Billy Joel
12 Gardens Live

THE REVIEW

Before describing the content of this umpteenth live publication by the New York artist, we must immediately clarify an important aspect. Billy Joel is not the American version of Elton John. Too often, a hasty critique has grossly defined him this way, considering him a musical clone of the "Rocket Man" author. Even more comical is the situation in Italy where this great interpreter of the American song is often remembered as the author of themes for TV soap operas.

In reality, Billy Joel is a refined composer and an impeccable performer who, over the course of his career, has been able to gift his audience with dozens of successful and evocative songs. Not many artists can boast a musical catalog like his. Alongside many beloved tracks, there are a series of unforgettable albums: from the classics "Turnstiles" and "The Stranger" to the ambitious "The Nylon Curtain" up to the entertaining r’n’b of "An Innocent Man". Joel is also a very talented showman, and his concerts are always unforgettable experiences. Someone even described him as a "country" Bruce Springsteen. Personally, I prefer to consider him a great entertainer and a skilled pianist able to draw inspiration in his compositions from the likes of the Beatles and Ray Charles, as well as Beethoven. What he shares with Bruce is a preference for telling urban stories with an epic tone.

"12 Gardens Live" is taken from a series of triumphant concerts held at Madison Square Garden in New York. The album offers a great explosion of energy and interpretative emphasis. Billy Joel lets his songs glide into the hands of a prepared and precise band, capable of chewing both vintage rock 'n' roll and executing jazz-influenced surges. The ecstatic audience is an integral part of the show and, captivated, it’s as if they are flipping through a photo album full of fond memories. The album is, after all, a camouflaged greatest hits collection wherein the musician unexpectedly retrieves past pearls like the Lennon-inspired "Laura", the sweet "Vienna", and the incredible "Zanzibar". Naturally, the classics from a career like "Angry Young Man" to "Allentown" are not missing. However, it's the stories narrated in "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", the common characters populating "Piano Man", and the descriptions in "Miami 2017" that remain in the heart, taking us directly along the illuminated streets of Broadway, in Billy Joel's Big Apple. A great city where many small human stories intersect, inhabited by Italian-Americans and losers dreaming of victory, all regulars of 52nd Street or the neighborhoods of Little Italy. While the presence of "Big Shot" in the setlist seems obvious, the same cannot be said for the relaxed "Keeping The Faith" or the story of "The Ballad Of Billy The Kid". "We Didn't Start The Fire" is a bit routine, but the strength of "You May Be Right", the folk ballad dedicated to his daughter "The Downeaster Alexa", and the sad memories of "Goodnight Saigon" are indispensable.

A special mention goes to the waltz of "She's Always A Woman", an immense love song describing a cruel and beautiful woman. Finally, the hidden gem "And So It Goes" has the duty of bringing down the curtain in a nostalgic tone on the show. A unique, accomplished, and emotional show thanks to the live dimension that enhances the attributes of a Billy Joel in top form, supported by a thrilling band. There’s nothing left but to wait for him with a new studio release that has been missing since the distant 1993.

Since then, Billy Joel has preferred to live artistically by taking the content described in the bitter reflection of the song "Piano Man" literally, continuing to sing for those who go to see him in the evening with the intent of forgetting their own life for a moment.