The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 09, 1981, Page Page 7, Image 7
Entertainn
Son
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An
VII
By JOHN BARTUS
? SUM Writer
Ever since the release of
The Stranger in 1977, Billy
Joel has been a prominent
figure in rock music. With
very few exceptions,
nowever, nis worK before
The Stranger has remained
relatively unknown to most
people. Although he toured
extensively with his band
from 1971-76 nine months out
I of the year, his first four
albums failed to do as well as
he thought they should have.
But now that Joel has found
some notoriety, he decided
to go back and take another
look at his older material.
This has resulted in the new
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Joel
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uve
live album entitled Songs In
The Attic.
Admitting that this is not
the definitive live album of
his recent tours, Joel explains,
"...there was a gap
between thp fnlHerl iwnrric
and the live shows...the
original studio recordings
didn't have nearly as much
energy and joy as the live
renditions." So he taped
fifteen shows from June and
July of 1980 for the purpose
of releasing the older
material the way he had
originally wanted it done.
Phil Ramone, Billy's
producer since The
Stranger, had always
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wanieu 10 recora nis earner
material with the band.
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perfQrmances, Ramone
said that the band "had
much more than raw power;
they had a certain joy in
playing together, without
ever losing sight of the
meaning of the material."
And Joel's band does sound
great. One of the tightest live
bands in rock, the members
excel in bringing out the best
in Joel's tunes. Consisting of
Kicnie (Jannata:
saxophones, flute, and
organ; Liberty DeVitto:
drums and percussion; Doug
Stegmeyer: bass guitar;
Russel Javors: rhythm
guitars; and David Borwn:
lead guitars, the band is a
very fine example of how
well rock can sound when
performed at its best.
THE ALBUM begins with
Joel's pseudo-science fiction
story of the fall of New York
City, "Miami 2017 (Seen the
Lights Go Out on Broadway)."
The song relates the
tale of the demise of the city,
where its enemies "blew the
Bronx away/And sank
Manhattan out at sea." Joel
sing about memories shared
before everyone lived in
Florida, before the Mafia
took over Mexico, and pulls
it off as an interesting
opening selection.
"Summer, Highland
Falls" signifies Joel's
boredom with relentless
small town nothingness. One
can only spend so long
meaiiaung in ones own
cathedrals before the futility
of it all catches up.
"Streetlife Serenader" is a
wonderfully melodic piece,
featuring "modern-classical"
influenced chord
progressions not normally
found in rock music. With
this elaborate backdrop,
Joel illustrates the simplicity
of an a capella street
choir, which turns out as one
of Billy Joel's best melodies.
"Los Angelenos" is Billy's
tribute to the L A. scene:
New York cowboys, electric
babies, and others flock to
this "funky exile" where the
streets have Spanish names.
" She's Got a Way" is Billy
pIab*
alone at the piano, singing a
love song to his wife. He
knows that he can't live
without her, and that the
light around her inspires him
without a sound.
"Everybody Loves You
Now" is a fast-moving
number putting down a
woman who's done him
wrong, in a manner which
Joel describes as the
"macho rationale for being I
rejected."
Side two opens with the
current single, "Say ]
Goodbye to Hollywood."
This song reflects some sort
of homesickness in a way, 1
and as Joel explains, "I
wasn't glad to leave, just
anxious to return home." i
Then, the monumental nier'e
"Captain Jack" follows, i
Done much better live than
in the studio, Joel's energy, ,
anger, and frustration at the i
deaths of his friends <
(Vietnam, drugs, etc.) and I
the emptiness of their lives is i
translated by the band into a i
Week
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
Happy Hour from 4-7
} Golden Spur; Red
Zack's, 736 F. St. Andr
(nominal cover chare*
Only and the X-F
Greenstreets, 2009 Gre<
cover charge).
SATURDAY, OCTOBE1
Red Zone at Zack's, '
Andrew's Rd. (nomin
charge); Dave Only ar
Rays at Greenstree
Green St. ($2 cover char
TUESDAY, OCTOBER
4-Lane 41 at the Golde
WEDNESDAY, OCTOB
The Parrots at the
Spur; Ladies night at 7a
F. St. Andrew's Rd. <
mtr ^
R?''
<r;
*
L
\
musical time bomb, which
explodes as the final chorus
climax brings 20,000 people
out of their seats. The most
powerful song of the album,
it will certainly go down as a
Joel classic.
"YOU'RE MY HOME" is
another song Joel wrote for
his wife (as a Valentine's
Day gift because he was
aroke). He says that no
matter where they are, she
is all he needs to feel at
Home. "The Ballad of Billy
the Kid," which comes next,
is a fun song which
highlights Joel's keyboard
abilities. His piano work is
[lawless, and the song is a
~eal crowd-pleaser.
Fittingly, the song chosen
o end the album is "I've
Loved These Days." Written
as a requiem to the ex
.ravagant, spoiled brat days
)f America, the song goes on
:o say that although the good
imes may be over, the old
iays will always be
end Entertaii
mission an
pm at the THURSD/
Zone at The Pa
ew's Rd. Spur ($1.5(
i); Dave
Lays at UPCOM1
;n St. ($2 CONCER1
journey
110 tober 18
m F. St. $9.50); Ell
al cover 24 (ticket
id the X- $5.50); Ec
ts, 2009 October 2
ge). $9.50);
13 November
n Spur. $12.50); T<
EH 14 Stephanie
Golden (tickets $1
ick's, 736 Stewart, I
free ad- $12.50 and
>
' i
1
celebrated:
>A few more hours to be
complete
A few more nights on satin
sheets
A few more times that I can
say
I've loved these days.
A 1 t hAiirrh n a ?
IK vuv/ugli HVSl new
material, this album
rejuvenates some of Joel's
older songs and spices them
with vivacious
arrangements and powerful
renditions. The execution of
the songs is energetic yet
flawless (I still haven't
found a musical mistake,
bad note, etc.), and the audio
quality is excellent as well
(recorded using the 3-M
digital system). These
eleven songs may be old. but
f Viatr o cfi II o *v? 1 /vf
hivj ui v .-tiiu CAcllllJJICS Ul ,
Billy Joel at his finest. And
it's much more musically
exciting and satisfying than
the mediocrity of Glass
Houses.
1
iment
id wine for ladies.). ;
^Y, OCTOBER 15
_ i 1L ^ 1 *
nous a i me uoiaen
) cover charge). !
ING COLISEUM
rs
and Loverhoy, Oc(tickets
$10.50 and
la Fitzgerald, October
? ?19 ^0 $10 ^ unH
^ y a\/,i/v 14 A *V?
irth, Wind and Fire,
8 (tickets $10.50 and
Barry Manilow,
5 (tickets $15.00 and
^ddy Pendergrass and
Mills, November 6
A f-r\ I Am rn\ - '
u.oti auu $i^.du;; nuu
November 12 dockets
$10.50).
BBBHMHHHHHHI