Äntligen! En av de finaste popskivorna någonsin har äntligen sett dagens ljus på CD. Originalet på vinyl landade på skivdiskarna redan 1980 men nu går det alltså att hitta D.L. Byron’s This Day And Age i lilla formatet också. En klassiker producerad av Jimmy Iovine och med delar av Billy Joel’s band i kompet. Köp!!!

Back in 2007, I got very very obsessed with the sophomore album from Sunderland’s Field Music, a 30-minute progressive punk art rock odyssey into the mundanity of small-town life. In borrowing the least lifestyle elements of Steely Dan and fusing them to a jerkiness that recalled Wire, the then-trio (comprised of the two brothers Brewis, and their friend Andrew Moore) created a masterpiece that provided concise chunks of song that packed in a multitude of musical ideas – from Billy Joel-esque piano, to crisp beatboxing. Tones of Town was magnificent, and its lack of fame was nigh-upon criminal. When the band announced they were going on hiatus, I practically cried myself to sleep.

Well now, via several intriguing side projects, they’re back. And in a more expansive mood, clearly, because their forthcoming third album, entitled Field Music (Measure), is a double album, with twenty songs that aren’t afraid to be less cohesive, in a manner apparently styled after Tusk and The Beatles. Predictably, I’m very excited, especially since the band (now a four piece, sans Moore) are whetting our appetites with two choice cuts from the album.

The first, “Each Time Is A New Time”, cruises in on a liquid bassline and some pretty FM-rock guitar, backed up by typically intricate drumming. When the vocals come in, the way they harmonise and interlock is sophisticated and aurally pleasing. Halfway through, the song cuts to a stripped-down passage that builds back up with insistently mellifluous guitar figures, wordless chanting and military percussion, before breaking straight back to the original riff. And then, in true Field Music style, it’s over.

The second sample, the title track, “Measure”, explodes from a suitably baroque string arrangement into a clanging, rustling, piano-led groove. The band has not lost its knack of combining the ancient with the modern, as the vocal interplay and hand claps (which sit alongside the strings, and some very steely guitar) will testify. The mood is wistful and meandering, interspersed with occasional shouts that recall Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac. As the song fades out to looped strings and a thrumming beat, I can’t help but feel a wave of relief that the band has stretched away from the brilliant style they had previously perfected, in order to explore new ground.

Both songs are little gems, and, wonderfully, both are available for free, from the band’s charming website. Field Music (Measure) is released 16th February 2010, on Memphis Industries, and promises to be one of the year’s most intriguing albums, not only in terms of scope and scale, but also in terms of the fascinating, filigree-like music it will contain.

Qualquer fã dos Beatles que se preza ou conhecedor de um pouco da história do rock sabe da importância do Shea Stadium. Lá, no campo de basebol do New York Mets, os Beatles fizeram um show histórico em 1965, levando mais de 40 mil pessoas para um concerto onde não podiam ouvir a banda que estava no palco, naquele que é considerado o primeiro grande show de rock da história. O estádio foi demolido em 2008 e o último concerto aconteceu em 18 de julho daquele ano. Billy Joel fez três noites de shows, sendo que em delas recebeu Paul McCartney como convidado.

Agora é a vez do Citi Field, o novo estádio dos Mets e, para a inauguração, nada melhor do que as velhas canções dos Beatles. Pensando assim, a administração convidou Paul McCartney para uma série de três concertos em julho deste ano. Os shows foram filmados e gravados e lançados (CD e DVD) como Good Envening New York City.

Nos últimos anos, além dos álbuns de estúdio, Sir Paul vem inundando o mercado com CDs e DVDs ao vivo, a maioria deles recheados de canções dos Beatles que vêm se repetindo desde a mega turnê iniciada em 1989 e que passou pelo Maracanã em abril de 1990. Good Evening New York City não é diferente. Das 33 canções do CD, apenas sete podem ser consideradas novidades. As outras já apareceram, de uma maneira ou outra, em algum lançamento do velho Macca.

Mas isso não quer dizer que o pacote seja ruim. O DVD tem uma qualidade de imagem e som absurdos e as canções novas dão um certo frescor as 2037 versões de Jet, Let it Be ou The Long and Winding Road, que encontramos nos seus discos. Canções como Mrs. Vandebilt, Highway e Sing The Changes (ambas lançadas no seu projeto paralelo chamado Firemen), além do medley A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance, valem o (pequeno) investimento.

Parece que Sir Paul se tocou que poderia dar um refresco para o bolso de seus fãs. A edição normal (2 CDs e 1 DVD) está sendo vendida por US$ 14 e a versão de luxo (2 CDs e 2 DVDs – com o show feito na marquise do Ed Sullivan Theater) sai por meros US$ 35.

A voz já não é a mesma, claro, mas Paul continua cantando suas canções no mesmo tom que gravou e, inteligentemente, adaptou algumas interpretações as limitações vocais de um senhor de 67 anos. No novo lançamento a mixagem não deixou muito espaço para erros e não deixa de ser interessante vê-lo cantar Helter Skelter e I’ve Got a Feeling, duas das canções mais gritadas do seu repertório, no mesmo show, em 2009.

Good Evening New York City é um daqueles lançamentos que vão agradar muito mais aos fãs ocasionais do que aos que sempre comprar (e continuarão comprando) os lançamentos de Paul McCartney.

Nota: 8,5

She can kill with a smile
She can wound with her eyes
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child
But she’s always a woman to me

She can lead you to live
She can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth
But she’ll never believe you
And she’ll take what you give her as long as it’s free
She steals like a thief
But she’s always a woman to me

Oh, she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She’s ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

She will promise you more
Than the Garden of Eden
Then she’ll carelessly cut you
And laugh while you’re bleedin’
But she’ll bring out the best
And the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself
Cause she’s always a woman to me

She is frequently kind
And she’s suddenly cruel
She can do as she pleases
She’s nobody’s fool
But she can’t be convicted
She’s earned her degree
And the most she will do
Is throw shadows at you
But she’s always a woman to me

Oops, I meant to include this song with the last post….

Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon

After I carefully unchecked the songs I didn’t want uploaded to my iPhone, the computer did it anyway and I ended up with every song in my library on my cell phone. For some unparallel reason I decided to listen to all of them in alphabetical order, an undertaking that will probably take months to complete on my afternoon metro rides. (In the morning I read the paper. Old-timey!)

With apologies to Paul Ford, here are five-word reviews of all the songs I’ve listened to so far. (He does six-word reviews so it’s like taking it up a notch, yanno? No?) You will sense an immediate pattern in my listening habits. I’ll tell you now it’s a direct result of complacency.

Accidents Will Happen – Elvis Costello Classic album opener zings along.

Accidents Will Happen (live) – Elvis Costello Skipped, albeit reluctantly. Nieve shines.

Acrobat – U2 Bono as wronged emo kid.

Adam Raised A Cain – Bruce Springsteen Bruce as wronged emo kid.

Again Today/Hiding My Heart – Brandi Carlile Meditative, longish album closer; skipped.

Ain’t Got You – Bruce Springsteen Killer harmonica jumps with alacrity.

Ain’t No Other Man – Christina Aguilera Brass sections made spiffy again.

Alfie – Lily Allen Witless brother; I can relate.

Allison (live) – Elvis Costello Sneers softly as his best.

All Because of You – U2 Forgettable Christian rock AOR track.

All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey Listened twice with shameless glee.

All That Heaven Will Allow – Bruce Springsteen Good love not yet bad.

Allentown – Billy Joel Audition for poor man’s Mellencamp.

Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson Levi’s commercial did this right.

American Gangster Time – Elvis Costello Catchy late-era track; unfleshed theme.

Americans Without Tears – Elvis Costello Proves 6/8 time is underused.

The Angel – Bruce Springsteen Embarrassing, pained Dylan imitation. Skipped.

Another Time, Another Place – U2 Edge carries this Boy sleeper.

Anthem – Leonard Cohen Choirs can exist in pop.

Artificial Sweetener – No Doubt She’s not sincere with feelings.

As Long As I (Can Be With You) – Patti Scialfa She is definitely quite sincere.

Ashes to Ashes – David Bowie Junkies awaken hungover in ’80s.

Atlantic City – Bruce Springsteen Hardscrabble lives twist in wind.

Atlantic City (live 6/13/06) – Bruce Springsteen I was there, must reminisce.

Baby Don’t –Patti Scialfa Wedding band is no barrier.

Baby Watch Your Back – Nellie McKay Disco and stalking go together.

Babyface – U2 Adam Clayton dated Naomi Campbell.

Back In Your Arms – Bruce Springsteen He’s made a huge mistake.

Bad – U2 Sparkling slow-burner alights in concert.

Bad Influence – Pink Corruption is fun and unavoidable.

Badlands – Bruce Springsteen Keening guitar melody still wins.

Bathwater – No Doubt Good girls want bad boys.

Be True – Bruce Springsteen Movies disappoint less than love.

Beat It – Michael Jackson Cartoon violence plus Van Halen.

So there you go, a little window into my commute. As I was saying to Tatiana earlier today, NaBloPoMo should be careful what it wishes for.

Note: Don’t ya hate it when you think of a post title that is informative and humorous, then you plug it into the google and find out it’s not as unique as you had hoped? You betcha! wink, wink. Oh well, I’m sticking with it.

It might not seem like it, but I really have nothing much against Sarah Palin as person. She’s a real person with real feelings. I get that.

My only real beef with her is that she is a liar. I don’t care if she has a different point of view than my own. That is actually part of what makes this country great. But using lies to manipulate and deceive is wrong. If you can’t sell with the truth then you need to re-evaluate what you are selling.

The web site PolitiFact.com has a page they call the “Sarah Palin file.” It is a page where they assess the truthfulness of statements made by Palin. For a figure so prominent on the national stage the lack of honesty is quite alarming.

Then today I found this on the Wall Street Journal web site. The following tidbit is made even more impressive when you consider that the WSJ is owned by Rupert Murdoch:

It is her mastery of the lament that explained former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s appeal last year, and now her knack for self-pity is on full display in her book, “Going Rogue.” This is the memoir as prolonged, keening wail, larded with petty vindictiveness. With an impressive attention to detail, Ms. Palin settles every score, answers every criticism; locates a scapegoat for every foul-up, and fastens an insult on every critic, down to the last obscure Palin-doubter back in Alaska.

When it comes to politicians, the TRUTH is of paramount importance, at least to me. Just tell me the truth. That’s all I ask. If you stick with the truth you have a chance of getting me to see your point. Without truth I’ve got absolutely no use for you. In the final analysis, Palin is nothing more than a snake oil salesperson, and we have far, far too many of those these days.

Sarah, this one’s for you:

I don’t want some pretty face to tell me pretty lies
All I want is someone to believe

I saw a flash video similar to this on Speakbindas but unfortunately I can’t upload flash here. So here is an equally awesome alternative.

One of the reasons I’m keeping this blog and making these videos is everyone needs reminding their problems are not unique. Your marriage is not the only one with rough patches. Your marriage is not the only one that is one long rough patch. Other men’s wives are not perfect. Other women’s husbands are not perfect.

I’m sticking by my rule not to bash my wife but I want to talk about some arguments that appeared out of nowhere and talk about ways we avoid those or handle them when they arise. I want to talk about totally silly arguments that, despite how stupid and silly they are, turn into real fights.

Today’s argument as I’m walking out the door: My wife spots the new Plastilina Mosh CD and tells me to get rid of it. She doesn’t want that filth in her house. Just like she doesn’t want House of the Dead: Overkill for the Wii in her house. For the record, she wasn’t too pleased with their first album, either. These types of arguments always turn into finger-pointing. This one did, too. I threw back, “Oh, and ‘Only the Good Die Young’ by your precious Billy Joel isn’t filth?”

I could tell that criticizing Billy Joel crossed a line I shouldn’t have even approached so I ran to my car and drove to work. This little exchange didn’t turn into a fight but ridiculous things like that HAVE erupted into serious fights before.

So, no, you’re not alone.

Since having gotten my very own cable box from Rogers I have been watching a lot of tv maybe a little too much really. But I was watching a lot of FOOD Network and watching that makes me want to bake and eat and sit and have lots of tea and think about butter cookies, pear tarts, peach pies, and a whole lot of other tasty delights that should not be devoured on a regular basis.

Then I discovered that TMN on demand came with my movie package and also has all the shows that I love love love and some shows that I didn’t know about – Entourage, Californication, Big Love, Hung and on and on. And the movies ……… better than a batch of cookies.

In an effort to reinstate my good taste in television I have been watching a lot more of the shows and this Billy Joel song can really do a lot to express how I feel about HBO Canada….

Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest
If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be  TV(music) left to write
What else could I do
I’m so inspired by you
That hasn’t happened for the longest time

Once I thought my innocence was gone
Now I know that happiness goes on
That’s where you found me
When you put your cable wires (arms) around me
I haven’t been there for the longest time

Maybe this won’t last very long
But you feel so right
And I could be wrong
Maybe I’ve been hoping too hard
But I’ve gone this far
And it’s more than I hoped for

Who knows how much further we’ll go on
Maybe I’ll be sorry when you’re gone
I’ll take my chances
I forgot how nice romance is
I haven’t been there for the longest time

I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself
Hold on to your heart
Now I know the kind of network (woman) that you are
You’re wonderful so far
And it’s more than I hoped for

I don’t care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things (NBC)
I want you so bad
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for the longest time…..

Forever and ever and ever until you start playing garbage television like most of the other networks. I love you HBO!

Occhèi, va bene chiedersi “perché non siamo capaci di imparare da tutto quello che abbiamo passato in duemila anni”, però oggi mi accontenterei dell’esperienza fatta negli ultimi tempi e di riuscire a far vedere il modem adsl – via hub ehternet – anche al secondo Mac di casa (‘azz!)

TESTO CANZONE

That’s one of my very favorite Far Side comics.  (My other favorites are I Hate This Horse and Damn The Electric Fence! but that’s not relevant to what I’m discussing.) (P.S.  I really miss you, Gary Larson.)

My own brain is full today.  Very full.  What I usually do when this happens is text my friends.  Mostly Sara.  A lot.  Random bits of this and that, rants, observations, points to ponder, et cetera, et cetera.  But today, my brain is SO full that my thumbs can’t text fast enough.  And anyway, why should Sara be the only person to revel in my complete and utter insanity?

The problem with letting my brain reach this point of fullness is that there’s no room to organize my thoughts.  It’s like those crappy puzzles you get from the fishing booth at the fall carnival where you slide the little tiles and try to put the numbers 1 through 15 in order.  Except my puzzle has no empty space so you can’t move a thing. You can try popping them out with a knife but you can’t ever get them to snap back together the right way again and you might cut yourself, so it’s better just to let it be what it is.  A random jumble.

And do with it what you will…

My child attends a private kindergarten at our church. The tuition is quite reasonable, but they nickel and dime you to death during the year.  I don’t mind spending the money, because I know she’s getting a quality education with a God-centered curriculum and there’s no price to be put on that in this morally bankrupt world.  I just wish I could pay one big fat yearly activity fee in August and be done with it, instead of $3 for the hay ride here and $6 for the trip to the dairy there.  Mostly because I never carry cash and it annoys me to write checks for single digit amounts.  Not because I’m one of those Oh dear, Lord, I can’t write a check because I opened my account in 1972 and haven’t had the sense to switch to free-checking so I’m still charged 10 cents for every deer- in-the-mist adorned check I write people who freak out if you even look at their checkbook.  It just bothers me to write checks for piecemeal amounts.  I don’t have a good reason for it bothering me, it just does.

The latest financial exercise was optional and included preparing a shoebox full of whatnots to be sent to an under-privileged child during Christmas. They were due today, and somehow, despite my child’s repeated mentioning of it every single day, five times a day, for a week, I neglected to remember to assemble said box.  Upon depositing the child at school, I made arrangements with her teacher to bring the box by at the end of the school day.  I then set out for Target where I spent nearly two hours (fifteen of which were actually box related.)

People on cell phones in public are annoying enough, but listen up, ladies.  If you MUST chat during your entire shopping trip, keep it down.  I neither care nor want to hear the sad saga of your son not making the football team. It is something, I suppose, that little Johnny was asked by the coach to be the team manager, as it may mean the coach has an interest in his being on the team one day. The best, though, is your relaying the heart-to-heart you had with Johnny to your phone pal. Especially the part about how it’s a big responsibility not just anyone could shoulder and it was a special opportunity (No, really, I don’t care who wins best picture. It’s an honor just to be nominated.) And that he’ll probably be expected to be in attendance at every game. But hopefully not this week because we have that thing, so make sure you tell the coach your great big special opportunity starts next week.

It really is no wonder so many teens want to commit suicide.  What with having nothing better to read than Twilight and putting up with retarded parents and all.

In the checkout line, I realized I neglected to obtain a small notebook for my new job (I need a place to jot down computer stuff, hospital policies, etc. etc. Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do have a PDA, but I can’t enter info into it as fast as I can write it on a piece of good old papyrus, so shut it.)  Anyway, I’m already in line behind the woman who, when her debit card is declined offers the lamest excuse for a rejected cared EVER.

I must have forgotten my PIN.

Or…you “must have forgotten” to put some pesos in el banco.  Either way, you’re gumming up the works. And I’m pinned in on the other side by some coupon-laden, latte-drinking soccer mom in a baby blue J-Lo sweatsuit.  Oh well, no big deal, there’s a Staples right next door.  Surely they will have a small notebook to suit my needs.

Or not.

So now, I’m torn between going home (a 20 minute trip one way) or going Super WalMart (SWM) to look for the notebook.  SWM is 15 minutes closer to the church than my house.  I weigh the pros of home (potentially having e-mail from my friend Josh) against the cons of staying in town (wasting entire morning, don’t get to include never-opened Sponge Bob toothbrush from last dental visit in box, no wrapping paper.)  Though it might seem an easy choice, there was actually a bit of deliberation on my part.  See, Josh is kind of magnetic. (Not like the mini-calendar from the real estate agent that you can’t peel off the fridge, but like the tiny bottle from World-of-Coca-Cola with “real” Coke inside.) And SWM is not without its own siren song (read: Bob’s soft candy canes for 88 cents a bag.)  Josh is magnetic, just not 37-mile-round-trip magnetic.  I figure if I just give in and go throw some coin at Sam Walton I can get wrapping paper, tape, etc., and be done with whole thing in time to grab lunch and pick child up from school.

After an oddly not-unpleasant trip through SWM, I return to the car with the necessary items.  Thanks to having finally acquired the Holy Grail of footwear (read: size 11 plain black flats sans patent leather, suede, or bedazzling) at Target, I already had a shoebox.

I’ve tried wrapping a present in a car before, and it is why I opt for the gift bag if I’m gifting on-the-go. But in this instance, a bag would not do. Not only must the box be wrapped, it must be wrapped like a present on TV—bottom separate from top so they can just lift off the lid.  This particular method of present wrapping is a PAIN. IN. THE. ASS. under normal circumstances.  There are no words to describe the process as it is carried out with manicure scissors in the front seat of a Honda Accord.  Actually, there are plenty of words, but I won’t repeat them here.

After lunch, I head toward the church. I’m fifteen minutes early, which surely means I will be first in line at carpool, yes? No. I’m beginning to think some of the mothers just circle the drive and wait the whole four hours in the parking lot.  They have to. There’s no other explanation for being that early.

As I wait, I punch buttons on my XM pre-sets to find something decent. I have the display set up to show song title instead of artist, so I know right away what’s on.  Artist tells me nothing. Billy Joel? So what? Is it a song I actually care about (Rosalinda’s Eyes) or one I can’t stand (Uptown Girl)?  Viewing by title makes more sense, but is not without drawback.

For example, Kelly Clarkson. I despise her. Not so much because I hate her music (I do) but because a lot of her songs have titles that are the same as other songs I actually like.  Already Gone is one of my favorite Eagles songs.  If I Can’t Have You is a great disco song written by the Bee Gees for Yvonne Elliman.  Both Miss Independent and Because of You are nice, smooth R&B songs by Ne-Yo.  Clarkson suckers me all the time with her me-too trickery.  If not for her other craptastic titles (e.g. Behind These Hazel Eyes and Yeah) I’d say she did it on purpose, to lure people with decent musical taste into her putrid pop lair.

Sometimes, the display screen is not long enough for some titles, either, which is also deceptive.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Here Comes The… switched over, expecting to hear, “hotstepper,” but, instead, get  Annie Lennox and her nails-on-a-chalkboard warbling about rain.

The worst, I guess, is when there are commercials on other channels and I don’t realize it at first.  Boy, that Beta Prostate sure is a popular song.  They play it several times a day.

I fetch the kid, drop off the box, and we make our way back home.  In the car, she asks me a ton of questions I either don’t know the answers to, partially know the answers to, or have no clue what she is even asking.  Who won Battle Octopus again? Why do barber shops have those candy cane things out front? How do people in wheelchairs go potty? Can I have some Halloween—I mean fall—candy when we get home? What would happen if the blindfolded shoe ate an apple? Get it? Apple???

I’ve had too many stimuli for one day.  Brain all jumbly and head is hurty.  I need to just lie on the couch with my iPod and listen to this great new group called Benecleanse.

It has only been a few days since this new adventure began.  Time is magically suspended when suddenly we look up to see the sky outside is dark and and there is no accounting for how we got there.  Conversations with Shop Girl have a new weight.  Barely a week into this experience called “mothering”, it is as if 1000 doors have opened in her brain and connections to her heart are winding their way through her soul.

She is on the fast track of learning about balance…balancing people’s expectations with what she instinctively feels about what is right, timely…and safe.  Feeling as if she were the only counterweight in a giant tug-o-war, she wanted to know how I ever learned to manage a poker face to the world belieing the storm raging inside my head and my heart in situations that were tearing me in two.

Here is where it starts.  Either you learn quickly or you don’t learn at all.  There is so much we cannot control even when we’ve been wired for nurture.  All I could say to her through the tears was that I’ve learned and continue on a daily basis to wallow in the reality that if I love this kid (in my case Shop Girl and Best Boy) THIS much – and God’s love is infinitely beyond that – I’d better get a handle on the trust thing.

A few years ago when Best Boy lay fighting for his life in the hospital I would have given anything to trade places.  But it wasn’t mine to trade.  There was another journey – not mine to take.  As a parent, the best I can do is to keep my hands open enough to lay them steady on their backs when things get rough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraZEoRnkPc

Pernah membandingkan diri dengan orang lain? Dia cantik, ya? Dia pintar, ya? Dia aktif, ya? Eh, kamu bisa olah raga apa? Ada lomba nih! Dan saya kemudian menggelang pelan. Saya tidak suka olah raga. “Oh, pantas kulit kamu ngga cerah, wajah kamu layu banget, deh..Hm.. badan kamu juga, ya. Tidak langsing, tapi kurus! ” Suara lain juga menimpali, “Iya, kamu sekarang kurus, jadi jelek deh!”

Duarr!!

Meletus emosi jiwa! Kalian kenapa, sih?

Lalu merenung:

Saya memang tidak se-aktif dia, sepintar dia, dan secantik dia; perempuan yang sempat dipuja pujaan hati. “Kamu cemburu karena merasa rendah diri? Merasa tak mampu menyaingi dia?” tanya seorang teman. “Tidak!” elak saya. Tapi..apa memang begitu sesungguhnya diri saya?”

Kalau tiap manusia adalah unik, lalu kenapa perasaan ingin membandingkan dengan orang lain selalu muncul? Mungkin ini yang disebut orang: manusia tidak pernah punya rasa puas!

Jadi, apa memang ada orang yang bisa menerima orang lain apa adanya?

…i love you just the way you are.. kata Billy Joel. (Pak Joel, apa memang benar begitu?)

I’m a Billy Joel FREAK from way back.  One song of his never quite made sense to me until recently.  I bought a four-CD set of his greatest hits, and the fourth CD included a series of interviews plus live performances of songs discussed in the interviews.

One audience member asked the story of Vienna Waits For You.  In a nutshell, Billy Joel’s dad and mom split up when he was about 8 and his dad went to live in Vienna.  They lost contact until Billy was in his early twenties and went to find his dad.  Billy was curious about why a Jewish man would voluntarily go back to Vienna so soon after WWII.  He learned a couple of fascinating things about the city which inspired the song.

For one thing, Vienna has a centuries’ old history as a cultural crossroads.  People have, for hundreds of years, gathered in or passed through Vienna from all over the world.  It’s not a homogeneous city in any respect, despite its WWII reputation.

The second insight Billy got was from watching a street sweeper while walking with his father.  The woman appeared to him to be about 90 years old, and he expressed his dismay that this woman was being made to work at her time of life.  His father said that in Vienna, people are given free reign to contribute to the life of the city as they choose at any age.  So this woman was sweeping the street not out of destitution, but by choice.

This all inspired Billy to reflect on the meaning of youth and age, of dreams and realities, and of the possibility that life continues even, and maybe especially, once the drivenness of youth has passed.

I’ve been listening to this song all day today and thought I’d share it with you folks here.  Enjoy.  Vienna waits for you.

Oh cool, here’s a YouTube with the interview I’ve recapped above.  You can skip it if you want, it runs about ten minutes, but it will fascinate you if you are as much of a Billy Joel nut as I am.  LOL

Here’s the song from The Stranger album.  I have a live performance on my CD that I like better, but I can’t find that version on YouTube and this version is the best I found on YouTube.  I may or may not be a bit of a music snob.  And cheap.  I’m cheap.  LOL  Enjoy.