Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP 061 - Glass Houses Playlist #5 - The Nylon Curtain Live Through The Years Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

When Billy Joel's The Nylon Curtain was released into the world in the fall of 1982, it was considered one of his most ambitious albums to date.

Despite the rich layer and textures of the album's sonic landscape, many of the songs translated to a live setting with apparent ease. The Nylon Curtain saw our first glimpse of many of these songs on stage. While the singles "Allentown," "Pressure," and "Goodnight Saigon" quickly became staples, the remaining 6 would become the elusive deep cut that would be a treat on the rare occasions they'd make their way to a setlist.

For this playlist episode, Michael is presenting The Nylon Curtain Live Through The Years... in album sequence, hear the entire album spanning nearly 40 years of live performances.

Track listing:

Allentown (Live From Long Island - December 29, 1982 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum)
Laura (12 Gardens Live - Spring 2006 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden)
Pressure (Live At Yankee Stadium - June 1990 - Bronx, NY - Yankee Stadium)
Goodnight Saigon (Концерт - Live in the U.S.S.R - Summer 1987)
She's Right On Time (December 20, 2021 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden)
A Room of Our Own (12 Gardens Live - Spring 2006 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden)
Surprises (March 21, 2014 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden)
Scandinavian Skies (Live From Long Island - December 29, 1982 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum)
Where's The Orchestra? (MTV Night School - Fall 1982)

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

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EP 060 - MTV Night School 1982 May 24, 2022

Show notes

Years before Billy Joel started doing master classes, and long before MTV stopped showing music videos, there was Night School.

Broadcast in late 1982, Night School was a half-hour show on MTV where Billy fielded questions from an audience of young fans. Fresh off the success of The Nylon Curtain, he tells stories, gives some behind-the-scenes glimpses of the music industry and, of course, plays piano.

The program turned out to be a one-off event. There was never a second episode or another version with a different host or musician. At the time, MTV was a new and untested concept, and Night School is a relic of when the channel was at its most daring and experimental.

The show is a diamond in the rough for Billy Joel fans. It’s currently only available on YouTube and it doesn’t get much mention in fan forums, biographies, or any official publications.

But, it features Billy in a great mood, cracking jokes and telling stories he’d refine and rehash for later interviews. It’s a rare, candid insight to the artist, in between the release of his most artistically ambitious album and just before the lighter, more pop-oriented An Innocent Man would launch him into the next level of superstardom with a new generation of fans.

Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel’s MTV Night School from 1982.

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
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Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

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EP 059 - Video Retrospective: The Video Album Volume I May 10, 2022

Show notes

Billy Joel may not be the first artist that comes to mind when you think of MTV. But, he was making music videos before the landmark cable channel got its start in 1981.

A close look at those videos reveals the progression of the medium as it became more popular, more stylized, and more important as the decade went on.

A handful of those videos were released on home video in 1986 as Billy Joel: The Video Album Volume 1 and 2.

The first volume features 10 videos covering songs from 1973’s Piano Man through The Bridge album in 1986.

And, they run the gamut from pre-MTV promotional videos and bare-bones performances of hit songs, to surreal and conceptual visual re-imaginings of Billy’s songs.

There’s a lot to unpack as different directors put their stamp on various eras of Billy’s music. We get behind-the-scenes glimpses of the musicians and close readings of their performances. And, different angles on classic songs.

Join us, as we dig deep into Billy Joel: The Video Album Volume I.

Watch the music videos featured on The Video Album Volume I.

Music Videos:

Piano Man
All For Leyna
Tell Her About It
Honesty
Sometimes a Fantasy
The Night Is Still Young
Pressure
Stiletto / My Life
Keeping The Faith
A Matter of Trust

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

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EP 058 - Year In Review: 1969 Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

1969 should have been the year Billy Joel broke through. Today, we know it would be another few years before his solo career began, and a few more after that until things really took off.

Instead, the end of the decade saw his longtime band put out a second album that went nowhere. Then, the duo he formed after barely got off the ground.

It must have felt like an anticlimactic end to a decade that saw Billy’s career gaining momentum over the previous five years. Especially without the knowledge of what was ahead.

Now, in hindsight, 1969 holds few clues to Billy’s work in the decades to come. Apart from a few interesting press clips and a couple notable encounters, there’s not much on the record.

We may get more information on this part of Billy Joel’s history in the form of a new biopic that’s now in pre-production. But for now, 1969 feels like a footnote at the beginning of the big story we all know today.

Join us, as we dig into Billy Joel in 1969, and the news of a movie that may explore that period even further.

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EP 057 - Concert Classics: Kirin Dry Gigs ’88 - Tokyo, Japan Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

With the appearance of the Kirin Dry Gigs from 1988 appearing on YouTube earlier this year, a long-lost footnote in Billy Joel history has finally resurfaced.

This one-off gig in Japan finds Billy performing with just one member of his longtime touring band. They’re joined by players who performed on other tours in the 80s, musicians who would go on to tour with Billy in support of Storm Front, and a few guests who would only share the stage this one time.

That combination of musicians makes BIlly’s only major concert appearance from this year a unique and intriguing listen. The arrangements stay close to the Bridge tour and Russia shows, but streamline in places and stray in others.

And, the discerning ear may even notice a mistake or two from the temporary ensemble.

Join us, as we dig deep into BIlly’s show at the Tokyo Domein Japan on July 24, 1988.

Date: July 14, 1988
City/Country: Tokyo, Japan
Venue: Tokyo Dome
Event/Festival: Kirin Dry Gigs '88

The band:

Billy Joel - Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Guitar
Liberty DeVitto - Drums
David Lebolt - Keyboards
Schuyler Deale - Bass
Peter Hewlett - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
John McCurry - Lead Guitar
Eric Bazilian - Saxophone

The Setlist:

A Matter of Trust
Pressure
Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)
Honesty
The Stranger
An Innocent Man
Big Man On Mulberry Street
Only The Good Die Young
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
You May Be Right
Big Shot
My Life
Keeping The Fatih
Back In The U.S.S.R.
I Saw Her Standing There

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EP 056 - Reimagining The Nylon Curtain with Johnny Lied Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

The Covid-19 pandemic and quarantines of 2020 caused disruptions in the music industry that we’re still feeling a few years later. But while we’re fortunate that the lack of live music will fade into memory, the releases of quarantine albums may very well add up to an interesting reflection of these unprecedented times.

With no opportunities to tour and limits on how and when musicians could gather to write and record songs, many artists created and recorded music in isolation. Or collaborated remotely to produce new music.

One of those projects was Johnny Lied, a collaboration between two longtime friends. Jon Herchert, a veteran Minnesota musician and accomplished producer John Fields used their time in 2020 to reimagine classic albums.

Their second effort was a full rearrangement and recording of Billy Joel’s The Nylon Curtain. The song-by-song remake stripped down Billy’s most meticulously-orchestrated album and built it back with entirely new instrumentation and perspective.

The duo released a song a week with accompanying videos on YouTube. As the last track hit the internet, we sat down with Herchert and Fields to learn about why they chose this album, how they recorded separately from each other, and how they see the album as relevant to the world today.

Along the way, we also talked about the state of the music industry today and got a glimpse of the Midwest rock scene.

Join us as we dig deep into a unique reimagining of The Nylon Curtain.

Listen to / watch Johnny Lied's unique take on The Nylon Curtain.

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EP 055 - 2008 Tour, Walmart Vinyl, Billy Joel & Metallica Vegas Weekend Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

2022 is turning out to be a big year for Billy Joel. Just by the end of February, fans enjoyed a unique weekend of music in a city where Billy doesn’t often play. And, new vinyl releases expanding on last year’s box set, include an album few fans have ever owned on vinyl before.

We’re covering these events in this episode while also looking at a much quieter, often overlooked point in Billy’s career: his 2008 tour of Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

By the end of the new century’s first decade. Billy’s career appeared to be winding down. It’d been seven years since his last release of new music, and 15 since his last pop album. And, his touring schedule was dwindling with fewer dates each year.

Billy would hit the road again with Elton John in 2009. For this year, however, fans would only get a handful of television appearances and a run of tour dates on the other side of the world from his home on Long Island.

He’d still be years away from the Garden residency that fueled a renewed interest in his live performances and a critical reassessment of his place in pop culture history. For those keeping score 14 years ago, it may have looked like his number was up.

But, as we’ve seen just by the news this year, Billy still had a lot to offer.

Join us, as we recap the last few weeks of Billy Joel news, and dig deep into his 2008 tour.

Michael's Billy Joel Walmart Vinyl Unboxing Video
Michael's guest appearance on Metal Up Your Podcast

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

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EP 054 - Album Retrospective: Piano Man Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

Billy Joel’s second solo album included his most iconic song. And the one that provided his breakthrough success and pointed the way for his post-West Coast work. But surrounding the title track and "Captain Jack" are the sounds of a songwriter still finding his way. Fortunately for us, that path is still pretty exciting.

Released in 1973, Piano Man lays much of the blueprint for the hits to come. We hear great melodies, virtuosic piano playing, and a variety of styles. There’s also that flair for theatrical drama that earned him just as many comparisons to Great American Songbook-style writing as it did to rock and roll.

But, there are also country and gospel elements that Joel would soon abandon. And, the lyrical and songwriting skills that would provide him with dozens of hit records later were still developing here.

In fact, as we’ll learn, it was once slated to be his last album for a major label instead of the start of his ascent to global superstardom.

Despite all this, Piano Man is a record filled with big hits, classic songs, and fan favorites. And, it was an important step toward the turns Billy’s career would take in just a few short years.

Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel’s major-label solo debut, Piano Man.

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

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EP 053 - Year In Review: 1997 Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

For Billy Joel, or at least his record label, 1997 seems to be a year of acknowledgement. It had been four years since his last album, and since then Billy had been telling anyone who’d listen that he was finished writing pop songs.

Now, it seemed like Columbia Records was ready to accept that – on their terms, of course.

1997 saw the release of Billy Joel: Greatest Hits Volume III and a companion VHS and DVD release of his music videos from the same era. Then came a box-set-style release of all three Greatest Hits editions.

Meanwhile, Billy hit the press circuit to promote Volume III and the cover songs he recorded for it. Along the way, we get hints and clues to projects he’d develop early the next decade. And, in lieu of touring, fans got his VH1 “Behind The Music” and Storytellers episodes.

All this pointed the way for how Billy would handle the next phase of his career. And how his record label would make the most of its assets.

Join us as we dive deep into Billy Joel in 1997.

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

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EP 052 - In Conversation with Billy Joel Art Director Edward O’Dowd Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

If you’ve gone to one of Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden residency shows, saw one of his concerts near your hometown, or picked up any of his reissues or box sets over the past decade plus, then you’re familiar with the work of Edward O’Dowd.

Since 2008, the graphic designer and art director has created the iconic logos Billy uses for tour dates, show announcements, and album covers. He’s responsible for the “live” logo where photos of Billy are in the letters of his name as well as tour books and the Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden logo.

On record, he was instrumental in creating the Bridge to Russia cover and design as well as the Stranger and Piano Man box set concepts and designs. Most recently, he designed the booklet that accompanies the Vinyl Collection Volume One and carefully recreated each album’s original artwork and liner notes.

For this episode, we spoke with Edward O’Dowd about how he came to work with Billy. And the stories behind both creating new imagery for Joel’s work and recreating the classics.

O’Dowd tells us about the craft behind his work, the inspiration for the designs, and the state of the music industry in general. The conversation also celebrates the life of the late Jeff Schock, an important figure in Billy’s camp and with whom O’Dowd was close on both personal and professional levels.

Join us, as we dive deep into the man behind Billy Joel’s newest t-shirts, album covers, tour books, and more.

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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com

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