Posted on 01/24/2009 9:21:17 PM PST by SeekAndFind
This may seem an odd moment to bring up the subject of Billy Joel. But the recent death of the painter Andrew Wyeth revived a long-standing debate over whether his art is respectable or merely sentimental schlock. (Say it: good or bad?) It got me to thinking about the question of value in art and whether there are any absolute standards for judging it. It indicates the question is still alive, not relegated to irrelevance by relativism.
And then I picked up The Art Instinct, a new book by Denis Dutton, the curator of the Arts & Letters Daily Web site. The book strives valiantly to find a basis for judging the value of art from the perspective of evolutionary psychology; in it, Dutton argues that a certain kind of artistic talent offered a competitive advantage in the Darwinian struggle for survival.
Which brings me to Billy Joel—the Andrew Wyeth of contemporary pop music—and the continuing irritation I feel whenever I hear his tunes, whether in the original or in the multitude of elevator-Muzak versions. It is a kind of mystery: Why does his music make my skin crawl in a way that other bad music doesn't? Why is it that so many of us feel it is possible to say Billy Joel is—well—just bad, a blight upon pop music, a plague upon the airwaves more contagious than West Nile virus, a dire threat to the peacefulness of any given elevator ride, not rock 'n' roll but schlock 'n' roll?
I'm reluctant to pick on Billy Joel. He's been subject to withering contempt from hipster types for so long that it no longer seems worth the time. Still, the mystery persists: How can he be so bad and yet so popular for so long? He's still there.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
Can I get an Amen? Amen!
No way. Danielle Steele has not outsold Shakespeare. Between 2 billion and 4 billion estimated Shakespeare books have been sold. Danielle Steele is at between 560 million and 570 million. She doesn't have a prayer of catching up.
It’s just a Slate idiot who thinks his own opinion is the truth. I don’t listen to anyone on your list, but I wouldn’t put them on the worst list either. Not when you have Tiny Tim and whoever that fat guy is who sings Beautiful Girls.
Love Billy Joel. I’m not reading past this, though, because these threads always annoy me.
OK. Still, Danielle seems to be better than Elvis!
Jackson Browne and John Cougar Mellendingle or whatever the hell his name is.....now, they suck.
It’s subtle.
Again, he means well. He thinks he is for the “common man”. He won’t let the tickets for his concerts be scalped because he doesn’t want his common fans gauged. We can appreciate that.
Watch the video for Allentown. He doesn’t understand what caused the loss of manufacturing jobs and the middle class lifestyle...he just reports on the outcome...but he plays a great piano.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aT65C7ywLs
The Dean of Admissions at Muhlenberg in Allentown didn’t appreciate me referencing the song at our interview in 1986. How am I gonna make a living without a Muhlenberg education?
Now, if anyone can find the original Nylon Curtain back sleeve of the album cover showing Billy smoking a cigarette, I’ll believe he is not part of the liberal conspiracy.
The Ministry of Truth on google has deleted it from history.
Allentown
Barry Manilow? He’s the greatest!
Barry Manilow sold more records than, uh, I don’t remember...
Or, as he’s known south of the border: “Billy Hole”
Johnny Cougar forever!
Rick Springfield too!
These soon to be unemployed writers know how to work us. Just post something about Billy Joel and use him. Maybe somebody will pay attention to you.
Just like my daughter knows how to work me. I can’t write a lullaby like Billy did but I can stay married to her mom and watch her grow up. Geez, if you can’t be happy with Christie Brinkley, there is something wrong with you.
Then again, her next husband was not happy with her either and got into trouble having an affair with a teenage woman.
Maybe there is something wrong with Christie Brinkley.
Biz Markie is the worst ever.
I like Barry too.
Flame on... :>)
REO Speedwagon kicks Rick Springfield’s butt.
Can this conversation possible become any gayer?
Billy Joel is still the man regardless of politics.
no... Bobby Sherman is the worst...
Beyonce most definately - have you seen her latest contribution to absolute bland - something about putting a ring on it. Terrible song and the worst choreography you will ever see - mind numbingly stoopid!
Mel
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