jon, I never thought I'd say that Billy Joel had the right approach in his more popular stuff, but after listening to that song, well, eeeeuuuurrrggggghhhhh. Sorry. I love you and all, but that song. . . that song is not a good song.

I like it, but I have a weakness for lurching dinosaur rock. I just found it an incredible period piece. Billy Joel always reminds me of my goombah uncles, and this album like many others of that era, shows how weird pop culture got when the leftover ethos of the hippie era trickled down to folks like that. His Lawn Guyland greaser accent sounds so incongrous next to the thumpy drums and honking organs an kozmic lyrics taht it's mindblowing. There are some better tracks, but they're at home so I can't YSI 'em from here.

As the linked article says, the album was such a commercial disaster that Billy tried to do himslef in by chugging a bottle of furniture polish.

One of Billy Joel's cousins was my science teacher in high school. Really. Seriously. But he never got him to come and visit or anything and I think they were like 2nd or 3rd cousins anyway.

Is this the album where he was credited as "William Joel"? I seem to remember hearing something about the fur-cladness.

Attila. Most people say "Uh - till - uh" (probably the band did too), but it was actually "At - uh - luh". When you say it the wrong way, you put the double letters in the wrong place.

Same with "Genghis". It's "jen - guhss", not "ghen - juss". Leads to people writing "Ghengis" all the time. Alternate correct spelling that helps: Jenghiz.

Don't get me started on "Gandhi" ...