Before we had pubes or had discovered metal, we thought that Billy Joel was the shit. As I got older, I seriously thought that someone could turn Joel’s song “pressure” into a pretty awesome metal cover. I always dreamed it would be Stratovarius or someone kind of Stratovarius-esque, but I’ll settle for For Whom the Bell Joels, the latest discovery from those geniuses at Metal Insider.

Of course, a metal band exclusively playing Billy Joel covers is a gimmick, and not even an especially clever one – but the band isn’t terrible, and I’m being sincere when I say I think they nailed “Pressure.” I can think of a handful of other BJ songs I’d be curious to hear these dudes try out.

If you have ever enjoyed boring middle-of-the-road soft rock made my an alcoholic from Long Island, check out For Whom the Bell Joels here.

-AR

When we were younger, Vince and I used to argue about whether not Billy Joel was any good. For the record: I did not like the musical stylings of Mr. Joel, and Vince did. It wasn’t until Billy boy, as drunk as any member of any metal band has ever been, challenged to me to a fight on the street because I was “lookin’ at his pizza funny” that I began to see just what a bad ass the piano man is. I’ve never thought of the song “Pressure” the same way since.

ANYWAY, Blabbermouth posted this footage of Joel (on rhythm guitar) and a roadie (on vocals) playing “Highway to Hell” this past Friday night in Hollywood, Florida, a town that has the unique distinction of being the second most famous Hollywood in America. The thought of a drunk driver playing “Highway to Hell” is just too funny not to post.

-AR