The Essential Billy Joel

• Artist: Billy Joel
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 02, 2001
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rock

Review

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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Piano Man	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(5:38)
You're My Home	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:13)
Captain Jack	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(7:18)
The Entertainer	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:40)
Say Goodbye to Hollywood	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:38)
Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(5:14)
New York State of Mind	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(6:05)
She's Always a Woman	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:21)
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:30)
Only the Good Die Young	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:55)
Just the Way You Are	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:50)
Honesty	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:53)
My Life	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:44)
It's Still Rock & Roll to Me	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(2:57)
You May Be Right	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:15)
Don't Ask Me Why	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(2:59)
She's Got a Way	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:01)
Allentown	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:50)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Goodnight Saigon	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(7:04)
An Innocent Man	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(5:20)
Uptown Girl	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:17)
The Longest Time	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:42)
Tell Her About It	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:52)
Leave a Tender Moment Alone	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:56)
A Matter of Trust	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:11)
Baby Grand	Billy Joel	Ray Charles, Billy Joel	(4:05)
I Go to Extremes	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:23)
We Didn't Start the Fire	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:50)
Leningrad	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:06)
The Downeaster "Alexa"	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:44)
And So It Goes	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:37)
The River of Dreams	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(4:07)
All About Soul [Remix]	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(6:00)
Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)	Billy Joel	Billy Joel	(3:33)
Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel)	Billy Joel	Richard Joo	(6:55)
Invention in C Minor	Billy Joel	Richard Joo	(1:00)

Credits

Billy Joel (Harmonica), Billy Joel (Piano), Billy Joel (Keyboards), Billy Joel (Vocals), Billy Joel (Producer), Billy Joel (Main Performer), Don DeVito (A&R), Ted Jensen (Digital Remastering), Christopher Austopchuk (Art Direction), Art Maillet (Photography), Patrick Demarchelier (Photography), Andreas Meyer (Mastering), Mark Feldman (Marketing), Richard Huyghe (Piano), Gary Montalvo (Art Direction), Greg Linn (Production Director), Greg Linn (Marketing), Sharon Czechowski (Administration), Jane Arginteanu (Administration), Richard Joo (Performer)

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