The Piano Man is really The Electronic Keyboard Man.
A tipster who peaked under the lid of Billy Joel’s Steinway grand piano tells me there are no strings inside. The 88 ivories are connected to an electronic synthesizer.
“The fans don’t know it. They love him and pack the place, but the grand ‘piano’ he has onstage is just a shell with no guts,” said my source.
A Joel spokeswoman said, “The piano is not empty inside, there are aspects of both acoustic and synthesized keyboard. There has been no ‘acoustic’ rock and roll or pop pianists probably for the last century.”
The spokeswoman added, “An acoustic piano has to be electronically conveyed otherwise it would never be heard in an acoustically challenging environment like sports arenas or stadiums.”
The excuse tendered by Joel's spokeswoman is dubious - an acoustic piano can be mic'd so it can be heard in a live performance.
But Joel isn't having his acoustic piano mic'd.
He's hiding a synthesizer inside an acoustic piano shell.
In other words, the "Piano Man" is playing a synthesizer while making people think he's playing a piano (and that's assuming he's doing much live playing at all - many artists "live" performances these days are pre-recorded.)
No wonder Joel and Cuomo are such great pals - they're both consumed by appearances that contradict reality and when caught on it, they (or their spokespeople) sling some horsehockey to fool people.
This is a cheap shot. If someone plays a plugged in acoustic guitar, are they cheating too? An acoustic guitar can be mic'd too. This is not a Milli Vanilli moment.
ReplyDeleteDid you read the piece?
DeleteThe point is, the synthesizer is HIDDEN in a hollowed-out acoustic grand piano shell.
There is no piano AT ALL - just the shell to hide the synthesizer.
If Joel's going to play synthesizer, play it without HIDING it in a hollowed out acoustic grand piano shell.
He's being deceptive in the stage performance and his spokesperson is doubling down on the deception by claiming no performer has used an acoustic piano for a century.
That's simply not true.
It's called show business and it's no big deal that the grand piano isn't really a grand piano on the inside but is a synthesizer. If he was lip syncing, that would be something else. He really plays that synthesizer/piano. The spokesperson is just protecting the client. Comparing that to Cuomo's actions is a bit of a stretch.
DeleteThis kind of reminds me of the controversy when the Monkees were accused of not playing all of the instruments on their albums. They were a TV show band. They still made some good records.
Lighten up here please and go back to the usual political education stuff.
The Joel and Monkees analogy doesn't work - The Monkees were a manufactured band, Joel wants to be considered a "serious" artist. And the point about hiding the synthesizer inside a hollowed out piano as "show business" - well, I like my "artists" to be honest in their performances and Joel is not honest. It's as simple as that.
DeleteAs for the Cuomo reference, Cuomo and Joel are great pals. The Joel spokesperson spewed some ridiculous crap in response, just like Cuomo's spokespeople often do. Gee, something else Billy and Andy have in common besides drinking and motorcycles.
As to your last point, this was a politics post, since Joel and Cuomo are pals and Joel has raised a considerable amount of money for Cuomo.
This is more about Billy Joel raising money for Andrew Cuomo, a governor most teacher don't like, than any questions about artistic integrity. This is not Milli Vanilli.
DeleteAre you a member of the Billy Joel fan club? Never seen so much pushback on a fairly innocuous piece.
DeleteOne last time:
Billy Joel fakes playing an acoustic piano on stage. It's a synthesizer HIDDEN in a hollowed-out acoustic grand piano shell.
He's playing music - it's just a synthesizer, not the piano he wants everybody to think he's playing.
In short, he's a phony.
Guess the "Piano Man" doesn't want his audience to know he's playing a synthesizer these days.
OK, I'm done.
This does not rise to the level of making Joel a phony. Only a Milli Vanilli scam would rise to that level. Ok, we don't agree but I am still looking forward to your next post as this blog is usually great and I read it each day.
DeleteThanks - we agree to disagree. That's what America's all about. Or should be, at any rate!
Delete'Sing me a song, you're the acoustic piano man, sing me a song tonite'
ReplyDelete'We're all in the mood for more charter schools-and Cuomo is leading their fight'
Just keep away from him on the road - especially after happy hour.
DeleteWhoa! I don't care what you say about Cuomo or any politician, but don't for a second accuse Billy Joel of trying to 'fool' his audiences into thinking that he is playing an acoustic grand piano or call him a phony. I always thought it was common sense that any pop artists who perform in an arena are playing an electronically amplified instrument. You'll also have to accuse all other pop artists who play a digital grand piano on stage of 'fooling' their audiences - Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lady Gaga. Newsflash, it takes the same skill to play a digital piano as it does an acoustic. You still have to hit the right keys. Don't single out Joel, just for the purposes of taking a political cheap shot.
ReplyDeleteYou too are missing the point.
DeleteBilly Joel is HIDING the synthesizer in a hollowed out piano shell.
That's different than someone playing a synthesizer.
If he's not trying to fool people, why is the synthesizer hidden in the piano shell?
He's not hiding anything. It's common sense that it is a digital piano. The grand piano shell is just for aesthetic, visual purposes. He has also readily admitted in concerts and masterclasses that it is digital. You clearly are not very familiar with him.
DeleteYou are trying to dodge the fact that you are taking a shot at Billy Joel simply because of his association with Cuomo.
If it bothers you that he donates money to Cuomo and considers him a friend, then just say that.
Dunno where the Billy Joel apologists are coming from, but I'll deal one last time with this:
DeleteHe's HIDING the synthesizer in a piano shell so that people THINK he's playing a piano when he's not.
That's dishonest and phony.
As for the Cuomo/Joel link, Joel is pals with Andy, Joel raises money for Andy and like Andy, Joel is dishonest and a phony.
OK, I'm done, Joel fans.
He's not hiding anything. It's common sense that it's an electronic instrument inside a grand piano shell. You just can't seem to get that can you? Called a digital grand piano. Stick to politics from now on, will ya?
Delete