“Billy Joel A to Z”: Dive into the musical alphabet with Dave Juskow and Elon Altman
From “A Matter of Trust” to “Zanzibar,” this podcast is covering every Billy Joel song ever made
Dave Juskow (left) and Elon Altman, hosts of the “Billy Joel A to Z” podcast.
August 5, 2021
For Dave Juskow and Elon Altman, the thought of hosting a podcast dedicated solely to Billy Joel was always on the table. But it wasn’t until 2020 and the coronavirus quarantine that this idea became a reality.
As two stand-up comedians living in New York City, Dave and Elon have long been fans of Billy Joel and his music.
“As a young kid, I remember these songs and good memories from them. He was always one of my favorite artists,” says Elon.
For Dave, his interest came a bit later in life.
“I didn’t really get into him until college,” he says. “The funny thing about our podcast is that there are many songs I haven’t heard. That’s what makes it exciting — I’m also hearing songs for the first time.”
So, how do you run a podcast covering every Billy Joel song created? Alphabetically, of course.
The show, aptly titled “Billy Joel A to Z,” features a new song every episode. Though proud of this approach, Dave and Elon are somewhat remorseful of their plan, as they eagerly anticipate covering the song “Zanzibar.” The two are currently in the E’s, working through the approximately 120 Billy Joel songs in existence.
With so many unique songs spanning throughout the alphabet, no two episodes are the same; Dave is especially excited for the S section, as he considers “Summer, Highland Falls” to be his top Billy Joel song.
“It’s a sad song, but it’s also really uplifting as well,” he says.
For Elon, “Movin’ Out” has always been a favorite.
“It checks the boxes for me about what I like about Billy Joel songs,” he says.
Both the unpredictability and spontaneity of the podcast certainly keep it exciting; each episode takes a different turn, covering everything from Billy Joel’s lyrics, to musical composition, to the backstory of a song.
“We do a lot of research before we do a song,” Dave says. “We definitely talk about the instrumentation, and more of the backstory, and how it came to be. It’s different every time … we do a deep dive.”
In fact, discovering the story behind each song has proven one of the most interesting aspects of the show.
“The backstory of the song is the main thing we focus on, but also the melody — if it sounds like something else, we like to bring that up on the podcast,” Elon says. “He changes genres so much, and with a lot of his songs you can tell what he was inspired by.”
Each episode also features trivia questions and a song parody, where the two will take the song, and make a parody.
“We tend to go off track a lot, too, and start talking about other things, especially on the lesser-known songs,” says Dave. “But the listeners don’t seem to mind — they also understand we are comedians so we’re not taking it completely seriously, but I think they appreciate that we do a lot of research.”
What often sets Billy Joel apart from any other musician, in the eyes of Dave and Elon, is his storytelling.
“He has a really great ability to tell a story in three minutes,” says Elon. “A lot of his songs are about characters not just because of the lyrics, but because of the instrumentation he uses — you feel like you’re there.”
The hit song “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” perfectly demonstrates this phenomenon; with the use of the accordion, you really feel as if you are in an Italian restaurant. With so many categories to his music, including romance, anger, and happiness, the podcast dives into each unique story.
After each letter of the alphabet, Dave and Elon interview a guest. Notable guests have included actress Sarah Silverman, writer Danny Vermont, and Christopher Bonanos, an editor at New York Magazine, who created a comprehensive ranking of Billy Joel songs.
“We use his rankings every episode. He was great, really knowledgeable,” says Dave. “We love having guys that are in a completely different business, but are big fans. That’s exciting. But it’s also great to have musicians who can tell us more about the complexity of his kind of music.”
The best part about this podcast? You can listen, regardless of your Billy Joel knowledge.
“Even if you have never heard the song we are talking about that day, it only takes you about three minutes to listen to the song — and then you’re caught up! It’s super easy to get into it,” says Elon.
With listeners of all ages, it becomes evident just how much Billy Joel spans across generations. But beyond the music itself, the energy, lighthearted stories, and fascinating facts of the show add all the more reason to take a listen.
“It’s a fun podcast,” says Dave. “You find out more about Billy Joel and the kind of chameleon he is; there’s nobody like him.”
(“Billy Joel A to Z” is available on Spotify, Apple, ACast, or wherever you listen to podcasts.)
–Aug. 5, 2021–
