cavo's corner

Yesterday marked the release of The Hits; the first career-spanning collection of Billboard charting singles  by the legendary Billy Joel. The track listing is pretty solid, although, I’m a little upset with the omission of “Just the Way You Are.”

01. Everybody Loves You Now (1971, Cold Spring Harbor)
02. Piano Man (1973, Piano Man)
03. The Entertainer (1974, Streetlife Serenade)
04. New York State Of Mind (1976, Turnstiles)
05. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) (1977, The Stranger)
06. Only The Good Die Young (1977, The Stranger)
07. My Life (1978, 52nd Street)
08. Big Shot (1978, 52nd Street)
09. You May Be Right (1980, Glass Houses)
10. It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me (1980, Glass Houses)
11. Say Goodbye To Hollywood (live) (1980, Songs in the Attic)
12. Allentown (1982, The Nylon Curtain)
13. Pressure (1982, The Nylon Curtain)
14. The Longest Time (1983, An Innocent Man)
15. Tell Her About It (1983, An Innocent Man)
16. A Matter Of Trust (1986, The Bridge)
17. We Didn’t Start The Fire (1989, Storm Front)
18. I Go To Extremes (1989, Storm Front)
19. The River Of Dreams (1993, River of Dreams)

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Nine…

Anything Billy Joel touches turns to gold. Movin’ Out is no exception. He and Twyla Tharp, a world renowned choreographer, teamed up to create a musical based on his hit songs. There is no dialogue, rather the actors (really dancers) interpret the plot via movement while a Billy Joel-ish character performs the songs. A very interesting, although at times hard to follow, concept.

The story follows Brenda and Eddie of “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” as their relationship grows and changes. The plot isn’t very strong, but if you’re a Billy Joel fan, the music makes up for that. Thankfully, I am. Unfortunately, most of the interpretive dance telling the story depends on the dancers’ facial expressions. If you’re sitting in the mezzanine, like I was, much of that is lost and it becomes difficult to figure out what’s going on.

I went to see this show with my friends from Loyola. The school bought the tickets for us, so I was all about it. Perfect show to see with my friends — fun group, good times.

At Tuesday’s Green Day concert with Mandy, when Jesus of Suburbia started playing, I exclaimed, “This is my favorite song!!” Mandy countered with, “Even more than Say You’ll Be There?” To which I responded, “Uhh, no…”. Ever since Tuesday, I’ve been thinking about my favorite songs. There are just so many songs that I have attachments to and memories of that make them special for me. If I could burn a CD (remember those?) that only had ten tracks on it, and I couldn’t repeat artists, the following songs would definitely make the cut:

1. Say You’ll Be There - Spice Girls

2. Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day*

3. Follow You, Follow Me - Genesis

4. Can’t Get You Outta My Head - Kylie Minogue

5. Phantom Limb - The Shins

6. Running - No Doubt

7. Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel

8. Lola’s Theme - Shapeshifters

9. Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You - Frankie Valli

10. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

BOUNS TRACK: The Sign - Ace of Base

*In particular, the fourth movement, “Dearly Beloved.”

Like I said, each of these songs hold vivid memories, and every time I hear them, I think about those moments. If you’re a part of these memories, then you know I’ll never be able to forget you… if you’re not, then I hope the next time a song that I really, really like is on, that you’re there for it! Here’s a brief recollection of said memories:

1. Say You’ll Be There - Spice Girls: The summer of 1997, in between 6th and 7th grade, my dad took my brother, my cousin Lindsay and me to Carvel for some ice cream. Lindsay is two years older than me and had a CD with her. She asked my father if we could listen to it in the car, which he obviously agreed to, and it was this song. I always remember that car ride when I hear it. Subsequently, it reminds me of seeing “The Return of the Spice Girls” with Tim and Mandy.

2. Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day: “American Idiot” was released right after I moved back down to Maryland for my sophomore year of college. I remember buying it on the first of October. Because I loved the song Wake Me Up When September Ends, I thought it was cool that I got the album when September was over. I used to listen to the CD on repeat in my car on my drives back to Maryland from home and the lyric in this song “Home is where your heart is but what a shame because everyone’s heart doesn’t beat the same… it’s beating out of time,” always made me homesick.

3. Follow You, Follow Me - Genesis: When my mom first got her iPod, she asked me to help her load it with songs. We were sitting at the kitchen table and she asked me to download this song for her. I had never heard it before, but when it came on, we both stared to dance, on cue, in our kitchen. I love this song and I love my mom!

4. Can’t Get You Outta My Head - Kylie Minogue: I will always remember driving around with Melinda in her car, Ghetto Fab. On a cold night during winter break, right before I started working at Starbucks, this song came on. I always think of her when I hear it now.

5. Phantom Limb - The Shins: We sold this album, “Wincing the Night Away,” at Starbucks. I remember working a shift with Kari and Sean when we were unloading the CDs. I bought a copy of it and this was my favorite song off of it. It reminds me of them.

6. Running - No Doubt: Throughout my life, No Doubt has been musical staple.  The last single released off of “Rock Steady,” was done so at a pivotal time in my life. The summer after I graduated high school and began college, this song was all over the radio. The lyrics, via my interpretation, are about long lasting friendships. I remember sitting at a table at Applebee’s with Raquel, Andrea and Jon, and this song came on and all I could think of was how much I would miss them. They are still some of my best friends.

7. Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel: This one is loaded with memories. My first memory of this song is that it was the demo song on the keyboard my parents bought my grandfather when I was about two years old. I used to play around with it at his house and pretend that I was playing the piano. Years later, my piano teacher, taught me how to play it…. and I still do often. I sang this song at Caitlin’s 26th Boombastic Karaoke party and all of the farmers told me how great of a voice I have. Whenever I hear it, I have a… sort of… split-screen flashback of me pretending to play it as a child on the keyboard and of me playing it at the piano recital. Also, I remember being in Richie Canatta’s (the saxophonist who played with Billy Joel)  house and seeing his platinum record for this song hanging in the hallway.

8. Lola’s Theme - Shapeshifters: This song was on the Abercrombie playlist when I used to work there. It reminds me of folding clothes, doing ‘go-backs,’ spirtzing ‘forms’ and greeting people with Jon. We really didn’t do much, but we made use of that 50% discount….

9. Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You - Frankie Valli: I always remember having the Four Seasons on in my house. Could you imagine Sunday dinner in an Italian household without them, Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennet? No, come on… I love, LOVE this song. Not gonna lie… when I saw “Jersey Boys,” I may have teared up a little bit when they broke this one out. Sidebar, Lauryn Hill’s cover is pretty awesome, too.

10. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley: When I studied abroad in Italy, this song was in EVERY discotecca, AKA, the wine bar. I think about doing it up right with my birra in one hand and my pompino shot in the other. I miss the Cagli kids, but whenever I hear this song, I think of them!

BOUNS TRACK: The Sign - Ace of Base: “The Sign” was my first CD which I received as a Christmas gift in 1994. I asked my parents for it because my cousin Lindsay had it and we used to listen to it in her bedroom. In fourth grade, my class had a talent show, and I sang this song.. LMAO.

So, there you have it. These ten eleven songs were a tough choice.