Customer Reviews

12 Gardens: Live (2CD)

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Billy Joel is one of those performers who must be seen live no matter what kind of music you listen to. Having been a fan for many years but unfortunately living in the New York metro area where one must barter kidneys and firstborn children to have even a chance at a ticket to one of his shows, I was finally able to see Billy on this tour in Philadelphia. It was well worth the twenty-odd-year wait, and "12 Gardens" is a fine representation of the show. Billy plays to both the casual fans and the diehards, including plenty of his hits ("You May Be Right," "We Didn't Start The Fire" and, of course, "Piano Man") and some obscure stuff ("Laura," "Zanzibar," "Miami 2017"). Billy's voice is still remarkable and hasn't lost much of its range, and his piano work is as always tremendous. What comes across most in "12 Gardens," though, is his obvious love of performing. He's having an absolute blast and you can hear it in every note; there is nothing better than listening to a performer who truly loves what he does.

So why only 4 stars? Personal nitpicking on my part--"Pressure" isn't included, which is a shame since he did a spectacular job of it (and it also happens to be my favorite song of his). What I was really hoping for, though, was the inclusion of his cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell," on which he played guitar and one of his roadies sang (very well, I might add!). As the friend who accompanied me to the show said, "I never thought I'd be throwing metal at a Billy Joel concert!" But don't mind my personal prejudices--if you're even a casual Billy Joel fan you'll enjoy "12 Gardens." In an age where "performers" lip-sync to pre-recorded tracks and charge hundreds of dollars for people to witness it, it's refreshing to listen to someone with immense musical talent do what he does best.

Pop music has always been about the moment--hence its name. Every once in a while, a pop artist rises above the moment, and becomes timeless. Call him pop, call him rock (hell, you can call him classical, country, blues, and jazz too, and probably several other genres), Billy Joel is a timeless musical artist. Want proof? Pick up this two disc set and listen to the musical magic.

What makes 12 GARDENS LIVES so wonderful isn't just the tunes; after all, we've heard 'em before, haven't we? Many of these have become pop/rock standards. No, what sets GARDENS apart from the rest of its ilk is that Joel is still as wonderful as he was when he came out--the man, like his music, has aged gracefully. His piano playing skills are still to be reckoned with; his voice still carries the range and tenacity that made it so delictable way back when. His energy is infectious; the live audience feels it, and you do too, with these classic songs of love, life, hope, and rejuvenation blaring in your ears. From the poetic "New York State of Mind," to the memorial "Goodnight Saigon," to the raunchy "Only the Good Die Young," to the rowdy "You May Be Right," to the satiric "The Entertainer"...you get the idea. These songs are golden. And probably the most telling songs on the album come at the end of the second disc: Joel's musical anthem "And So It Goes" (and so he does), and the unlisted track just following, "It's Still Rock 'n Roll To Me." Both songs are about timelessness and continuity, about keeping face and moving on. That's what Billy Joel has done for decades; 12 GARDENS LIVE is simply another great pop/rock/whatever album by one of the most talented musical artists in the world.

Billy Joel, like his 88-key counterpart Elton John, started as a troubador and turned those early years pounding a piano in various dives and small venues into quite an illustrious career as one of pop music's most enduring and best loved singer-songwriters, who also happened to be able to bring down the house when on stage. "12 Gardens Live" is an audio illustration of why Joel has always been exceptional live - the ability to take his pop confections, album standards and deep cuts and give them new life in front of an audience. That he sold out 12 nights at Madison Square Garden is no surprise-Joel's still got the chops, both vocally and on the piano, and easily punctuates why the piano is an integral part of rock and roll, while not neglecting the guitar and sax. And New York is a "hometown" audience, so of course he's right at home there. His energy for performing is evident and some of the rearrangements let the songs take off on their own now and then with interesting results. Playing songs rarely heard live, like "Laura" and "She's Right on Time" (from "The Nylon Curtain"), the single "The Night is Still Young," and "Don't Ask Me Why" (from "Glass Houses") side by side with Joel's list of tried and true concert favorites make for a nice collection of some of his best material. However, unlike Elton John, who's proven that one can grow old gracefully on record and still make good on stage, Joel's been sadly absent from the studio these last years and if anything what's only missing from this great set is some recent material, as there's nothing here written after "River of Dreams." If anything "12 Gardens Live" serves to prove that Joel's got what it takes-the Piano Man can play and certainly he can also write; Joel just needs to get in the studio and get back to doing what he's quite obviously so good at.

Compiled over a 12 night run in Madison Square Garden, this is Billy Joel's third live album and first since 2000. The original live LP was 1981's brilliant "Songs in the Attic"; a collection of live tracks representing Billy's first four albums recorded in the 70's. This was followed up by 1987's inconsistent "Kohuept", recorded in Leningrad and representing mainly his 80's career including a Beatles and a Dylan cover. "Live at Yankee Staduim" is a paltry 5 track effort of a very good concert, while "2000 Years: The Millennium Concert" is performed well but doesn't really add to Joel's discography.

While "Songs in the Attic" and "Kohuept" depicted certain periods in Billy Joel's career, "12 Gardens" highlights the whole of his career on 32 tracks (two of which are the 16th track of each disc).

Every studio album is represented (^ denotes song has not been included on a former live CD):
* Cold Spring Harbor by "Everybody Loves You Now"
* Piano Man by "Piano Man" and "The Ballad of Billy the Kid"
* Streetlife Serenader by "The Entertainer"^
* Turnstiles by "Angry Young Man", "New York State of Mind" and "Miami 2017"
* The Stranger by "Vienna"^, "Movin' Out"^, "Always a Woman"^, "Only the Good Die Young" and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant"
* 52nd Street by "My Life", "Zanzibar"^ and "Big Shot"
* Glass Houses by "You May Be Right", "Don't Ask Me Why" and "Still Rock and Roll" (hidden track)
* Nylon Curtain by "Allentown", "Laura"^, "Room of Our Own"^ (hidden track), "She's Right on Time"^ and "Goodnight Saigon"
* Innocent Man by "An Innocent Man" and "Keeping the Faith"^
* The Bridge by "Matter of Trust"
* Storm Front by "The Downeaster Alexa"^, "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "And So It Goes"^
* River of Dreams by "River of Dreams" and "Great Wall of China"^
* "The Night is Still Young"^ from the Greatest Hits II is also included.

13 of the 32 tracks haven't been released live before.

Notes:
* "Angry Young Man" is played in the reggae style of the album version as opposed to the rock version on Kohuept.
* "Allentown" has a beefier sound due to a more prominent guitar. I still prefer the Kohuept version.
* "Miami 2017" feels as though it is being sung in a prophetic way since the September 11 incident which makes it so much more meaningful.
* "New York State of Mind" is not quite as good as the Yankee Stadium version of 15 years ago.
* "Downeaster Alexa" is one of the most amazing songs ever written; it's imagery and emotion places me right there off the north east coast every time (and I live half a world away). I prefer the Yankee Stadium version with the violin and piano accordian which is unfortunately not released on CD. This version is not as haunting, but the lead guitar is worth having.
* Billy's singing range isn't as broad as it was 20 years ago. However, this is almost unnoticable (except on River of Dreams) and doesn't in any way affect one's enjoyment of the CD.
* Although the songs are a compilation from the 12 shows, they flow as if you are listening to a concert.
* The CD is missing gems from the "Innocent Man" album. I have no idea if the band played Uptown Girl, Tell Her About It or The Longest Time. At least Uptown Girl is on Kohuept. I'm also disappointed that "The Bridge", "River of Dreams" and "Glass Houses" are represented by the same songs again on "12 Gardens" as they have been in the past.

Overall, Billy's in fine form on this CD; there is no chatter between songs - the only obstacle on Kohuept and he is singing to fellow New Yorkers. "12 Gardens" is definately the live CD to buy for anyone wanting to add a bit of Billy to their broad CD catalogue. While it isn't as beautiful as "Songs in the Attic" (due to Billy's voice and song types) it is better value than "Kohuept" (although I do love the less well-known songs played on Kohuept like "Stiletto" and "Sometimes a Fantasy", and despite Billy's better singing performance on Kohuept). If I do have one criticism of "12 Gardens" it would be the non-singles are not my favourite Billy Joel songs, despite the fact they are superbly played. This is just personal preference anyway.

Finally, if you are a Billy Joel fan you must have this CD; it represents his career thoroughly and entertains as only Billy Joel can.

I have been a Billy Joel fan all my life. I would have loved to have seen him in concert in Madison Square Garden. This 2 disc set of live performances is probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing him live. Most of his biggest hits on here. I enjoyed classic songs like Movin Out, Big Shot, New York State of Mind, and Piano Man. However, I think that some of his biggest hit songs are not included here like Honesty, Uptown Girl, You're Only Human, and Pressure, but I guess these songs are not as popular as the ones he performed. Billy Joel has always been able to identify with the common working man, and I think this is why he has lasted so long. One of my favorite tracks is Downeaster Alexa. This song is a tribute to his daughter and to the many fishermen who struggle each day to make a living. Another excellent working man song is Billy's hit from 1982 entitled Allentown. I also enjoyed the track Vienna. This is a lesser known but very lovely song about trying to slow to enjoy life. Always A Woman is a beautiful love song that won the Grammy for best song in 1979. Overall, I think Billy sounds great vocally and on the piano here. The musicians in his band are excellent too.

I was luck enough to be at one of his tweleve shows at Madison Square Garden. The concert from start finish was great. He played not only old standards that you would expect like Piano Man, and Scenes from an Italian Resturant, but also played songs that I frankly, have not heard in years like Zanzibar, and Downeaster Alexa. This concert proves that even with Billy Joel's recent personal problems he still has amazing talent. I often purchase concert albums with the hopes of recatpuring shows I've seen; sadly, most of the time I am disappionted. Not here, this CD really captures not only Joel's great show, but the enthusiasm the crowd had for him. I highly recomend this CD.

The first question that begs answering is:, "What is the point of this album?" We already have "2000 Years: the Millenium Concert," and Billy has not released a studio album (of pop music) since then. Was Billy not happy with the "2000 Years" album? Perhaps the answer lies in a perusal of the two set lists. To be sure, there's lots of overlap between the two - Only the Good Die Young, Allentown, and Angry Young Man are on both discs (and also on the Leningrad album). However, there are many lesser-known pieces that are on this live album and no other (of his 4 major live releases). Obviously this is the reason to get the disc, so I'll list them here: The Entertainer, Vienna, The Night is Still Young, Zanzibar, Great Wall of China, She's Right on Time, Laura, Room of Our Own, Downeaster Alexa, Always a Woman, Keeping the Faith, and And So it Goes. This is a pretty long list, and makes it worth having both the Millenium Concert and 12 Gardens.

That's for the die-hard Billy Joel fan, of course. What the average Joe wants to know is, "is this album better than his other live albums?" The answer may depend on the songs you want to have in your collection. Certainly, the Leningrad versions of "A Matter of Trust," "Angry Young Man," and "Allentown" are far superior to the versions on this album, just as "Miami 2017" and "Everybody Loves You Now" are far superior on "Songs in the Attic." I think this is because Billy can't seem to bring the same energy the songs. This is true of most of the songs until the last 1/3 of the concert - this album's versions of "Only the Good Die Young" and "You May be Right" are the best live versions I've heard of these songs (including the concert videos).

So what about the other important Live Album Criterion: Are there versions on here superior to any other version of the song - including the original studio versions? The answer, fortunately, is "yes." To be sure, the "Ballad of Brenda and Eddie" section of "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" should be better live, as it was born as a live song. On this album, it is abundantly clear that the only way to appreciate this song is live. I also enjoyed these versions of "Zanzibar" and "Vienna" at least as much as the studio versions. Similarly, live albums often find their best moments when the audience can participate, and certainly being in the middle of 25,000 people all singing "Piano Man" is the ultimate moment in audience participation; it comes across very well on this recording. A second audience participation moment that is a pleasant surprise appears on "Keeping the Faith," another song that is far superior here than on the studio recording.

There are some outright disappointments, i.e., "Goodnight Saigon," "Angry Young Man," and "The Downeaster Alexa," which are not performed that well, especially the funereal pace of "Goodnight Saigon." However, on the balance, this is a good live album, especially for the more obscure songs (for the big Billy fans) and the energy and fun of the latter parts of the concert.

"12 Gardens Live" is definitely Billy Joel's best live album ever, and one worthy of attention to both those familiar with his elegant songwriting and those who aren't. If nothing else, "12 Gardens Live" demonstrates why Billy Joel isn't just an elder statesman of American rock and roll, but one of our most talented American songwriters working in any genre, having created a body of work which deserves comparison with those from George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Much to my amazement, Joel's singing is as robust as ever, with a deep vocal and emotional range, that will remind devout fans of his elegant singing from his classic mid 1970s and early 1980s studio albums. This splendid new live allbum is worth its weight in gold, merely for his magnificient performances of "My Life", "Only the Good Die Young", "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" and "Big Shot". But there are memorable performances of lesser known Billy Joel hits, including "Goodnight Saigon", "Laura", and especially, "Miami 2017". This splendid album also records the considerable enthusiasm and appreciation shown by Joel's fans at his Madison Square Garden concerts, most memorably in an audience sing-a-long version of "Piano Man".

Recorded during his sold-out 2006 performances at New York City's Madison Square Garden (The album's title makes an oblique reference to this, and the fact that he set a record for any artist by having twelve sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden.), Joel is ably supported by his band comprised by some long-time acquaintances and friends from his prior touring bands. The only notable omission is long-time drummer Liberty De Vito, though the current drummer does a fine job playing as if he was indeed De Vito. There are a total of 32 songs on this two CD set (There are two hidden surprises in store on each CD which I won't disclose.) that comprise a veritable musical history of Billy Joel's songwriting from the early 1970s to the early 1990s (Regrettably one notable omission is "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", which has been covered successfully by both Nigel Olsson, Elton John's original - and long-time - drummer and Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes.). My only criticism is the poor album packaging done by Sony Columbia, but it is a minor complaint when what is offered here is without question, Billy Joel's best live album.

Billy Joel has had a rough couple of years. He has been in rehab a few times and crashed some cars. He has managed to turn things around lately with a new marriage and this amazing live cd of his twelve night stand at Madison Square Garden. Lets look at the things that matter. His pianao playing is still top notcha and he rushes some numbers and is ponderous on another but he has agreat back up band and vocalsists. Now we come to the voice itself. At 55, Billy has lowered the keys on most of his numbers and i say so what. We all get older. At least he is not trying to pretend to hide the passage of time.His voice actually gets stronger as the concert progresse, allowing him to hit the high notes on "An Innocent Man" and he actually seesm to thrive on the energy of the crowd so with the exception of Piano Man, his voice has held up well. Still has the pipes.Unlike Elton John who cant sing any more. Billy still sounds like bILLY.i GUESS i wish he would record a new album of songs, but this live cd sates me for along time to come.

I saw two of Billy Joel's concerts from his recent 2006 US Tour. Both shows were at the Hartford Civic Center. Fortunately, he changed some of the songs at each show so I got an excellent mix of classic Joel songs. However, the one thing that stood out above everything else was that Billy Joel was having a great time on stage. His voice was as good as ever, the interaction he had with his audience was outstanding, and most importantly, his song selection was terrific at each show I attended.

Billy Joel's new CD, "12 Gardens Live", has allowed me to relive those two Hartford concerts. The song selection is wonderful (my favorites being Don't Ask Me Why, Laura, Keeping The Faith, The Great Wall Of China, and Zanzibar) and the CD has brilliantly captured the very essence of the show itself. I've been lucky to have seen every solo Billy Joel concert tour since the Nylon Curtain Tour of 1982-1983 and even though he's much tamer now than in his younger days, the enthusiasm and showmanship is very much alive. I highly recommend "12 Gardens Live". You won't be disappointed.