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heartsoulrocknroll · 7 days
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In honor of (Cool) Kyle's return, here is one of my favorite line deliveries of all time
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heartsoulrocknroll · 14 days
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heartsoulrocknroll · 15 days
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"Roderick Strong perhaps pursuing a career outside of wrestling as a dungeon master for kink.com..."
Roderick Strong chops Adam Cole's dick from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's DDT4 2013, 01/12/2013
Bonus:
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heartsoulrocknroll · 15 days
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Revolution rocked so hard. My first live wrestling show in seven years, and I couldn't have picked a better one.
I cannot believe I got to see one of my all-time favorites Roddy Strong win a championship with my own two eyes!!!! I yelled like a crazy person when the ref counted three. No one deserves it more!!!!!! I loved his match with Orange here. That top turnbuckle backbreaker sent me over the edge. Also cannot believe that after over a year and a half, I happened to be there on the night that the great Kyle O'Reilly made his return!!!!! I have waited so long. What a moment that whole sequence of Roddy winning the International title and Kyle showing up was for me.
Ospreay vs. Takeshita was truly incredible. I was freaking out the whole time, but I absolutely lost it when Ospreay took that disgusting brainbuster on the top turnbuckle, and then Takeshita got dropped on his head with Ospreay's nasty Tiger Driver '91 toward the end. Easy match of the year contender and possible five star match. I have to watch it back.
This was my second time seeing FTR live. They are still the best tag team in the world and wrestled a fantastic match against Claudio and Moxley. Claudio looked great here as well. I was so excited to get to see him work. But seeing FTR not only lose, but lose in our great state of North Carolina by being choked out??? Revolting. I could have thrown up. What kind of booking is this???
This was my first time ever seeing Bryan Danielson kick heads in live, and I was just thrilled. He is incredible, nothing short of a legend, and his match against Eddie was great.
Also my first time seeing Samoa Joe live, and it was so awesome getting to see him walk in and out as world champion and getting to hear him light people up with chops. So glad he retained. Swerve and Hangman were very good in the match as well. Swerve deserves a run with the title soon, but it wasn't time yet, and it doesn't need to happen in anything other than a one-on-one match anyway.
Finally, I feel so beyond lucky and privileged to have witnessed Sting and Darby going absolutely off-the-rails insane in Sting's last match ever. This match was filled with awesome spots -- Sting going through two tables (and no-selling the second table bump beautifully) and being thrown into glass in the corner of the ring, then Darby literally trying to kill himself by Swanton bombing himself off a 20 foot ladder inside the ring and through two panes of glass set up on chairs outside. I mean truly, wtf is wrong with him?? It's one of those spots that no one will ever forget. The Young Bucks played their antagonistic role phenomenally, getting heat from the audience like no other team could. Having Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat at ringside was awesome as well. I couldn't be happier that Sting got the end to his career that he deserved. Loved seeing him make his entrance with his sons dressed as different versions of Sting and hearing him give his retirement speech after the match. It was all so special, and I'm so glad I got to be there for it.
Also shout-outs to Jay White, Daniel Garcia (the rightful TNT champion), Christian Cage, Jay Lethal, and Kris Statlander, who were all fantastic. What a show!!!!!!
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heartsoulrocknroll · 25 days
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I'M GOING TO REVOLUTION TONIGHT. MY FIRST LIVE WRESTLING SHOW IN 7 YEARS. MY FIRST TIME SEEING BRYAN DANIELSON AND SAMOA JOE LIVE!!!!! MY SECOND TIME SEEING THE GREAT RODERICK STRONG LIVE!!!! I'M SO HYPED.
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heartsoulrocknroll · 25 days
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AEW Dynamite 2/8/23
WELCOME TO THE MJF SHOW. 
MJF vs. Konosuke Takeshita -- MJF offers his hand to Takeshita. Takeshita hesitantly shakes it, and MJF pulls Takeshita in and nails him in the midsection with a kick. Flying elbow by Takeshita! Jumping knee by Takeshita! Takeshita goes for a running knee, but MJF pulls the ref in the way to prevent it. MJF lays in knees to Takeshita's arm, then slings him hard, flipping him into the turnbuckles! MJF slams Takeshita's arm down into the mat, then locks Takeshita's arm in a hold! MJF then lands a beautiful hammerlock DDT!!!! Takeshita lands an exploder suplex into corner, followed by two big helluva kicks!!!!! Takeshita goes for a third, but MJF moves out of the way and rolls Takeshita up! Takeshita kicks out!! Takeshita with a brainbuster, MJF kicks out!! Takeshita lands a huge frog splash off the top on MJF, all the way into the middle of the ring!!!! Incredible distance!! MJF kicks out!! MJF goes for a Tombstone, but Takeshita reverses into a driver with the legs trapped, then deadlifts MJF and rotates back into a German suplex!!!! Beautiful!!!!!!! Outside the ring, Takeshita runs MJF hard into the ring post!! You deserve it chant, loool. Back in the ring, Takeshita goes to the top, and MJF grabs the top rope to take Takeshita off his feet!!! MJF goes to the top. Takeshita lands a huge lariat off the top, but MJF lands on his feet!!! BEAUTIFUL!!! Thrust kick by MJF!!! Elbow by Takeshita!! GORGEOUS rebound rolling elbow by MJF!!!!! Huge lariat by Takeshita!!!! DAMN!!! Cover by Takeshita, but MJF kicks out and transitions smoothly into Salt of the Earth!!! MJF bites Takeshita's fingers!!! Takeshita reverses into a pinning combination, but MJF kicks out!!! Takeshita sends MJF to the outside and follows with a topé con giro!!! Back in the ring, Takeshita pulls his knee pad down and goes for a running knee strike, but MJF rolls out of the ring to avoid it! Takeshita follows. Takeshita is back in the ring first. As MJF climbs on the apron, he pulls the ref between himself and Takeshita to bait Takeshita in, then kicks Takeshita's arm on the second rope! Takeshita is lying on the mat now, and MJF drives his knees into Takeshita's arm!! MJF misses a knee drop! Thumb to Takeshita's eye by MJF, and Takeshita reponds with a huge slap to the face!!! BEAUTIFUL elbows by Takeshita!!! Thumb to the eye again by MJF!!! Takeshita goes for a hurricanrana, but MJF catches him in midair and lands a powerbomb on the knee!!! Blue Thunder Bomb by Takeshita, but MJF kicks out!!! Takeshita lands a beautiful knee strike and covers, but MJF gets his foot onto the bottom rope!!! Takeshita goes for a springboard moonsault, but MJF rolls out of the way and locks in Salt of the Earth! Takeshita gets close to the rope! MJF pulls him into the middle of the ring and locks the armbar back in deep, bridging into it!!!! Takeshita taps!!!!! 
THIS ABSOLUTELY ROCKED!!!!!! GREAT MATCH!!! BOTH GUYS WERE INCREDIBLE HERE! Great arm work by MJF. Fantastic all around wrestling by Takeshita. Rating: 4
MJF hits Takeshita with the Dynamite Diamond Ring after the match, then lays in right hands! Danielson comes out to make the save, and MJF runs away once again. 
Jamie Hayter vs. The Bunny -- Neck breaker over the second rope by The Bunny. Suplex by The Bunny on the outside, driving Hayter's legs into the ring steps! Hayter gets the pinfall with an exploder suplex (yikes landing) and a ripcord lariat. This was short but solid. Rating: 2
FIRE MJF PROMO ALERT!!!!!! He says Takeshita is no match for a generational talent like himself, but nobody is. He says Danielson and these people treat him like he is some kind of scumbag. He doesn’t know if these people hate him because he is twisted, or if he became twisted because the people hate him. But he does know that a man doesn’t know what he is truly made of until he is met with adversity. He remembers the first time he was. It was junior year of high school. He was a speed demon in his blue Camaro, getting ticket after ticket until he was one point away from getting his license revoked. Then it was junior prom. He took his date for a drive in his Blue Camaro. It was raining that night, they hydroplaned, and they went spinning off the road. He panicked and hit the gas instead of the brakes, and they hit a telephone pole at 90 miles per hour. When he came to, he was concussed and confused. He looked down and his hands were covered in blood. His date’s head had hit the windshield, and she wasn’t moving. He put his finger under her nose, and thank god, she was still breathing. In the distance he heard police sirens. There it was. Adversity. And he found out what type of man he is. “I’m the type of guy who grabbed Liv’s lifeless body and switched seats with her, so when the cops showed up, I wasn’t the one driving. In this life, there are winners and there are losers. The history books don’t care how you get the job done. You want to talk about exposing me, Dragon? Tonight, I expose you. You will be met with adversity, and everybody watching at home will know that you don’t have the guts, you don’t have the temerity, you don’t have the balls to do what it takes to be a winner. There will be no match on March 5th at Revolution. There will be no iron man match. And you will never, ever come close to holding the grandest prize of them all, the Triple B. Because yes, Bryan, I am a scumbag, and I’m damn proud of it.”  OH MY GOD!!!!!!! I AM LOSING MY MIND HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excalibur: “It is official. The AEW World Champion MJF is the worst person in the world.”
Ricky Starks vs. Angelo Parker/Matt Menard/Daniel Garcia Gauntlet Match -- Starks beats Parker in a few minutes with a spear, then rolls up Menard in a few seconds. His next opponent is Garcia. Spear attempt by Starks is countered into a guillotine by Garcia! Starks reverses the guillotine into a sit-out powerbomb! Superplex by Garica! Brainbuster by Starks! Strike exchange on the apron! Spear by Starks on the apron! Jericho lands a Judas Effect from the front row of the crowd, dressed as a fan in a mask. Garcia rolls Starks into the ring and gets the pinfall. This was fine for what it was. There wasn’t much to the first two falls, but Starks and Garcia were good. Rating: 2.75 
Danielson and Takeshita are backstage with Renee. The door to the room they are in shuts. Danielson cannot open the door. They are locked in. Rush's music plays in the background. We go into the arena, where Rush is making his entrance. Then out comes MJF. He tells the ref that Danielson isn't here, so she has to ring the bell and start the 10 count. She calls for the bell and starts an extremely slow count, as Danielson is shown breaking down the door with his shoulder backstage. He makes it in the ring before 10! 
MJF on commentary!!!! Hallelujah!!! He comments on Aubrey's slow count. "Did she barely graduate pre-K? What was that?" MJF: "Now I have to sit next to this dumb, fat, worthless turd, Tony Schiavone." MJF on Danielson: "This guy almost didn't make it to his own match. He's lazy. He's an embarrassment." MJF to Schiavone: "Tony, how about I pay you 500,000 dollars to get lost and get out of this business?" Tony tells MJF that his friend Taz was crapping all over him after his story backstage earlier. MJF: "If anybody is crapping, it's you, right in your diapers." Lmaooo. He is an endless well of gold. 
Bryan Danielson vs. Rush -- Rush absolutely destroys Danielson for minutes on end, throwing him around on the outside, slamming his arm into the barricade! Danielson is bleeding from the head!!! They exchange some strikes on the apron, and this ends with a huge overhead throw from Rush, just hurling Danielson off the apron to the floor! Damn!!! Back in the ring, Danielson goes for the LeBell Lock, but can't get it locked in because of his injured shoulder. Topé from Danielson to Rush on the outside!!! Danielson slings Rush into the barricade, then lands a running dropkick!!! Back in the ring, Danielson lands a missile dropkick from the top!! Round kicks by Danielson!!! HARD exchange of chops!!!!! Stomps in the corner by Rush!!! Two corner dropkicks by Danielson!! He goes for a third, and Rush intercepts with a flying elbow!!! Straightjacket piledriver by Rush!!!! Oh my god!!!!!! Cover, but Danielson kicks out!!! Elbows in the corner by Rush!!! Psycho knee by Danielson!!! Rush kicks out!! Vicious elbow exchange!!! Chops by Rush! Headbutt by Danielson!! Rush responds with a headbutt of his own, but Danielson won't go down! They both lay in headbutt after headbutt to each other at the same time!! Huge palm strike by Rush finally takes Danielson off his feet!! German suplex by Rush, but Danielson rolls through up to his feet!!! Psycho knee by Danielson lands!!! Cover by Danielson!! 1, 2, 3!!!!! 
WHAT A MATCH!!!! DISGUSTINGLY VIOLENT AND AGGRESSIVE, I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. Rating: 4.25
MJF comes to the ring to nail Danielson with the Dynamite Diamond Ring after the match!! MJF with a series of right hands, then locks in the Salt of the Earth!! Security comes out to pry him off of Danielson, but he won't let go!!!
The Elite (c) vs. Top Flight and AR Fox for the AEW World Trios Championship -- Huge, beautiful backbreaker from Omega to Darius!!! Spanish Fly from Darius to Matt! Rolling cutter from Fox to Omega, then two more cutters from Fox for Matt and Nick! Rapid-fire offense by AR Fox – topé to the Bucks, topé to Omega, topé con giro to the Bucks, then a senton from the top to Omega!!!!! Fox covers, but Omega kicks out! Dante with incredible agility to avoid the Bucks' offense. Locomotion Northern Lights suplexes from Matt to Dante! Double Northern Lights into a pinning combo on all three guys by Matt!!! Kick out!! Assisted DDT from Top Flight to Nick. Cover on Nick, but Matt breaks it up! Springboard moonsault-assisted powerbomb by Top Flight, then 450 from the top by Fox on Nick!!! Cover on Nick, but Omega slides in the ring to make the save at 2.9! Snap dragon suplex from Omega to Fox! Slingshot flatliner by Darius! Superkick and Sliced Bread by Matt! Assisted piledriver from the Elite to Fox!! Cover on Fox, but Top Flight make the save!  Fox ducks a V-trigger attempt, and rolls up Omega! Omega kicks out! Jumping knee strike followed by a beautiful gut wrench sit-out powerbomb from Omega to Fox!!!  Kick out!! Omega lands the V-trigger on Fox!!!! Omega goes for the One-Winged Angel, but Fox reverses into a roll up! Omega kicks out! Fox ducks a strike attempt by Omega and handsprings back up to his feet! Omega ducks an enziguri by Fox!!! Omega with a crucifix pinning combo on Fox, but Fox kicks out!! Crucifix by Omega on Fox again!!! 1, 2, 3!!! The Elite retain! 
Fantastic match with nonstop action!!!! The Elite were as great as ever, and Fox especially looked great here!!! Top Flight are really finding their footing as well. Rating: 4
The Acclaimed (c) vs. The Gunns for the AEW World Tag Team Championship -- Rolling elbow from Bowens misses its mark and takes out the ref! While the ref is down, the Gunns go for the belts to use as a weapon, but Billy comes out to stop it. The Gunns hit Billy in the face with the belt! Rolling elbow and Arrival by Bowens, Mic Drop by Caster, but the ref is still down outside. Caster puts the ref back in the ring, and he starts a late count. Of course, kick out by the Gunns. A roll up by Bowens gets a slow two count. The Gunns take a title belt to the face of Bowens and roll him up for the pinfall. New champs. 
I didn't care for anything about this really. It was just an okay match. And even though I personally am not the biggest fan, I truly don’t understand taking the belts off the Acclaimed, as hot as they are. And I really, really don’t understand putting them on the Gunns, who I don’t think are remotely ready for that. Rating: 2
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heartsoulrocknroll · 29 days
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Beautiful Soul - Austin Brown Cover at the Treehouse
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Well, I wasn't prepared to cry like this right now. I have somehow just come across this absolutely beautiful vocal performance, and my aunt, the person I want to share it with the most and who would love it the most, isn't here. Her favorite singer doing one of her favorite songs. My heart hurts.
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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BILLY JOEL | Live at Yankee Stadium (1990)
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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Billy Joel - The Downeaster 'Alexa' (Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 1990)
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While I'm on a roll about Billy's vocals, I'll leave this here, because I've probably listened to it 20 times over the last few days. Everything going on here is great. Liberty on the drums. Jean-Luc Ponty on the violin. Billy giving a chill-inducing vocal performance. This incredible song. I can't get over it.
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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Streetlife Serenade Ranked
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Since this album is apparently vastly underrated, allow me to start this by saying that I absolutely love every song on this album. There isn't one that doesn't do it for me.
1) The Entertainer
I don't think I can adequately describe how much I love this song. I have always been so blown away by it. The instrumentation is so masterfully done, and each verse gradually builds on the last. There is the opening acoustic guitar, then that iconic synth riff that later repeats between verses throughout the song. The acoustic guitar continues on its own for the first verse, then the drums and bass come in on the second verse, then the steel guitar comes in on the third verse, then the banjo on the fourth verse, then the fantastic piano on the fifth verse. Then they all come together for the big crescendo of the sixth and seventh verses, while Billy absolutely goes nuts vocally. The cynical lyrics are some of the best that Bill has ever written, and I have always been obsessed with the rhyme scheme he used. It's poetic in a way that is reminiscent of Piano Man, but more impressive. Also shout out to the lost verse, which I love so much.
2) Weekend Song
This is an absolutely fantastic rock 'n' roll song, and I just love it more and more with time. I love that guitar riff, as well as the organ toward the end. I am obsessed with the gospely, bluesy piano riffs that are reminiscent of Ain't No Crime. And I think this is one of the best vocal performances Bill ever gave. I mean wtf!!!!!! He is so good, it makes me angry. I have seen this song compared to Take Me to the Pilot, but I won't go there other than to say eat your heart out, Elton. All those comparisons, but one thing Elton and Leon could definitely never do is sing like the great Billy Joel.
3) The Great Suburban Showdown
This is one of my favorite Billy Joel vocal melodies. It's one of those songs that just gets me right in my soul. The combination of the beautiful synth solos, the fantastic piano, the wistful pedal steel guitar, and the nostalgic lyrics alone would make me a little emotional, but add Billy's gorgeous vocal, and this song can easily bring me to the verge of tears.
4) Root Beer Rag
This is an incredible ragtime piano piece that sticks in my head for days after hearing it. I love everything about it, but I particularly love the part containing the dissonant, alternating major and minor seconds that comes out of nowhere and contrasts fantastically with the rest of the song. And I really love listening to live performances of this song and hearing Bill play it as fast as humanly possible, challenging the band to keep up.
5) Last of the Big Time Spenders
This is a song that I never hear anyone talk about, and I'm not sure why. I am obsessed with the piano on this song. It has a great, sort of jazz/blues flavor that provides an interesting juxtaposition to the country undertones of the pedal steel guitar. Bill has some incredible, soulful vocals here. And I think the lyrics are so clever, with the comparison of spending money and spending time. It's just a great song all around, and I think it leads really nicely into Weekend Song, which comes next on the album and has a similar feel.
6) Los Angelenos
This is an awesome rock song that goes harder than a lot of the songs on Glass Houses, with a great combination of electric piano, electric guitar, bass, excellent vocals by Billy, and some vintage, sardonic Billy Joel lyrics.
7) Roberta
I love the prominence of the piano on this song. The piano throughout the whole song is beautiful, but I especially love the intro and the piano break before the last verse. This seems to be a theme of this album, but there are more particularly great vocals from Billy here as well.
8) Streetlife Serenader
I absolutely love the classical sound of the piano in this song. The intro is just gorgeous. Billy's vocal here is great, and the rare appearance of his falsetto is delightful to me.
9) Souvenir
This song is short and sweet, but it is so good. The melody is gorgeous, the piano intro/outro is beautiful, and the wistful lyrics can really make me emotional.
10) The Mexican Connection
This is a beautiful, relaxing piece of music. I love all the piano work here and how it is complemented by the guitar, the congas, the organ, and, later on, the marimba. I especially love the big crescendo of piano chords at 2:03.
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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Streetlife Serenade is such an incredible showcase of Billy Joel's versatility as a singer. I saw a comment describing him as a "vocal chameleon," and that is so accurate. The difference from the rock 'n' roll grandeur of Los Angelenos to the bluesy, gospely wail of Weekend Song to the soft, subtle, heartstring-tugging vocals on The Great Suburban Showdown and Souvenir... it's truly amazing to me.
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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"If there is a reviewer here who feels tempted to say, 'Billy Joel reminds me of Elton John,' if he is here, go fuck yourself. I'm sorry I play the piano, I really am." Lmao, gets me every time.
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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AEW Dynamite 2/1/23
Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley -- Moxley rushes Page before the bell!! Figure Four on the floor in the crowd by Mox! Mox wraps a chair around Page's foot and tries for a stomp off the apron, but Page gets up and slings the chair at Moxley's head!!!! Suplex on the chair on the floor by Page!! Exchange of chops in the ring! Moxley goes for a lariat, but Page catches him and lands a fall-away slam!! Fireman's carry by Page on the apron, and Page absolutely slams Moxley into the ring post, sending Moxley crashing to the outside!! Chops from Mox!! Huge elbow from Page puts Mox down outside!! Back in the ring, Page lands a DVD off the top!! Mox kicks out! Moxley gets up to his knees, and Page kicks Mox in the face each time he tries to get up, yelling at him to stay down!!! Nice!!!! Moxley flips Page off and responds with cutter. Chop and elbow exchange!! Moxley with some hard kicks, then he locks in a sleeper. Back suplex by Page! Side suplex by Moxley!! Suplex off the top by Moxley, but Page kicks out!!! Moxley immediately starts laying in the hammer and anvil elbows, followed by stomps to Page's head! Paradigm Shift attempt, but Page blocks it! Moxley locks in an armbar, but Page gets his foot on the bottom rope! Page goes for a moonsault off the top to the outside, but Moxley moves out of the way and lands a huge lariat to Page's head! Beautiful pop-up powerbomb by Page, driving Moxley through the timekeeper's table!!! Mox barely makes it back into the ring in at 9! Page lands a lariat, followed by Deadeye, but Mox kicks out! Page goes for a stomp to the head, but Mox moves out of the way and responds with huge lariat!!!!! Nasty elbows, then a thrust kick by Page!! Page lands a small package driver!! Moxley kicks out! Moxley ducks a Buckshot attempt and goes for Paradigm Shift, but Page reverses into a Tombstone!!! Page lands a Buckshot!! Moxley kicks out!!! Page locks in a bulldog choke!! Moxley manages to counter the hold by maneuvering Page's shoulders onto the mat for a three count. Bleeeehhhhhh.
That was a really great, heated match with a lame finish. Wanted to see Page go two in a row, but obviously, that was never going to happen. Great action nonetheless. Rating: 4
After the match, Page and Mox try to go at each other some more, but Claudio and Yuta come out to get between them.
Saraya and Toni Storm attack Britt Baker.
The Gunns come out to demand a tag team title match. The Acclaimed say no, but the Gunns provoke Billy into saying yes by telling him to go drown his sorrows in a pill bottle like he used to.
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brian Cage -- Beautiful Blue Thunder Bomb by Takeshita!! Cage nearly drops Takeshita on his head with a German suplex! Buckle bomb attempt by Cage, but Takeshita reverses with a hurricanrana, sending Cage into the turnbuckle! Beautiful jumping knee from Takeshita to the back of Cage's head! HUGE LARIAT BY TAKESHITA! TAKESHITA LANDS A GORGEOUS STALLING GERMAN SUPLEX!! MY GOD, THE STRENGTH!! Into a bridging pin, but Cage kicks out! Takeshita with a sit-out powerbomb!!! Takeshita goes for the jumping knee, but Cage blocks! Cage swings for a lariat, but Takeshita ducks it and responds with a DISGUSTING ROLLING ELBOW!!! OH MY GOD!!!! Cage responds with a headbutt!! Back suplex by Cage, followed by a big discus lariat! Takeshita kicks out! Takeshita lands a brainbuster, then a HUGE ELBOW, then another brainbuster!!! Cage kicks out!! Takeshita hits an avalanche brainbuster, followed by a BEAUTIFUL jumping knee to put Cage's lights out!!!! Cover by Takeshita!! 1, 2, 3!!
Wow!! Takeshita pulls a better match out of Cage than Danielson did. Takeshita's knee strike is up there with Omega's in terms of pure beauty. I am becoming obsessed with that guy. Rating: 3.5
Backstage, the JAS says Starks can have another match with Jericho, but only if he beats Parker, Menard, and Garcia or Guevara first.
The Elite extend an offer for a Trios Championship match to Top Flight and AR Fox after Top Flight's recent victory over the Bucks. The Firm comes in and challenges The Elite for Rampage. The Elite are unsure, but Callis tells Omega to think of the money they could make from an NFT of Omega giving Matt Hardy the One-Winged Angel. Excalibur: "Don Callis is so lame that he thinks NFTs are still a thing."
Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher -- LET'S GO. Thatcher immediately goes for the Fujiwara armbar, and Danielson rushes to the ropes before he can lock it in. HUGE uppercuts by Thatcher!! Thatcher with a wrist lock, then he traps the wrist on the mat and stomps!! Danielson ties up Thatcher's legs, then falls back onto the mat, wrenching down on the legs. Bow and Arrow stretch by Danielson, but Thatcher grabs the hand on the injured arm of Danielson and stomps it!!!! Danielson with some hard chops and a running dropkick in the corner! Thatcher grabs a wrist lock and picks Danielson up by the wrist!!!! Thatcher takes the hold down to the mat, and Danielson gets his foot on the rope! Thatcher lands some hard shots to Danielson's midsection with Danielson's injured arm hammerlocked behind his own back! Headbutts by Danielson in an attempt to escape!! Thatcher goes for a butterfly suplex from the top, but Danielson stops it with shots to the ribs and headbutts!! Dropkick off the top by Danielson! Thatcher gets the better of an uppercut exchange, but Danielson turns it around with vicious kicks! Thatcher blocks the last kick and goes for the armbar again, but Danielson escapes before he can lock it in!!! Danielson grabs a waist lock, and attempts a roll up, but Thatcher holds onto the ropes to stop it!! Thatcher swings for an uppercut but misses, and Danielson catches Thatcher in a backslide!! Thatcher kicks out and immediately tries for the Fujiwara armbar, but Danielson once again avoids it and lands a NASTY kick to the head!!! Thatcher kicks out!!!!!!! AAAHHHHHH!! Danielson with the hammer and anvil elbows, followed by a rear choke!!! Danielson, with the choke locked in, backs Thatcher into the corner, nailing the ref in the process!!! While the ref is down, here comes MJF with the Dynamite Diamond Ring!!! But now here comes Takeshita!! Takeshita with punches to MJF!!! The distraction allows Thatcher to finally lock in the Fujiwara armbar, but Danielson manages to get his foot on the rope!! Belly to belly suplex by Thatcher!! German suplex by Danielson!!!! Thatcher runs at Danielson, but Danielson ducks and comes back with a psycho knee!!! Cover!! 1, 2, 3!!
THAT ROCKED SO HARD!! I LOVE TIM THATCHER, SO GLAD TO SEE HIM!! Just great, back and forth wrestling here with so many great, little details. Rating: 4
After the match, MJF and Takeshita are shown backstage, still going at it! MJF throws a chair and then a trashcan at Takeshita's head!!! They lay into each other with punches until security pulls them apart!! MJF screams, "I'll kill you!!" at Takeshita. Loool. Renee enters to announce that Tony Khan has just made MJF vs. Takeshita in an eliminator match official for next week!!! MJF is livid!!! I AM SO HYPED FOR THIS!!!
Danielson vs. Rush is announced for next week. Backstage, MJF offers Rush briefcases full of money to "rip Danielson's arm off and beat him over the head with it."
Jade Cargill (c) vs. Red Velvet for the TBS Championship -- Velvet goes for a cross body to the outside off the apron, but Jade catches her. Jade carries Velvet around like a baby. Jade then presses Velvet up over her head, walks up the ring steps still holding Velvet up, and throws Velvet into the ring, causing Velvet to bounce hard off the top rope! Dropkick, lungblower, then more kicks by Velvet!! Pump kick by Jade, but Velvet kicks out!! Kiera Hogan comes out and takes out Grey at ringside. Velvet lands a big rolling kick to Jade!! Velvet covers and Jade's shoulders are down for more than three seconds, but the ref is distracted with Hogan! Ref turns around and starts the count, but Jade kicks out! Nice submission hold on the arm by Velvet, but Jade deadlifts Velvet up onto her shoulder to counter!! Velvet escapes and tries to roll up Jade, but Jade blocks it, deadlifts Velvet back up, and lands Jaded for the pinfall.
Jade is now 50-0. This was the best match of hers I think I have ever seen. Solid. Rating: 2.25
Darby Allin (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the TNT Championship (No Holds Barred) -- Darby comes out in a jacket covered in thumbtacks!!!!!!!!! He runs at Joe in the corner with the jacket on, driving the tacks into Joe!! Joe turns the momentum around with a big enziguri in the corner! Joe grabs a table from under the ring, but Darby comes flying out of the ring with a suicide dive, driving the table in Joe's hands into Joe's head!!! Darby moves the ring steps beside the barricade. Joe slings Darby, and he slides across the ring steps and over the barricade!!!!! Geez!!! They head up the arena stairs into the crowd. JOE JUST TOSSES DARBY OVER HIS SHOULDER AND OVER THE HAND RAIL!!! DARBY LANDS HARD ON HIS BACK ON THE STAIRS!! OH MY GOD! Joe slings Darby back over the barricade and slams him down on the ring steps!!!!!! Back in the ring, Joe keeps Darby down with hard kicks and chops, and wrenches down on Darby's neck!!! Joe covers Darby with his leg on Darby's head and upper body, but Darby manages to escape! Darby finally gets some separation and runs at Joe in the corner, but Joe stops him with a huge STO!!! Cover, but Darby kicks out! Joe goes for a sleeper, but Darby counters with a jawbreaker!!! Darby gets in some chops!!! But Joe stops the chops and absolutely HURLS DARBY OVER THE TOP TO THE OUTSIDE!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!!! Joe sets up two chairs back to back and drives Darby's back into the backrests with a side suplex!!! Joe goes for powerbomb, but Darby throws some sort of powder into Joe's eyes to stop it!! Darby lands a Code Red!!! Darby follows up with a stunner!!! Darby puts the thumbtack jacket back on and lands a Coffin Drop from the top!!!! Cover, but Joe kicks out!! While Joe is down, Darby removes the canvas and the padding underneath, exposing the wooden boards of the ring!!! Darby goes for a cannonball dive through the second and top rope, but Joe moves out of the way, and Darby goes back-first through a table Joe had propped up on the barricade earlier!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!! Back in the ring, Joe powerbombs Darby onto the thumbtack jacket, then wraps the jacket around Darby's face!!!!! Darby blindly gets both his thumbs into Joe's eyes to escape!!!! Darby lands chair shots to Joe's back!!!! Darby goes to the top, looking for a Coffin Drop, but Joe pulls the ref into the top rope to knock Darby off his feet!!! Joe lands an avalanche Muscle Buster on Darby on the exposed boards!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!! Cover by Joe!!! 1, 2, 3!!!!!
Damn, what a match!!!! It was full of insane spots, and I absolutely loved it. Nobody can be a badass quite like Samoa Joe. And NOBODY can take a bump like Darby Allin!!!!!!!! Sad to see Darby lose the title, but I'm good with Joe holding it. Rating: 4.25
However, I am not fine with Wardlow beating Joe for the title, which seems to be where this is going. Wardlow enters after the match and tries to powerbomb Joe, but Joe escapes.
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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Hilarious. Would love to tell my 16 year old self that I will still be losing my mind over this guy and his music at 2 AM when I have to work in the morning ten years later.
How am I ever supposed to get any work done when I literally can’t stop thinking about Billy for even two seconds
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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Piano Man Live
This is my favorite way to experience the Piano Man album. The 1977 Greenvale show at CW Post may be my favorite Billy concert I've ever heard with my absolute dream Pre-Stranger set list. I am obsessed with those versions of Travelin' Prayer, Ain't No Crime, Worse Comes to Worst, and Somewhere Along the Line. That show also includes excellent performances of Ballad of Billy the Kid, You're My Home, and Captain Jack, but I think I like the ones from the 1976 Connecticut University show slightly more. This performance of If I Only Had the Words is the only true live performance I've ever been able to find, but I think it's phenomenal.
Travelin' Prayer
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Piano Man
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Ain't No Crime
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You're My Home
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The Ballad of Billy the Kid
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Worse Comes to Worst
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Stop in Nevada
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If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)
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Somewhere Along the Line
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Captain Jack
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heartsoulrocknroll · 1 month
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Piano Man Ranked
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This was so hard for me, because I love every song on this album. These rankings are based primarily on the album versions, but if I was unsure, the position was ultimately determined by my favorite live version. I firmly believe that you can't truly appreciate how great the songs on this album are without hearing them played live by the 1976-1982 Billy Joel band.
1) The Ballad of Billy the Kid
I am so obsessed with this song. I think it's one of the greatest songs Billy has ever written, from the excellent instrumentation and arrangement to the fanastic storytelling lyrics. I love the album recording. The clip-clop of the horse hooves. The campfire harmonica. But the back and forth between the band (especially when the strings come in) and those ICONIC piano riffs does something to my brain. I freak out every time I hear it even though I've heard it repeatedly for 12 years. And the piano work throughout the entire song is just phenomenal. The live versions obviously don't have the strings, but the post-1975 live versions with the core Billy Joel band have a whole different energy that make the strings unnecessary. I have to mention the 1976 University of Connecticut live performance of this song, because that particular combination of Billy's vocals, Billy's kickass piano playing, and the band's pure energy literally makes me the audibly-yellin', hand-wavin', object-throwin' kind of insane.
2) Somewhere Along the Line
This song reminds me a bit of James Taylor in parts, but then those big backing vocals and piano riffs come in and take the song in another direction. The melody is great, the lyrics are some of the best on the album, and Billy just goes nuts on the piano, especially on the break after the third verse, during the fourth verse, and on the break that closes the song. I love the album recording, but this is another song that really comes to life in the live setting with the slightly higher tempo, the more prominent guitar riffs, Liberty on the drums, and Billy singing and playing like the world-class singer and piano player that he is.
3) Worse Comes to Worst
This song rocks so hard and blends so many musical styles. The signature guitar riff is super funky. The pedal steel guitar makes another appearance for more country undertones. The background vocals provide a gospel flavor, while the steel drums come in later on for a bit of a Caribbean feel. But even still, this remains distinctly a rock 'n' roll song. The album version is great for the aforementioned reasons, but the live versions rock so much harder. I love the 1977 CW Post live version more than life itself. I know I never shut up about it, but my god, Liberty's drumming adds so much drive to these early songs, and Billy sings the hell out of this song live.
4) Travelin' Prayer
I love absolutely everything about this song. The brushes on the drums, the bass, the opening piano, the banjo, the fiddle, the lyrics, Billy's vocal, the psychotic tempo. This is just a fantastic country/bluegrass song that takes what is great about those genres and improves it with the incorporation of Billy's brilliant piano breaks, especially the piano solo during the first instrumental break, which just rocks. This song doesn't have as strong of a country feel without the banjo and fiddle, but the live performances with Liberty's energetic drums, Richie's sax additions, Doug's driving bass, and Billy's piano improvs are incredible in an entirely different way.
5) Ain't No Crime
The soulful, gospelly vibes of this song really do it for me. I LOVE the use of the organ, and the piano riffs slap so hard it ain't funny. This is another song that needs to be heard live to be truly appreciated, with Liberty on the drums and Richie adding some sax. Billy goes crazy on the piano and does such a fantastic, soulful vocal on this song live.
6) Captain Jack
This is just an epic song. Billy's piano parts in the intro and the verses are beautifully done. The combination of Billy's organ and that legendary guitar riff in the chorus is so dramatic and really gives the song its epic feel. The lyrics are a great commentary on how people can have everything and still be overcome by the aimlessness and hopelessness of life. I like the album version, but this is another song that really takes on a whole new life in the live setting with Billy improvising on the piano and singing so incredibly well, while Liberty adds the dramatic opening cymbals and the ridiculous driving drum transitions from the third and fourth verses into the third and fourth choruses. 😭😭
7) Piano Man
No matter how many times I hear this song, I will never stop loving it. It's popular for a reason: it's great. That iconic opening piano riff gets me every time. The harmonica parts are great. The piano break after the third verse rocks on the album, and rocks even harder live. These are some of the best lyrics on the album. They are excellent, immersive, storytelling lyrics with a great rhyme scheme.
8) If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)
This is a gorgeous melody with a distinctly beautiful opening piano riff, more beautiful piano work throughout the song, and some nice strings toward the end. This is also one of those songs that really makes me go, "Damn, that guy can sing." I am a freak about singing, and there is a live version of this (supposedly from Carnegie Hall in 1974) in which Billy gives a vocal performance that brings me to tears if I focus on it too hard. Billy may not like the sound of his own voice, but I'd give anything to sing like that.
9) You're My Home
This is a great, country-sounding song. It's one of those classic, beautiful Billy Joel melodies. The album version isn't very piano-heavy, but there are a few nice piano bits in there. And the instrumentation is great nonethless, from the finger picking on the acoustic guitar to the pedal steel guitar. Billy's vocal here is really beautiful as well.
10) Stop in Nevada
This is a beautiful song with a great melody and a great build from the quiet piano and pedal steel in the verses to the big, full choruses with the backing choir and the strings
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