Billy Joel 1, QS 0

[Draft Dodger]

overheard at the DD household last night...


"Daddy, what song are they singing?"
"It's the National Anthem, Graham"
"Oh" *long pause* "I don't know what that is"
"Well, it's the song for our country"
"You mean, it's country music?"
"Something like that..."
"Good. I love country music"

[Ksyrup]

Billy Joel can sing any kind of music, and he does it with a sincerity and passion that makes you believe he was born to sing that particular kind of music.

Ain't that right, QS?

I didn't even turn on the game until about a minute before kickoff, so I missed Mr. Joel, sadly.

[wade moore]

Billy Joel can sing any kind of music, and he does it with a sincerity and passion that makes you believe he was born to sing that particular kind of music.

Ain't that right, QS?

I didn't even turn on the game until about a minute before kickoff, so I missed Mr. Joel, sadly.

As someone that doesn't mind Billy Joel, I thought it was pretty bad.

[Ksyrup]

Even the best have off nights now and then.

[QuikSand]

I demand a recount.

[rowech]

I love Billy Joel but he was terrible last night.

[Toddzilla]

At least he had the stones to sing it live and not go pre-recorded. He sounded horrible, but he gets props for doing it right.

[Ksyrup]

If a professional singer sounds horrible, you can only give them so much credit for "keeping it real," can't you? I guess the decision to take the girls out to play in the snow after dinner paid off doubly for me - quality family time AND didn't have to hear BJ sing.

[Subby]

I don't think he has the voice for that type of song, to be honest...

[cuervo72]

Were it an audition, Simon would have ripped him apart.

[Bee]

I don't hate Billy Joel or anything, but who thought he was a good choice to sing the National Anthem? I'm no expert but on first hearing he was doing it I thought it was a bad choice.

[Toddzilla]

Stevie Nicks,Billy Joel, and Prince.

Just who the hell does the NFL think is watching this game?

[Raiders Army]

I would've rather have heard Christie Brinkley sing it.

[Rizon]

Billy Joel was very, very off last night. My wife made a comment about how she hoped he wasn't driving.

*rimshot*

[Rizon]

Stevie Nicks,Billy Joel, and Prince.

Just who the hell does the NFL think is watching this game?

Who knows. I'm also not sure what was up with that pregame show with all those hippie banner things and people dancing around. That was just some awful junk.

[miami_fan]

At least he had the stones to sing it live and not go pre-recorded. He sounded horrible, but he gets props for doing it right.

If he was going to sound that bad, I would have rather he pre-recorded.

[cuervo72]

Oh - Stevie was pretty bad too. Definitely doesn't have the voice she used to.

[Subby]

Stevie Nicks,Billy Joel, and Prince.

Just who the hell does the NFL think is watching this game?
Prince kicked ass, yo.

[Ksyrup]

Actually, the answer to that question is... nearly everyone in the world is watching, and particularly that would include a bunch of 30-50 year olds who grew up listening to those acts and who have far more disposable income than teens and college kids.

Maybe JIMG can back me on this one, but that's why this makes sense. Same for whatever commercial used The Final Countdown music last night, too.

[gstelmack]

Just to show how different I am from the rest of this board and why I wonder why I even bother sometimes: I thought he did a decent job. Not only did he have the stones to sing it live, he sang it live while getting soaked by the rain. And I thought he sang it reasonably well. Especially compared to all those pop stars who have to make the song "theirs" and ruin it.

[QuikSand]

Billy Joel was very, very off last night. My wife made a comment about how she hoped he wasn't driving.

*rimshot*

Or polishing any furniture.

[Bee]

Oh - Stevie was pretty bad too. Definitely doesn't have the voice she used to.

I blame the 5 people she was smuggling into the game stuffed in her dress.

[Warhammer]

I love Billy Joel and thought it was terrible. I agree that I thought he was a bad choice for the anthem.

[Ksyrup]

Since the topic has turned to Stevie Nicks, it's always worthwhile to drudge this site back up:

hxxp://www.johannas-art.com/colourprints.htm

[wade moore]

Just to show how different I am from the rest of this board and why I wonder why I even bother sometimes: I thought he did a decent job. Not only did he have the stones to sing it live, he sang it live while getting soaked by the rain. And I thought he sang it reasonably well. Especially compared to all those pop stars who have to make the song "theirs" and ruin it.

I don't know how you can say he wasn't bad. If it was some ammateur or American Idol hopeful I'd say it was ok. But for a supposedly accomplished musician like Joel, it was terrible - without or without the rain (which btw, I'm not sure how that effects singing - just take Prince's performance as an example where it was raining MUCH harder).

[RedKingGold]

I think he sounded worse than he actually was because acoustic pianos are not meant to be out in the rain, making him sound more pitchy than he actually was.

However, its no excuse. It was a poor decision to follow through with having a piano out in the middle of the field. Joel's handlers should have figured out some other way to get Billy to sing without the accompaniment.

[wade moore]

I think he sounded worse than he actually was because acoustic pianos are not meant to be out in the rain, making him sound more pitchy than he actually was.

However, its no excuse. It was a poor decision to follow through with having a piano out in the middle of the field. Joel's handlers should have figured out some other way to get Billy to sing without the accompaniment.

A wet piano makes Joel's voice out of tune?

[RedKingGold]

A wet piano makes Joel's voice out of tune?

To the casual observer at home who does not know much about music; the out-of-tune piano exaceberated the pitchiness as there was a basis of comparison between his notes and the piano's notes.

Basically, a gap between two notes is extremely noticable to an untrained ear whereas a gap between three notes (or half depending on key) is aestheically pleasing if actually wrong.

[wade moore]

To the casual observer at home who does not know much about music; the out-of-tune piano exaceberated the pitchiness as there was a basis of comparison between his notes and the piano's notes.

Basically, a gap between two notes is extremely noticable to an untrained ear whereas a gap between three notes (or half depending on key) is aestheically pleasing if actually wrong.

All fine and good.

Point still stands that the Piano didn't make him out of tune, he was just out of tune. It may have sounded worse because of the Piano, bu tit doesn't change the fact that he was a supposed accomplished music star who was totally out of tune.

[RedKingGold]

Point still stands that the Piano didn't make him out of tune, he was just out of tune. It may have sounded worse because of the Piano, bu tit doesn't change the fact that he was a supposed accomplished music star who was totally out of tune.

Agreed. Although I'm surprised how many people (Peter King, Don Banks, basically everyone over at SI) really liked his performance last night. Maybe it sounded better live?

If they were watching what I was watching, Joel was noticably bad (piano and voice).

[wade moore]

Agreed. Although I'm surprised how many people (Peter King, Don Banks, basically everyone over at SI) really liked his performance last night. Maybe it sounded better live?

If they were watching what I was watching, Joel was noticably bad (piano and voice).

SI is tied to CBS, need I say more?

[Ksyrup]

SI is tied to CBS, need I say more?

Yes, please. How are they tied - I thought they were tied to CNN, or at least, King tied to NBC. Not to mention, he thought Prince sucked but loved Billy Joel, so that sounds more like he is out of touch than a corporate shill.

[wade moore]

Yes, please. How are they tied - I thought they were tied to CNN, or at least, King tied to NBC. Not to mention, he thought Prince sucked but loved Billy Joel, so that sounds more like he is out of touch than a corporate shill.

Yeah, I need to back away slowly... I was tying SI to Sportsline instead of CNN, i just botched it..

But yeah, if he loved Joel and hated Prince, I think he just doesn't know what he's talking about (per usual).

[Noop]

I chuckled when I saw it was Billy Joel singing at the start of the game. I thought man Quiksand must be pissed right now.

[markprior22]

Just to show how different I am from the rest of this board and why I wonder why I even bother sometimes: I thought he did a decent job. Not only did he have the stones to sing it live, he sang it live while getting soaked by the rain. And I thought he sang it reasonably well. Especially compared to all those pop stars who have to make the song "theirs" and ruin it.

Couldn't agree more or say it any better.

[Hurst2112]

Billy had a helping hand in his performance...

http://www.antarestech.com/products/avp.shtml

[Surtt]

Does anyone know how long it was?
It seamed fairly short to me.
The over/under was 1:44.

[Comey]

We timed it at 1:38 (and I thought the O/U was 1:42). Either way, I took the under, and was happy with the decision (I did not bet on bodog, but I did take a side there).

[Ksyrup]

Not sure if this changes the score or not, but this should make QS feel better about his chances of running into a new song from his buddy any time soon.




NEW YORK (Billboard) -- Despite the recent digital release of "All My Life," Billy Joel's first new pop song in 14 years, the singer/songwriter says he doesn't foresee a re-opening of the creative floodgates that led to 33 Top 40 hits.

"I'm not ruling out the possibility of writing songs again," Joel tells Billboard.com. "I suppose if I had the motivation to write a song, I'm not gonna stop myself from doing it.
I just haven't felt the compulsion to write songs in pop form. I guess these days I just think of myself as a composer."

Joel's last album of original material, "River of Dreams," came out in 1993 and concluded with, appropriately, a track called "Famous Last Words." He released a classical album, "Fantasies & Delusions," in 2001.

He says he has "lots of thematic pieces" that he's composed in the Long Island, New York, home he shares with his third wife, culinary journalist Katie Lee Joel.

"All My Life" was something of a surprise. Joel composed it in 2005 as a first anniversary gift for his wife, with hopes that Tony Bennett would record it. He decided to make his own version for their second anniversary -- "Call me a cheapskate," he cracks -- and was surprised when Columbia Records executives campaigned to release it as a digital single.

And if nothing else, he notes, it's given him at least one new song to perform at his shows, although he wraps up his current road trek May 9 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has no definite plans ahead of him.

"Look," Joel says, "I still love rock 'n' roll. I still love pop music. I haven't divorced myself from the material I wrote before. That's why I'm out here on the road playing this stuff. I still believe in it."

[Passacaglia]

culinary journalist?

[JediKooter]

culinary journalist?

Billy Joel gives his wife 4 stars!