With Billy Joel celebrating his 75th birthday on May 9, actor/musician Kevin Bacon recently posted a video on his socials in which he looked at some of his favorite deep cuts from Joel’s 1973 breakthrough album Piano Man.
Videos by American Songwriter
The video is part of a series of short features Bacon has been posting called “Monday Blues,” in which he profiles his favorite highlights from various classic records.
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“As you know, I’m a big fan of Billy Joel, and this Piano Man record is just one of his best,” Bacon says in the video. “It’s impossible with Billy Joel, because it’s just song after song after song.”
“Worse Comes to Worst”
The first song Bacon singles out is “Worse Comes to Worst,” a funky, catchy pop-rock tune that was released as the second single from Piano Man, following the title track.
“This is one of my favorites, I have to say,” Bacon notes. “And actually, maybe it’s not one of his biggest hits, but it’s just so cool. Just gets me going. Definitely a good one for a ‘Monday Blues.’”
[RELATED: Watch the Full Billy Joel Performance of “Piano Man” That CBS Cut Short]
“Worse Comes to Worst” was not a major hit for Joel, only reaching No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“The Ballad of Billy the Kid”
Bacon second pick is “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,” Joel’s fictionalized homage to the infamous outlaw.
“I know that I’ve spoken in the past about loving songs that have a cinematic nature, and songs that kind of take you someplace in the same way that they do when you’re watching a movie,” Bacon says. “And Billy Joel was great, great, great at that. And … [on] ‘The Ballad of Billy the Kid,’ some stuff has been influenced by westerns and by movie music. It’s just so cool. [The] production is just so good. “
The song was released as a single, but did not dent the charts.
“Captain Jack”
Bacon’s final choice is the fan-favorite ballad “Captain Jack.”
“Another incredible song by Billy Joel here,” the actor says. “So sad, so touching, so sensitive for him to write a song like this, telling the story of this kind of lonely kid, you know. So good.”
Fans Share Their Favorite Joel Deep Cuts
Joel’s Instagram page reposted Bacon’s video, and asked fans what their favorite Joel deep cuts are.
“[‘Worst Comes to Worst’]!” one fan wrote. “My favorite is [‘You’re My Home’] on that album.”
Meanwhile, many other fans picked songs from other Joel albums.
“[‘Vienna’] always a fav, as well as [‘Zanzibar’] and of course, [‘The Stranger’]!” another fan posted.
Yet another chose “Summer Highland Falls,” “James,” and “Vienna.”
Bacon Has Performed with Joel
Not only is Bacon a big Joel fan, he got to perform with the Piano Man at Billy’s Madison Square Garden residency show on August 29, 2023. Bacon hit the stage twice at the concert, performing “The Entertainer” and “You May Be Right” with Joel.
Besides his career as an acclaimed actor, Kevin has toured and recorded for decades with his older brother Michael as The Bacon Brothers.
Joel’s 2024 Tour Plans
As previously reported, Joel will celebrate his 75th birthday on May 9 by playing the latest concert of his monthly Madison Square Garden residency. It’s one of the last three shows that the Piano Man will play as part of his the residency, which ends on July 25.
Joel’s 2024 itinerary also includes three joint concerts with Sting, as well as one with Stevie Nicks and one with Rod Stewart. He also has headlining shows scheduled in Seattle, Denver, the Los Angeles area, and Cardiff, U.K. Check out Joel’s full schedule at BillyJoel.com.
Tickets for Joel’s concerts can be purchased now via a variety of outlets, including StubHub.
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