Saturday, January 24, 2009

Billy Joel

I do like Billy Joel.

Maybe you will laugh at my naivete; how can anyone like Joel's "contemptible crap"?  That is the view of Ron Rosenbaum, who calls Billy Joel the "worst pop singer ever."  Apparently, people "can't stand [Billy Joel] because of your music; because of your stupid, smug attitude; because of the way you ripped off your betters to produce music that rarely reaches the level even of mediocrity."

Boo, Rosenbaum!  You may not like Billy Joel, preferring Bob Dylan or someone else apparently so-superior to Billy Joel.  Good for you.  But I don't put you down for your musical tastes, do I?  Just because you are from Long Island, a la Billy Joel, doesn't give you the right to criticize Billy like a schoolyard Bully.  If you think Long Island gets a bad rap because of Billy Joel, well, maybe it should produce a Dylan.  Maybe you'd care to try?
[Must admire Rosenbaum's chutzpah - in the article, he accuses Jeff Jarvis of attempting a "snotty put-down" of another writer.]

I like Billy Joel.  I grew up with his music, which might explain why I like it (and why I have very little of Dylan).  Rosenbaum seems to have grown up with Dylan and early Springsteen; little wonder he can't name any other songsters for a comparison to Billy Joel.

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