Coming in at 4 hours and 52 minutes, Billy Joel: And So It Goes dives deep into the total legacy of Billy Joel, tales of his youth mingling with tales of his rise to the highest, adopted by an ever-evolving discography and sound. Loads of well-known faces present as much as sing Joel’s praises, whereas he, his household, and his shut collaborators mirror on his ups and downs over the a long time he’s been often called the Piano Man.
Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin (with Joel as a producer) the brand new HBO documentary may arguably be extra revealing than it’s, nevertheless it does serve properly as a comparatively full portrait of one of many twentieth century’s defining artists. “I don’t consider myself as a rock star — I consider myself as a musician,” Joel says early on, and his ardour for the true craft of music, on show numerous instances over the course of each elements, confirms that.
Under are a number of the most notable revelations to return from And So It Goes, from the music he appears least keen to debate to how he feels concerning the rumors that he’s had “all these DUIs.”
Billy Joel Doesn’t Love Being on Digicam
Significantly — in his first speaking head interview in the beginning of the documentary, he says that “I’ve by no means been snug on digital camera. When you realize you’re on digital camera, like proper now, there’s a bit little bit of an uptight factor occurring. Can’t escape. Can’t cover behind the piano.”
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That being mentioned, whereas he’s not in a position to cover behind the piano, he’s seated at a piano for almost all of his modern-day interviews. It’s a wise alternative on the a part of the administrators, because it permits him to punctuate his ideas and tales with jaunty little musical asides.
Billy Joel Tried Suicide Twice in His 20s
Maybe the documentary’s greatest revelation, first discussed back in June when it premiered at Tribeca, is that when Joel first fell in love with Elizabeth Weber, the lady who would turn into his first spouse, she was already married to Jon Small, Joel’s companion within the band Attila. When Joel admitted to his emotions, the band broke up and Joel fell right into a melancholy that led to him making two suicide makes an attempt, earlier than getting assist.
Later, Joel and Weber would reconnect, and they’d not solely be married from 1973 to 1982, however she would function his supervisor for the important thing early years of his profession. (Extra about that later.)
Billy Joel Selected Columbia Data of Bob Dylan
When deciding on the precise document firm to signal with for his second document, Joel picked Columbia Data “as a result of it was the label of Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan wasn’t know as an excellent document vendor, however he was Bob Dylan. I believed, you realize what, it is a label that’s persevering with to launch data by this man who doesn’t actually promote primary albums, however they’re dedicated to him. I believed I want to have a profession like that.”
“Piano Man” and “The Entertainer” Are Linked on a Meta Stage
Billy Joel in 1977 (courtesy of HBO)
“Piano Man” was Joel’s first massive hit, impressed by his experiences acting at lounges in Los Angeles whereas attempting to get out of a nasty recording contract, and was adopted in 1974 by “The Entertainer,” which he explains within the documentary was principally a sequel to the earlier music. Or, to be extra correct about it, “The Entertainer” was about the way in which that “Piano Man” was edited down for radio play. Says Joel, “It was principally autobiographical about placing out ‘Piano Man.’ I used to be very sensitive about that — don’t go chopping my music up. I used to be beginning to turn into disenchanted with the music enterprise, and ‘The Entertainer’ was my approach of complaining about it.”
Joel provides a bit later that “Piano Man” “was a few man kvetching about taking part in at a piano bar, and this follow-up is the man kvetching about having a success document within the music enterprise. It’s like, alright, I’m doing effectively, let me screw this up someway.”
Billy Joel Turned George Martin Down for His Band
By a sure level within the Nineteen Seventies, Joel had discovered a band he actually loved taking part in with each reside and within the studio, however he hadn’t but discovered a producer he actually wished to work with. Then got here a gathering with George Martin, who, y’know, produced The Beatles. “My idol,” Joel says within the doc. “Nonetheless to at the present time, I believe, one of many best producers who ever lived.”
Whereas Martin was inquisitive about working with Joel, the producer had one sticking level: He didn’t need to use Joel’s band. As an alternative, he wished to herald “studio guys,” skilled musicians that, in keeping with Joel, are “guys who are available and might learn the dots, learn the music, however there’s not essentially a chemistry inside that ensemble. Which could be very crucial, you’ve received to have the chemistry. We have been killing it reside — let me use my guys.”
So Joel informed Martin “Love me, love my band,” and the 2 parted methods. Finally, Joel would begin working with producer Phil Ramone, with whom he received alongside straight away: “It was like having one other musician behind the management board.” Joel additionally credit Ramone with understanding the band’s vibe on the time, saying that “If the musicians are having enjoyable, you may hear it. it wasn’t easy, it wasn’t polished, nevertheless it was distinctive. Phil appreciated that facet of it. He mentioned ‘It’s form of tough, however that’s your sound.”
Billy Joel and Phil Ramone in 1978 (courtesy of HBO)
