From Turnstiles
7. "Summer, Highland Falls"
This is not only my favorite Joel song, it's one of my favorite songs of all time. It's from one of my three fave albums of his (Glass Houses and Storm Front being the other two). "They say that these are not the best of times," Joel begins, "but they're the only times I've ever known." The song continues as a quiet meditation on simply living day by day, with a semi-manic-depressive chorus: "It's either sadness or euphoria." The polysyllabic message ("How thoughtlessly we dissipate our energies...") is backed by beautifully intricate piano work (it sounds at certain points that Joel might catch his fingers intertwined), quite unusual for a pop tune. I want this song played at my funeral. No, I'm not joking.
8. "James"
A college professor once told me this song scares him, because it makes him feel he's been living his life for his parents, not himself. To me, however, this song will always remind me of a childhood friend. Not only does his name sound similar to the title character, and his brother was also named James, but it's also about losing good friends from your childhood to the horrors of the dreaded Real World. Of course, I was the one who "pursued an education," but the sentiment is still strong.
9. "I've Loved These Days"
This song was written after Joel moved from L.A. back to New York (hence the songs "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and "New York State of Mind" also being included on this album). It reminds me of how people feel right before a breakup. You knew it was only a matter of time before you let reality takes its cold hold on you, so you enjoyed every moment you could while life let you, and no matter how many times you blundered, you still had no regrets. Those great "Days" would last for years in your memory.
10. "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)"
This is also a popular song at concerts, especially in New York. In fact, it really becomes an audience clap-along to all the local neighborhoods mentioned. Besides the titlular avenue, the Bronx, Harlem, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Battery Park, 42nd Street, and even the Yankees are mentioned for cheap applause. I always thought of this song as the only one from Joel's catalog that takes place in the future, as well as having an unfortunate relevance to 9/11, even though it was released in 1976: "I watched the mighty skyline fall." One day I was watching an interview with Joel on T.V., and he said exactly the same things I was thinking about the song: "This is my only song that takes place in the future. And after 9/11, I read the lyrics over, and I realized...this is prophesy."