What followed after "The Stranger" was a leap into superstardom (his marriage to Christie Brinkley) and then the seemingly inevitable star-fall: the fascinating, frustrating years when he retired and seemed to do nothing but drink and get into car accidents. 9/11 saw him return to live audiences at charity events with songs uplifting his beloved New York. The climb back continued thanks to hit tours with Elton John and a public that still wanted to hear his enduring songs...now filling up Madison Square Garden once a month for the privilege.
Six years ago, HarperCollins was willing to toss a million dollars at him for an autobiography. "The Book of Joel" was heading toward completion when he backed out. Several things were going wrong in his life: another divorce, the death of his father, and a bunch of physical aggravations and health issues. One thing about writing an autobiography...it's a "jinx" that indicates there's nothing left of your career. Another, is that you're responsible for every word...first person singular. The manuscript was shelved, with ghostwriter Fred Schruers ready to move on to other things. But two years ago, he met with Joel, and they decided to re-tool the book from autobiography to biography. The result is satisfying to them...and it will be more than satisfying to all of Billy's fans.
Billy's fans tend to believe that his music is closer to his idol and influence Paul McCartney, and not the kitsch and cringe of, oh, Jimmy Buffett, Neil Diamond, or others that critics have disliked for filling arenas with feel-good ballads and easy rock. While it might've been unseemly and even egotistic for Billy to discuss his songs in the first person, here, they are analyzed in the course of biography...and their worth, lyrical and musical skill given proper due.
Billy's fans may be familiar with some infamous anecdotes of his high times and low moments, but the official versions here separate fact from legend, even if they sometimes take a jokey tone. Yes, he did try to kill himself in 1970, wracked by misery and a failed relationship: "The bleach didn't look too palatable, so I drank the Old English Scratch Cover. I ended up sitting there, polishing my mother's furniture by farting a lot."
Those looking for more information on the music will find plenty of interesting trivia bits. One of his songs, "We Didn't Start the Fire," was inspired by...Sean Lennon. The kid wasn't too big on history: "You grew up in the fifties when nothing happened." Billy's response was "Are you kidding me?" Followed by jotting down all the awesome events and people that helped shape and mis-shape the world.
Being the ordinary kid from Long Island...some of his stories take on a "wow, I can't believe this" tone. This is especially true of his ability to score with superstar models. He didn't consider himself particularly good looking (neither do most of his sober fans) but his soulful eyes and pugnacious (he was a boxer for a while) rough looks did get him into rarified company. Elle Macpherson and Christie Brinkley both wanted to get their hands on him, exclusively. When they almost squared off (Brinkley escorted by Joel to his apartment...Macpherson already there), Billy was delighted: "Part of me thought, 'Oh god.' Another part of me was going, 'Holy crap, kif my friends could see me now!'"
You can see him now...not Billy Joel the autobiographer, but via this authorized biography. If you agree with me, that Billy Joel is comfortably on the platform with Dylan and McCartney...you'll be glad to get a copy of this one, which lives up to the title. It's as "definitive" as it gets.
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