BILLY JOEL : THE ESSENTIAL BILLY JOEL

 

Disc One (75:34)

  1. Just The Way You Are
  2. My Life
  3. It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me
  4. An Innocent Man
  5. Piano Man
  6. You're My Home
  7. Everybody Loves You Now
  8. The Entertainer
  9. Streetlife Serenader
  10. New York State Of Mind
  11. Say Goodbye To Hollywood
  12. She's Got A Way
  13. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
  14. She's Always A Woman
  15. Honesty
  16. You May Be Right
  17. Don't Ask Me Why
  18. Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)

Disc Two (78:45)

  1. Uptown Girl
  2. Tell Her About It
  3. The River Of Dreams
  4. The Longest Time
  5. We Didn't Start The Fire
  6. Goodnight Saigon
  7. Allentown
  8. All For Leyna
  9. This Is The Time
  10. Leave A Tender Moment Alone
  11. A Matter Of Trust
  12. Modern Woman
  13. Baby Grand
  14. I Go To Extremes
  15. Leningrad
  16. The Downeaster Alexa
  17. You're Only Human (Second Wind)
  18. All About Soul

Label : Columbia

Release Year : 2009

Review (AllMusic) : Released in conjunction with Billy Joel's grand experiment with classical music, The Essential Billy Joel was a welcome reminder of Billy Joel's way with a pop song, improving on the previous Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2 by extending into the '90s and delving deeper into his catalog. There were some casualties along the way - it's easy for a fan to carp about the absence of personal favorites like "She's Right on Time" or "Travelin' Prayer," and it may even make some sense that "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" or "Shameless" didn't make the cut, but it's mind-boggling that "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" isn't here (we won't mention that the classical pieces that end the record, no matter how surprisingly good they are, are as out of place as Attila would have been) - but for the most part, this has every one of Joel's heavy-hitters, and his craftsmanship, both as a songsmith and record maker, has never shone brighter. The biggest fault is that there is a notable drop-off in quality after 1986's The Bridge (which ends midway through disc two), but even so, this is as good a distillation of Joel's talents imaginable. In fact, as the first disc unfurls, even cynics may wonder why he's been dogged by the critics, since singer/songwriter pop doesn't come better than "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," "New York State of Mind," "Only the Good Die Young," "My Life," "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," "Don't Ask Me Why," "Allentown," and their seven companions.