To think dude was only 27 years old when he wrote this song. He couldn't possibly know about the consequences of the relationship he depicts in this song. And yet he projected brilliantly. Watch Billy Joel sing NEW YORK STATE OF MIND on The Old Grey Whistle Test. You won't be dissapointed..
Billy is Jewish, but grew up in a neighborhood that had a lot of Italians. Its about 2 old friends meeting in later years and rehashing their high school years and talking about mutual friends such as Brenda and Eddie. This song is amazing in concert. Check out a live version if you get a chance. Another must see is New York State of Mind from the Old Grey Whistle Test. Terrific performance by Billy. Thanks for the great reaction.
I always saw it as THEY were Brenda and Eddie. Like he runs into her in their 40s, says we ought to do lunch at the ole Italian restaurant. They do and hes talking about his life and how she looks great. Then Joel goes deeper and tells the story of what happened to them to catch us up.
@@RonnyronPaulypaul I see how people could take it that way, but Billy has said it was about couple getting together and reminiscing and talking about the “it” couple in high school that peaked too early. He always refers to Brenda and Eddie with the pronoun “they” and the line “can’t tell you more, cause I told you already” referring to their story seems to confirm it.
@@jamishops it's very interesting, from both sides. It seems as if he jumps into Brenda and Eddie right after harping back to 'my sweet romantic teenage nights', and that he's just talking about himself in the 3rd person, which would be even more brilliant. But I'd have to bet that Billy isn't lying about the words that he wrote 😊
Well if he is Jewish, I hope he gets no black -lash from it. They are the ones most hated all over the world, yet many great Actors, writers, singers and composers in history were, ( not to forget Jesus was ) that most people just don't ever realize.
As a child when Billy was tired of practicing the piano he would imagine symphonies written by the greats like Bach and Beethoven. But he wouldn't play their music he'd play the songs he imagined they'd written. He was eight years old.
Then there is this one where he gives song-writing credit to "L.V. Beethoven" for the melody that goes with the chorus. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wNOXu_yoDYI.html
Three unfinished songs blended into one song and a fantastic hit. Amazing what creative musicians can do to produce such satisfying sounds for their audience. Haven't listened to Billy Joel in a long time but this brings back great memories as well as all his other great hits. Glass Houses was one of the first cassettes I had and loved that album.
He's from the Oyster Bay Syosset area of Long Island Just a brilliant song writer / story teller. This is my ALL time favorite BJ song and I have so many faves by him. I'm so fortunate to have seen him 8 x's in concert.
Very few can write a song and make you feel a part of the story. Billy Joel has that gift, included in such great lyrical writers as Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot and Stan Rogers.
Good Night Saigon is a great Billy Joel song it’s about the Vietnam war , the lyrics are great and he has real Viet Nam vets singing the chorus with him. I saw Billy in the early 80s at Madison Sq Garden when this song first came out and he brought the vets out to sing this song it was incredible, you got chills.
I will just add, considering how much you like "The Stranger" and "Aja" that they were released within a week of each other during the disco era in September 1977 (yes, I was knee deep in it as well) and I was lucky enough to purchase both these albums when they came out and I never regretted that decision. In fact, I have loved those albums all this time. Not tooting my horn, but just recognizing that true talent can't be denied.
The song is about two HS sweethearts meeting up after 10 or so years. _Do you remember those days hanging out at the village green?_ _Engineer boots, leather jackets and tight blue jeans_ _Drop a dime in the box, play a song about New Orleans_ _Cold beer. Hot lights. My sweet romantic teenage nights!_
Except that the song says Brenda and Eddie, the high school sweethearts, were married in 1975 and divorced not too long after; and the song was released on The Stranger album in 1977. I always thought Billy Joel should have dated their marriage to something like 1965 or 1970, so that they were closer to the "greaser" era, their marriage could be something more like youthful folly, and then their reunion could be understood by listeners when the song was released as happening several years later, like you say "10 or so years."
When my sister brought this album home in 1977, she placed it in between her KISS, Bee Gee, Commodores and Jackson 5 records. And while KISS visually captured my then 7-year-old imagination, it was this album that captured me musically. I was just figuring out drums back then, and it was his drummer Liberty DeVito who taught me about dynamics, groove, power and playing for the song. Not for the self. Lessons still being learned 40 something years later. This album should be listened to from front to back in one sitting to truly appreciate it. Great pick!
This man knows how to write a song. So many artists rely on professional songwriters, people who whip up a tune that they think will sell. That means the singers aren't really saying anything of their own. But Billy is talking about stuff that's personal to him, and you can feel it. On the popular list of Billy Joel: Always a Woman, Only the Good Die Young, Just the Way You Are, Big Shot, My Life, You May Be Right, Don't Ask Me Why, Pressure, Goodnight Saigon, A Matter of Trust, Modern Woman, The River of Dreams On my personal list of Billy Joel tunes: *Stiletto,* Prelude/Angry Young Man, A Room of Our Own, Everybody Loves You Now
Billy is from Hicksville Long Island NY. He grew up on a levitt hommmme as did I. I lived a few miles awaay and am 2 yeaars older. This song meaans a lot to those of us who grew up in Levittown in the 50s and 60s where we would hang out at the Village Green. These were plaanned shopping centers wwith a huge public pool I believe there were 5 of them inthe Lvett developments nyway this song is about two high school sweethearts meeting at their old favorite Itallian resturaaunt aand remonicing about old times Brenda and Eddie were two of the most popular kids in school but didnt quite make it He also spoke aboput his life now with a new wife new kife. You should see the live version the sax will blow you away
I love this song. It reminds me of the Beatles Day in the Life .. in that it feels like two songs in one. Great story teller, singer and musician. Thanks for this one.
Billy Joel's best song, IMO, is New York State of Mind, which ironically is a jazz tune. BJ was trained as a classic music composer. This album has hit after hit.
Things have changed so much. Back in the day, the corner restaurant, you knew the maitre d, the chef, the owner. Now it’s all corporate except a few places hanging on. That’s guy for another great reaction.
you know how people say things like 'wow, that song really paints a picture in my mind'.. and how other people with no imaginations say things like 'wow, i really love the video for piano man, because you get to see the whole bar'
Just started binge watching you fellas and I got a million requests for y'all, naturally. Thing is... I'm old and white and, thinking I've heard it all before, I sometimes forget that younger generations are simply unaware of shit. Thru no fault of their own. There is so much music that I wanna expose you to and so much NEW music that I need to be exposed to... Whilst I can't comment too much on modern trends... Well, Billy Joel, for instance, is a rare talent. A singer/songwriter from Long Island who actually started out as a heavy metal artist. And yet, he's just the tip of whatever iceberg you wanna crash into. I would really like you guys to hear AND WHEN I DIE by Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Why? Because it's the tip of a whole 'nother musical iceberg. There's simply too much great music to imbibe. I get it. All you can do is keep your ears open
Thanks for the great reaction vids. My favorite Joel song is Miami 2017 (I seen the lights go out on Broadway), from his fantastic Songs In The Attic album, where he reworks his early classics. The whole album is great.) Joel wrote Miami 2017 in response to Washington refusing to help NYC pay its bills, after NYC provided 50% of federal tax revenues up until the 50s. This inspired the famous headline "FORD TO NY: DROP DEAD". Joel takes Washington's disregard to a spectacular extreme, and sounds genuinely pissed off, singing with rage and nuance over a thundering arrangement. Good times. 😉 Please give it a listen. 😁 It's on youtube, search for: Billy Joel - Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) (1980 - Official Audio)
Songs in the Attic is a great live album, but as an oldies buff I think his concept album Innocent Man is my favorite. But he never wrote a better song than Scenes...
That video was pretty cool at the end, referencing another Billy Joel song, "Movin' Out." The restaurant they are eating at is Cacciatore's. There's a line in "Movin' Out" where the main character "works at Mr. Cacciatore's down on Sullivan Street". Except that's a grocery store in that song. Still, a good job by the animator with that call-back. 😊 Excellent reaction, fellas! I've always loved this song, and I first heard it when it came out. And yes, it totally evokes the time, the place, the feeling, both lyrically as well as musically.
You know an artist composer has done the job ...is when the listener can visualize the story ,lyrics ... can actually see themselves in the lyrics and feel that presence of spirit ....that's the goal paint a picture ,tell the story and get them to relieve moments in their life they can relate to ...what's better than that ?!? And Billy is one of the best ever .. all you have to do is go through his entire catalog of compositions and there are many you will see like a movie short ,drawn in from the normality of the subjects ....thank God for Billy Joel ....a 21st century master composer ,performer ,Human being and a hero to allThere are several individuals that will make LL ast marks into the century's ahead Lennon & McCartney,Simon & Garfunkel ,Becker/fagen ,Steve Wonder ,,Dylan , we in the last 2 centuries have had an overwhelming bounty of talent ,the likes of which we have never seen before ...with the nations and communications and the expansion of the human race ... We have been blessed....in the days off Vivaldi, Debussy,Bach,Beethoven ,Liszt , Puccini,Wagner, ...famous in pockets ...corners of the world but millions upon millions would never hear a note of their works or ever know or speak their namesI believe music is the purist form of love and communication ...and one one that's shared universally.
The Stranger, then this song, I guess you should continue with this album, yeah? Only the Good Die Young, and Movin Out, and Just The Way You Are, would be my suggestions from The Stranger album. Nice reaction. Billy Joel is a huge rabbit hole to explore. Dive deep, and enjoy.
Gotta smile at 3:55 knowing what's coming..Some real tasty sax solos! Billy is an artist that should inspire any fellow musicians...His body of work is prolific and profound...He was well received here in philly...Our FM Radio stations picked him up on Captain Jack...That became a montra in the 70's...I kept him at arm's length in those days; being a prog head but; Now I love his stuff MORE than I love Mahavishnu Orchestra or King Crimson... Which I don't state lightly. Great reaction to an amazing artist; Anytime you want to react to him; get a suggestion in the comments...Downeaster Alexa for me...:)
Really cool video for that song, which I had not seen before. That last swell, where we return to the Italian restaurant, always gives me a lump in my throat. Only music can get at my “feels” like that. And a lot of Billy Joel songs do that to me by the way.
I have listened to this song for 44 years -- and I just realized that the two people in the restaurant are Brenda and Eddie, mostly because I have always focused on hearing the instrumentals. I was surprised to find that so many interpretations and recaps on the internet do not seem to get this. If you listen closely and think about this, it comes together. These people drinking wine at the restaurant (part 1) are not just remembering two other random classmates in the later sections (2, 3)--they are themselves Brenda and Eddie. The "Things are OK in Oyster Bay" section (part 2) is spoken by Eddie as he catches up with Brenda, telling her about his life, saying she still looks good, and asking her to join him in reminiscing about the old days when they wore boots, leather and jeans "hanging out at the village green." Then comes the dixieland interlude, to recall the music they used to hear on the jukebox ("song about New Orleans"); and then the straight-rhythm piano solo (like turning back the clock or cascading memories?) to open the "Ballad of Brenda and Eddie" (past 3). The speaker here in part 3 is a narrator/spectator--Billy Joel himself?--who knew Brenda and Eddie, and maybe is even at another table at the same restaurant watching their reunion over wine, as he shares with us the listening audience the whole back-story of Brenda and Eddie, to catch us up. Finally we realize that the two people at the restaurant are Brenda and Eddie--perhaps we suspect it, but we are eventually told as much in the clever lyrics. That is: Eddie asks Brenda to remember what they dressed like and how they used to hang out at the village green in part 2, but then in part 3 the narrator/Billy Joel quips sarcastically, or sadly, that, even though the two divorcees went back to the "green," "you cant go back there again," and they couldn't "go back to the greasers" (who wear boots, leather, denim). The last thing narrator/Billy Joel says to conclude part 3 is that he doesnt know anything else about Brenda and Eddie, and that he(/we) are again waving goodbye to them at their nostalgic reunion in the restaurant. (Whether the outro, or part 1 reprise, refers to mood-altering drugs and not Italian wines, and thus ends the long story of Brenda and Eddie on a plaintive note, is open to question I suppose). The whole song thus has a complex narrative structure, operatic: the shifting voices and timeframes throughout the song are clearly marked by musical transitions: 1a) framing device for the song's drama in real time (ordering wine, sitting near the street, face to face); 2) direct address of one main character to the other within the song's drama in real time; 3) knowledgeable observer watching the drama within the song in real time while conversing with us the listeners outside the song to recap past dramatic time; and 1b) closing/returning to the frame in real time. As is often noted about this composition, it has a cinematic/theatrical/metatheatrical structure. This is why the word "scenes" in the title is so apt, because it can refer to the different episodes or perspectives of story-telling, or how we see the drama in different ways at different points. Besides the musicianship, we the listeners enjoy the song, if we are alert, because we finally understand that Brenda and Eddie are the two reuniting at the Italian restaurant, though the reveal does not come lyrically until the final verse of "The Ballad of Brenda and Eddie," after which we return briefly yet wistfully to the present encounter between the two. The poignancy of their reunion over wine is in the end sharper because we now understand their long journey. It is probably old-fashioned or sentimental of me to think of the emotional impact of those final scenes of brief reunion in "Splendor in the Grass," or "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg", or "The Way We Were". I think this is pretty sophisticated stuff for a popular song. Unless I am completely lost, or this is obvious to everyone and I am just slow!
When he's reminiscing about those hot nights it's during the date. During the conversation. But about those times: "Hey, do you remember those days?" One small bit too: Sometimes stuff just gets lost in time and over the generations that follow. In this case "drop a dime in the box (the jukebox, now almost completely a thing of the past except in retro bars) and play a song about New Orleans." That's the New Orleans Mardi Gras band music we hear for a couple of bars after.
Although this animation shows them dining at "Cacciatore's," the actual Italian restaurant is "Christiano's," located in Syosset, Long Island, New York. (Exit 44 off the L.I.E.!)
The ENTIRE song is about Brenda and Eddie at different points in their lives!The song goes in full circle returning to the couple as they meet to catch up at the restaurant! It is a three act song!
The first and last sections of the song are meant to be in the present, whereas the middle section is like going back in time to tell the full story. I love the way you guys accept and digest music, minds always wide open and coming at everything with love.
Please listen to:. Summer, Highland Falls off of Turnstiles, same album as NY State of Mind is on....BTW one of my favorite albums of his, my parents played this one A LOT when I was a child, along with a lot of Steely Dan 🎉
Billy Joel is one of the best. He's a blue collar guy turned superstar but he refused that title. This guy reached the heights of fame and success, yet he's still a blue collar guy at heart. I have a friend who lives on Long Island and has bumped into him a couple times. He says he's so down to earth you'd think he was just another guy. Anyway, check him out live doing "New York State of Mind" at the Old Grey Whistle Test. Oops, never mind. I see you already did. LOL!
Lots of great tunes from Billy Joel. For a cool performance, check out his 2008 Shea Stadium concert during which he performed "New York State of Mind". His song but he sang it with Tony Bennett, a crooner from waaaaay back. Bennett was 82 years old at the time and still belting out the songs. Great fun watching those two. :)
"We didn't start the fire" has GOTTA be next... you'll never turn back!!! As always much love 🐶😎🇺🇸 And by the way, props for the Brooklyn Bridge mention 😉
The transcriber missed the change of lyrics at the end. The first verse is "A bottle of red, a bottle of white...". The last is "A bottle of reds; a bottle of whites." From wine to pills.
Some suggestions from Billy: The Longest Time (a trip back to foo-wop days) and River of Dreams (Gospel-flavored harmonies). His versatility and creativity are something to behold.
Nice reaction guys. If you're liking him, you might try Goodnight Saigon, Leningrad, We Didn't Start the Fire, and New York State of mind , among others - an amazingly talented musical storyteller.
One of the top few writer/singer/musicians of all time. Check out Vienna, Only the Good Die Young, Always a Woman, River of Dreams, Downeaster Alexa, Piano Man, New York State of Mind, Just the Way You Are, to name just a few. The list goes on and on. BTW, Billy is not Italian, he’s Jewish.
I don't know if you guys do album reactions, but this one is a perfect opportunity. There are at least five bangers on this album. Joel at the height of his powers. You should also look for footage of Billy playing live with Elton John at Shea Stadium. Two virtuosos doing each other's hits.
Only Billy Joel song i like .. they always played this in bars (Italian bars) at the end of night it went this last call then Neil diamond sweet Caroline
Jeez you guys! (I know this was nine months ago, but I just now stumbled across your reaction.) In my opinion, Billy Joel is THE piano man, even more so than Elton John is. Billy Joel has dozens of hits, spanning different decades/eras, and he has helped to shape American music with his contributions to it. A real modern day troubadour. Heck, he even managed to snag super model Christie Brinkley way back in the day! Not too shabby for a boy from the Bronx...😉👍
Captain Jack! Another great story song from Billy. You all need to check out some David Bowie. Try the song 'Station to Station' an unusual introduction but very funky.
The studio version doesn't even compare to the live version from Long Island. Might be one of the best live performances, period! If you get a chance to react to that, I promise you will not regret it! 🙏🏼
That was my favorite song on that album and I think I was around 10 when that was released! Never saw this particular video for this song loved it :-) You should listen to the Stranger from that lp too!
its funny the two restaurants mentioned on the menus Cacchetoria and Zanzibar are alluded in the songs Movin Out and Zanzibar in the second verse of Moving Out, the cop works at a place called cacciatore on sullivan street and the song Zanzibar is a fictional bar (and not the african country) this song is basically broken down in 3 parts, each part from a different perspective hence the 3 distictive musical styles.
Billy Joel is also a classical music composer. There’s a video-don’t remember the origin-where he points out how all music traces back to classical. I believe it’s a master class.
It's 9 months since the video's debut. So glad you guys took a dive into Billy Joel's songbook. Fabulous melody maker, story teller and all-around performer.
I'd like to add something on to your comment, "They don't make 'em like that anymore." Well, they never made 'em like that to begin with. Billy Joel is a singular genius who tells a story in every song he writes and writes songs like this with classical structure (he went back, you said...yeah, that's called a recapitulation) and you ain't heard nothing yet. Prelude / Angry Young Man, Ballad of Billy the Kid, Travelin' Prayer, and Root Beer Rag. All of these songs I got from the albums I bought, but you never heard 'em on the radio. You guys do a lot of nice stuff. Tuck those away.
Billy's Jewish; but hey - - who doesn't love good Italian food and wine? I think, also, where Billy grew up was in a primarily Jewish/Italian area of Long Island. And this, I think, was about a specific restaurant in that town. It's hard to know where to start when suggesting Billy Joel songs. They're all so different. I'll try. Okay. Live versions: this song (if you feel like seeing him do it live, his piano playing is a total trip), Goodnight Saigon, You May Be Right, New York State of Mind (Old Grey Whistle performance). Videos (original videos): River of Dreams, Matter of Trust (great, vintage NYC), We Didn't Start the Fire Also, Innocent Man, Pressure, Honesty, Zanzibar That's pretty good for a start. Great reactions. All the best.
p.s. If you wind up doing Matter of Trust, here's an interesting bit of trivia: only 2 people in that street scene are planted actors (and the woman yelling in the window isn't one of them). So, this really surprised the shit out of a lot of passers-by. If you want a great snapshot of a lower east side nyc block, circa late 1980s, this video is a must.
Really love your reaction at 8:53, when you come to the realization of the whole song, I think it was something like mine. I just did not have a camera on me.
at the end of the song when he says a bottle of reds a bottle of whites whatever mood your in tonight i think he is referring to pills, at least thats what i always thought
