Summary3 min read

Hit Parade: The Bridge – “Piano Man, Everyman”

Podcast: Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia
Host: Chris Molanphy (A)
Guest: Julian Velard (C), singer-songwriter
Date: May 15, 2020

Overview

This episode of The Bridge segment from Hit Parade dives into the enduring legacy of Billy Joel, especially focusing on his 1986 album, The Bridge. Host Chris Molanphy is joined by Julian Velard—a singer, songwriter, and piano aficionado—for a deep, musically-accompanied conversation about Joel's place in pop history, the intricate craft of being a “piano man,” and the transition points in Joel's career. The discussion is peppered with personal anecdotes, trivia, and live piano bits from Velard himself, blending music geekery with candid fan enthusiasm.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Bridge by Billy Joel ([01:19 – 02:30])

Chris Molanphy introduces the context: Joel’s 1986 album The Bridge is widely considered his weakest 1980s album—even according to Joel—yet it achieved double-platinum status and produced three Top 40 hits.
- "In retrospect, The Bridge served as a bridge into the final phase of Billy Joel's career." (A, [01:50])
The titular "bridge" is both literal and symbolic, marking a crossing into Joel's late-career period; he would only issue two more pop studio albums before retiring from songwriting.

2. Julian Velard’s Connection to Billy Joel ([02:30 – 03:14])

Julian Velard’s credentials:
- Regular on the Howard Stern Show and NPR’s Ask Me Another
- Artist-in-residence at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, NYC
- Deeply familiar with Joel’s work, "maybe more than he'd like"
Velard’s upcoming projects—his musical titled Please Don’t Make Me Play Piano Man—reflects a blend of admiration and the 'burden' of living in Joel’s formidable musical shadow.
The conversation promises both musical performance and deep-dive fandom.

3. Fan Energy & Meta Moments ([03:14 – 03:30])

Julian expresses genuine excitement and mild disbelief at being both a guest and a listener, likening the experience to entering a favorite TV show:
- “This is such an honor. I'm, like, in my favorite TV show right now. I feel like I'm in Seinfeld because I am an avid, devoted listener to the podcast.” (C, [03:15])
Chris and Julian riff on the ‘meta’ quality: talking about The Bridge, on The Bridge, on Hit Parade.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Billy Joel’s career pivot:
- "The Bridge served as a bridge into the final phase of Billy Joel's career." (Chris, [01:50])
On participating in the podcast:
- “This is such an honor… I feel like I'm in Seinfeld because I am an avid, devoted listener to the podcast.” (Julian, [03:15])
On the meta nature of the episode:
- "It's like wheels within wheels. We're talking about the bridge. We're on the bridge. It's very meta." (Chris, [03:25])

Segment Timestamps

[01:19] – Introduction to The Bridge (album context)
[01:50] – The “bridge” as a metaphor for Joel’s career
[02:30] – Julian Velard’s intro and musical background
[03:14] – Velard’s reaction to being on the show and meta commentary

Tone & Style

The episode unfolds with a conversational, music-nerd enthusiasm, mixing artful musical references (thanks to Julian’s live playing) with affectionate criticality of Billy Joel’s career. Both host and guest balance expertise with a warm, approachable tone—making the episode inviting for both casual fans and chart-history aficionados.

Note:
This was a preview episode; for the full discussion—where Chris and Julian likely dig further into chart history, pop songwriting, and the emotional labor of performing Billy Joel—listeners are encouraged to subscribe via Slate Plus.

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Transcript5 lines

[00:00]
A
You're listening ad free on Amazon Music. Hey there Hit Parade listeners. What you're about to hear is a preview of our latest episode of the Bridge, and it's an extra special extra musical episode with my singer songwriter guest, Julian Villard. As we announced last month, Slate, like many media outlets at the moment, is getting hit pretty hard by what's going on with the economy in in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic. We need your help to continue producing this show and all the other work we do at Slate. So we're asking you to sign up for Slate plus our membership program. It's just $35 for the first year and it will go a long way towards supporting us at this crucial moment. Sign up@slate.com hitparadeplus and you'll get to hear this and every episode of Hit Parade in full. That's slate.com hitparadeplus thanks. And now your episode preview.
[01:08]
B
I went searching for the truth but to my innocence I found all the common and their acrobats who stomped me in the ground.
[01:19]
A
Hey everybody, this is Chris Mullanthe host of Hit Parade, Slate's podcast of pop chart history. Welcome to the Bridge that's Getting Closer, the final track on Billy Joel's 1986 album the Bridge. The Hammond B3 organ was played by Steve Winwood, which makes this song extra 1986. The Bridge is widely regarded as Billy Joel's weakest 1980s album, including by Joel himself, but it still went double platinum and generated three top 40 hits. In retrospect, the Bridge served as a bridge into the final phase of Billy Joel's career. He recorded only two more studio albums of pop music before retiring from recording permanently. And these mini episodes bridge our full length monthly episodes keep us a chance to catch up with listeners and enjoy some Hit Parade trivia. This month, I'm thrilled to be joined by the man who helped inspire my most recent episode of Hit Parade. Julian Velard is a singer, songwriter and recording artist who appears regularly on the Howard Stern show and NPR's Ask Me Another. As of 2017, he has been an artist in residence at the prestigious Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York City. As a piano playing polymath, Julian knows Billy Joel's material more intimately than most, maybe more than he'd like. His new musical, Please Don't Make Me Play, Piano man, is launching this year as an album, a podcast and a live show. Julian is calling in from his home studio and the piano you'll hear throughout this interview was recorded by Julian himself. Julian Villard was. Welcome to the Bridge.
[03:14]
C
Thank you, Chris. I'm gonna just say this now. This is such an honor. I'm, like, in my favorite TV show right now. I feel like I'm in Seinfeld because I am an avid, devoted listener to the podcast. You're also a friend, but I'm also a fan, so it's weird. I'm in the Bridge. Anyway. Feels good.
[03:30]
A
It's like wheels within wheels. We're talking about the bridge. We're on the bridge. It's very meta. This is quite possibly our most meta episode. To listen to the Full Hit Parade episode, please go to slate.com hitparadeplus.