William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: 52nd Street ; Year: 1978; Genre: Soft Rock I believe that I've stated it before, but Glass Houses and The Stranger are without a doubt my top two favouite Billy Joel records. 52nd Street though, you'd think would be right there, and make no mistake, I love the album, but I have some weird idiosyncrasy where it just slips my mind. I remember the songs from it and such, and each time I see it it makes me feel like a moron that I did, in fact, miss it. Anyway, this is one of the main hits from it and one that most who like his work knows by heart.    Hear Honesty on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - Kalimba Tree     My song pick 2 years ago today: John Denver - Fly Away     My song pick 3 years ago today: Paice Ashton Lord - Ghost Story   My song pick 4 years ago today: Thompson Twins - Lies   My song pick 5 years ago today: ABBA - Eagle   My song pick 6 years ago today: George ...

From: The Nylon Curtain ; Year: 1982; Genre: Rock This is without a doubt my favourite song off of Billy Joel's The Nylon Curtain, just so relatable and upbeat I suppose. Of course, the cute music video that went along with it helped with my appreciation with it; he has always been so great at storytelling in song.   Hear She's Right On Time on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Say Leroy (The Creature From The Black Lagoon Is Your Father)   My song pick 2 years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - You Got That Right   My song pick 3 years ago today: Iron Maiden - Running Free   My song pick 4 years ago today: Jon Oliva's Pain - Festival My song pick 5 years ago today: Eddie Money - Baby Hold On My song pick 6 years ago today: Mr. Big - 1992 My song pick 7 years ago today: Fairport Convention - Dirty Linen My song pick 8 years ago today: Rush - Middletown Dreams My song pick 9 years ago today: Guns N' Rose...

From: Glass Houses ; Year: 1980; Genre: Rock For me Billy Joel's Glass Houses album might as well be a "Greatest Hits" record along with many from around this time; no weak tracks at all to be found. With both my Mom and Dad being fans of his music, I literally grew up with Glass Houses . I can still remember staring at the record's cover art while it played on the turntable. Whilst I normally just play the entire disc without skipping a song, Sleeping With the Television On is one of my top favourites on it; great music and a subject matter that is very identifiable to myself. Falling asleep with one show on and waking to paid programming or, (back in the day), a monotone droning on and that ubiquitous colour test pattern after the local station signed off for the night.   Hear Sleeping With the Television On on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Supertramp - Don't Leave Me Now   My song pick 2 years ago today: 3rd Secret - Somewhere in Time ...

From: Turn the Lights Back On (single); Year: 2024; Genre: Pop/Rock I have never been, or pretended to be, a person with a finger on the pulse of pop culture or "what is new and hot," but I've definitely been aware that a new single from the Piano Man himself, Billy Joel, was about to release. Taken at face-value, Turn the Lights Back On is some fun nostalgia, or a warm "nightcap" for us fans who have loved his music all along, was born and grew up with it; for me it's a lot of both. Whilst you can easily tell there was some A.I. and other computer aids involved to some extent, he doesn't try to fool anyone, and in essence is being his normal, open, unfiltered self. I really like how he pays homage to his different eras in the song and in the music video as well. If you are like me and love the late '70s/early '80s eras the best, it'll be a warm and welcoming familiar sound and feel. In any case he has done what he does best: give us someth...

From: Turnstiles ; Year: 1976; Genre: Rock Such a beautiful track from The Piano Man, just about everything is perfectly played, arranged, mixed, and produced; one of my favourites off of Turnstiles . I happened to be born right at the time that Billy Joel was ascending as a huge musical icon and my mom and dad loved his music a lot, so I was exposed a whole lot to his songs growing up. Even though his subsequent albums The Stranger and Glass Houses are my first and second favourite of his respectively, the music from this record is special as well, especially this one.   Hear Summer, Highland Falls on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street   My song pick 2 years ago today: Robin Trower - Same Rain Falls   My song pick 3 years ago today: Classics IV - Spooky   My song pick 4 years ago today: Black Sabbath - E5150 My song pick 5 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay My song pick 6 years ago today: ZZ ...

From: The Stranger ; Year: 1977; Genre: Rock When I was really young I remember hearing Billy Joel's The Stranger album a lot, it and Glass Houses in particular became two of my absolute favourite records of his. In truth, I would have to put The Stranger in his top three best albums in my opinion; there's really not a weak song to be had. Anyway, this one has a nice blend of jazzy and classical sounds with the bluesy rock/ballad sound he performed so well over the years; such a beautiful and heartfelt song.   Hear Vienna on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Quasar - Logic?   My song pick 2 years ago today: Lenny Kravitz - Circus   My song pick 3 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Starlight   My song pick 4 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Ooby Dooby My song pick 5 years ago today: Fats Domino - I'm Walkin' My song pick 6 years ago today: Ultravox - Dancing with Tears in My Eyes My song pick 7...

From: Cold Spring Harbor ; Year: 1971; Genre: Rock Picking this song primarily for the fact that "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow played pedal steel guitar on it because I had him on my mind for some reason today. In addition to that, I like the song quite a bit as well and I fully believe that this record does not get the attention it rightly deserves; a lot of great music to be heard here.   Hear Turn Around on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Bertha Butt Encounters Vadar   My song pick 2 years ago today: Waylander - A Path Well Trodden   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Grateful Dead - Born Crosseyed My song pick 4 years ago today: Iron Maiden - Purgatory My song pick 5 years ago today: Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around My song pick 6 years ago today: Judas Priest - Battle Hymn/One Shot at Glory My song pick 7 years ago today: Yes - Tempus Fugit My song pick 8 years ago today: Louis Armstrong and His Ho...

From: Glass Houses ; Year: 1980; Genre: Rock/Pop For some reason today I've had a bunch of Billy Joel's music on my mind; as normal, I'm taking it as a sign I should choose another song of his today. I grew up hearing this record a lot, including this track, which is very catchy and fun to listen and/or dance to. You can definitely hear a Beatles influence throughout the tune, but a lot of Billy Joel's own sound as well.   Hear Don't Ask Me Why on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: R.E.M. - Man on the Moon   My song pick 2 years ago today: Brook Benton - Rainy Night in Georgia My song pick 3 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Way Out of Here My song pick 4 years ago today: Cyndi Lauper - All Through The Night My song pick 5 years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - 'Tis Your Kind of Music My song pick 6 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds My song pick 7 years ago today: Hammerfall - Ex Inferis My song pick 8 y...

From: Storm Front ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock This is one of the heaviest songs Billy Joel has ever written subject-matter/lyric wise in my opinion. Kind of capturing the mood and events at the time with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the ending of the Soviet Union and such, this is a biographical story about a friend of his, Victor Razinov, who grew up under unideal circumstances during and after World War II in Soviet Russia. He also mixes in his own autobiographical story concerning growing up on the other side in the Cold War United States. For people of their generation up through mine it should send a shiver up your spine remembering how things used to be and how people on both sides were taught to fear the other and see them as the enemy and nothing more and how some of us actually came to the understanding that people on both sides weren't the villainous group that that we all believed.   Hear Leningrad on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Hot Bu...

From: The Stranger ; Year: 1977; Genre: Rock I heard some of Billy Joel's music on the way home last night and I thought it'd be a good idea to choose another one of his songs. I really like the funkiness mixed with his rock stylings on this one; it's quite a dynamic track.    Hear The Stranger on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Ace - How Long   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Fixx - Red Skies My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Raising Steam My song pick 4 years ago today: Tesla - Hang Tough My song pick 5 years ago today: Quincy Jones - Summer in the City My song pick 6 years ago today: The Delfonics - Hey Love My song pick 7 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Lazarus My song pick 8 years ago today: Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me) My song pick 9 years ago today: The Beatles - I've Got a Feeling My song pick 10 years ago today: Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien My song pick 11 years ago today:...

From: Storm Front ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock Here's another one I cannot believe I have not chosen yet; it's among my favourites from Billy Joel. I can still remember clearly when this one came out; doesn't seem that long ago but I guess it is. Almost as much time has passed since it was released than was covered in the song itself. It'd be interesting to see a continuation of the song in some way to cover the major events since 1989. Hear We Didn't Start the Fire on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Sex Machine My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Crossword My song pick 3 years ago today: Blood, Sweat & Tears - You've Made Me So Very Happy My song pick 4 years ago today: Mike + The Mechanics - Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground) My song pick 5 years ago today: Santo & Johnny - Summertime My song pick 6 years ago today: Zager and Evans - In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) My song pi...

From: Glass Houses ; Year: 1980; Genre: Rock This song came on while driving this morning and since I had not chosen it yet, I thought I would make it today's pick. I love the retro sound mixed with some of the sound that was popular at the time; it makes this one an excellent rocker. Hear Sometimes a Fantasy on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Def Leppard - Foolin' My song pick 2 years ago today: The Doobie Brothers - What a Fool Believes My song pick 3 years ago today: Roxy Music - Sentimental Fool My song pick 4 years ago today: Azteca - A New Day on the Rise My song pick 5 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Evil Woman My song pick 6 years ago today: The Main Ingredient - Everybody Plays the Fool My song pick 7 years ago today: Bee Gees - I Started a Joke My song pick 8 years ago today: Nocturnal Rites - Fools Never Die My song pick 9 years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Can You Handle It? My song ...

From: Storm Front ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock Woke up this morning with late 80s Billy Joel on my brain, I took it as a sign I should pick one of his songs from that same era. I've often loved the Storm Front album and this is one of my favourites from it; it's him at his best. Hear I Go To Extremes on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Sky - My Giselle My song pick 2 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - From the End of the World My song pick 3 years ago today: The Midnight - Days of Thunder My song pick 4 years ago today: Ohio Players - Fopp My song pick 5 years ago today: Asia - Go My song pick 6 years ago today: Pallas - March on Atlantis My song pick 7 years ago today: Mastodon - Oblivion My song pick 8 years ago today: Van Morrison - Wavelength My song pick 9 years ago today: Lee Michaels - Do You Know What I Mean? My song pick 10 years ago today: The Who - The Ox My song pick 11 years ago today: Rush - Cygnus X-1 My song...

From: The Stranger ; Year: 1977; Genre: Rock Whilst not one of my absolute favourites I really like listening to this song whenever I put the record on. Hear Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Wild Turkey - A Universal Man My song pick 2 years ago today: War - The World is a Ghetto My song pick 3 years ago today: Megadeth - The Scorpion My song pick 4 years ago today: Midnight Oil - Power and the Passion My song pick 5 years ago today: David Bowie - Magic Dance My song pick 6 years ago today: ZZ Top - Sleeping Bag My song pick 7 years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Hypnotized My song pick 8 years ago today: Les Paul and Mary Ford - Whispering My song pick 9 years ago today: Rush - The Pass My song pick 10 years ago today: Days of the New - The Down Town My song pick 11 years ago today: Billy Joel - Tell Her About It

From: 52nd Street ; Year: 1978; Genre: Rock Decided on picking the first song I heard on the radio that I liked whilst out and about earlier today, and this was that song. It's by no means my favourite song from the Piano Man, but it is a pretty solid tune across the board. Hear Big Shot on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Statesboro Blues My song pick two years ago today: The Scorpions - The Zoo My song pick three years ago today: Hawkwind - Wraith My song pick four years ago today: Jethro Tull - Bends Like a Willow My song pick five years ago today: Rhapsody of Fire - The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight My song pick six years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll My song pick seven years ago today: Rush - Xanadu My song pick eight years ago today: Iron Maiden - Powerslave My song pick nine years ago today: George Frideric Handel - Every Valley Shall Be Exalted My song pick ten years ago today: Kohei Tanaka - ...

From: An Innocent Man ; Year: 1983; Genre: Rock/Pop The other day my wife was listening to one of her cell phone radio stations and this track came on; it's been with me ever since. Uptown Girl is another one of those songs that is both extremely catchy and very interesting musically. From wot I understand, Billy Joel wanted to make this song in the style of The Four Seasons , which he did pretty good in that endeavour. Hear Uptown Girl on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Aerosmith - What it Takes My song pick two years ago today: Queen - Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy My song pick three years ago today: Rush - The Trees My song pick four years ago today: Jethro Tull - Orion My song pick five years ago today: Genesis - The Return of the Giant Hogweed My song pick six years ago today: Rush - The Seeker My song pick seven years ago today: Queen - The Show Must Go On My song pick eight years ago today: Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55   My song ...

From: The Bridge ; Year: 1986; Genre: Pop/Rock/Jazz While playing around on my bass I happened to find this song by accident through messing with power chords. Anyway, I thought this very jazzy pop piece would make a great pick for today; I love hearing the incomparable Ron Carter on bass on this track. Hear Big Man on Mulberry Street on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: INXS - Suicide Blonde My song pick two years ago today: Pleasure - Bouncy Lady My song pick three years ago today: Pearl Jam - Once My song pick four years ago today: Rush - Lock and Key My song pick five years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Time Flies My song pick six years ago today: David Bowie - Life on Mars? My song pick seven years ago today: Lorenzo Barcelata - El Cascabel My song pick eight years ago today: Jethro Tull - Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die My song pick nine years ago today: The Platters - Twilight Time

From: 52nd Street ; Year: 1978; Genre: Rock The other day whilst looking through a bunch of records at the local thrift store I happened upon a copy of 52nd Street , which immediately brought a bunch of the music from it to my mind. Of course My Life is one of the main ones that comes to mind when thinking about the album; it was frankly surprising that I apparently had not picked it yet. Among his best in my opinion; I love the bass and rhythm on the piano. Hear My Life on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard it Through the Grapevine My song pick two years ago today: The Four Tops - Standing in the Shadows of Love My song pick three years ago today: Asia - Here Comes the Feeling My song pick four years ago today: Sol Ho'opi'i - St. Louis Blues My song pick five years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Les Brers in A Minor My song pick six years ago today: Puhdys - He John My song pick seven years ago today...

From: The Nylon Curtain ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock/Pop My mood is in the dumpster today; this cyncial vent that the Pianoman wrote in a Beatlesque style fit my general mood and is speaking volumes to me, so I'm picking it. Hear Laura on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: The Byrds - Mr. Spaceman My song pick two years ago today: Toronto - Enough is Enough My song pick three years ago today: Little River Band - Help Is On Its Way My song pick four years ago today: Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.45 in F Sharp Minor - " Farewell Symphony " My song pick five years ago today: "Weird Al" Yankovic - I Think I'm a Clone Now My song pick six years ago today: Primus - Pork Chop's Little Ditty My song pick seven years ago today: Jethro Tull - For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me My song pick eight years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Shooting Shark

From: Cold Spring Harbor ; Year: 1972; Genre: Soft Rock Last night whilst coming home I had a song from Billy Joel, which I already have picked, come on; it just seemed like a good pick for today. I've actually always have loved this song ever since I first heard it; schmaltziness and all. It's a powerful love song actually and he expresses it excellently with just his piano and voice. Hear She's Got a Way on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Rick James - Cold Blooded My song pick two years ago today: Primus - Amos Moses My song pick three years ago today: Pink Floyd - Speak to Me/Breathe/On the Run My song pick four years ago today: Aerosmith - Rag Doll My song pick five years ago today: John Lennon - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) My song pick six years ago today: Fuel - Million Miles My song pick seven years ago today: Tom Petty - Runnin' Down A Dream