On episode 20 of Past Prime, Steve and Matty hoist a nautical distress signal and recount every headline of the second half of the twentieth century, including "Belgians in the Congo," as they try to figure out who, exactly, started that fire. They bravely confront the middle-aged storm that was Billy Joel's eleventh studio album, a song cycle about supermodels, Long Island fisherman, Russian clowns and being "totally cool." In the process, they manage to unmask the most complicated, commercially beloved, critically reviled singer-songwriter of his generation.
"Storm Front" (1989) was the second to last Pop album the Piano Man recorded. Though massively popular in its day, "Storm Front" is ultimately a strange, shrill record that grunts a lot without ever really saying all that much. And so, our co-hosts have to dig deep to figure out the enigma that is Billy Joel. Is he a misunderstood genius? An overqualified Paul Shaffer? Why was he so upset all the time? What was that fire and was Billy really trying to fight it?
To about Billy Joel's "Storm Front" check out the full essay at Past Prime.

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