Billy Joel "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"

Operatic rock 'n roll stands out from the crowd, but it often lacks a large audience because it can be challenging. Many people want a 4/4 beat, a hook, and some lyrics. No substitutions, please.

"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" will have none of that.

With five distinct movements that tell the story of Brenda and Eddie, bookended by calls for reunion, it is easily one of the greatest, single-song rock operas.

Joel's piano is present throughout the song but sometimes fades into the background as the arrangement requires other instruments to carry a few bars or an entire section of the song.

Joel is a master lyricist and paints vivid pictures of how our lovebirds started as well as how they ended -- and got to where they are today.

The ballad of Brenda and Eddie is further told in a musical, Movin' Out, which won Joel a Tony Award for Best Orchestration.

Location: Michigan, USA

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