Metal Sludge Gossip Board

DangerZone wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 6:32 pm I haven’t seen the doc but I saw an interview clip with Bill Maher discussing it.
They were talking about how Billy Joel turned down working with George Martin because he wanted Billy to fire his band

But in a documentary on session players that came out in 2017, they seemed to paint Billy Joel as a bad guy who… fired his band.

Anyone know about this?

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:35 am Liberty actually hung on til 2006. He fired the other guys in 89 before the Storm Front tour.

NeonKnite wrote: ↑Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:28 am

DangerZone wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 6:32 pm I haven’t seen the doc but I saw an interview clip with Bill Maher discussing it.
They were talking about how Billy Joel turned down working with George Martin because he wanted Billy to fire his band

But in a documentary on session players that came out in 2017, they seemed to paint Billy Joel as a bad guy who… fired his band.

Anyone know about this?

Yea, all covered in the doc. The George Martin thing was before he recorded The Stranger in 1976/77. Billy had a fantastic band that he'd put together of NY guys before recording Turnstiles. He knew they were great and it was the right move, especially since he felt his early albums suffered because they were using session guys..

In 92/93, during the sessions for River of Dreams, producer Danny Kortchmar said he liked Billy but hated the band so convinced Billy to try without them and they eventually recorded the whole album with session players. Kortchmar must be a clown.

Drummer Liberty Devitto talks about how it fractured their longtime friendship for decades. It was a stupid thing to do. The album sounds sterile and generic without the band and especially Liberty who is an amazing drummer.

In fact, while Billy still puts on great shows, everything has gotten a whole lot less interesting and doesn't rock nearly as hard without Liberty on drums. He was a massive part of Billy's sound.

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 2:04 am He's just a goofy-looking try-hard who hung in there and ground his way up to the top at a time when it was still possible to do that. Yetnikoff probably paid those classic rock jocks a ton of money to play his records, because whatever his music is, it ain't rock. Has a handful of cool tunes but anyone who's been at it that long damn well should. The majority of his catalogue is overwrought AC schlock. Like the previous poster said, he's a man out of time - a 50s/60s Brill Building-type who inexplicably hit it big in the rock world. Retrospectively, it seems like whatever real rock songs crept into his catalog were the result of his backing band, because after he gave them the sack he (dis)graced us with shit like WDSTF and River of Dreams. Like his pal across the river, has a cult of aging boomers/Xers who will pay 100s to see him repeat himself into his 80s, and has a similar reputation as a "great live performer" because he ran around the stage like a circus geek when he was younger, even tho now he's glued to a piano bench. Overrated, overblown, and uninteresting. Ain't a pimple on Sir Elton's ass. The poster boy for why Boomers should die.

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 2:04 am He's just a goofy-looking try-hard who hung in there and ground his way up to the top at a time when it was still possible to do that. Yetnikoff probably paid those classic rock jocks a ton of money to play his records, because whatever his music is, it ain't rock. Has a handful of cool tunes but anyone who's been at it that long damn well should. The majority of his catalogue is overwrought AC schlock. Like the previous poster said, he's a man out of time - a 50s/60s Brill Building-type who inexplicably hit it big in the rock world. Retrospectively, it seems like whatever real rock songs crept into his catalog were the result of his backing band, because after he gave them the sack he (dis)graced us with shit like WDSTF and River of Dreams. Like his pal across the river, has a cult of aging boomers/Xers who will pay 100s to see him repeat himself into his 80s, and has a similar reputation as a "great live performer" because he ran around the stage like a circus geek when he was younger, even tho now he's glued to a piano bench. Overrated, overblown, and uninteresting. Ain't a pimple on Sir Elton's ass. The poster boy for why Boomers should die.

veritas wrote: ↑Wed Jul 30, 2025 5:08 am Finished the documentary.

He comes off as a mostly sad man who never could really enjoy his success (or relationships) or even songwriting! and had a pretty bad drinking problem for many years. And, now, worst, of all has young kids with wife No. 4!

veritas wrote: ↑Wed Jul 30, 2025 5:08 am Finished the documentary.

He comes off as a mostly sad man who never could really enjoy his success (or relationships) or even songwriting! and had a pretty bad drinking problem for many years. And, now, worst, of all has young kids with wife No. 4!

But he was a much better pianist than I ever knew. I have to admit he certainly can write a catchy (if somewhat schlocky) tune.
And I admire, somewhat, how he walked away from songwriting after being so incredibly productive for so many years. That's super unusual. but it goes to the strange way he didn't seem to enjoy even that?

NeonKnite wrote: ↑Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:28 am
In 92/93, during the sessions for River of Dreams, producer Danny Kortchmar said he liked Billy but hated the band so convinced Billy to try without them and they eventually recorded the whole album with session players. Kortchmar must be a clown.

Drummer Liberty Devitto talks about how it fractured their longtime friendship for decades. It was a stupid thing to do. The album sounds sterile and generic without the band and especially Liberty who is an amazing drummer.