While writing a comment on Lauren’s blog last night, I thought about an artist I have not listened to for a long time - Billy Joel.
It hasn’t been - how shall we say - “fashionable” to like Billy Joel for quite a few years now. Perhaps it was the memory of 1980’s suits with huge shoulders. Perhaps it was the marriage to Christie Brinkley. Who knows…
My first memories of Billy Joel are of several weeks spent at my grandparents while our house was being extended when I was young. “Up Town Girl” was at the top of the charts for weeks. While growing up, I came to know more and more of his music - usually through it’s use for backing in movies. Tracks such as “She’s Always a Woman”, “Just the Way You Are”, and “She’s Got A Way” seemed to find their way into the soundtracks of most of the John Huston movies (along with the great British Invasion - Simple Minds, Howard Jones, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Nik Kershaw, and friends).
In recent years I have slowly expanded my music collection and developed an affinity for singer songwriters. This led to the discovery of “Piano Man”, “New York State of Mind”, and perhaps my favourite track - “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”.
I’ve seen it written and heard it said many times that people can put themselves at different places and times in relation to particular pieces of music. Along with the taste and smell, music seems to have the keys to our memory.