Truth be told, I suppose I am a pretty big Billy Joel fan. If you grew up in the 70s and 80s in NY, he provided your life's anthem from teen age to young adult. His lyrics were always so autobiographical. But, at the same time, he was hitting all the same notes we were in life.
So, naturally, I had a built-in interested in this new HBO documentary, which runs over five hours across two installments. Peppered with musical hits and video seemingly taken over the course of his whole life, the Billy Joel fan in you and me will be delighted.
You get the whole unfiltered story. His abandonment by his father at the age of 7. His relationship with his mother who appears to have been bi-polar. His four marriages. His addiction to liquor. His many varied and sundried moods. It's all here.
As a good documentary would do, I learned a lot of facts I never knew. I didn't realize how involved his first wife was in his career and how many of his song lyrics told the story of their relationship. I also didn't realize how long he and Elton John toured together. Heck, I saw one of their shows in the Meadowlands.
I also didn't realize he had virtually retired from performing until he was prompted to participate in a Hurricane Sandy benefit concert. This got his adrenalin going again and resulted in the Madison Square Garden monthly residency which saw him stage 100 concerts there over ten years.
Yeah, this documentary was compelling and moving and educational. And, despite the length, the two parts fly by.
Sing us a song, Piano Man. Sing us a song tonight.
LEN'S RATING: Four stars.
Dinner last night: Leftover chili.
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