BACK in 1993 on his “River of Dreams” album in the song “Famous Last Words,” Billy Joel wrote the line: “These are the last words I have to say.”
“That was the last time I wrote a piece of music that had lyrics,” said Joel.
This pop icon has been toiling ever since over a collection of compositions for solo piano.
That labor is unveiled with today’s release “Fantasies & Delusions” a 10-song opus written in the style of the early 19th-century Romantic Movement.
“My first love was classical,” Billy Joel told The Post.
“Let’s call classical the girl next door. When I was a teenager and the hormones kicked in I was seduced by rock – a chick in fishnet stockings and high heels.
“She seduced me and we ran away and had a torrid affair for the last 35 years. That love has cooled down for me and I rediscovered the girl next door.”
Joel, 52, has proved just about everything there is to prove in pop music and he doesn’t expect the album to be a commercial success.
As far from contemporary pop as can be, this collection finds Joel doing exactly what he wants to do, with the punk defiance of rock ‘n’ roll rebel.
Post: People expect a Billy Joel album to feature Billy Joel on it. You’re the Piano Man.
Joel: I’m not really sure who Billy Joel is supposed to be in the first place and besides, I don’t think I’ve ever done the same thing twice.
Post: OK, then look at it the other way, why use Richard Joo as your interpreter?
Joel: He’s a great pianist, he’s a classically trained virtuoso. He is familiar with all the nuance and has the expertise to play difficult classical music.
Post: You wrote this music, so you can play it, right?
Joel: I wrote these songs in increments, nobody writes an entire piece in one sitting, beginning to end – there too much wrestling and changing going on to do that.
I can play one section of a piece, but I can’t just blend it into the next part with the kind of bravura playing that is required. I needed a pianist who was trained.
Post: What’s the difference between pop and classical writing?
Joel: Pop music songs are very restrictive. You play the verse and repeat the verse and then you do the chorus add a bridge and go back to the verse again. You are writing in a box. In writing instrumental long-form it allows the music to grow, expand and explore new places. When I hear it I feel like I’ve grown up.
Post: It seems like a radical turnaround.
Joel: The essence of what I do is the same. I write. I’m not a great singer, I don’t think much of my voice and my piano playing is OK – stylistically I’m all over the place. As a writer I’m free. I can be who ever the hell I think I am.
Post: What’s it like listening to your own music? Are you a back-seat piano player?
Joel: It’s hard to describe how great it is. To hear it – one person removed – is a revelation. I can finally really hear my music. When I’m playing it I have to think too much about hitting the right notes.
Post: Even though this is a Billy Joel album it probably won’t make any money, and will only find a limited audience. Do you care?
Joel: No, not at all. I’m doing it for the love of the music and that’s the best motivator of all. I’m not expecting a commercial success, but if someone who was interested in my music is inspired to check out a recording of Schumann, Chopin or Beethoven then I’ve succeeded.
Post: What are some of the obstacles this record faces?
Joel: There are going to be classical purists who find it horrifying that this rock ‘n’ roll guy is trying to write classical. I wrote it in the style of 19th-century composers and there’s going to be others who say why should we listen to a guy writing in the style when we can listen to authentic music of that time.
Post: Is it hard to learn to listen to classical music?
Joel: There’s a learning curve. These aren’t three-minute pop tunes, there are no lyrics, listening to classical requires focus, concentration. But there’s also the big payoff.