Billy Joel The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man

by Bordowitz, Hank

• ISBN13: 9781617130052
• ISBN10: 1617130052
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-03-01
• Publisher: Backbeat

Summary

Angry Young Man is a look at the superstar's entire career, including his troubled youth as a gang member; the controversy surrounding his first hit, "Captain Jack"; his legal problems; his storied marriage with Christie Brinkley; and his continued artistic frustration. "The Beatles did 'Michelle' and 'Yesterday,'" he has said. "They also did 'Revolution' and 'Helter Skelter' and they weren't pegged as balladeers. But because I had hit singles that were ballads, I became known as a balladeer. I've always resented it." Joel - one of the top ten touring takes of the decade - has continued his standing road date with Elton John on the never-ending Two Pianos tour. It was one of the world's top-grossing tours in 2009, just behind U2 and Bruce Springsteen.

Author Biography

Hank Bordowitz is the international bestselling author of eight books on music, including biographies of three other Rock and Roll Hall of Famers-Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Marley, and Bruce Springsteen-and soon-to-be Hall of Famers U2. He lives and works in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. V
Foreword: Stranded in the Combat Zone	p. VI
Introduction	p. X
And Never Saw his Father Anymore	p. 1
Children Lived in Levittown	p. 7
You Might Have Heard I Run with a Dangerous Crowd	p. 12
There's a New Band in Town	p. 23
We All Fall in Love, But we Disregard the Danger	p. 34
So Much to do and Only so Many Hours in a Day	p. 41
The Things I Did not Know at First I Learned by Doing Twice	p. 50
I Bring to You My Songs	p. 57
A Good Reputation Laying on the Line	p. 67
Sing us a Song, You're the Piano Man	p. 73
She's Nobody's Fool	p. 86
I Can Finally Find out What I've Been Looking For	p. 94
Everybody's All Excited by it	p. 102
Doesn't Matter What They Say in the Papers	p. 126
I Came Home to a Woman That I Could Not Recognize	p. 136
A Fool Who's not Afraid of Rejection	p. 142
Made His Move on Christie Lee	p. 148
When You're Counting on a Killing, Always Count me in	p. 156
Red Flags are Flying	p. 165
I Try to Keep Fighting	p. 177
So Far She Hasn't Run	p. 186
I Give My Time to Total Strangers	p. 193
Could I Have Missed the Overture	p. 201
Every Drunk Must Have His Drink	p. 212
I Saw the Lights go Out on Broadway	p. 218
Got a New Wife	p. 226
Go Ahead with Your Own Life	p. 232
Another Serenader and Another Long-Haired Band	p. 239
I'm Trying Just to Get to Second Base	p. 249
He Can't Understand why his Heart Always Breaks	p. 257
I Can't Tell You More Than I've Told You Already	p. 274
That is the Story	p. 282
Afterword: I Write My Book and I Have My Say and I Draw Conclusions	p. 285
Album Charts	p. 288
Billboard 200 Albums	p. 288
Top Internet Album Sales	p. 288
Top Classical Albums	p. 288
Singles & Tracks	p. 289
Pop Singles	p. 289
The Billboard Hot 100	p. 289
Adult Contemporary	p. 290
Club Play	p. 291
Mainstream Rock Tracks	p. 291
Top 40 Mainstream	p. 291
Grammy Awards & Nominations	p. 292
Other Awards & Honors	p. 293
Gold & Platinum Awards	p. 294
Platinum Albums	p. 294
Platinum Singles	p. 294
Gold Singles	p. 294
Gold Long-Form Videos	p. 294
Platinum Long-Form Video	p. 294
Bibliography	p. 295
Notes	p. 306
Index	p. 326
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