He has performed this song at a number of benefit concerts, including The Concert for New York City for victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001, as well as on the television program '' Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together'' for Hurricane Sandy victims in 2012 and during his set at '' 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief''. Joel has often tweaked the lyrics to the song at his live concerts, particularly at the ''Live at Shea'' and ''Coming Together'' concerts. On New Year's Eve 2016, Joel performed at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, a city just north of Miami Dade County. At midnight, he crooned the traditional Auld Lang Syne and then immediately went into "Miami 2017". Background and story The release of ''Turnstiles'' followed Billy Joel's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zanzibar (Billy Joel Song)
"Zanzibar" is a song written by Billy Joel that first appeared on his 1978 album ''52nd Street''. It has also appeared on several live albums. Lyrics and music The themes of "Zanzibar" include love of sports, love of alcohol and the singer's attempt to pick up a waitress. According to producer Phil Ramone, Joel had written the music and had decided he liked the title "Zanzibar" for the piece, but had not figured out what to say about Zanzibar. Hearing the music conjured up for Ramone images of people watching television in a bar, and as a result Joel decided to make the song about activity in a sports bar named Zanzibar rather than about the island Zanzibar. The lyrics include a number of contemporary sports references, including to heavyweight champion boxer Muhammad Ali, baseball player Pete Rose, and the baseball team the New York Yankees, who were the World Champions at the time. The lyrics also use a baseball expression as a sexual metaphor when the singer wants to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Night Is Still Young (Billy Joel Song)
"The Night Is Still Young" is a single by rock singer Billy Joel released as a new song from his compilation album ''Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II''. It is the second of two new songs on the album, the first being "You're Only Human (Second Wind)." "The Night Is Still Young" peaked at No. 34 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Reception '' Cash Box'' said it has "an aurally impressive arrangement and a triumphant chorus hook." '' Billboard'' said it has a "brooding atmosphere and offbeat structure" that makes it different from many of Joel's other hits. Music video The video for the song mainly features the story of a man who has gone on a business trip, leaving his wife behind. This correlates with the song's lyrics, which speak of a man whose priorities are shifting away from his musical career and toward marriage and family. The music video was directed by Neil Tardio. Personnel * Billy Joel – lead vocals, keyboards, harmonica *John McCurry – guitar *Doug Stegmey ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York State Of Mind
"New York State of Mind" is a song written by Billy Joel that initially appeared on the album '' Turnstiles'' in 1976. Although it was never released as a single, it has become a fan favorite and a song that Joel plays regularly in concert. Joel famously played the song at The Concert for New York City, the October 2001 benefit concert for the New York City Fire and Police Departments and the loved ones of families of first responders lost during the terrorist attack on New York City on 9/11. He reprised that theme, playing it during his set at '' 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief'' at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 12, 2012, where he changed lyrics to include the likes of "Breezy Point". Inspiration Joel wrote the song after returning to the East Coast from Los Angeles, where he had spent the previous three years. In fact, most of ''Turnstiles'' deals with Joel's cross-country relocation, including "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", "I've Loved These Days" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vienna (Billy Joel Song)
''Vienna'' is a song from Billy Joel's 1977 album '' The Stranger'', released as the B-side to his " Just the Way You Are" single. Despite its initial release as a B-side, the song's popularity has grown considerably in the decades after its release. , it is one of Joel's most-streamed songs on Spotify. Composition The song begins with a piano melody in the right hand and chords in the left, ultimately cadencing to the tonic chord of Bb. However, when the verse starts the first chord is a Gm, which is the relative minor chord of Bb. A change to the vi chord doesn't always indicate a change in key, but each verse ends with a V-i authentic cadence in Gm, indicating that a key change has taken place. The chorus begins with an Eb chord, the IV chord in Bb, which is a half step up from D, giving a rising feeling going from the verse to the chorus. The end of the chorus cadences back to the tonic of Bb with the chords C, Gb, F, Bb. Gb is the tritone substitution of the V chord for F, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
