Details
Track Listing
DISC 1: GREATEST HITS VOLUME I (1973-1977):
1. Piano Man
2. Captain Jack
3. Entertainer, The
4. Say Goodbye to Hollywood
5. New York State of Mind
6. Stranger, The
7. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
8. Just the Way You Are
9. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
10. Only the Good Die Young
11. She's Always a Woman
DISC 2: GREATEST HITS VOLUME II (1978-1985):
1. My Life
2. Big Shot
3. You May Be Right
4. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
5. Don't Ask Me Why
6. She's Got a Way
7. Pressure
8. Allentown
9. Goodnight Saigon
10. Tell Her About It
11. Uptown Girl
12. Longest Time, The
13. You're Only Human (Second Wind)
14. Night Is Still Young, The
DISC 3: GREATEST HITS VOLUME III (1986-1997):
1. Keeping the Faith
2. Innocent Man, An
3. Matter of Trust, A
4. Baby Grand - (with Ray Charles)
5. This Is the Time
6. Leningrad
7. We Didn't Start the Fire
8. I Go to Extremes
9. And So It Goes
10. Downeaster "Alexa," The
11. Shameless
12. All About Soul - (remix)
13. Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
14. River of Dreams, The
15. To Make You Feel My Love
16. Hey Girl
17. Light as the Breeze
DISC 4: AN EVENING OF QUESTIONS & ANSWERS...& A LITTLE MUSIC:
1. Billy Joel Spoken Intro/Music Concepts - (dialogue)
2. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant - (previously unreleased)
3. Beatles Influence - (dialogue)
4. Hard Day's Night - (previously unreleased)
5. Why Vienna? - (dialogue)
6. Vienna - (previously unreleased)
7. History Through Music - (dialogue)
8. We Didn't Start the Fire - (previously unreleased)
9. Music Source - (dialogue)
10. River of Dreams, The - (previously unreleased)
11. Piano Bar - (dialogue)
12. Piano Man - (previously unreleased)
Album Notes
Personnel includes: Billy Joel (vocals, guitar, harmonica, accordion, piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, melodica, keyboards); T-Bone Wolk (vocals, bass); Ray Charles (vocals, piano); Crystal Taliefero (vocals, percussion); Larry Carlton, Hiram Bullock, Steve Kahn, David Brown, Danny Kortchmar, Dann Huff (guitar); Paul Franklin (pedal steel guitar); Richie Cannata (flute, clarinet, saxophone, organ); Clint Black (harmonica); Mark Rivera (alto & tenor saxophones, synthesizer, percussion); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Richard Tee, Matt Rollings (piano); Wilton Felder, Neil Stubenhaus, Will Lee (bass); Willie Weeks, Sean Pelton, Liberty DeVitto, Ron Tutt, Zachary Alford (drums); Peter Cetera, Trisha Yearwood, Color Me Badd (background vocals).
Producers include: Billy Joel, Phil Ramone, Mick Jones, Danny Kortchmar, Peter Asher.
Includes liner notes by Timothy White.
This beautifully packaged four-cd boxed set, complete with extensive liner notes, biographical information, and comprehensive lyric sheets, is an essential collection for any Billy Joel fan. The chronologically arranged material on THE COMPLETE HITS unfolds like a historical survey of the past 25 years, underscoring Joel's acute social awareness, which is especially evident on songs like "Leningrad" and "Allentown:" "Every child had a pretty good shot/To get at least as far as their old man got/But something happened on the way to that place/They threw an American flag in our face." Also prevalent are Joel's matchless romantic ballads, including "She's Got a Way" and "She's Always a Woman," and his unshakable pop hits like "Uptown Girl," and "Keeping the Faith." Billy Joel's songs are so consistently familiar that it's easy to forget how groundbreaking and distinctive his dynamic, piano-led arrangements were when he began his career; this collection accentuates the timeless, lasting nature of Joel's accomplishments.
Industry Reviews
Joel's three hit collections, plus a bonus, fans-only disc with live cuts and highlights of his anecdotal, often amusing college lectures... - Rating: B
Entertainment Weekly (12/12/1997)
4 out of 5 stars - ...piano-playing and melodic style...[with] eclectic musical influences and lyrical diversity...confirm he's much more than just a romantic balladeer...
Q (01/01/2002)
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