Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast

Billy Joel released his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, in November 1971. Almost 50 years to the day, his fans are celebrating a string of exciting new announcements.

In our most timely episode yet, we’ll cover the latest developments in the Billy Joel world.

On Friday, November 5, Billy brought his record-breaking residency back to Madison Square Garden after a nearly two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Also on November 5, Billy released the Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1. It’s a boxed set containing new masters of his first six studio albums, Songs in the Attic, and an unreleased concert from 1975.

In the lead up to the box set, Billy also released a new animated video for Scenes From An Italian Restaurant.

And, in an announcement that seemed tailor-made for our co host Michael, we learned that Billy and Metallica will soon play at the same venue on the same weekend in Las Vegas.

It’s a lot at once, and we’re here to share in the excitement. Join us, as we dig deep, into the latest and greatest Billy Joel news.

Check out our video unboxing of Billy Joel - The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1 here: https://youtu.be/5oeIBm0kajo

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Email us: [email protected]

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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Billy Joel’s world tour supporting the Storm Front album was a huge success by all metrics. But behind it was a story almost as tumultuous as the album title and front cover portrayed.

The tour was a necessity to earn back millions of dollars that Billy’s former manager, Frank Weber, had stolen from him over the previous few years. It also featured a revamped lineup that saw both bassist Doug Stegmeyer and guitarist Russell Javors out of the lineup for the first time since 1976.

Starting in December of 1989, Billy and the band hit the road for more than 170 shows over 16 months in 15 countries. The tour capped off Billy’s 80s run by introducing two new players who would become long-standing band members.

It also featured his landmark Yankee Stadium performances, which were commemorated in a Disney Channel & Home Video release in 1990 and a re-release on Blu-ray, CD and vinyl in 2022.

Join us as we dig deep into the Storm Front Tour.

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Email us: [email protected]

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

• Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
• Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC

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

Billy Joel’s groundbreaking 100th Madison Square Garden Residency Show was commemorated with an edited version of the concert airing on network television. The special entitled “The 100th: Billy Joel At Madison Square Garden” was broadcast in prime time on April 14, 2024 on CBS.

For fans, this was a step up in production from even the official concert clips on YouTube. The high-end production, song resequencing, and interviews with band, crew members and fans made this televised event much more than just concert footage.

The special also chronicled one of the first live renditions of Turn the Lights Back On, Billy’s first single release in 17 years. And, it was a ratings success: More than 5.7 million viewers tuned in for the first airing, resulting in the special surpassing even the most popular holiday programming for viewership.

However, not everything went as planned: The concert was cut short by a few minutes on the East Coast to make way for the 11:00 news. Fan outcry prompted the network to re-air the special 5 days later.

Still, it’s a crystal-clear document of the current lineup, which has been in place for more than a decade. And, it’s a love letter of sorts to fans, with today’s high-end video technology able to spotlight the audience much better than in older concert videos.

These make the show worth the watch, even if you’ve heard all but one of the songs countless times. So join us as we dig deep into the television special, “The 100th: Billy Joel At Madison Square Garden.”

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Email us: [email protected]

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

• Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
• Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC

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

If you had to explain why Liberty DeVitto is a great drummer to someone who’d never heard a BIlly Joel record, how would you do it? That’s the question we’re exploring in our 100th episode.

It’s a somewhat tricky proposition. Liberty’s a well-regarded drummer who’s played on dozens of Top 20 records and toured with some of the biggest acts in the world. But he’s not a flashy player, nor is he the most prolific. You can’t point to big showcase songs or a massive discography to illustrate the point.

However, a few close listens to the right songs, the right beats, and the right fills on the right records reveal why he’s such a celebrated musician. And, with us both being lifelong fans and drummers with decades of experience, we’re especially attuned to those moments.

For this episode, we both listed the ten Liberty DeVitto moments that we think are especially accomplished or particularly showcase his talents. Then, we explored the nuances that make them great. Along the way, we touched on the motifs, styles, and approach to the craft that make him stand out.

Join us as we dig deep into the drumming of Liberty DeVitto.

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Email us: [email protected]

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

This fall, an often-overlooked live Billy Joel release is getting a second lease on life.

The 1990 video release Live At Yankee Stadium is getting a makeover with remixed and remastered sound, an extra song, and a brand new edit. And, after a limited run in theaters, it’ll be available on Blu-ray along with a 2-CD or 3-LP release featuring 11 never before released performances.

While the Yankee Stadium home video was a hit after its release, it’s been largely overlooked in the decades after that. It came on the heels of the definitive Live From Long Island in 1982 and the historically seismic Russia shows in 1987.

Those live releases featured mostly members of Billy’s longtime core band. Later, 2006’s 12 Gardens Live and Live At Shea Stadium, released in 2011, spotlighted a lineup that’s gone largely unchanged since then.

By contrast, Live at Yankee Stadium features a transitional lineup. And, it didn’t help that the fast cuts and frenetic camera angles locked it squarely as an early-90s MTV relic.

But that’s changing with this new release. The longer cuts and enhanced sound give the entire production a more organic and immersive feel. And, the accompanying audio discs reveal even more of Billy’s two-night stand.

To learn more about the new release, we spoke with Steve Cohen, Billy’s longtime lighting director and producer of the re-released film. And with director and original producer Jon Small, who’s worked with Billy since the late 60s and has either directed or collaborated on virtually every Billy Joel concert film or music video.

They gave us an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the making of the original film, the inspiration for its reimagining, and the process of bringing it back to life.

Join us as we dig deep into the original Live At Yankee Stadium and the story behind its new look and sound.

www.billyjoel.film

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Email us: [email protected]

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