Sound of silence: The album Billy Joel felt had “nothing to say”
It’s 1974, Billy Joel is riding high on the success of his second album, Piano Man. Joel has been on the road for months. Performing as an opener for the likes of The Beach Boys before embarking on his own tour. With little time to write new material and his record label pressuring him to release a new album fast, Joel crumbles and writes a new LP as quickly as possible.
Usually preferring to labour over his work and create soundscapes that are technical and detailed. However, on this occasion, he had to knuckle down and fire it out. The record Streetlife Serenade came to be, and to Joel’s shame, unlike his albums before and after, this one has nothing to say.
Streetlife Serenade was released on October 11th, 1974. It received mixed reviews. It struggled to make any lasting impact in terms of sales and legacy. While reflecting on the album, Joel comments on his use of two instrumental tracks to fill time on the record: “What singer-songwriter has two instrumentals on an album?” he commented sarcastically on his YouTube channel. It can clearly be seen that Joel was pressured to put something out before he was ready to.
The album, which is just shy of 38 minutes long, contains only one single, ‘The Entertainer’. Describing it as “kind of a hit”, Joel remarks, “The disc jockeys were all saying ‘Okay first he’s the ‘Piano Man’ and he’s bitching about playing in a piano bar, and moaning about his life. Now, he’s got a successful record, and he’s bitching about being successful.’”
‘The Entertainer’ may seem cynical to some, but when asked about it following the release of Streetlife Serenade, Joel commented that it was his way of sticking a pin and bursting the performer side of him. Joel considered himself a composer, “If I started to believe all the things I hear about me, I’d be walking around going, ‘Hey, I’m a star.’” It was his own way of remaining level-headed and reminding himself, “I won’t be here in another year if I don’t stay on the charts,” mirroring the pressure he was under from his record label to produce another album.
The contrast between Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade may have been polarising for some but charming to others. It sheds an unglamorous light on the realities of fame and the genuine hardships that it can bring, not just in terms of experiences but also in terms of album writing and the time afforded to artists for that process.
In 1993, Joel told Entertainment Weekly that Streetlife Serenade had “Interesting musical ideas, but nothing to say lyrically.” When discussing the album’s title track, Joel suggests he was trying to be Claude Debussy, a classical composer, admitting “it didn’t work.” Joel’s open disdain for the album is quite refreshing, in contrast to some artists who always stand by their work no matter what.
The penultimate track, ‘Souvenir,’ is considered a fan favourite. It was inspired by the feelings that evoked Joel while listening to ‘Auld Lang’s Syne.’ It is a song about memories we lose as time progresses and is a sentimental heartwarmer. Similar to the song that inspired it, Joel often performs ’Souvenir’ before the countdown on New Year’s Eve.
Certainly not the worst album you will ever hear, Streetlife Serenade is considered to be a misunderstood record by many fans. It is considered an attempt to find his sound and begin his musical experimentation. If Joel had been given a better time frame to produce this album, I can’t help but wonder if we would remember this album as a classic rather than a rushed product that, all in all, has nothing to say.
