The Doors' Surviving Members Respond To Ray Manzarek's Death
As I'm sure you've heard, legendary The Doors keyboardist Ray Mazarek passed away yesterday at 74, succumbing to a long and secretive battle with bile duct cancer. Manzarek, who founded The Doors in 1965 with the late Jim Morrison, guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore, was a true original; his iconic sound--which provided both the bass lines and classically-influenced flourishes behind many of The Doors' greatest songs—won't soon be forgotten.
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"I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last Decade," Krieger said in a statement (via
Watch Jimmy Kimmel Join Huey Lewis And The News For "I Want A New Drug"
It's a good thing Huey Lewis And The News chose Jimmy Kimmel Live to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1983 breakout Sports with a super-fun version of "I Want A New Drug"—who else on late night TV could've possibly handled those wailing clarinet solos but Kimmel, right?
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The special anniversary deluxe edition reissue of Sports, featuring a slew of bonus material (but, thankfully, no Jimmy Kimmel clarinet solos) is out now. Check out last night's "I Want A New Drug" below and feel free to speculate what Patrick Bateman might make of it in the comments.
Expanding off the creative and commercial momentum of Turnstiles, released the previous year, Billy Joel's 1977 magnum opus The Stranger focused his broad, sweeping Broadway-meets-Beatles approach to rock 'n' roll with tighter, sharper and more polished arrangements, courtesy of new producer Phil Ramone. Easily one of the essential listens of the 1970s, The Stranger is a complete marvel on just about every level; 7 of its 9 songs are rightful classics, from the New York street theater of "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" through the theatrical song-suite "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and deceptively romantic ballads "Just The Way You Are" and "She's Always A Woman." Written off per usual by his cynical critics, Billy Joel's The Stranger is rightfully remembered as one of the best, most vibrant and crucial records of all time, and album that… like a good bottle of red, bottle of white… gets even better with each passing year.
Mr. William Martin Joel
Using Spotify? Listen to The Stranger in its entirety right here.
"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
Anthony, of course, works in the grocery store… while Billy spins his working class story a softly chugging march of electric guitars, shimmering pianos, a street corner horn section and (best of all) that doubled "movin' out" vocal line. Cadillac-ac-ac-ac!
"The Stranger"
Starts off with a smoky, seductive solo piano rumination… with that haunting whistled melody floating overhead… before segueing into a gritty, rough and tumble guitar rocker. "We all fall in love, but we disregard the danger," Billy forewarns, "Though we share so many secrets, there are some we never tell."
"Just The Way You Are"
"Don't gooooo changin' to try and please me…" Got to love that twinkling, wondrously dated electric piano intro. Easily one of his most endearing and popular love songs… though take a good look at the lyrics and you'll realize it's a pretty defeatist, down in the dumps bit of business. You know, like… all the best Billy Joel songs.
"Scenes From An Italian Restaurant"
New York's answer to "A Day In The Life." Seriously, who doesn't love this song? Fuggit about it! Billy hangs out in an Italian restaurant for a bit (he'll meet you anytime you want), catches up with an old friend after a scene-change saxophone solo, checks in with high school sweethearts Brenda and Eddie ("they lived for a while in a very nice style / but it's always the same in the end") and then pops back to the restaurant for another bottle of wine.
"Vienna"
"Vienna waits for you…" Heavy sigh. One of Joel's most overlooked masterworks, no doubt. Devastating set of lyrics, pensively meandering piano arrangements… I don't know, it's hard to pinpoint, but you can't help but crumble whenever this one comes on.
"Only The Good Die Young"
Billy flirts with a pent-up Catholic schoolgirl ("I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints / The sinners are much more fun…") and makes maybe the best (and catchiest) pro-atheist argument you were liable to hear on the radio back in '77. Why does the devil get all the good music?
"She's Always A Woman"
A tender love ballad on the surface, but its lyrics reveal a bitter, mean-spirited ode to fickle, emotionally dangerous women everywhere. Pretty tuneful as far as "take my wife… please" jokes go, don't you think?
"Get It Right The First Time"
Oh wow, look, a song on The Stranger that wasn't an instant classic! I know, right? Billy struggles to make a good first impression over a spry disco groove punctuated with breezy percussion, punchy bass guitar funk and even a fluttering flute solo.
"Everybody Has A Dream"
"While in these days of quiet desperation / as I wander through the world in which I live / I search everywhere for some new inspiration / but it's more than cold reality can give…" We end on an introspective, soul-searching bit of piano gospel business. Shrug, it's still still rock 'n ' roll to me…
Have a favorite song from Billy Joel's The Stranger? Hit up our comments section below.
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