To be fair, the album predates Joel's phenomenally successful solo career as a singer/songwriter. Attila is the name of the album and the band, composed of Joel, who played organ, and his buddy Jon Small, who played drums.

Joel never was a darling among most critics, even in his heyday in the '70s and '80s. But Attila was another matter entirely. Check out this excerpt from the AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:

Many critics, fans, and college students have spent hours debating the serious question of what the worst album in the history of rock actually is. One listen to Attila would provide them with a definitive answer.

Attila undoubtedly is the worst album released in the history of rock and roll - hell, the history of recorded music itself. There have been many bad ideas in rock, but none match the colossal stupidity of Attila.

There's a reason why they're the only heavy rock organ-and-drums duo in the history of rock and roll - it's an atrocious combination.

By the end of the album, it feels as if a drill has punctured the center of your skull - it's that piercing, painful, and monotonous.

Which means that if it came out today, yours truly would be stuck reviewing it for the Times.

We won't get into the album cover, which featured the diminutive Joel, long-haired and bearded, wearing a Hun outfit and standing in a meat locker. (All right, so I guess we just did get into it. Whoops.)

But, hey, young artists can make sizeable missteps. And give Joel credit: He freely acknowledges how awful Attila was on its first - and, not coincidentally, last - album.

Among his comments about the band's performances was this winner:

This has been a good time to be a Billy Joel fan in South Florida.

First, there's "Movin' Out," that terrific narrative dance Broadway show based on his songs, now playing Broward Center for the Performing Arts through January 15th, 2006. Next, a six-night run at Miami Beach's Jackie Gleason on January 24th, 2006.

Saturday evening Joel, who has also bought property in Miami Beach, opened the first of two standing-room-only concerts at Sunrise's Your-Name-Here Arena to an adoring audience.

(It's the BankAtlantic Center but given how often the venue adopts a new corporate handle at this rate who knows if that will be its name when Joel performs his second show there January 15th, 2006).

For "Movin' Out," choreographer Twyla Tharp brought together two dozen Joel classics to fashion a Vietnam-era tale. In concert Joel, 56, gathers his old songs, too, but it's hard to figure for what purpose. He has no new CD to promote. In fact, he famously retired from writing pop songs, penning his last one at the age of 43, all of which makes lines he wrote for 1983's "Keeping The Faith" seem prescient and damning.

"...If it seems like I've been lost in let's remember / If you think I'm feeling older and missing my younger days / Oh, then you should have known me much better / 'Cause my past is something that never got in my way..."

Except, of course, Joel's past is in his way and it's what he's celebrating on this tour. Yet his voice is in sturdy shape; his hard-driving band, always top-notch, remains so, and this time included a fine horn section, enlivening tunes like "Big Man On Mulberry Street," "Zanzibar," and "New York State of Mind."

Few pop stars have built such a reliable catalogue and time hasn't dulled the pleasures of most of these songs. We still hope Virginia shakes the shackles of her Catholic upbringing and dallies with the singer. We feel the pain of the unemployed in "Allentown." We're glad Joel doesn't bow to political correctness and keeps the lyrics of 1978's slicing "Stiletto" intact.

Joel also seems engaged by his music and thankfully isn't reduced to offering rote versions of his hit singles the way his sometimes touring mate, Elton John, has been guilty of on recent tours.

Joel may be playing the "let's remember" game but he earns major points for bravado on this tour by studiously avoiding his hits, opting instead for album tracks from deep within his catalog. "I don't know if I'll remember some of these songs," he warned. For more than an hour, after opening with the Top 40 "Piano Man," Joel sang nary a major hit single. From "Glass Houses" the casual fan might expect the smashes "You May Be Right" and "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me." Instead, he delivered "All For Leyna," "Sometimes A Fantasy" and "Sleeping With The Television On." Joel even dug out obscurities such as "Laura," "The Great Wall of China," and "The Night Is Still Young," prefacing the latter with the hopeful, "I hope we don't fuck this up."

He didn't. This was a show for the real fan and no doubt many others will complain the radio favorites were missing, but, c'mon, haven't you heard "My Life" enough in your life?

Opening night of this tour wasn't without its bugs, however. The lighting director clearly irritated Joel by seldom shining the spotlight on the drummer, whom Joel needed to see for his song's intros. Instead, blinding white lights were aimed squarely into the audience's eyes, which made watching large parts of this concert akin to driving while the idiot behind you has his brights on.
Joel may also want to fold in a few hits into the set's first 75-minutes - just a few would do - to keep everyone's attention. "Where's The Orchestra?" may be a bit too obscure.

The video monitors, in center hall, were not adequate for everyone to see what was happening on stage. And given that Joel must remain seated since he's the pianist, someone will always be staring at his backside. At least he had a good sense of humor. "Sorry you're seeing the back of my head," he said to one side of the arena, rubbing his now balding head, "but nowadays you can see yourself in it."

Conceding that 1990s MTV probably wouldn't have much use for a paunchy, middle-aged tunesmith, Billy Joel wisely capped a sturdy 20-year chart run by announcing more than a decade ago that he was done with hit-radio, record-label politics - and big tours.

While he's kept his promise in the studio (choosing instead to dabble in classical compositions, give college master classes and oversee "Movin' Out," the Broadway interpretation of his story-songs), arenas continue to be an occasional lure - both on his own and with sometime touring partner Elton John.

On his first solo tour in seven years, Joel quickly makes clear that he's not interested in a mere recital of the hits. While the tour ostensibly supports his new Sony boxed set "My Lives," there is, of course, no new material to promote, leaving him to stretch artistically via his extensive catalogue of album tracks.

Although rarely heard today, songs such as "Stiletto" and "Zanzibar" from "52nd Street" and "Everybody Loves You Now" from "Cold Spring Harbor" certainly hold up and are likely well-known to most fans given that many played these albums from beginning to end all through high school and college.

Although one particular album segment of this show is probably a little too long - and truly obscure cuts like 1993's "The Great Wall of China" should be jettisoned - in general Joel's act plays very much as it did 30 years ago. The stark set, the 'round-the-back ramp (on which he no longer sprints but now shuffles), the veteran bandmates, the saloon-style patter, the affordable ticket prices (about $39.00-$80.00) - are all comfortable reminders of a different era in popular music.

While Joel no longer does handstands off his grand piano, he does exert himself. During the underrated 1990 confection "I Go To Extremes," he kicked over his chair, turned around and hit the piano keys with his backside. He picked up his guitar (something he doesn't do often enough) for a crisp "We Didn't Start The Fire." And hits such as "Piano Man," "New York State of Mind," "Movin' Out," "You May Be Right" and "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)" were freshened with a robust delivery that belied their familiarity.

Just as Paul McCartney and Elton John now adopt a professorial tone onstage, Joel too tells short tales before and after songs that create a context and intimacy rarely found at a 20,000-seat sell-out. In fact, his fans continue to prove exceedingly loyal. This is a tour that's selling like mad, with multiple dates in most markets despite almost no publicity.

Although opening night tech glitches were plentiful, all were handled with inevitable light-hearted banter, something that lately seems to be a trend among veteran artists eager to illustrate just how un-perfect, un-computerized and unscripted their shows can be.

Billy Joel pulled it out in the end, like his beloved Yankees trying to salvage a season.

Halfway through the launch of his latest tour - his first as a solo headliner in nearly seven years - here at the BankAtlantic Center Saturday night, it wasn't exactly a sure thing.

Joel opened strong with "Piano Man" and grand versions of "Allentown" and "New York State of Mind" quickly followed. But the early inclusion of "Everybody Loves You Now," a nugget from 1971's "Cold Spring Harbor," and a Beatles-esque take on "Laura" from 1982's "The Nylon Curtain" suggested that he was easing the crowd into a different kind of Billy Joel show - one that supported his recent "My Lives" boxed set, which collected rare tracks and demos from throughout his career.

But that didn't come close to preparing them for the show's huh?-inducing mid-section: "Stiletto," "Zanzibar," "Great Wall of China," "All For Leyna," "Sometimes A Fantasy," "Sleeping With The Television On," "The Night Is Still Young," "Big Man On Mulberry Street," and "Where's The Orchestra?"

Granted, it's a boon for many fans to see these songs - especially the lovely "Where's The Orchestra?" - performed for the first time. And it's quite daring for Joel to go that long without throwing in one of his best-known hits. Unfortunately, it didn't work and it seems Joel could tell, since he "called an audible" on stage to let the band and crew know he was moving the rocker "Sometimes A Fantasy" up in the set.

There's little to complain about the songs individually, since Joel's voice and his first-rate backing band were as strong as ever. But taken together, they slowed the pace too much and erased the momentum generated by the start.

It's all part of the process of building a new tour - along with getting the lighting cues right so that Joel could see drummer Chuck Burgi to know when the songs started. Rest assured, Joel fans, by the time he arrives at Madison Square Garden on January 23rd, 2006, for the first of - at last count - nine concerts through March 2nd, 2006, this will, no doubt, be fixed by a couple of substitutions.

Starting with "Keeping The Faith," Joel began building the energy level again, before finishing the set with a powerful quartet of rockers - "I Go To Extremes," "We Didn't Start The Fire," "Big Shot," and "You May Be Right." All four benefited from some new harmony arrangements that showcase Crystal Taliefero's vocals more and get some heft from guitarist Tommy Burns, bassist Andy Cichon and saxophonist Mark Rivera.

No longer the "Angry Young Man" but a grey, assured and fiery one, Billy Joel, in his first solo tour in eight years, is proving that he still knows his way around rock and roll. Especially for a retired guy.

Next phase, new wave, Broadway-pop, cinematic epics, sped-rapped history lessons: Joel has brought many things to many people over his three-plus decades, though he insists he's sticking by the "retirement" from writing and recording pop music that he announced following 1993's "River of Dreams."

To that end, this early stop on the "Piano Man"'s first outing in almost a decade sans Elton John found Joel packing all that he could into an almost two-and-a-half hour show. That included throwing light on some of the cobwebbier corners of his vast catalogue (as he did in boxed set form on last fall's "My Lives") in addition to showing that he still knows precisely what to do when his regular crowd shuffles in.

Joel's Jacksonville, Florida show (only the second on a fast-selling tour that already includes ten shows at Madison Square Garden) amounted to a full-on victory lap. It was a also a chance to set the tour's ground rules; early in the 24-song set, Joel threatened experimentation, and that's what he did (introducing "The Great Wall of China" from 1993's "River of Dreams," he cracked, "If you have to go to the bathroom, you should probably go now, because this is really obscure.") Like Springsteen and McCartney on their most recent outings, Joel's plan of attack-ack-ack-ack-ack involved more than simply handing out hits (notably absent from the set were "Uptown Girl," "She's Always A Woman" and, God bless him, "Just The Way You Are"); he was there in search of long-buried treasure.

Such excavation spanned the first chapters of the show. After the one-two punch of "Prelude/Angry Young Man" and "My Life," both big, baroque set pieces which successfully survived the trip from the '70s (even if those whitewall tires haven't), Joel began rifling around. He dug up the theatrically sinister "Stiletto," whose serpentine groove was augmented nicely by Mark Rivera's sax work and the band's intimidating-looking finger snaps. Introducing the jazzbo "Zanzibar," he remarked that after cutting the song in the studio he and his band "felt like adults." "Sometimes A Fantasy" dripped with gooey synthesizer; "Sleeping With The Television On" worked up a solid, guitar-fueled lather.

But if Joel used the early half of the night for rummaging and evaluation ("That one worked!" he smiled to his band after 1971's "Everybody Loves You Now"), the late half was reserved for a rock block: "I Go To Extremes," "We Didn't Start The Fire," "Big Shot" and "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me," the latter two of which he delivered sporting a backwards ball cap thrown on stage, which was a nice touch. Closing the main set: an ageless and roaring "You May Be Right." Saved for the encore: "Only The Good Die Young," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and that one about getting his fans feeling alright.

Despite what he indicated in a few age-related gags (those seated behind his rotating piano at any given time, he said, could "check themselves out in the back of my head"), Joel looked fit and sounded better. He dished up a sterling "New York State of Mind" with timeless ease and unleashed "Goodnight Saigon" to even better effect. One can't help but think that after a few more installments of this quick-selling trek, Joel may want to rethink that business about retirement. He's already survived the noble fight, and there's little doubt left that he - and his fans - remain in the mood for his melodies.

It's 7pm on a Tuesday. The regular crowd shuffles in.

Actually, though the crowd for Billy Joel's concert at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena is certainly larger than that found at most piano bars, it's hardly regular.

The Jacksonville, Florida stop was only the second on his first solo tour in eight years, but if early ticket sales are any indication, plenty of folks are still in the mood for his melodies. Demand has been impressively high across the country - he's up to nine shows at Madison Square Garden this year - and Jacksonville was no exception.

Tammy and Tony Rael, both of Jacksonville, went the traditional route, buying tickets in person at the Orange Park Mall. As both are longtime fans - "she's the 'Uptown Girl,' I'm the 'Piano Man,'" Tony Rael said. He waited in line "for a good 90 minutes" for tickets the day they went on sale. "And I wasn't close to the front of the line. How can an old guy sell out that fast?" he wondered, laughing.

Aging rock stars can often be selfish bores in concert. Clinging to delusions of relevance, they routinely stuff their setlists with forgettable "new stuff" - lackluster songs that usually amount to nothing more than the perfect time for a bathroom break.

That certainly wasn't the case with Billy Joel at the St. Pete Times Forum on Thursday. After all, the 56 year-old Long Island legend hasn't recorded any new pop songs in more than a decade. So alas, the only thing he could do was tizzy 19,750 fans with more than two hours of beloved album cuts ("Zanzibar," "The Ballad of "The Ballad of Billy The Kid," "All For Leyna"), know-'em-by-hearters ("My Life," "New York State of Mind," "Big Shot") and one more chance to wave Brenda and Eddie goodbye (we'll get to that swooner in just a bit).

Of course, there was room for worry when the pop-eyed "Piano Man" took to the open oval stage with his eight-piece band. Joel has filled his free time over the past few years with all manner of tabloid naughtiness, from headline-making car crashes to a recent stint in rehab for a dependence on wine.

But Joel's newfound sobriety has given him extra oomph. In fact, you could even say the guy was downright cocky. Joel, looking trim and happy in a black jacket and blue jeans, took a seat behind his black baby grand to the triumphant strains of Randy Newman's orchestral theme for "The Natural." Then, for his first song, he displayed absolutely furious fingerwork on swaggering burner "Prelude/Angry Young Man," pounding away on the ivories and routinely blowing on his blazing digits as if they were too dang hot.

Joel is touring behind a new boxed set, "My Lives," that is filled with demos and rarities and plenty of must-have evidence that he truly was one of the great pop songwriters of his time. His live show proved the same. Some of the night's biggest applause was heard for the shoulda-been-hits, including the apocalyptic beauty of "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)." Joel's later-career catalogue has always left me bored, and although he tried to put energy into "The River of Dreams" and "I Go To Extremes," those songs paled in comparison to such gems as "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" and "Stiletto."

But no matter. Playing right into longtime fans' hearts, he packed his 24-song setlist with his stellar work from the '70s and '80s, and good lord, he sure wasn't churning out many duds back in the good ol' days. "You May Be Right" remains a ferociously infectious love song, as Joel the buffoon blames a woman for making him act the fool. And it's still absolutely impossible not to move - or, at the very least, feel like robbing a bank - on "Only The Good Die Young," which he hammered out during his encore. Just before saying goodnight, Joel played the two tunes that have made him a hero to all of us who've heard the words "Last call!" far too many times. "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" is his epic, of course, and a perfect display of popmanship that still makes you feel so forlorn for wayward lovers Brenda and Eddie. (And yes, they all waved.)

And finally there was "Piano Man," for which the crowd stood and swayed. Joel even cut the music for the final chorus, allowing his fans to be heard loud and clear. It didn't seem cheesy, to tell you the truth. And let me just say to the cynics: Even if you're sick of the song, you couldn't help but recite aloud those words that will be forever etched in your brain - whether you like it or not.

Billy Joel's wife reveals his dirty secret: he doesn't like dirt. Katie Lee Joel, who's a chef, says she cooks at home and Joel follows her around cleaning things up. She says he's a "clean freak" and she tries to keep him out of the kitchen when she's cooking. Joel says they both really like food and her husband is her guinea pig for whatever she's trying to make. The peach cobbler is a success. Joel says that's a favorite dish but she can only make it in the summer.

Katie Lee Joel will host the competition show "Top Chef," which premieres on Bravo on March 8th, 2006.

Billy Joel's second show Sunday night at the BankAtlantic Center in Broward, Florida was everything his January 7th, 2006 tour-kickoff wasn't - a rollicking, rocking roundup of the "Piano Man"'s greatest hits.
He knocked 'em out from almost every album. From his opener, "Prelude/Angry Young Man," to the close with "Piano Man," he had the standing-room-only crowd in Sunrise, Florida, well, standing.

Along the way: "The Ballad of Billy The Kid," "New York State of Mind," You May Be Right," "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me," "We Didn't Start The Fire," "The River of Dreams," "My Life," "Pressure," "I Go To Extremes," "Only The Good Die Young," "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and more.

Joel, who owns a home in Miami Beach, took a somber moment to lament the brutal baseball bat beating and murder last week of homeless men in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before launching into a version of "Allentown," mentioning that he was homeless once himself. ''There by the grace of God go I,'' he said.

He's been a "Piano Man," an "Innocent Man," and a "Stranger." A crooner, a rock and roller and a classical composer. He's seen the lights go out on Broadway, said goodbye to Hollywood and sailed on the "River of Dreams." And this week Billy Joel emerges from semi-retirement for the first of three shows at the TD Banknorth Garden.

It's been 12 years since Joel released an album of pop material, but the pride of Long Island has lived enough lives to earn a little vacation - for proof, look no further than his recent "My Lives" boxed set.

In honor of his Hub shows - Thursday, January 30th, 2006 and February 4th, 2006 - we take a look at some of Joel's many lives - evidence, perhaps, that he does go to extremes.

Boxer Billy

"Lost a lot of fights, but it taught me how to lose okay" (from "Keeping The Faith")

Before taking to crooning tunes Joel was an amateur pugilist. Despite the above lyric, in his brief boxing career Joel won the majority of his 26 fights, though he visibly lost when it came to the rearrangement of his nose.

Professor Billy

"Should I try to be a straight 'A' student?” (from "It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me")

For more than 20 years, Joel has visited college campuses and given freewheeling "Master Classes" in which he discusses his creative process, the music business and just about anything he's asked. Although he never went in for higher education himself, he has several honorary degrees, including one from Berklee College of Music.

Composer Billy

"A Minor Variation"

In 2001, eight years after hanging up his rock and roll songwriting shoes, Joel released "Fantasies & Delusions," the first - and to date only - recording of his classical compositions, played by Richard Joo. Herald critic TJ Medrek declared, "No classical music lover need feel ashamed to add it to his or her collection."

Kidstuff Billy

"The Ballad of Billy The Kid"

Joel has always had a soft spot for the kids. In 1988, he was the voice of the canine Dodger in the animated Disney feature "Oliver & Company." He's since written two children's books; the most recent, "New York State of Mind," was released in November 2005.

Collabo Billy

"You might've heard I run with a dangerous crowd" (from "Only The Good Die Young")

Joel has done duets with an eclectic list of famous names including Ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Winwood and Tony Bennett. But his most famous pal is fellow "Piano Man" Elton John, with whom he has embarked on numerous boffo joint tours.

Reckless Billy

"And you told me not to drive" (from "You May Be Right")

Sadly, Joel has also had his share of tabloid moments in the past few years, including several suspicious car accidents, culminating in his March 2005 rehab stint in the Betty Ford clinic.

Broadway Billy

"I found you could dance and still look tough" (from "Keeping The Faith")

In his most successful non-rock project, Joel collaborated with legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp on the 2002 musical/dance piece "Movin' Out." The show was a box-office hit, won two Tony awards and garnered widespread critical acclaim.

Sailor Billy

"I have charted a course to the Vineyard" (from "The Downeaster 'Alexa'")

A lifelong love affair with the sea and sailing made its way into Joel's music, in songs such as "Storm Front" and "The Downeaster 'Alexa'." But no landlubber, Joel has also been designing, building and captaining ships for more than 20 years. He''s also a passionate advocate for Long Island fishermen and calls his publishing company Maritime Music.

Rock Star Billy

Billy Joel has added a record-breaking 11th show at Madison Square Garden - on April 19th, 2006 - to his current tour and may extend the run even further, as the dates, which start Monday, now stretch into April 2006.

Recording artist Billy Joel has accepted an invitation to be the commencement speaker for Syracuse University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry's 2006 graduating class. The graduation ceremony will take place May 14th, 2006 in the Carrier Dome.

Billy Joel's rewritten his own theme song.

The piano will still sound like a carnival, but the microphone won't smell like a beer. New York's beloved balladeer, who spent a month at the Betty Ford Center for alcohol abuse last year, will be bone dry when he kicks off the first of a record-breaking 11 shows at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.