Billy Joel has said he thinks The Beatles‘ ‘White Album’ is a “collection of half-assed songs”.
The Piano Man made the remarks on Bill Maher’s podcast Club Random, where the pair were discussing classic double albums. When Maher suggested ‘The White Album’, Joel responded: “I’m not a big fan of the White album, but some people love it.
“I hear it as a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore”, he continued. “I think they had fragments and they put them on the album.”
He went on to say that “I think John [Lennon] was dissasociating at that point,” adding: “I think Paul [McCartney] was carrying the weight”.
Joel theorised that the band “had their ups and downs” as to why the ‘White Album’ took a dip in quality, going on to explain: “Somethimes they were more prolific and sometimes they weren’t, and I hear that in some of those things”.
Take a listen to Billy Joel’s thoughts on ‘The White Album’ around 22 minutes in:
On the same podcast, Billy Joel gave an update on his health since being diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
The singer cancelled all of his upcoming tour dates – including his headline UK shows – after receiving news of the diagnosis in May.
Speaking to Maher, Joel said that the disorder “sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling”, sharing that he currently feels “fine” but his “balance sucks”, likening it to “being on a boat”. “It’s not fixed, it’s still being worked on,” he added of the condition.
When asked what causes the disorder, Joel shared: “Nobody knows. They don’t know. I thought it must be from drinking. I don’t anymore, but I used to like a fish.”
Elsewhere, Joel’s new two-part documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes premiered earlier this week, which saw him reveal that he attempted to take his own life twice after having an affair with his best friend’s wife.