tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post7217097124317210244..comments2024-02-29T03:29:52.934-05:00Comments on A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago: Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02113168955236758821noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-30106232270628416852011-09-04T16:11:55.401-04:002011-09-04T16:11:55.401-04:00Come on, he married a one-legged ex-prostitute. I...Come on, he married a one-legged ex-prostitute. If you can't make a ballad out of that, you aren't trying.isaac_spacemannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-5633855906419912752011-09-02T16:30:56.291-04:002011-09-02T16:30:56.291-04:00Is Paul McCartney a legend? If so, what's the...Is Paul McCartney a legend? If so, what's the arc of the ballad?Adamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-5125494474739822972011-09-02T15:38:37.852-04:002011-09-02T15:38:37.852-04:00You forgot all of the love songs written for peopl...You forgot all of the love songs written for people that he later divorced. Isn't that normally Stanza 10 of a classic ballad? Jenn.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-24795205512866923282011-09-02T15:16:11.828-04:002011-09-02T15:16:11.828-04:00There's no way to write the Ballad of William ...There's no way to write the Ballad of William Joel right now. It would be the story of a guy who goes from a nice house in Long Island to a nicer house in Long Island. Name one great ballad that follows that trajectory. The closest thing I can think of is "Richard Cory," I guess, but that song makes no sense without the twist at the end. isaac_spacemannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-77553201407050430212011-09-02T14:59:28.066-04:002011-09-02T14:59:28.066-04:00Ahh, but will someone write The Ballad of William ...Ahh, but will someone write The Ballad of William Joel? That just sounds more substantial, you know?Jenn.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-36063759459799363272011-09-02T11:54:38.616-04:002011-09-02T11:54:38.616-04:00Disagree. Legend and success are different things...Disagree. Legend and success are different things. You can be legendary without being particularly successful. Iggy Pop is a punk rock legend. Ginger Baker is a legendary rock drummer. Nicolo Paganini and Robert Johnson are legendary for the same reasons (virtuosity and false rumors of satanism), but neither sold a whole lot of records in their lifetimes. <br /><br />You can be successful without being legendary. Steve Ballmer is successful. Billy Joel is an extremely successful man with a large house on Long Island and a couple of pretty wives and a love of golf and a sensible haircut and a drinking problem -- basically indistinguishable from a lot of successful men his age. From a musical standpoint, he will be remembered as a commercially successful guy who for a long time made music that a lot of people could relate to. That's success, not legend. Nobody's going to write The Ballad of Billy Joel. isaac_spacemannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-52068864424284417552011-09-02T11:29:47.535-04:002011-09-02T11:29:47.535-04:00"Legend" is a measure of how strongly so..."Legend" is a measure of how strongly someone will be remembered; it's not necessarily a ruling on the merits. Joe Namath was a legendary football player.Adamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-86641080234821161902011-09-02T11:00:59.383-04:002011-09-02T11:00:59.383-04:00Taking issue with calling Billy Joel timeless. He...Taking issue with calling Billy Joel timeless. He's pretty well timed, I think. Noting a dissenting view on pop/rock legend too. isaac_spacemannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-18712894455228732522011-09-02T10:24:53.056-04:002011-09-02T10:24:53.056-04:00Looks that way. Apparently, before the DVD release...Looks that way. Apparently, before the DVD release they dubbed over the booing of then-Sen. Clinton with cheers, so I'm interested in seeing which they air.Adamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953654.post-39657455921551820732011-09-02T10:21:21.033-04:002011-09-02T10:21:21.033-04:00So they're leaving in not only the performance...So they're leaving in not only the performances but the various celebrities and first responders who introduced the acts?erinnoreply@blogger.com