And he did give advice to those contemplating a career in music.

"I think there are some people who are artists and know they are, and that's what pulls you through," Joel said. "If it worries you too much, maybe you shouldn't pursue it." Those are sound, if cliched words.

But all too much of the night seemed to be Billy Joel on how cool Billy Joel is. He reveled in how incredible it is to know that 20,000 people will show up at a concert just to see him. Emitting a Frankenstein-esque laugh, he mentioned that when he plays the piano at home, he enjoys pondering the fact that people pay him good money for something he'd do for free.

Rock stars are allowed such indulgences, I suppose. After all, he does pull in huge crowds, and for good reason. But above all, those crowds come for the music. I don't think he'd draw 20,000 for a poetry reading or a debate on post-modern existentialism.

He seems to think he's getting too old for the mega-tours. "I'm 45. I'm taking myself out of the game," he said. "There is a time to leave the game, to grow, to do something else."

Maybe it's a mid-life crisis. After all, he doesn't have Christie anymore. And he made a few wry comments Monday about his two ex-wives.

Perhaps he wants to be more than a singer, more than someone who sits in a bar and plays while people ask, "Man, what are you doing here?"

And maybe he's right to stop touring so much. After all, if Frank Sinatra had stopped giving concerts when he started getting old and his voice went, we'd all have been grateful.

But Billy's voice hasn't gone. From the little I heard, it was as pure as ever. So all I can say is, Billy, why didn't you sing us more than a few songs and just forget the talking? We'd have loved and respected you just as much--and probably more.

Sarah J. Schaffer '97 is an uptown girl.