Billy Joel - And So It Goes

  by Lisa Torem

published: 1 / 1 / 1

intro

Lisa Torem watches a definitive two-part film documentary about legendary New York singer-songwriter Billy Joel.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes, the new two-part, five-hour, HBO documentary about Billy Joel, benefits greatly from the know-how and cinematic sensitivity that the directorial/production team of Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin bring to the table. Prior to this project, Lacy and Levin produced works about artists Joni Mitchell, Judy Garland and Annie Leibovitz, among others. The feminine perspective is strong in this documentary, too, as it features emotional insights from Joel’s three former wives: Elizabeth Weber, Christie Brinkley, Kathie Lee and his current wife Alexis Roderick. Having researched Joel for my own book, I was familiar with the biographical touchstones featured, but I was especially impressed by the way the filmmakers presented the content. Interview excerpts, which included the likes of Pink, Jon Small (member of Atilla and The Hassles), Liberty DeVitto (former Billy Joel drummer) and Paul McCartney came off as completely natural alongside images that moved the story along at a reliable clip. Joel endured his share of hits-in-the-head. His father, a classical pianist/engineer, abandoned the family when Joel was only eight, leaving Joel and his cousin/sister Judy to face poverty and isolation in a single-family home in the 1950s, when divorcees warranted little support. The family also faced religious discrimination because they were Jewish. At his mother’s insistence, Joel started classical piano lessons when young. During high school, the bleary-eyed teen formed a rock band, sacrificing sleep to supplement the family income. In the early 1970s, without benefit of mentors, the ambitious artist signed away most of his intellectual property rights on behalf of his debut record, ‘Cold Spring Harbor.’ That contract debacle impacted his future income for years to come. The album was a technical aberration. Mixed at too high a speed, Joel’s vocals sounded like that of “a chipmunk.” Fortunately, his talent as a “live” performer paved the way to future success. Joel’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, ultimately, became his manager. She helped get his career jumpstarted after a string of bad luck. In an interview excerpt, DeVitto suggests that Weber was a tough taskmaster, but that the all-male ensemble needed someone to make decisions and pull in the reigns. Weber, who featured prominently in Part 1, explained how she created a support system and became a decision maker. It was at her bequest that ‘Just the Way You Are’ became a promotional single, and of course, the ballad went on to become one of Joel’s greatest hits. As audience, we learn a lot about the sturm and drang of the music business, and with excellent reportage, the content never feels sugar-coated. Best of all, Joel’s songs: the hits plus several that are lesser known, but still hard-hitting, i.e., ‘Stiletto,’ receive intelligent, albeit somewhat subjective analysis. Part II, in part, delves into darker territory which involved Joel’s paternal grandfather and his harassment by The Nazis in Nuremberg. Luckily, the family was able to flee, but the memories for Joel remain understandably raw. Joel didn’t meet his father again until he was in his twenties--the time they’d spent apart left them feeling estranged initially, but Joel kept up the relationship. He also formed a close relationship with his half-brother, Alexander, a successful orchestral conductor. We hear Brinkley and Lee discuss how their marriages to Joel ebbed and flowed; blossomed and unraveled, amid touching archival photos, collages, and home movies. Joel longed to be “the father I never had.” He had that opportunity with Alexa, born in 1985, from his marriage to Brinkley and with Della Rose and Remi from his marriage to Broderick. The documentary comes full circle, ending with a poignant television clip from the early 1970s, where Joel performs the title song with deep emotion. ‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes’ is a thoughtful, engaging documentary. By shying away from sensationalism, commercialism and jarring special effects, the production/directorial team and interview subjects present Joel as a three-dimensional artist fueled by human hopes and dreams: some, realized, and others, which remain unresolved. If you’re already a Billy Joel fan, you’ll enjoy the detailed, first-person accounts. If you’re new to his work and personal history, this documentary serves as a great road map.

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