C&L's Late Nite Music Club with Billy Joel and Cass Dillon
By Nicole Belle Friday Dec 07, 2007 11:02pmChristmas in Fallujah:
Billy Joel has released a new pop single, the anti-war "Christmas in Fallujah." Just don't expect to hear his voice on it.
At 58, Joel felt he was too old to sing the song, which was inspired by letters the Piano Man received from soldiers in Iraq. So he gave it to Cass Dillon, a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Long Island.
"I thought it should be somebody young, about a soldier's age," Joel said in a statement on his Web site. "I wanted to help somebody else's career. I've had plenty of hits. I've had plenty of airplay. I've had my time in the sun. I think it's time for somebody else, maybe, to benefit from my own experience."
The song is available at iTunes now. Proceeds go to Homes For Our Troops
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Captain, we have a problem.
We didn't start the Fire
Dems to back down on war money AP - Sat Dec 8,
WASHINGTON - After weeks of tough talk, Democrats appear resigned to back down again on providing money for the Iraq war.
White House threatens budget veto AP - 10 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - The White House on Saturday threatened to veto a massive spending bill being assembled by congressional Democrats, saying it's unacceptable to add billions of dollars to domestic programs.
Not a huge Billy Joel™ fan, but that was pretty cool of him to do regardless. Don't know anything about who he gave it to, either, but I kind of like that as well.
xoites defends Constitution @ 1:
youtube wasn't coming either for a while. Seems going now.
Not much of Billy in that but is all him!
Billy Joel-Honesty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgmJ1miBzek
its got that goodnight saigon vibe to it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpRuKyksxks
Billy Joel-My Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3enjfQyuE
Billy Joel-Allentown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62DdoFoNeg
Only The Good Die Young -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xhy648z-S9k
Only The Good Die Young -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xhy648z-S9k
(sorry for the dupe comment)
For the record, this song found its worldwide premiere on Howard Stern's December 4th program. I was home sick from work and my girlfriend and I were listening to Stern's Sirius radio show and it came on. Stern said he had not previewed it before playing it and the song blew everybody away. Joel and Stern are friends Joel rung Stern up and asked him to give the kid some airplay and Howard agreed, taking Billy at his word that it was an important song.
Well done BJ. One of the first simple, powerful protest songs coming out of the current clusterf*ck. Question is, why aren't the kids Cass Dillon's age writing them?
“Christmas in Fallujah.” wtf you kidding me right, thats about as sensitive a title as lets say "Ramadan in NewYork" ;)
Billy Joel - The Stranger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAYIstCi0sw&NR=1
Camel: Never Let Go (I think this version hasn't been posted on the LNMC before) -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kurNQ5Z1d4w
Wtf? He's too old and he' s "had enough hits". Did he write it because he had strong feelings about the issue or just to get a hit?
Yes. He wrote it because he has strong feelings on the issue.
I like Billy Joel,but that song isn't very good. It sounds mediocre, at best. I couldn't even make it through to the end. I like Joel's story about giving someone else a chance, but mayne he gave this one away because it just isn't very good.
I completely disagree, Marcus. I think it's a great song (even upon only 1 listen.)
Sean-B @ 17:
He thinks he's too old for this song about a young soldier in Iraq. From the sound of the lyrics, I think he has strong feelings about the issue.
Is it just me, or does the guitar (acoustic) have a kind of Nirvana-esque grungy feel to it?
WGA Writer
Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z9bPrUark4
Well...i've liked some billy joel over the years, not too much a fan of his more recent stuff. Stylistically, the song was kinda....meh, okay but it could have been much more. And the guitar sound was really thin. I don't know what it is with those kinds of guitars, but very few of them avoid sounding tinny and thin. I mean, if you're gonna play acoustic, play acoustic!
For my musical contribution to this thread i give you two by Stephen Stills, one by way Buffalo Springfield (still in my mind the best war/political song).
For What's It Worth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJV44YV69z0&feature=related
Treetop Flyer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUmIO_MG5IU (now thats a rich acoustic sound)
Enjoy.
Billy Joel ??
This comment translates to; I had my career to think about, and so I gave it to some young person who doesn't have a hard, establish career yet.
It translates to "couldn't get Joel to sing it, too risky". I guess Fox would band him from clear channel radio.
So that wasn't something "nice" Billy did for some up-start, it was something cowardly that he did for himself.
I know that it's pop but at some point you have to change the chord progression to make it interesting. I couldn't get through the whole thing maybe I'll give it another shot. And after seeing the Lennon thread, a person I greatly admire, I wish that Imagine had been written as a poem because it isn't even close to one of Lennon's best; his heart and soul were rock and roll. I would recommend Good Morning, Good Morning and Sgt. Pepper Reprise. Wow.
You want chord progression change and then reference John Lennon? Imagine is like 2 chords (C-F), with the occasional 3-major thrown in.
I liked the song, and I agree that Joel whining about Fallujah at 58 would look as awkward as Neil Young did.
Revolution and political songs really should be written and performed by the young. I don't know where our great singer/songwriters are of the next generation. Maybe they haven't shown up yet.
I think John Lennon would have approved.
well....if you're looking for mtv or anything else lamestream to give you the heads up to great singer/songwriters, its gonna be a loooong wait. there are some marvelous people out there, but you won't hear about 'em from them.
Since the thread started with a politically minded song, im going to throw in Michael Franti and Spearhead. His album Stay Human, which came out in like...2001? 2002? is one of the best political/social critiques in a long time.
Rock the Nation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjTVAZDBUJ0
Good for Billy Joel. I never much liked him before, even though I have heard his songs since I was 13.
Hideous. No wonder Billy Joel wouldn't perform. No power, no energy. bleh. Even though the idea is correct, the work is about as inspiring as the "The Right Brothers"
How something like this - Ballad of Penny Evans
http://youtube.com/watch?v=j6W_a2U-bIU
He should have picked a singer with a powerful voice, that kids kinda whiny. Power and anger are what was required for that song, this kid did not deliver. I could have nailed it.
I'm old and a Joel fan and I agree his assessment that this song should have been sung by someone young.
Personally, this song made the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight. There have been far too few songs about this travesty in Iraq. Kudos to Joel and the kid singing it.
I hope it becomes VERY popular...if for no other reason that to bring more attention to the idiocy of the chimpinator and his entire presidency.
"legionnaires of rome"
yessssss
"armies of the empire"
yessssss
"we aint never comin' home"
we will!
i've loved billy joel from way back, and i couldn't make it through that song.
dull
BB @ 32:
Agreed. Much too affected for my tastes. Not as bad as Matchbox 20, but still artificially emotional.
"I’ve had my time in the sun. I think it’s time for somebody else".
What a great Idea, maybe Bono (and U2) will have this realization, quit writng the crap he's done for the last 10 years and stick to his humanitarian endeavors.
I don't see this as an anti-war song. It describes what's happening and as a recently retired paratrooper who has fought in the last 3 desert campaigns I would have been the first to yell "death to the young punk and Billy Joel", but nothing got me upset and YES I do believe we should be there till the people of Iraq can manage themselves and we should never leave Afghanistan again.
It lacks the ironic wit and barely concealed anger of Jefferson Pepper's 2005 song, "Christmas In Fallujah"
There's a link to an mp3 of the song embedded in the review.
I like the message but...the lyrics are grade school doggerel.
nice idea and all, but that sucks pretty hard.
Terribly interesting coincidence. Jefferson Pepper wrote a song called “Christmas in Fallujah” three years ago. Like Joel’s song, it’s also an anti-war ballad from the perspective of the soldier.
But don’t believe me, check it out for yourself:
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=41253
Hey Slacker Country! Thanks for beating me to the point about Jefferson Pepper's song. You guys do great work.
WGA Writer @ 22:
I thought so too...
Ruth
What can I say? JP did a much more biting commentary on the war and, coincidently (or not), did it first.
What a terrible terrible song.
Does no one know the art of subtlety anymore? Along with that, there's NO hook or anything catchy in the song at all...
Why aren't my posts posting?
DaveTheAngryRhodeIslander @ 47:
nevermind...
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