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The Essential Billy Joel (2CD) [Original recording remastered]

~ Billy Joel

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Price:	�7.48 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

Audio CD (25 April 2005)
Number of Discs: 2
Format: Original recording remastered
Label: Columbia
ASIN: B0000DZ6KA
Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,173 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)
Popular in these categories:
#72 in Music > Rock > Greatest Hits
#89 in Music > Adult Contemporary > Singer-songwriters

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Disc: 1
1. Just The Way You Are
2. My Life
3. It's Still Rock And 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
See all 18 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
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
See all 18 tracks on this disc

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Early in his career, Billy Joel seemed cynical about fame, even as that distrust bore strange fruit: mainstream superstardom (thanks to "Just the Way You Are", "Honesty" and "My Life") and multiple Grammy awards, as well as the critic's-whipping-boy status that went with them. Maybe it was that restlessness--or undiluted cynicism--that inspired left turns into roots and nostalgia (the spunky "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me", "You May Be Right", "Uptown Girl" and "The Longest Time") as his career peaked. Perhaps not surprisingly, not long after Joel's writing seemed to find its most satisfying balance of angst and mature reflection on songs such as "Storm Front" and "River of Dreams", he threatened to bolt the pop music business altogether. The 2001 recordings of "Waltz No. 1" and "Invention in C Minor" that round out this set are the unlikely products of Joel's commitment to classical music. Billy Joel remains both a true, if oft-lambasted, American pop icon and that rarest of animals, a bonafide crowd-pleaser with a serious case of 'tude. Both are well chronicled here. --Jerry McCulley

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good investment, 7 Mar 2006

By	"theonlynicknameleft" - See all my reviews

This compilation, despite its shortcomings, is an excellent way to get into the music of an artist who, in my opinion, has not received nearly enough critical acclaim or public recognition on this side of the Atlantic throughout his career. Billy Joel is one of the great performers - a virtuoso pianist with both Jazz and classical tendencies, and a powerful and versatile voice to match. What's more - he writes all of his own material - lyrics and music - virtually without exception. All this adds up to a deeply personal and highly original musical collection. I would agree with another reviewer that Billy Joel is very hard to categorise - largely because he is anything but a one-trick pony (like so many other pop musicians) and writes in a plethora of styles.

About the content of the compilation: -
Highlights of the superb first CD include upbeat rock'n'roll numbers such as "My Life" and "The Entertainer", a beautifully crafted Blues ballad "New York State of Mind", the moving "You're my Home", the hypnotic and experimental "Streetlife Serenader" and funky classic "Movin'Out"

CD 2 includes the overplayed "Uptown Girl" (which frankly often merely lends Billy Joel the unfair label of "cheese"), the catchy political tale "Allentown", the passionate "All for Leyna", and the power-ballad "All about soul".

However, I would have preferred to see the likes of "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and "Don't Ask me why" left aside, and in retrospect, "Zanzibar", "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and "Captain Jack" do seem like surprising absentees. I might have also included lesser-known album tracks such as "Where's the Orchestra", "The Great Suburban Showdown" and "State of Grace" - but that's perhaps down to personal preference.

To conclude, this is the best greatest hits compilation of Billy Joel to be released to date and is much better value for money than the recent single CD issue of "The Piano Man". Enjoy!

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, 12 Aug 2004

By	Oscillator (Carluke) - See all my reviews

Billy Joel doesn't seem to have received much critical praise. The problem is how to categorise him. He doesn't operate in the same field as Dylan or Springsteen, whilst the only similarity between him and sorry, ugh, Elton John is that they both play piano. However, across these two discs is evidence of considerable talent. One of Joel's greatest strengths is his seemingly endless gift for melody. That strength is underlined by the double whammy of 'Just The Way You Are' and 'My Life' that kick this compilation off. Across the two discs, as well as the usual suspects, are less well known classics such as "Leave A Tender Moment Alone', and 'New York State of Mind'.
Of course, we will all have favourites that haven't been included. I would like to have seen "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant' and 'Only The Good Die Young' but that night have caused Joel's breakthrough album 'The Stranger'to be over represented. And although it was a hit I could do without 'It's Still Rock N Roll To Me' which would be more convincing if the music wasn't so polite. Indeed the album that song comes from 'Glass Houses' suffers from trying to be tough - Joel simply can't do tough, it's not his strength. However, the songs from an Innocent Man, Joel's love letter to his youth are perfect evoking such classics as 'Stand By Me', 'Spanish Harlem' and artists such as The Four Seasons but somehow avoiding pastiche.
No doubt like many in the UK, I have a problem relating to 'We Didn't Start The Fire'. It probably had to be included but, after the Iraq war, its petulant blanket defence of the USA's foreign actions is even harder for me to take, especially when Joel can write a sensitive Vietnam song such as 'Goodnight Saigon'.
Despite a few reservations then, this is a very good compilation demonstrating the depth of Joel's back catalogue.

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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely COOL, 23 May 2006

By	Aveen A. Ameen "Avoona" (Baghdad - IRAQ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Billy Joel's Piano Man, New York State of Mind, She's Always A Woman,.....etc... You'll absolutely gonna LOVE all the songs in this 2 CDs pack... go for it :)

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece collection...
This is a masterpiece collection... and I do like the mixture of talent in lyrics and musical composition. Read more

Published 15 months ago by J. Johnstone

5.0 out of 5 stars The Billy Joel State of Mind
From his session work on a Shangri Las single and a first album issued at the wrong speed Billy Joel has come a long way from the days he was touted as the New Bob Dylan. Read more

Published 18 months ago by Richard

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	73% buy the item featured on this page: The Essential Billy Joel (2CD) 4.6 out of 5 stars (5) �7.48
	15% buy Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel 3.0 out of 5 stars (5) �4.98
	6% buy The Ultimate Collection 4.6 out of 5 stars (11) �15.69
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