I'll always remember the first time I heard this song.  Billy Joel did something nobody had ever done before in 1987 during the last years of the cold war....he brought a full scale rock and roll touring show to the Soviet Union.  It was a logistical nightmare and very complicated diplomatically, but it was something he wanted to do since his entire life had been so influenced by the relationship between the US and the USSR after WWII.  He pretty much did it for free because they could only pay in Russian currency, and it couldn't be exchanged for any other currency, and therefore could only be spent in the Soviet Union.  This was a passion project.  So, to help recoup the very extreme costs of bringing the full staging, lighting, sound, instruments, band, crew, etc., they shot a couple videos and recorded the shows to be released as a live album...."Kohept", which is Russian for "Concert.

Among the tracks on that live album was "Stiletto".  I was hooked from the first note....the saxophone and piano together, immediately sounding like they were in a dark alley....and then the blues funk piano signature with the snaps.  It was so cool, I could hardly contain myself....also I was 14, so I was pretty easily mesmerized.  Who am I kidding....I still am!

I didn't understand the lyrics at all at the time...just thought the song kicked ass, and had so many fun elements.  The boogie-woogie style piano break in the middle followed by the screaming sax solo....the grit in his voice....it was just one of the coolest things I'd ever heard, and I assumed it was WAY too difficult for me to ever learn.

Some time later....probably only weeks, because I went on  quite a blitz to purchase all of his albums, but it felt like it was spread out over quite a stretch at the time....I went to the local record store and bought the 1978 album "52nd Street".  This emerged as either my favorite or one of my 3 favorite albums in Billy's whole collection.  Among the tracks was, you guessed it, "Stiletto". 

Often, as I write about these songs I am inspired to some life lesson or greater philosophical musings about the world at large, but I have to admit that a song about a woman who does terrible things but gets away with it by manipulating a man with sex isn't bringing anything like that to my mind.  LOL  But, the lyrics fit the melody, and the arrangement of the backing track is out of this world cool....so I guess I'll just say that it's really satisfying to hear a piece of music that is well crafted and congruent across all of its various elements.   

Enjoy my cover of this song from a livestream show I did on July 22, 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and then check out Billy Joel performing it in Houston in 1979!

If you'd like to explore my piano method more deeply, my best students use my video courses and join me for conversation and twice monthly Q&A Livestreams in my private community...you can find it all HERE. Thanks.

If the video doesn't show above, use THIS LINK to see it on YouTube

If the video doesn't show above, use THIS LINK to see it on YouTube