Billy Joel is "Back in the U.S.S.R." on HBO Concert Special.

Reporter John Seabrook talks about the state of the live concert business, and how it got that way. His article on the topic, in this week's issue of The New Yorker, is "The Price of the Ticket."

The pop star has a flair for the extravagant, to say the least, but his new album is stripped down. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the "Elton John excess," his fear of sex as a young man, and how Liberace's example encouraged John to make the piano a star instrument.

Nearly 40 years ago, The Rolling Stones decided to film four performances in Ft. Worth and Houston for a theatrical release. The finished film, Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Rolling Stones, has just been released on DVD. Critic Milo Miles reviews the performance.