Customer Reviews

The Essential Billy Joel 3.0

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This past year has shown a great reminder of how influential Billy Joel's music still remains. With the recent re-relase of Billy's landmark 70's album, The Stranger, it reintroduced his songs well, to an audience and younger generation that hadn't yet heard any of Billy's classics. While he hasn't yet released a new record since 1993's River Of Dreams, his music still is just as timeless as you could imagine. But back in 2001, Billy Joel had a well-rendered hits collection, The Essential Billy Joel, which eventually introduced a whole line of double-album collections for others like Journey, Michael Jackson, and recently Elvis Presley, to a affordable price and great additions to record buyers. Now, Billy's Essential is getting a expansion, but is that expansion worth going to extremes over?

The Essential Billy Joel 3.0, expands the 2001 Essential collection by adding a 3rd disc to the collection, at the same affordable price. The songs reflect from Billy's reign of pop hits from the 70's, 80's and 90's noble and well, and have been remastered very well. As before if you've bought the original Essential Billy Joel before, you get the same tracks from the first 2 discs, which include his classics like Piano Man, River Of Dreams, New York State Of Mind, and his soulful duet with the late Ray Charles on Baby Grand, Uptown Girl, We Didn't Start The Fire, and My Life. The extra disc brings in a few additional tracks from Billy's legendary career that were overshadowed from the original collection that are big favorites like Pressure, This Is The Time and Big Shot. Sadly, my only complaint is that the extra disc could've honestly brought in more of Billy's great songs that also were missed like The Stranger, Keeping The Faith and You're Only Human (Second Wind.)

All in all, despite a few overshadowed classics, The Essential Billy Joel does a decent job at expanding the collection, but could've brought more songs in appeal to the hard core fans, but handles as a much better collection of Billy classics at the exact same affordable price as was before. If you haven't yet owned a Billy Joel record, than this would definitely be a great compilation to start. I'd absolutely recommend this as a must buy for any one who still thinks Billy Joel didn't start the fire.

Album Cover: B

Songs: B+

Price: A-

Remastering: B+

Overall: B+

If you're looking for one CD that encompases Billy Joel's entire career, this is definitely it. Actually, it's a 3-CD package that contains ALL of his hits. The 2-CD release, "The Essential Billy Joel" left out several Billy Joel hits, including "Worse Comes To Worse", "Angry Young Man", "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", "Big Shot", "All For Leyna", "Pressure", and "This Is The Time". Those songs are on this CD, along with the 36 songs on the original "Essential" CD. If you're a long-time Billy Joel fan like myself, you'll love this CD!! It's sheer perfection, as far as I'm concerned. Buy it!!

Here is a comparison of the two disc versus the three disc versions of The Essential Billy Joel. All chart positions are from Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Charts.

Songs on 2 Disc Essential Billy Joel that are NOT on Essential 3.0:
You're Only Human (Second Wind) (#9)
Modern Woman (#10)
Everybody Loves You Now
Streetlife Serenader
She's Got A Way (Studio Version)

Songs on Essential 3.0 that are not on the two disc version:
Big Shot (#14)
Pressure (#20)
She's Got A Way (Live Single Version) (#12)
Only The Good Die Young (#24)
And So It Goes (#37)
Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel) (#77)
Worse Comes To Worst (#80)
Captain Jack
Prelude/Angry Young Man
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Waltz No. 1
Invention In C Minor

Charting singles on NEITHER collection:
Modern Woman (#10)
Say Goodbye To Hollywood (Live Single Version) (#17)
Keeping The Faith (#18)
The Night Is Still Young (#34)
Sometimes A Fantasy (#36)
To Make You Feel My Love (#50)
That's Not Her Style (#77)
All Shook Up (#92)

Both collections contain 25 charting singles, 22 of which made the Top 40, 8 of those made the Top Ten, and three went all the way to #1 (It's Still Rock 'N Roll To Me, Tell Her About It, and We Didn't Start The Fire.)

Overall, I recommend this as the most comprehensive Joel collection available. If only they had filled out Disc Three with his ten remaining charting singles, we might have had a perfect collection. (My personal favorite missing track is "Keeping The Faith," but heck, there are still five other tracks here from An Innocent Man.)

Billy Joel is a brilliant singer/songwriter who has had a fair amount of hits. I bought this disc to get an overview and found myself extremely satisfied. I did feel the third disc adds quite a bit, so purchase this copy instead of the two-disc if the option comes up.

As an Essential series release, the sound is excellent and from more modern remasters then some of the older discs.

My personal favorites include Piano Man (duh), Captain Jack and Leningrad. None of the tracks screams for me to skip them, so I'm very content with this album. The price is pretty good, about $15 for 43 tracks (one or two of which are instrumentals). Billy Joel is a talented musician and after listening to this disc, I can see why he endures.

This collection is great! I have always liked his music and to get a compilation of his greatest hits is just about "the best thing I've ever known". If you REALLY like Billy Joel, you will REALLY enjoy this!

The entire CD is great if you like Billy Joel, He is very very talented. I bought the CD for the song "WE Didn't Start The Fire". One of the most unusual songs I have ever heard. History of the last fifty or sixty years set to music. Ordered it through Amazon, Great price and quick service.

Wow its not that hard people. What is here is good but where are You're Only Human and Keeping the Faith??? Inexcusable!!! Add those songs and you'd have it close. The COMPLETE Greatest Hits Box Set is also INCOMPLETE missing Honesty and Leave A Tender Moment. What a mess!!!!!

If you never bought a Billy Joel album, and let's face it you must a least 2 or 3, this is a must buy. It covers it all. Get ready ipod.