I think they’ve softened on this somewhat as the years have gone by, as artists often do, because the song is now so old that it doesn’t define them for many people. Wikipedia says they played on most of their shows in South and Central America this year.
Screw “Do your job”?
I beg to differ!
Look, if you’re not gonna play it, then don’t play it. But if you’re gonna play it, then play it.
I don’t care what your job is, if you’re getting paid good money, you deliver. Period, end of story.
You don’t get cute and selfish and undercut the product.
All those people out there who love his songs – and I like a good number of them, myself – are paying their discretionary cash to hear him put on a show. And if he can’t deliver a particular song, he should cut it from the playlist.
But to kill it like that… that’s inexcusable, especially a love song!
If you’re not willing to deliver, then refuse the project. But don’t accept the project and deliver a joke.
That’s how editing is done. How many times in the last ten years or so do you think they’ve done that particular song? Not many.
I believe Chris DeBurgh hates singing Lady In Red.
says you. And yet the person who went to the show referred to it as great stage patter. Although I see you’re point you’re being pretty unrealistic and a little idealistic. Maybe he’s expecting his audience to be mature enough to understand and be amused by his honesty. It might work for some and not on others.
To quote a song.
You see you can’t please everyone so you got to please yourself.
btw, what I meant by that was screw the audacity of people presuming to know how someone else ought to do their job, especially something as subjective as music.
I’ll bet ANYTHING he doesn’t hate it as much as I do.
When your job is delivering for the client, well, there you go.
These guys have been putting on high-energy shows for how long now?
When you are one of several thousand in a stadium, you are not a “client”, you are an “audience member”.
If Bill Gates ponies up $200K and asks Billy Joel to come sing at a Microsoft leadership retreat and explicitly creates a play list that he wants Joel to follow to the letter–then, yes, HE is a client.
You? No.
Music’s a business. Your audience are all clients. They don’t see it that way, but if you’re going to be professional about it, then you do.
gaffa, I read your post as if he were thinking the parts in parentheses, not saying them out loud as he was singing. Was he really saying them as he was performing, or was this something he talked about before singing the song?
Except that’s not an accurate representation of a musician’s job.
They tour when they feel like it and they’ve earned it. So has Joel. Do you think they do every hit any fan wants to hear?
Music is also art rather than making widgets. Hell even a man who makes widgets can decide one day he’s sick to death of making widgets and make something else. He doesn’t owe it to his clients to make the same widget.
The thing is that Joel is doing that song because of his appreciation of his fans wishes and support. If he cared only about his own preference he probably wouldn’t do it at all. Even though the person who went to the concert saw it as enjoyable patter you still feel the need to bitch and criticize.
A musician might decide to reinterpret an old song. One member of the audience says “that’s awesome” while another says “you ruined it” Which audience member should you try to please?
Some club bands achieve success playing a certain list of cover tunes. Others have the courage to play originals and develop a following that likes their music. Neither is right or wrong from a business standpoint. It’s simply a choice.
Either band might decide to change their format and adopt the others and it’s still not right or wrong as a business model.
In any business you get to decide not only what is good business but what is personally rewarding to you. Artisic pursuits even more so.
Out of curiosity, are you a musician? Have you ever been a working musician even part time?
That is what I recall in an interview on him I saw on PBS. I also found this from this transcript with an interview with Katie Couric which reinforces that this is in his head while he plays this song–but that he plays the song straight. But I do think he isn’t overly fond of this song anymore:
billy joel interview
Katie Couric: “Why can’t you eat before a show?”
Billy Joel: “Well, you don’t want to be digesting while you’re trying to sing, number one. Number two, it slows you down. So I’m hungry. And sometimes during a song like “Just the Way You Are,” my mind will wander. And I’ll think, ‘I wonder what’s on the room service menu in the hotel.’
‘Don’t go changing to try and please me. Never let me down before.’ (Maybe a — I don’t know, a burger?)
‘Don’t imagine you’re too familiar.’ (No, it’ll be cold and congealed by the time it gets to the room.)
‘If I don’t see you anymore.’ (And the fries will be flat and dried out.)
‘Could not leave you in times of trouble.’”
Katie Couric: “Maybe a Caesar salad?”
Billy Joel: “Maybe a club sandwich. You know, because it’s toasted, and the bread won’t wilt. Yeah, a club.”
Katie Couric: “I’ll never be able to listen to that song quite the same way.”
Billy Joel: “I’m sorry, but it happens.”
Like I said, you do it or you don’t.
That’s everyone’s job who gets paid to do what they do.
I don’t feel the need to bitch and criticize. I just call 'em like I see 'em.
Doesn’t matter to me if half the audience enjoyed the “patter”.
If there were just a dozen couples out there who thought that song was special – and I’ll bet good money there were more – or just one couple who first said “I love you” while dancing to it, then he should have kept his yap shut and either played it or not played it.
You might see it different. That’s how I see it.
In that case I’ve been criticizing the man for nothing.
Time for me to shut my own yap now.