Billy Joel - Piano Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujp7DMDFR2Y
I'm not a real big fan of Joel, but he's done a couple tunes I really enjoy, and this is the best. Reminds me of an old bar on Pennsylvania Avenue that Edmund and I used to visit back in '74 called The Exchange. Our old high school geography teacher, Ed Raskind, worked there as a bartender. One of the most interesting teachers I've ever had. In a high school filled to the brim with characters, stories and situations, Ed was a Legend*. Intelligent, educated, sarcastic, sardonic, street-wise, subversive and hip. There'd always be a great tale to tell after hanging out with him - in the class or behind the bar. I was lucky to know him, and I hope he's doing well, wherever/however that may be. Cheers.
*Someday I'll have to get around to writing more on Raskind. He really was a one-of-a-kind teacher. I think I've menitoned before that there's an "old" movie out there called Getting Straight (starring Elliot Gould and Candace Bergen). Although the plot revolves around a university, I still feel it's almost exactly what days at TC were like - and there's a lot of similiarity between Gould's character and Raskind.
I'm not a real big fan of Joel, but he's done a couple tunes I really enjoy, and this is the best. Reminds me of an old bar on Pennsylvania Avenue that Edmund and I used to visit back in '74 called The Exchange. Our old high school geography teacher, Ed Raskind, worked there as a bartender. One of the most interesting teachers I've ever had. In a high school filled to the brim with characters, stories and situations, Ed was a Legend*. Intelligent, educated, sarcastic, sardonic, street-wise, subversive and hip. There'd always be a great tale to tell after hanging out with him - in the class or behind the bar. I was lucky to know him, and I hope he's doing well, wherever/however that may be. Cheers.
*Someday I'll have to get around to writing more on Raskind. He really was a one-of-a-kind teacher. I think I've menitoned before that there's an "old" movie out there called Getting Straight (starring Elliot Gould and Candace Bergen). Although the plot revolves around a university, I still feel it's almost exactly what days at TC were like - and there's a lot of similiarity between Gould's character and Raskind.
posted by mendip at
3:15 PM
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