"We Didn't Start the Fire"! I could definitely handle that. To my mind that one is a true masterpiece (yup, some critics hated it while others loved it). Perhaps post-boomers can't identify with it as much as boomers do. Love the historical references of the 40 yrs from the 1950s thru the 80s. This very clever, "stream of consciousness" piece of music is rather unique in both form & content.
There are very few other pieces in rock that can compare. Perhaps the closest, in style, are Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" or REM's "It's the End of the World As We Know it". A somewhat similar musical style might also be found in some Broadway musicals as well as in "basso buffo" in the operatic domain.
Joel himself is a very talented & creative songwriter-musician who defies classification since his influences & style are so varied. The man is a poet & a true Renaissance man. In concert & recordings, he plays all manner of keyboards, guitar, accordian, clarinet, harmonica and, of course, vocal chords. In his music we find strong elements of rock, jazz, folk, 50s doo wop, blues, pop, Broadway & classical (esp Bach, Mozart & Beethoven). The many influences found in his music also include Lennon-McCartney and Ray Charles.
In the past decade, he's delved quite a bit more into his classical roots. I particularly enjoy his Invention in C minor -- it's about a minute & a half into the youtube clip below. This Masterclass presentation also includes a Mozart-esque rendering of "Uptown Girls".
