Joey Magidson
Billy Joel is seminal to my life. I can say with a decent amount of certainty that his music was the first rock and roll that I heard as a newborn. As I’ve written about previously, my mother was a huge fan of his. My dad loves him too. So, his songs were ubiquitous in my childhood. The documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes manages to lean in to those who have those experiences, while also being a perfect entrance point to anyone who’s never paid attention to Joel.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes may be split into two parts, but it’s very much one long film. The dividing line is around the midpoint of his career, sure, but it’s also just done in the name of making this more of a digestible work. Part One was the Opener at the Tribeca Festival this year, as well as what’s debuting tonight on HBO, with Part Two coming next Friday. I can assure you that you’ll be eager to dive right in to the second part once you finish the first.
The documentary begins the early days of Billy Joel, both as a child, as well as the bands he was in before going solo. These first stabs at rock stardom got him noticed by a few, but it obviously wasn’t until he went solo that any real acclaim came his way. Still, bad business deals and poor management led to his first album, Cold Spring Harbor, being recorded and released in 1971 at the wrong speed. That was just one hiccup along the way. The first part gets into his first marriage to Elizabeth Weber Small, the success of Piano Man, and his evolution into one of the more popular names in pop and rock, even if critical acclaim was touch and go.
In the second part, starting with the release of The Nylon Curtain in 1982, we see Joel reach heights that he’s never hit before. They include new levels of stardom, as well as his first divorce. This part also backtracks to his family history in Germany, where his Jewish ancestors were driven out by the Nazis. It goes all the way up to his retirement from recording live music, alongside his Madison Square Garden residence. Through it all, we hear all of his biggest and best songs given new context, as well as Joel himself guiding us through his mindset at the time. It’s wonderful.
The talking heads are a who’s who not just of his life, including ex-wife Christie Brinkley (as well as his others), daughter Alexa Ray Joel, and nearly everyone else he’s been friends with or related to, but also other rock gods. Not the least of which is Bruce Springsteen, who has some very insightful things to say about his music. However, the highlight is still Joel talking to the camera, sitting at the piano. He’s brash, funny, quick to play some notes on the piano, and always himself, which gives the doc a personal feel, despite the star power and epic scope.
Directors Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin make some choices in the name of this only being about five hours long, but they largely work. If there’s one thing that I’d have liked to have seen more of, it’s his latter years retirement from music, culminating in his new song (which they don’t get into, likely due to timing). Still, the song selections are impeccable, both the deep cuts and greatest hits, weaving into the tapestry of his life to almost make this a musical. By the end, you’ll associate nearly every famous song of his with a moment in his life, like any good biopic would.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes, whether you consider it a movie or a miniseries, is one of the best documentaries of the year. The more you love Joel, the more you’ll enjoy this, though the less you know about him, the more this doc will fill in the blanks. Either way, it’s wonderful and gives us some terrific time with one of the all-time musical talents of the 20th century.
SCORE: ★★★1/2
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