Nailed it. This was one of my favorite albums growing up. It went all the way from eerie to cheery, but the more energetic, happy songs always had a little dystopian feel to them. You're spot-on about "A Room of Our Own."
My friend Tim moved from (near) Allentown to my neighborhood in SC when I was a kid, so "Allentown" was always significant. I think "Goodnight Saigon" was my fave as a kid.
I think Joel is at his best when he blends the two (eerie and cheery), so there's something a little off. I feel this way about much of the Beatles and almost all of ELO too, for what it's worth.
There are so many things I could say about Nylon Curtain, which is IMO (and his, too) Billy's masterpiece. It's an interesting take to me, as I've never thought of it as a blue collar album, other than Allentown and Goodnight Saigon. Even Pressure feels like more of a middle management/white collar lament. I'd say that The Stranger is his blue collar masterpiece, as a whole album anyroad.
You probably know that with Nylon Curtain, Billy set out to make essentially the 13th Beatles album -- an audacious goal if ever there was one. I'm not sure he succeeded on the A side, which contains those two aforementioned blue collar songs, but the B-side... that's where he knocked it out of the park.
Side B of Nylon Curtain is baroque pop at its near-finest (the finest being the Fabs, always and of course). It's the most complex arrangements Billy and Phil Ramone ever attempted, architectural and spacious and, well, Beatle-esque. I occasionally play Surprises and Scandinavian Skies (and Laura) for Beatles people not familiar with Nylon Curtain beyond the hits and they inevitably think it's a lost/new Beatles track with a Lennon lead vocal. And of course, Where's the Orchestra is Billy's homage to McCartney.
So maybe the answer is that the magic of Nylon Curtain is similar to the magic of the Beatles in that it's a rich and masterful combination of blue collar, whether it's the steel mills of Allentown, PA, or the docks of Liverpool's Cast Iron Shore, and sophisticated avant garde pop. Regardless, a masterpiece and as a long-time Billy Joel afficienado, I'm so happy that the rest of the world is finally catching up to his briliance.
PS I lived in Allentown, PA, for awhile -- because of the song. I have only fond memories of the Lehigh Valley and the people there.
Thanks for weighing here, Faith! I love this take. And while The Nylon Curtain might not've been intended as a blue collar record, for me 'Allentown' cast too long of shadow for it not to be (in my mind).
Of course you had me with the title alone! I agree that this is one of his least represented albums, but is such a solid offering. Allentown is a haunting tune for me because I feel its weight, how Joel is calling out the disillusionment sold to so many. It's not the fault of the blue collar guy for not working hard enough, you know what I mean? In a lot of ways this song slides right into a lot of our current cultural discussions on labor, capitalism, and income inequality. Great stuff and a wonderful piece Kevin!
Thank you Sheila! And I know exactly what you mean. This disillusionment paid a visit to the aviation world after 9/11 and then again during the Great Financial Crisis.
I grew up in Cleveland but spent the first 7 years of my youth in Pontiac, MI. I remember moving to Portland, Oregon in 2007 after fourteen years in London and when asked where I was from, I proudly stated "Cleveland." Despite the fact they had never stepped foot in Cleveland, most of my new West Coast friends made fun of it. The city of Cleveland and its inept sports teams have been the butt of late-night talk show hosts for decades and that has crept into the psyche of most Americans. It has given Clevelanders a chip on their shoulder but it has also given us a sense of pride for the city, warts and all.
Oregon is an incredibly beautiful state and Portland is my new home, but I am immensely proud of my salt of the earth roots and growing up in a cold, industrial, gritty, diverse city. While I have no intentions of moving back to Ohio (the state politics will never take me back. Plus, I have no family there anymore), I am still a Clevelander. "You can take the kid out of Cleveland, but you can't take Cleveland out of the kid."
I'm sure people from places like Allentown feel the same.
Not for nothing, the Portland I grew up in had a lot more in common with Cleveland than a lot of people care to admit. Growing up, a lot of people I knew had parents working at places like Freightliner, Precision Castparts, or on Hayden Island.
As cliche as it sounds, Portland started to change with the TV series 'Portlandia.' It showcased a quirky, indie, hip city that championed Independent shops and lived up to the "Keep Portland Weird" motto. However, it also focused primarily on a certain area of Portland that didn't extend to 82nd let alone past it into deep E. PDX or beyond its West Hills. As more and more people moved here from expensive cities like the Bay Area or LA it dramatically drove up the prices, gentrified much of the last remaining areas yet to be gentrified, and brought with it the same problems many thought they had left behind in their previous city.
That said, we still love Portland. My wife and I, went for a long walk and a bike ride yesterday enjoying the cherry blossoms on the waterfront. I stopped at a record store and bought a couple of records and we later went to a gig at the Wonder Ballroom and then stopped for a drink at our local bar. That's Portland.
But, when people ask me where I'm from - I will always say "Cleveland." 😊
Oh, don't get me wrong; I still love PDX. How could I not? The day you've described sounds perfect! When people ask me where I'm from, I'll always say "Portland," for a lot of the same reasons you say "Cleveland."
OMG, I loved this album and still have the book of sheet music. Goodnight Saigon and Scandinavian Skies blew my mind. And what to say about Allentown? Still rings true today.
I do play the piano, although I'd still classify myself at the early stages. At the time the album came out, I was learning it off of my brother's lesson books - he went to a choir school so piano was mandatory but lessons for me were out of the budget. I wanted the music to have someone accompany me singing but I still would love to be able to play Scandinavian Skies.
Interesting discussion. This is probably one of the Billy Joel albums I listened to the least. I need to check it out again based on some of the other comments. However, I do love Allentown. Definitely one of Joel's best songs!
This and 'An Innocent Man' were the two I heard the most, mainly due to proximity (as in, they were ones we had at the house). Even nopw with the benefiot of hearing the rest, i think it holds up. I'd be curious to hear if your thoughts have changed after listening to it again.
Love this album and the essay! But I think a better choice for the Springsteen companion piece would be "Youngstown" from The Ghost of Tom Joad. It's basically the same story, but it takes place a few hundred miles northwest.
Wow, this is the first time I've read your newsletter, love it! I'm not really into reading about music, but this piece piqued my curiosity. What a great relatable read, even for me, a bit older than your generation
Thanks, Kevin. I plan on hanging around a bit. I'm not a music person (except Spotify and Spectrum) but you piqued my interest. I liked how you tied the music info in with life. What a great twist!
Probably my favorite Joel album as well. I've shared about Goodnight Saigon and the effect it had on me when I listened to it on my first trip to DC, walking through the Vietnam Memorial, and can still quote most of the lyrics. I wasn't a Pressure fan, but feel the same way as you about Allentown.
Nailed it. This was one of my favorite albums growing up. It went all the way from eerie to cheery, but the more energetic, happy songs always had a little dystopian feel to them. You're spot-on about "A Room of Our Own."
My friend Tim moved from (near) Allentown to my neighborhood in SC when I was a kid, so "Allentown" was always significant. I think "Goodnight Saigon" was my fave as a kid.
Thank you! "Eerie to cheery" nails it.
I think Joel is at his best when he blends the two (eerie and cheery), so there's something a little off. I feel this way about much of the Beatles and almost all of ELO too, for what it's worth.
There are so many things I could say about Nylon Curtain, which is IMO (and his, too) Billy's masterpiece. It's an interesting take to me, as I've never thought of it as a blue collar album, other than Allentown and Goodnight Saigon. Even Pressure feels like more of a middle management/white collar lament. I'd say that The Stranger is his blue collar masterpiece, as a whole album anyroad.
You probably know that with Nylon Curtain, Billy set out to make essentially the 13th Beatles album -- an audacious goal if ever there was one. I'm not sure he succeeded on the A side, which contains those two aforementioned blue collar songs, but the B-side... that's where he knocked it out of the park.
Side B of Nylon Curtain is baroque pop at its near-finest (the finest being the Fabs, always and of course). It's the most complex arrangements Billy and Phil Ramone ever attempted, architectural and spacious and, well, Beatle-esque. I occasionally play Surprises and Scandinavian Skies (and Laura) for Beatles people not familiar with Nylon Curtain beyond the hits and they inevitably think it's a lost/new Beatles track with a Lennon lead vocal. And of course, Where's the Orchestra is Billy's homage to McCartney.
So maybe the answer is that the magic of Nylon Curtain is similar to the magic of the Beatles in that it's a rich and masterful combination of blue collar, whether it's the steel mills of Allentown, PA, or the docks of Liverpool's Cast Iron Shore, and sophisticated avant garde pop. Regardless, a masterpiece and as a long-time Billy Joel afficienado, I'm so happy that the rest of the world is finally catching up to his briliance.
PS I lived in Allentown, PA, for awhile -- because of the song. I have only fond memories of the Lehigh Valley and the people there.
A very well written and thoughtful piece you wrote! I would have echoed similar thoughts in different words so I stopped typing my Reply. Lol.
What are your thoughts on River of Dreams?
Thanks for weighing here, Faith! I love this take. And while The Nylon Curtain might not've been intended as a blue collar record, for me 'Allentown' cast too long of shadow for it not to be (in my mind).
Yeah, IMO Allentown doesn't actually fit well onto Nylon Curtain. It's an outlier. (although I too adore the song)
Of course you had me with the title alone! I agree that this is one of his least represented albums, but is such a solid offering. Allentown is a haunting tune for me because I feel its weight, how Joel is calling out the disillusionment sold to so many. It's not the fault of the blue collar guy for not working hard enough, you know what I mean? In a lot of ways this song slides right into a lot of our current cultural discussions on labor, capitalism, and income inequality. Great stuff and a wonderful piece Kevin!
Thank you Sheila! And I know exactly what you mean. This disillusionment paid a visit to the aviation world after 9/11 and then again during the Great Financial Crisis.
Great analysis, man. Holy shit.
This and Glass Houses. Just classic albums I had with me growing up. Thanks for writing this.
As an aside, I saw Colbert interview Billy Joel the other day. Good stuff. Lots of funny little stories.
Those two albums were my faves growing up too!
Thank you, Rocco!
I grew up in Cleveland but spent the first 7 years of my youth in Pontiac, MI. I remember moving to Portland, Oregon in 2007 after fourteen years in London and when asked where I was from, I proudly stated "Cleveland." Despite the fact they had never stepped foot in Cleveland, most of my new West Coast friends made fun of it. The city of Cleveland and its inept sports teams have been the butt of late-night talk show hosts for decades and that has crept into the psyche of most Americans. It has given Clevelanders a chip on their shoulder but it has also given us a sense of pride for the city, warts and all.
Oregon is an incredibly beautiful state and Portland is my new home, but I am immensely proud of my salt of the earth roots and growing up in a cold, industrial, gritty, diverse city. While I have no intentions of moving back to Ohio (the state politics will never take me back. Plus, I have no family there anymore), I am still a Clevelander. "You can take the kid out of Cleveland, but you can't take Cleveland out of the kid."
I'm sure people from places like Allentown feel the same.
100%.
Not for nothing, the Portland I grew up in had a lot more in common with Cleveland than a lot of people care to admit. Growing up, a lot of people I knew had parents working at places like Freightliner, Precision Castparts, or on Hayden Island.
As cliche as it sounds, Portland started to change with the TV series 'Portlandia.' It showcased a quirky, indie, hip city that championed Independent shops and lived up to the "Keep Portland Weird" motto. However, it also focused primarily on a certain area of Portland that didn't extend to 82nd let alone past it into deep E. PDX or beyond its West Hills. As more and more people moved here from expensive cities like the Bay Area or LA it dramatically drove up the prices, gentrified much of the last remaining areas yet to be gentrified, and brought with it the same problems many thought they had left behind in their previous city.
That said, we still love Portland. My wife and I, went for a long walk and a bike ride yesterday enjoying the cherry blossoms on the waterfront. I stopped at a record store and bought a couple of records and we later went to a gig at the Wonder Ballroom and then stopped for a drink at our local bar. That's Portland.
But, when people ask me where I'm from - I will always say "Cleveland." 😊
Oh, don't get me wrong; I still love PDX. How could I not? The day you've described sounds perfect! When people ask me where I'm from, I'll always say "Portland," for a lot of the same reasons you say "Cleveland."
After watching "Hired Gun" a movie I wrote about here: https://albertcory50.substack.com/p/this-week-hired-gun
I can't take Billy Joel seriously anymore. What an entitled asshole!
Thanks for the link, Albert.
OMG, I loved this album and still have the book of sheet music. Goodnight Saigon and Scandinavian Skies blew my mind. And what to say about Allentown? Still rings true today.
Sure does. I wish it didn;t, but here we are.
You mentioned sheet music; do you play the piano (or other instrument)?
I do play the piano, although I'd still classify myself at the early stages. At the time the album came out, I was learning it off of my brother's lesson books - he went to a choir school so piano was mandatory but lessons for me were out of the budget. I wanted the music to have someone accompany me singing but I still would love to be able to play Scandinavian Skies.
Interesting discussion. This is probably one of the Billy Joel albums I listened to the least. I need to check it out again based on some of the other comments. However, I do love Allentown. Definitely one of Joel's best songs!
This and 'An Innocent Man' were the two I heard the most, mainly due to proximity (as in, they were ones we had at the house). Even nopw with the benefiot of hearing the rest, i think it holds up. I'd be curious to hear if your thoughts have changed after listening to it again.
Love this album and the essay! But I think a better choice for the Springsteen companion piece would be "Youngstown" from The Ghost of Tom Joad. It's basically the same story, but it takes place a few hundred miles northwest.
That's a good one too!
Appreciate the insight. Had me revisiting the LP today. Take care.
Thank you, Travis! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Wow, this is the first time I've read your newsletter, love it! I'm not really into reading about music, but this piece piqued my curiosity. What a great relatable read, even for me, a bit older than your generation
Thank you, Patti! It's nice to see you here!
Thanks, Kevin. I plan on hanging around a bit. I'm not a music person (except Spotify and Spectrum) but you piqued my interest. I liked how you tied the music info in with life. What a great twist!
This was lovely. Allentown is so great - I feel like I love ALL Billy Joel songs, though. 😂
Thank you, Jen!
I didn't know this particular record, but I loved the story with your stepdad and the ode to manual work. I needed to read this. Thnaks!
Probably my favorite Joel album as well. I've shared about Goodnight Saigon and the effect it had on me when I listened to it on my first trip to DC, walking through the Vietnam Memorial, and can still quote most of the lyrics. I wasn't a Pressure fan, but feel the same way as you about Allentown.