Variations from the 'Piano Man'

Billy Joel's latest release, Fantasies & Delusions, is ambitious to say the least. It will settle the claim that some make that Joel's songs all sound the same. Somehow, it sounds completely different from anything he's ever done before, but maintains a familiarity (see "Suite for Piano").\nHere's where I start to talk like a theory nerd because frankly, this is legitimate "classical" music. Right away, Billy Joel's under-appreciated compositional influences stand out. The album consists of 12 original works for solo piano performed by Richard Joo. Although Joel stylistically seems to borrow the most from the early Romantic Era, Beethoven's influence on "Waltz No. 2" and "Reverie" appears to outweigh the rest. There are also elements of other great composers such as Grieg (on "Fantasy"), Brahms and Chopin that stand out in the thick harmonies and flowing tides of dynamics. \nSome may criticize Joel for being arrogant and taking on such a task. I feel the opposite. As the title of the album proclaims, Joel is aware of his place in history as a musician and not a composer. Although this album clearly looks back almost two centuries further than any recent "retro" movement in pop music, it is far more refreshing. Joel's approach seems incredibly mature. He could have easily chosen to continue comfortably writing pop songs or attempted to sacrifice some of the eloquent, yet obviously technical passages by performing these pieces himself. Here, Billy gives up a good portion of the spotlight to Joo.\nTo be honest, the concept may be more exciting to many than the album itself. Of course, it's not a masterpiece likely to be compared with classics like Beethoven's "Pathetique" or "Waldstein." Nonetheless, it is beautiful, lyrical, challenging and emotional music. It is played with great feeling and maintains Joel's personality while paying homage to some of the greatest composers ever. \nThough this means a lot to me as a listener, I think it's safe to say that a Joel fan who doesn't enjoy classical music will feel no different about this disc than they would about any other classical composer. On the other hand, anyone who appreciates the solo piano works of the composers mentioned above, especially Rachmaninof, should be thrilled with Joel's daring leap as a mature composer and the effect it could have on the pop music market.\nRating: 8