World Cup 2022: Final Thoughts

The celebrations throughout Argentina this week marked the close of the 22nd World Cup tournament.  It was exhilirating, dramatic, hearbreaking, controversial and produced multitudes of stories within stories. I'm already experiencing withdrawal. Some final thoughts:

Was it the best World Cup final ever? Hell, yes. It was certainly the best final in my lifetime and I've watched every World Cup final game since 1986. One reason it's been so difficult convincing my fellow Americans that soccer isn't the boring game they think it is, is that when they finally do tune in and watch a game as hyped as a World Cup final, the game turns out to be snoozer.  Yes, in prior tournaments there have been some very close final games, but they generally haven't been good games. We've seen controversial games decided on penalty kicks (1990, 1994, 2006) and some tighty played 1-0 victories after extra time (2010, 2014) but none had the combination of back-and-forth drama, quality of play, and scoring that we saw on Sunday.  And yes, while soccer is a team sport, we also witnessed the world's two best players -- King Messi and his heir apparent, Mbappe -- playing their best, dueling it out on the worlds biggest stage. It was a rare and special thing to behold.    

Is Messi the GOAT?  For my money, yes. There's never been a player like him. But so what? The argument over who is the greatest of all time (in all sports) is getting tired. It's a fine argument to have in a bar or at a barbershop, but it makes for lazy sports journalism. And why do we engage in this futile exerecise of comparing players of different positions and eras?  We all know that it comes down to a subjective test of the eye and heart, rather than statisitics and trophies. Why have we become so obsessed with this? Can't we just enjoy what Messi, Mbappe, Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Zlatan, Ronaldo  and Ronaldo have given to the sport?  It's magic. Just enjoy.  

Has the U.S. shown progress?  On the pitch, definitely.  There were some misteps and it's not clear that Gregg Berhalter is the answer as manager, but this was a young team that outplayed England and will only get better.  And while they were outclassed by Netherlands (who seemed to capitalize on every mistake), the U.S. was in the game. They clearly belonged. They will definitely need better finishing, but that's true of most teams.

But where the U.S. has not shown progress is in the broadcast booth. Nearly everything about Fox Sports telecast was dreadful.  Someone needs to tell John Strong and Stu Holden that they are not on the radio -- they don't need to fill every second of silence with blather, especially when they have so little to say. Stop trying to create drama -- let the game do it for you. Stop telling me what I just saw. And what they have to say is mosty banal. They offer none of the poetry of  Peter Drury and none of the passion of  Andre Cantor.  If there was an option for turning off the broadcast and just listening to the crowd, I'd take that.       

Off the Field?  Here the World Cup was a disaster. The mere fact that Qatar was allowed to host is itself a scandal and affirms what we already know --  FIFA is about money first, second and always.  But the real disappointment was how, in the face of such significant human rights concerns, free speech concerns, the death of hundreds of migrant workers, and the oppression of women, minorities, and LGBT individuals in Qatar, pretty much everyone -- the players, coaches, soccer federations and FOX Sports -- was silent. Everyone played along. Yes, there was a nice gesture from the German team, but it amounted to barely a blip. I was hoping that Messi or Mbappe or one of the penalty kick takers might tear off their jersey to reveal a rainbow flag --- not exactly the stuff of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, but at least it would be something. When the President of FIFA issued a bizarre statement condmening as hypocrites those who would "politicize" the World Cup by protesting, he should have be called out for his bulllshit. After all, when FIFA made the decision to give its business to a monarchy that functions as a theocracy, following Sharia and discriminating against women and LGBT individuals, a political choice was made by FIFA. Hypocrites, indeed.      

Some Love for Croatia:  Understandably, Morocco got more attention. Morocco knocked off Spain and Portugal, posed a real challenge to the traditional powers and became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals. (And, as a Muslim nation, they became the favorites of the local supporters who watched Qatar and Saudi Arabia bounced out early). But consider, for a moment, what Croatia has achieved. Croatia is a nation of fewer than 4 million people. More people live in Okahoma than in Croatia.  But Croatia has made it to the knockout stages in each of the last 4 major tournaments - they were runners up in 2018 and finished in 3rd place in 2022.  Luka Modric is a marvel. Like Messi, he doesn't really look like a professional athelte -- his build is so slight, he looks frail.  But his technical ability and his pinpoint passing is second to none. He's been one of the best players of his generation.

We look forward to doing it all again in 2026 in North America. 

Billy Joel's 50 Greatest Songs

 

When I was growing up, Billy Joel was a indelible part of the musical landscape. I was a kid from Long Island and Billy Joel was ours. His songs were everywhere.  On tape decks, turntables and radio stations -- the pop stations and album-oriented rock stations. The first album I ever owned was Piano Man (I bought it on cassette at the CBS "nice price" of $3.99) and I played it constantly.  From early on, I was struck by the connection between Billy Joel and another artist who would become a favorite - Bruce Springsteen:  They're the same age, they both signed to Columbia Records in the early 1970s, they both wear their New York bridge-and-tunnel outsider status on their sleeve, and they were both thought to be Jewish (mistakenly in Springsteen's case).

But alas, Bruce Springsteen plays that most iconic of rock and roll instruments, the electric guitar. Billy Joel plays piano.  Other than perhaps Elton John, it's hard to think of a contemporary pop artist who is so indelibly linked to the piano. It's one reason Billy Joel never had the same street cred with rock critics and purists. Unless you're Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard, rock and roll has the piano relegated to an accompanying instrument. But then Billy Joel had always been cut from a different musical cloth. He draws upon a rich musical pedigree, has a unique songbook and influences ranging from George Gershwin and Cole Porter to the Beatles. From the Drifters and Phil Spector to Elvis Costello. He also hasn't released an album in over 30 years. And while that may be disappointing to those fans who expect perpetual artistic growth (I was hoping for a rock opera), most fans don't seem to mind. Before the year is up, he'll play his 128th sold-out concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden. He really is an idol of our age.

In one of my favorite songs by The Hold Steady, Craig Finn sings:

I guess you're old enough to know.
Kids out on the east coast.
Roughly twenty years old.
Got coaxed out by a Certain Perfect Ratio.
Of warm beer to the summer smoke.
And the meat loaf to the Billy Joel.
Certain songs they get so scratched into our souls

They do, and Billy Joel had a ton of them.  Here are my top 50:

50. Big Shot – 52nd Street

When I was a kid, I borrowed the 52nd Street LP from the public library and, with lyric sheet in hand, I sang along to every song. I enjoyed the snarl and bite of “Big Shot” but the lyrics perplexed me. I had never heard of Dom Perignon or Elaine’s and I couldn’t understand why on earth anyone would have “a spoon up her nose.”

49.  Leningrad – Storm Front

As another pop star famously observed, it turns out the Russians love their children's too. Maybe it's not the deepest insight, but Billy's cold-war-parallel-lives tale of a Russian circus clown is surprisingly poignant 

48.  Sometimes a Fantasy - Glass Houses

A convincing rocker from Joel's most rocking album. It's one of the better songs you'll ever hear about phone sex. 

47. Uptown Girl – An Innocent Man

As a rock-obsessed teenager, I was initially dismissive of  An Innocent Man. It struck me as soft, satisfied, married-guy music and fully deserving of that most damning of epithets: Adult Contemporary. But now, having passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage, I’ve come to appreciate the craft of these songs, an homage to the vocal groups of the 50s and 60s.  This one is Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. And that MTV video, where he’s an auto mechanic and dwarfed by Christie Brinkley, is a true 1980s period piece

46.  Honesty – 52nd Street

A heartfelt ballad and one of Joel’s finest vocal performances.

45.  Somewhere Along the Line – Piano Man

Piano Man was the first album I ever owned and, as a kid, I listened to it constantly. There was something so evocative about that opening line: "Well, it's a rainy in Paris, And I'm sitting by the Seine….”

44.  Laura - The Nylon Curtain

The Nylon Curtain is the closest Joel came to a true concept album. The play on "iron curtain" reflects the specter of the Cold War, the constant backdrop of the suburban life he chronicles (And "nylon" recalls "plastics" from The Graduate.) "Laura" is an homage to the Beatles psychedelic period.  And it has Billy's first F-bomb:  Here I am, feeling like a fucking fool. On the hill?

43.  Zanzibar – 52nd Street

Perhaps Billy’s jazziest offering. The middle section especially – the rhythm, keyboard and trumpet solo – is a fun ride. It may be the only song that references both Muhammed Ali and Pete Rose. (Dan Bern has both Ali and Rose, but on on different tracks). 

42.  Streetlife Serenader – Streetlife Serenade

A moody, evocative number from Joel’s third album. I became familiar with the powerful live version, on Songs in the Attic. I loved the idea of a “midnight masquerader.”

41.  The River of Dreams - River of Dreams

It’s hard to believe that Billy Joel’s last album of songs is now almost 30 years old. The title track, with its gospel feel, has a joyful exuberance.

40. And So it Goes – Storm Front

As a songwriter, Billy Joel is usually at his best when he's wearing his heart on his sleeve. This is a grownup love song, and a beautiful one. 

39.  Until the Night – 52nd Street

The penultimate track on Joel’s New York City album, “Until the Night” recalls the Drifters - a romantic track with a soaring chorus.

38.  Baby Grand – The Bridge

A classic ode to Billy Joel’s true love – the piano. It’s a good thing he convinced Ray Charles to sing on this track. Otherwise, we’d be wondering why Billy Joel wrote a Ray Charles song.

37.  You’re My Home – Piano Man

Piano Man is a kind of drifter’s album. Joel’s narrator is always on the move and searching for some connection. On "You’re My Home" he finds it. I’ve always had a soft spot for this sweet song.

36.  She’s Right on Time – The Nylon Curtain

Another Beatles-influenced track and probably his most underrated song on perhaps his most underrated album.

35.  My Life – 52nd Street

This bouncy anthem was Joel's biggest hit after “Just the Way You Are”.

34.  The Stranger – The Stranger

The title track of Billy Joel’s biggest album explores the duality and darkness of human nature. Most memorable is the haunting piano and whistling in the intro (and outro).

33.  This is the Time – The Bridge

Sentimental ballads are a specialty of Joel’s. This is one of his best.

32.   Souvenir - Streetlife Serenade

Clocking in at two minutes, "Souvenir" is a lovely picture postcard of melancholy.  It's a song from a different age. 

31.  Allentown – The Nylon Curtain

He's not Bruce Springsteen, but Billy Joel also sings about the distance between the American Dream and the reality he sees on the ground – most convincingly, in postwar Long Island suburbia. But if you want to broaden the picture from tract housing to the closing of steel mills, it helps to move the setting from Levittown to Allentown. 

30.  The Longest Time – An Innocent Man

Billy’s lovely tribute to 1950s doo-wop has Joel singing each track of vocal harmony.

29.  You May Be Right – Glass Houses

The sound of broken glass announced something new – Billy’s first hit song with no piano.

28.  I Go to Extremes – Storm Front

A catchy rocker about Billy’s erratic nature (or manic depression?) It’s probably his best song of the last 35 years.

27.    The Entertainer - Streetlife Serenade

Billy’s jaded take on the music business is clever and loads of fun. The only real weakness of the song is that it’s 3:40 instead of 3:05.

26.  Half a Mile Away – 52nd Street

A big, brassy pop song with a great sing-along chorus. I’m not sure why this one didn’t become a bigger hit.

25.  It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me – Glass Houses

Billy Joel’s first ever number one hit.  It's a solid rocker but the highlight is that great sax solo. 

24.  I’ve Loved These Days – Turnstiles

I’ve always been drawn to that final verse:

So before we end
And then begin
We'll drink a toast to how it's been
A few more hours to be complete
A few more nights on satin sheets
A few more times that I can say...
I've loved these days

23.  She’s Always a Woman – The Stranger

One of my favorite of Joel’s ballads, because it was easy enough for me to learn on the piano when I was a kid. I was always struck by the line “she’ll carelessly cut you and laugh while you’re bleeding.” Ouch.  

22.  Everybody Loves You Now – Cold Spring Harbor

Bitter but catchy. From early on, Billy worked in those New York references - his confidant, the Staten Island Ferry and the place she left behind, Cold Spring Harbor.  

21.  Summer Highland Falls – Turnstiles

There’s that familiar Billy Joel theme again of extremes (it’s either sadness or euphoria). But what makes the song is that gorgeous piano part.

20.  Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) – The Stranger

An Italian-American New Yorker striving and struggling to find his way.  Picture Saturday Night Fever's Tony Manero contemplating a move to the suburbs.  It's quintessential Billy Joel.

19.  I Don't Want to Be Alone Anymore - Glass Houses

This could be his most underrated song -- a cool reggae-influenced beat, great horn part and catchy chorus.  There's a definite Elvis Costello vibe here.  

18.  Stiletto – 52nd Street

What’s up with Billy Joel and these dangerous women who keep cutting him? But oh man, what a groove.

17.  Say Goodbye to Hollywood – Turnstiles

Turnstiles was transition album for Billy Joel.  It marked the end of his Los Angeles period and a New Yorker coming home. Terrific use of the Phil Spector beat (the sound of California). The live version on Songs in the Attic is especially good.

16.  She’s Got a Way – Cold Spring Harbor

A timeless ballad recorded when he was just 22 years old.

15.  Don’t Ask Me Why – Glass Houses

A near-perfect pop song with a great Latin rhythm.  I especially love that piano interlude.  

14.    Rosalinda’s Eyes – 52nd Street

A tender song with a Latin theme and and great chorus. Check out this jazz version by John Pizzarelli

13.  An Innocent Man - An innocent Man

Billy's homage to Ben E. King and the Drifters is a beautiful song and one of his most impressive vocal performances.

12.  The Ballad of Billy the Kid - Piano Man

Sweeping and cinematic. I've always been a sucker for this kind of epic Western theme and there's also some great piano playing here. 

11.  Prelude/Angry Young Man - Turnstiles 

Yes, that self-righteous angry young man is someone we all know (or were) but the highlight here is the opening of Prelude -- Billy Joel's most epic piano riff. 

 

10.  Goodnight Saigon - The Nylon Curtain

Maybe he was feeling guilty for dodging the draft or maybe he just saw in the returning Veterans a story that needed to be told. Either way, "Goodnight Saigon" (released two years before Springsteen's Born in the USA), was ahead of its time in powerfully detailing the experience of Vietnam Veterans. 

9.  Sleeping with the Television On – Glass Houses

I take it all back. Upon reconsideration, this is the most underrated Billy Joel song ever.

8.  Just the Way You Are - The Stranger

A sappy ballad made for elevator music and cocktail hour? Or a timeless melody that transcends genre and the kind of song which humans will be listening to hundreds of years from now?  It's both. 

7.  Miami 2017 - Turnstiles 

A delicate piano intro followed by a rocking fiery, post-apocalyptic, dark fantasy.  But hey, we survived. It's amazing to think that 2017 (like those other dystopian years, 1984 and 2000) is now in the rear view mirror.   

6.  Captain Jack - Piano Man

Yeah, it's dark and depressing. There's heroin, masturbation and, perhaps most powerfully, the ennui and existential dread of suburban adolescence. But then that chorus kicks in...

5.  Only the Good Die Young - The Stranger

If "Captain Jack" is the dark side of being young and bored in suburbia, here comes the fun. Billy Joel is a secular, ethnic Jew who was baptized at Church of Christ in Hicksville. This is the libidinous rebellion of a Catholic.  

4.  Vienna Waits for You - The Stranger

When I listened as a teenager, I didn't understand the title or what Vienna was supposed to signify. But it's a place whose history and musical legacy captured my imagination. I always loved that opening line, "Slow down you crazy child..." and then, "don't you know that only fools are satisfied."  The melody is beautiful and feels timeless as a waltz. 

3.  New York State of Mind - Turnstiles

These top 3 (along with "Just the Way You Are") are Billy Joel's most iconic songs.  People will be listening to them for decades, if not centuries.  (Though parents may have to explain to their kids what The New York Times and The Daily News were.)  If "New York State of Mind" sounds like it was written for Ray Charles, it's because it was.

2.  Piano Man - Piano Man 

My favorite song when I was a kid. I wasn't talented enough to play it on the piano, so I learned it on the harmonica.  Sure, it's been played out, but it's got some of Billy Joel's finest songwriting elements:  Quirky, but familiar characters (Paul, the "real estate novelist"), a beer hall sing-along chorus, a melancholy feel and a timeless melody. 

1.  Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - The Stranger 

The quintessential Billy Joel song. Scenes plays like a Long Island operetta or suite in three musical parts, capturing a time and place, invoking reminiscence, romance and life's dreams and disappointments.  It's melodic, musically ambitious and first-rate storytelling.  

Honorable Mentions: (I picked one from each album): Falling of the Rain, Worse Comes to Worst, The Mexican Connection, James, Everybody Has a Dream, 52nd Street, All for Leyna, Where's the Orchestra, Leave a Tender Moment Alone, Running on Ice, The Downeaster Alexa, Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) 

Warren Zevon's Top 25 Songs

Warren Zevon would have turned 75 today. In 2002, when he appeared for the last time on The Late Show with Dave Letterman, Dave asked him if he could share the kind of insight that only a dying man would possess. Zevon had recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma and was given only a few more months to live. Without missing a beat, he said, "Enjoy every sandwich."

It was a perfect response. Perfect because even in the face of the ultimate banality - a middle-aged man, after decades of abusing his body, dying of cancer - Zevon managed to avoid cliché and impart something truthful that also captured something of his oddball brand of humor. I had the good fortune to see him live at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC in 2000. At one point during the concert, there was a scuffle in the audience. Zevon stopped playing and waited for security to sort things out.  He then said. "I'll bet that never happens at Sting concerts." And he played on. As an artist, Zevon saw the dark and macabre in the everyday. And within the dark and macabre, he found humor and delight. There's never been a songwriter quite like him. Here's my choice for his 25 best songs:  

25.  Boom Boom Mancini (Sentimental Hygiene)

One of Zevon's hardest rockers, "Boom Boom Mancini" has two Zevon trademarks: 1) Unusual cultural references and 2) a fascination with death. In 1963, Bob Dylan wrote a topical folk song ("Who Killed Davey Moore") about a featherweight boxer who died in the ring.  Zevon's take on the 1982 ring tragedy involving Ray Mancini and Kim Duk-koo is a very different kind of song. Uniquely Zevon. 

24.  Mr. Bad Example (Mr. Bad Example)

Zevon explores the baseness of humanity in his usual way - with wicked humor.

Of course I went to law school and took a law degree
And counseled all my clients to plead insanity

Of course.

23.  I Was in the House When the House Burned Down (Life'll Kill Ya)

The opening track of Zevon's 2000 comeback album, Life'll Kill Ya.  He was diagnosed with terminal cancer two years later.

22.  Hasten Down the Wind (Warren Zevon)

A gorgeous break-up song that was the title track of a Linda Ronstadt album.

21. Genius (My Ride's Here)

I am confident that you will never again encounter the following two celebrities in the same verse:

Albert Einstein was a ladies' man
While he was working on his universal plan
He was making out like Charlie Sheen
He was a genius

20. For My Next Trick I'll Need a Volunteer (Life'll Kill Ya)

Hard to top these lyrics:

I can saw a woman in two
But you won't want to look in the box when I do
I can make love disappear
For my next trick I'll need a volunteer

19.  Disorder in the House (The Wind) 

A rollicking roadhouse rocker featuring Bruce Springsteen, "Disorder in the House" is a standout track from Zevon's last album, released just two weeks before he died.

18.   Detox Mansion (Sentimental Hygiene)

Zevon's work in the 1980s is underrated, including this kickass rocker.

17.  Searching for a Heart (Mr. Bad Example)

Here, Zevon muses on the mysteries of love, offering this take:

They say love conquers all
You can't start it like a car
You can't stop it with a gun

 16.  Carmelita (Warren Zevon)

Zevon's Tex-Mex track about addiction has been covered by various artists (including Linda Ronstadt) in styles ranging from country to mariachi. But Zevon's version is the best, in part, because of David Lindley's beautiful guitar work.   

15.  Nobody's in Love this Year (Transverse City)

Another overlooked track from the 1980s, it's lovely song of failed love.

14.  Accidentally Like a Martyr (Excitable Boy)

The title may be a head scratcher, but the pain expressed on this gorgeous song of lost love is undeniable. The song also provided the inspiration for the Bob Dylan album title, Time out of Mind. The War on Drugs do a solid version.  

13.  Reconsider Me (Sentimental Hygiene)

There's a terrific cover by Steve Earle.

12.  Dirty Life and Times (The Wind)

Zevon has always been obsessed with death. But on this track, he seems to be writing his own eulogy. 

   

11.  Poor Poor Pitiful Me (Warren Zevon)

A botched suicide and sadomasochism? What more could you want? Such a delightful song.   

10.  Mutineer (Mutineer)

One of the great tracks from Zevon's later years.

I was born to rock the boat
Some may sink but we will float
Grab your coat, let's get out of here
You're my witness
I'm your mutineer

Zevon played a moving version on his final Letterman appearance. 

9.  Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (Mr. Bad Example)

Zevon had a gift for finding joy in morbidity. Unfortunately, the movie, starring Andy Garcia and Christopher Walken, doesn't live up to the promise of song's title.  

8.  Werewolves of London (Excitable Boy)

Easily, his best known song. According BBC Radio 2 listeners, it has the best opening line of all time:

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain
  
7.  Mohammed's Radio (Warren Zevon)

Idiosyncratic and beautiful, it's about the power of music to reach us.  It resounds with something redemptive and true.

Everybody's restless and they've got no place to go
Someone's always trying to tell them
Something they already know
So their anger and resentment flow

6.  Lawyers Guns and Money (Excitable Boy)

Dad, get me out of this!

Zevon's guitarist, L.A. session man, Waddy Wachtel, at his best.

5.  French Inhaler (Warren Zevon)

I love the way the songs opens, with a lovely piano part that sounds like Mozart (Zevon was classically trained) and then he dives in to the dark heart of his L.A. break-up song:

How're you going to get around in this sleazy bedroom town if you don't put yourself up for sale. 

4.  Keep Me in Your Heart (The Wind)

It's hard not get choked up listening to this one. Pop musicians don't typically compose requiems, but here's a song that many of us can hope to be played at our funeral.   

3.  Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (Excitable Boy)

While living on the coast of Spain, Zevon met an ex-mercenary who was the inspiration for this song. This is storytelling as only Zevon can do it. It was the very last song he played on his final television appearance. 

2.  Excitable Boy (Excitable Boy)

The ultimate expression of Zevon's macabre humor. It's tough to imagine Linda Ronstadt covering this one (though she did sing back-up harmony vocals).   

1. Desperados Under the Eaves (Warren Zevon)

A perfect pop song. It's majestic, desperately seedy and pure poetry. Every phrase paints a picture.  Let's give Bob Dylan, a great admirer of Zevon, the last word:

"His musical patterns are all over the place, probably because he’s classically trained. There might be three separate songs within a Zevon song, but they’re all effortlessly connected. Zevon was a musician’s musician, a tortured one. ‘Desperados Under the Eaves.’ It’s all in there.”