Best Joel Rubechon

Billy Joel - Piano Man (1973). Embittered by legal disputes with his label and an endless tour to support a debut that was dead in the water, Billy Joel hunkered down in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles, spending six months as a lounge singer at a club. He didn't abandon his dreams - he continued to write songs, including "Piano Man," a fictionalized account of his weeks as a lounge singer. Through a combination of touring and constant hustling, he landed a contract with Columbia and recorded his second album in 1973. Clearly inspired by Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection, not only musically but lyrically, as well as James Taylor, Joel expands the vision and sound of Cold Spring Harbor, abandoning introspective numbers (apart from "You're My Home," a love letter to his wife) for character sketches and epics. Even the title track, a breakthrough hit based on his weeks as a saloon singer, focuses on the colorful patrons, not the singer…

Billy Joel is a New York icon who became one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the late 20th century. He first rose to success in the mid-'70s with a melodic piano-led pop sound that merged Beatlesque hooks with elements of rock, jazz, Tin Pan Alley, and even Broadway.

Billy Joel is a New York icon who became one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the late 20th century. He first rose to success in the mid-'70s with a melodic piano-led pop sound that merged Beatlesque hooks with elements of rock, jazz, Tin Pan Alley, and even Broadway.

Forget for a moment that this double-disc, 36-track collection isn't presented in strict chronological order – it does roughly divide into two parts, with the pre- Innocent Man material largely taking up disc one and the post-Innocent Man selections on disc two (yes, there are some exceptions to the rule, but it generally follows this rule).

Joel Hoekstra, best known to millions of rock fans as the currrent guitarist for Whitesnake, and also known for his work with Night Ranger and Trans Siberian Orchestra and the show Rock of Ages, debuts with the new melodic hard rock studio album “Dying To Live” from his electrifying new side project, Joel Hoekstra’s 13”. The record, which features an all-star cast of rock musicians at the top of their game including Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Russell Allen (vocals), Tony Franklin (bass), Vinny Appice (drums), and Derek Sherinian (keyboards) among others, sees Joel handling the bulk of the creative process, taking care of the production, song writing and arranging (music and lyrics). The end result could best be described as hard, melodic, classic rock that is Dio'ish at its heaviest and Foreigner'ish at its lightest…

Celebrating a legendary career spanning 35 years, this collection showcases some of the greatest live performances by the 'king of Americana', Billy Joel. Tracks include 'Travelin' Prayer', 'Only The Good Die Young', 'Just The Way You Are', 'Miami 2017', 'We Didn't Start The Fire' and many more…
Although Billy Joel never was a critic's favorite, the pianist emerged as one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the latter half of the '70s. Joel's music consistently demonstrates an affection for Beatlesque hooks and a flair for Tin Pan Alley and Broadway melodies.