He's fun, has a brilliant touch with songwriting, and knows how to add just the right touch of irony to his lyrics. He is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant composers of the rock era. That said, he is occasionally erratic in his quality.
Some albums are better than others.
Some albums, more importantly, are more consistent than others, which brings us to The Nylon Curtain . Written and released during the opening years of Ronald Reagan's presidency in the US, The Nylon Curtain is the closest that Joel has come to a political statement. With a backing of acoustic guitar, it's a campfire song for the damned, harrowing in its gentleness. And therein lies the problem. The Nylon Curtain is an interesting example of a CD that doesn't completely work because of the order of the songs.