Joel’s Message

Perhaps what Steve Hochman (concert review, March 31) really meant when he wrote that Billy Joel failed to “test” his audience is that Joel chose to skip the long, dry, preachy political sermons that so many artists seem to include in their sets these days.

Unlike other artists who make the mistake of thinking that their audience will remember their pontification as more than as excuse to applaud, Joel sticks to what he knows the best: rock ‘n’ roll.

JED BLAUGRUND, Los Angeles