The Billy Joel Coincidence
For some reason when I awoke this morning I had a Billy Joel song stuck in my head (I believe it was “The Downeaster Alexa”) and so I got on to my computer and told Windows Media Player to play my Billy Joel list. I used to listen to Billy Joel a lot more several years ago but I have not really played any of his music for quite some time. So I listen to some Billy Joel this morning as I am waking up, drinking my coffee, and getting ready to go to work, His music is enjoyable and pretty good easy listening for the early hours of the day. I got some of his music stuck in my head and hummed it on the way to work (“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” off of The Stranger). So it seems kind of weird that CNN today has an article all about Billy Joel and The Stranger. Strange coincidences like this always baffle me and make me wonder about cause and effect. Now obviously I am not going to claim that my listening to Billy Joel this morning caused there to be an article on CNN.com about him today (unless it did) but it is still just weird. Anyway, i like Billy Joel’s music and The Stranger is definitely one of his best albums.
General Lordisimo's Apocalypse 
Billy Joel does have a lot of great songs. Having said that, I do have to agree with one of my favorite writers, Chuck Klosterman, in that Billy Joel is probably one of the least cool famous musicians. Just look at him, he’s a dud, and unless he’s playing “Piano Man” or “Captain Jack”, he is pretty much useless to the public.
Yeah, I don’t think I’d ever be all that interested in seeing Billy Joel live. I can listen to his music off my computer or on the radio and enjoy it but as a person of interest he doesn’t do all that much more for me. I guess that is just the way it is with some musicians, their music doesn’t suck but they also lack the awesomness to make you want to go out of your way to see them live.
That being said I know some people who probably would almost kill to see Billy Joel live and this disturbs me some.