It's easy to diss on Billy Joel, and a lot of people do so. Granted, almost everything he's done since the early to mid 80's (that I've heard, anyway) has sucked. Bad. I remember, though, in high school. Cruising in my VW Beetle with my 8-track blaring songs from 52nd Street and The Stranger. Those songs just made me feel good. Even now, thinking about those days, I want to call up my old friends, get some beer and a pizza, and throw frisbee at the little park down by the river. Fun times.

Joel's live album, Songs From the Attic, released in 1981 or 82, epitomized his music. Strong melodies and lyrics like "Captain Jack" and "Cold Spring Harbor" speak volumes. I bought that LP as a birthday present for one of my first serious girlfriends, and we listened to it almost constantly. Liberty Devito pounding the drums, Ritchie Canata on the sax. Although I prided myself on being big into Heavy Metal, this kind of music possessed an energy very similar, but in a subtler kind of way.

The end of Billy Joel occurred with the release of "Uptown Girl." The first time I heard/saw it was on MTV. I almost puked. I knew the end of an era had arrived. Ironically for Joel, this kind of writing made him more commercially successful. Even though most of his original fan base, myself included, knew he sold out.

Still, I can't bring myself to be too hard on him. Honestly, if he'd continued writing and performing the kind of songs that I enjoyed, chances are he'd be living in obscurity right now. Would I not have done the same?