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The new two-part documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes has a runtime of 292 minutes, which means there’s no shortage of big moments. One of its best surprises, though, is the self-deprecating insight offered by Bruce Springsteen on Billy Joel’s career, as a relatively contemporary artist with a lot of respect for the Piano Man’s work.
In a talking head interview, Springsteen explains the similarities and differences between their two backgrounds succinctly: “He was a bridge and tunnel artist, as I count myself as. We stuck to a lot of where we came from in what we wrote about, but we wrote about it using slightly different tools.”
Additionally, he says, “I’m obviously more identified with New Jersey, so I came more out of a folk rock-and-roll background. Billy is still more identified with New York — he had all that Broadway and Tin Pan Alley, which is why his melodies are better than mine.”
Music scholars can debate whether Springsteen’s assertions are correct, but for context he’s referencing Broadway’s rich musical tradition as well as the Tin Pan Alley collection of musicians and songwriters who defined Amercan music for decades beginning in the late 1800s. The documentary is in part a celebration of Joel’s songwriting talents throughout the years..
Joel recently canceled all of his upcoming tour dates due to health issues, while Springsteen’s own 2025 tour wrapped up after some political fireworks went off between him and Donald Trump. Part 1 of Billy Joel: And So It Goes premieres Friday, July 18th at 8:00 p.m. ET on HBO Max — Part 2 follows on Friday, July 25th. Check out the trailer below.
English (US) · 