When it comes down great guilty pleasure artists, we often seem to forget what influence they've made on music today, especially back in the 80's. For those acts, we always will think of Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince. But, for Billy Joel, he really made the best that was still coming around. 35 years after he broke ground with Piano Man, he has still dominated with his music on the radio. While he hasn't recorded an album since 1993's River Of Dreams, his music still stands the test of time because it is worth while from beginning to end. But for those who seem more interested in acts like Britney Spears and anyone who has been on American Idol, and doesn't own a Billy Hoel record, than this is a start to download for your MP3 player.

The Essential Billy Joel is a collection of over 30 tracks from Billy's long and successful career from the 70's, 80's and 90's. The songs here have all been remastered well, and chronicle a innocent man who has made the music of our times. The collection includes a lot of great standards he has made his own for over 35 years like Piano Man, River Of Dreams, We Didn't Start The Fire, the delight diddy Uptown Girl, and The Longest Time, all the way to #1 hits like My Life, It's Still Rock N' Roll To Me and Allentown. There is so much that is great in music, but there are a few of his great songs that were sadly overlooked like You're Only Human (Second Wind), Modern Woman and a few other good songs. But, those are small complaints, because those songs were only minor hits. Instead, the collectin includes some of his songs from his 2001 classical pop album instead.

All in all, The Essential Billy Joel is a very strong and standard greatest hits album from beginning to end that is fun and a joy to listen to, whether you're a hard core fan, or anyone who is new to Billy Joel's songs. This album is definitely a great purchase to download off the internet, or buy from your local record store. Even though Billy Joel hasn't made anything new in awhile, his music is still making us go to extremes.

Songs: B+

Price: B 1/2+

Remastering: A-

Overall: B+

This is a great CD set by one of America's favorite singer, songwriters.
Great price, fast shipping, it's a joy to listen to these songs over and over!

Billy Joel's contribution to CBS' "Essential" series is a carrear spanning 2 CD set that starts with 1973's "Piano Man" through his recent entry into the classical field "Fantasies and Delusions". While long time fans like myself have everything here, this is probably aimed at those who passed on his 2 previous collections or the pricey box set "My Lives". If you're a casual fan or buying this as a gift you'll find a perfect mix of certified hits and buried treasures. But I can only give this set 3 stars because while it duplicates much of what was on the first 2 sets, several classics are dropped (Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, The Stranger, Big Shot), Other classics are omitted yet again (Angry Young Man, The Legend of Billy the Kid, Just a Fantasy), or studio versions have been used when live versions are much more definitive. "She's Got a Way" first appeared on Billy's debut album "Cold Spring Harbor" and was revived for his first (and best) live album "Songs in the Attic", becoming a surprise Top 10 hit for him. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" also appeared on "Songs.." and hit the Top 20 in its live version. So why is the inferior studio version from "Turnstiles" here? Same with "Miami 2017 (See the Lights Go Out on Broadway)", this song was a powerhouse rocker on "Songs.." and took on new meaning after 9/11. So why is the slower, studio version here? CBS should've taken the same approach they used with Bruce Springsteen's "Essential" disc. A special 3cd limited edition was released first, then phased out in favor of a 2 disc version. This way a third could've included the following;

Stop in Nevada
The Great Suburban Showdown
You're Only Human (Second Wind)
The Night is Still Young
Angry Young Man
Just a Fantasy
To Make You Feel My Love
No Man's Land
The Legend of Billy the Kid (Live version)
I've Loved These Days
This is the Time
The Mexican Connection
Root Beer Rag
Easy Money

To be fair, CBS did correct 2 problems from previous collections. "My Life" is presented in its full-length album version from "52nd Street". "New York State of Mind" is minus the additional sax breaks that I thought were unnecessary. And while I prefer the live version of "You're My Home", the studio version here is a nice bonus.

If you love Billy Joel you gotta have this. If you like Billy Joel you gotta have this. If you love good must with a lot of variety you gotta have this.

Billy Joel makes some awesome music. Some people will tell you to get his "Greatest Hits" Volumes 1, 2and 3; and I think they have a good point. However, for the casual fan who never got around to buying all of Billy's albums, this is an excellent value even if it does exclude "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant."

This two CD set is brimming over with solid Billy Joel hits. The first CD begins with his classic hit, "Piano Man." Billy both sings and plays the piano well and the harmonica adds to the number. Billy sings about his job playing piano in a piano bar--excellent tune! "You're My Home" is another beautiful ballad about the importance of having a stable lover in your life; Billy sings this well and his excellent diction enhances his performance. Similarly, "Captain Jack" gives us another remarkably good, solid Billy Joel number. "Captain Jack" features great piano by Billy as he sings of a lonely person with a life that isn't exactly all that fulfilling.

"New York State Of Mind" pays tribute to New York City and all its wonderful attractions; Billy sings this with great sensitivity and he plays his piano flawlessly. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" deals with the frustration most young people eventually experience as they see that life isn't all that easy; listen for a strong musical arrangement for "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)." In addition, Billy cries out to young people to enjoy themselves with his rocking tune "Only The Good Die Young." The handclapping gives this tune a slightly 1950s flavor to it; and this works well for "Only The Good Die Young."

"Honesty," one of my very favorite Billy Joel songs, features Billy singing of how he wants a woman to love him for himself instead of just pretending to love him while playing games. Billy's piano is beautiful; and the strings enhance "Honesty" as well. "Allentown" is another great number with percussion and a rocking beat to spare!

The second CD continues the great numbers. "Tell Her About It" encourages young men to tell their girlfriends that they really love them; this ballad features a solid beat with a backup chorus to bolster Billy's vocals. "Baby Grand," another favorite of mine, features the great Ray Charles swinging soft and slow with Billy. Together they compare their love for women to their love for their pianos and the music they make. "Baby Grand" will please you very much.

"I Go To Extremes," a number about manic-depression, features Billy singing better than ever! The percussion and drums greatly enhance "I Go To Extremes." "We Didn't Start The Fire" allows Billy to reminisce about major events in modern history and imply that the lust for life, the "fire," is something within all of us.

"Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" gives us Billy singing a sweet song about communication between a man and his woman and their lasting bond as well. "Invention In C Minor" is thrown in, too, to demonstrate Billy's love for classical music.

The liner notes include some great photos of Billy; and we get the recording years and albums from which these songs were taken.

Overall, this is not as complete as it should be; we don't get song like "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" or "Pressure;" and many Billy Joel fans already purchased the albums that have the numbers on this two CD set. I have to take off one star for that to make this a four star review. However, this two CD set is great for a more casual fan like myself who doesn't own all of Billy's albums. If you like this but want something more satisfying, try Billy Joel's Greatest Hits, Volumes 1, 2 and 3.

Thank you, Billy!

I bought it for my husband. He likes The Piano Man very much, and the complete cd. Arrived safely.

This 2-disc set is a very good overview of Billy Joel's music over the years. There's about 2.5 hours of music on the 2 discs, so definitely getting money's worth. All the songs you've heard on the radio are here, plus a bunch of lesser knowns. I note that Disc 2 contains 2 excellent lesser knowns: Lenningrad and Downeaster Alexa.

With as many "best ofs" as Billy Joel has, calling this "Essential" is a grossly deceptive marketing ploy. While the name alone might raise your hackles, the music most certainly should not. On these two discs, you can follow the growth of Billy Joel as he evolves from angry young Piano Man to the classical composer of "Essential's" final selection.

The troubadour that composed the slice of life "Piano Man" was a troubled wayfarer with an attitude. His peers were trying to cope with the ennui of everyday life ("Captain Jack") and his early romanticism ("New York State of Mind") began to show fruit. But he was a rapid changer, and by the time "The Stranger" hit the charts, his melodic sense had sharpened to the point where he began having hits ("Just The Way You Are," "Moving Out"). That commercial success also came with a critical drubbing...he was often accused of being a lightweight. By the time the 80's rolled around, this name calling and the emergence of New Wave caused Billy to lash out with energy on "Glass Houses," declaring "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and hitting number one. It was also about now that he changed the course of his career from Piano Man to Arena Rocker.

But Billy had bigger musical ideas. His Beatle-esque concept album "The Nylon Curtain" portrayed the once angry young man as a more pensive baby boomer casting a jaded eye on the Reagan Era. It also contains one of the best songs Billy has ever written, "Goodnight Saigon." He followed that by looking even further back, with the youthfully nostalgic and love-fests on "An Innocent Man." The Four Seasons tribute in "Uptown Girl" made Billy more popular than ever, and effectively bookmarked a chapter in his ongoing evolution.

A more mature Billy Joel continued with such albums as "Storm Front" and "The Bridge," which gave the history lesson as pop-tune "We Didn't Start The Fire," then the wonderfully mature "River of Dreams." His love for Christy Brinkley and his daughter Alexa came through on "Lullaby," but Billy also claimed that he had gone as far as he could with pop-music and was turning his sights to the classical "Fantasies & Delusions, Op. 1-10." While probably only fanatic would really be all that interested in those two songs presented here, they are from the last full album Billy Joel issued.

The strong points on all these songs remain their melodicism, Billy has always shared the same melodic sense as Paul McCartney (an obvious hero). What weakens the set is the omissions: where are "Pressure," "Big Shot," "You're Only Human/Second Wind" or "Keeping The Faith," to name a few. Also, a few obscurities might have spiced things up a bit, like "Why Should I Worry" from Oliver And Company: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack." Nevertheless, "The Essential Billy Joel" will fill a quick fix if you don't have many of Billy's 13 studio albums, and will certainly argue strongly that Joel's critics have been off-base all along.

This is the pure Billy Joel; I was always waiting for a collection like this; every song in my favourite song, all of this album is perfect, for me is teh most complete compilation of Billy Joel's songs, from the mystic PIANO MAN, the finest song HONESTY, the great ballads JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN and INNOCENT MAN, great rhythms like ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG, DON'T ASK ME WHY, RIVER OF DREAMS and MY LIFE, fast rockers like WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE, GO TO THE EXTREME, humanitarian songs like GOODNIGHT SAIGON, and lullabyes like AND SO IT GOES and GOODNIGHT MY ANGEL; also it has two instrumental piano compositions whom are very brillant... the work of a GENIUS!!!

First,three volumes of GREATEST HITS material,and now this essential compilation covering Billy Joel's career,spanning exactly three decades,at the time of this release. However,the last two tracks on disc two are instrumental classical pieces which were recorded following Joel's semi-retirement from pop/rock music. The other tracks that Joel's fans know and love were all previously released. Some of them never made it to the GREATEST HITS compilations,one of them being LEAVE A TENDER MOMENT ALONE from 1983's AN INNOCENT MAN. As for SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD,a fan will wonder before purchasing this item,if the track is the TURNSTILES studio version or the live version from SONGS IN THE ATTIC. I would buy this item just for the classical tracks. Anyway,it's an excellent compilation.

I really enjoyed this CD and made it a part of my collection. I then went back and bought a second copy for my son who is a big BJ fan.

Billy Joel fans will love this. If you don't like Billy Joel, don't bother, cause that's all it is! Some fans may be disappointed that some songs didn't make it ("Big Shot"), but it is a good selection of his best.

This is a pretty good billy joel collection on cd with all his songs but a few like the italian restaurant which i can't understand why and the night is still young that's the only reason why i'd hang on to the greatest hits vol I and II and the stranger is'nt included either. so i have to agree with the others that it is'nt a full collection. but very close and well worth your money if you don't have any of his other albums then this is a great collection to get, because it does span his career. oh it's does'nt have pressure either.

Hearing these great songs back to back in chronological order really reveals what a solidly reliable pop artist Billy Joel truly was. All the hits are here: Piano Man, Big Shot, Only the Good Die Young, My Life, Uptown Girl, We Didn't Start the Fire, River of Dreams, and many more.

I was at the luxurious WestShore Inn and Suites in Sturgeon Bay, WI the other day, and they had this collection of hits playing over the lobby sound system. It brought back a lot of memories, and it reminded me of this artist's considerable talents. Go ahead, and buy this collection. You can't beat the price, either.

"Essential" is an interesting mix of hits and b-sides. 25% of the 'Essentials' are drawn from 'The Stranger'(77) and 'Innocent Man'(83), two of his most commercially successful albums. The collection here offers a nice chronological arrangement of selections spanning 20 years (12 albums) plus 2 just released classical tracks. For those who are not consummate Billy Joel collectors but enjoy his music, "Essentials" would make a nice addition to your library. The recent "12 Gardens Live" CD would compliment this CD nicely.

Where is the 7" remix of "Keeping The Faith"? It's an essential song for an essential work.

Update: The remix of "Keeping The Faith" is on the "My Lives" album, or can be purchased at iTunes or other music sites.

I received this CD for Christmas, and I just love it! I know some people are disppointed that it doesn't include "...Italian Restaurant," but I was never I huge fan of that song, so I don't mind it's exclusion. This set does include "Honesty," one of my favorites which was not included on the other Greatest Hits packages I've seen. Great songs from one of the ultimate entertainers today!

Hmm. An interesting animal we have here. Ostensibly this is an abbreviated version of Joel's greatest hits box set compressed by one disc, but there are just enough omissions and semi-obscure album cuts to throw that description off just a hair. Most of the album cuts come at the very beginning and the very end of his career. "You're My Home" and "Miami 2017" pop up early on to the bewilderment of most casual listeners, and disc two ends with a pair of Joel's classical numbers. In both cases these songs sound out of place on a collection otherwise chock full of recognizable classics. Since most people purchasing "The Essential Billy Joel" are going to be those looking for the hits, it's worth taking a look into what's available here in that regard.

With three volumes of Greatest Hits collections already under his belt (the first two only available on a 2CD set, like this one), there's certainly room for confusion in the Billy Joel discography. To simplify things, since "Essential" is more or less a condensed version of those previous collections we need only concern ourselves with what's missing. The following songs from the first two volumes of "Greatest Hits" are omitted from "Essential":

The Stranger
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
Big Shot
Pressure
*You're Only Human (Second Wind)
*The Night Is Still Young

* These latter two songs are not available on other Billy Joel studio albums as they were recorded specially as an incentive to buy the original "Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2". For this very reason these are serious omissions as both songs should be familiar even to casual fans. Unless you can live without them you'll inevitably find yourself backtracking and picking up the previous collection anyway, so buyer be warned. Moving on to "Greatest Hits Vol. 3", these tracks from that collection are omitted from "Essential":

Keeping the Faith (why???)
This Is the Time
Shameless
*To Make You Feel My Love
*Hey Girl
*Light as the Breeze

* These last three were also recorded specifically for this collection, so as before, buyer beware. Even if you plan on fleshing out your Billy Joel collection with his studio albums later on, you still won't find these songs on those albums. Now, on the other hand, the only songs on "Essential" that aren't available on the "Hits" albums are those listed in the first paragraph, NONE of which were big hits and ALL of which are available on other albums. For this reason it's hard to recommend "Essential" for anything other than the price, which won't matter much unless everything you want is already right there.

Otherwise this collection is great for a starting-out Joel fan. But the main reason I am doing this review is to say to the previous reviewer who put the following:
"Along with Duran Duran, Billy Idol was one the first pop/rock artists to achieve massive success in the early '80s due to a then brand-new U.S. television network, MTV. Mixing his bad-boy good looks with an appealing blend of pop hooks, punk attitude, and a dance beats, Idol quickly rocketed to stardom. What a guy!

This album didn't sound at all like what I remember from the his stuff in the 80's! Maybe he's evolved a little bit, but I think that they at least could have included some of Idol's old stuff. I've only really been to a couple Billy Idol concerts, so I can't say exactly that I'm an "expert" or a "number one fan". I mean I only know the lyrics to "Dancing With Myself", which I like to listen to while cooking.

A poor representation of a brilliant career in music. "

READ!!! it says Billy JOEL!!! not IDOL!!!

I wanted to get "We Didn't Start The Fire" on CD, and I came across this collection. For under twenty bucks, it was a great deal.

The first CD is early Billy Joel, which I think is okay, but I don't to this CD that much. People might hate me for not thinking Piano Man is the greatest song ever, but oh well. With this CD, I tend to stick with listening to "Only The Good Die Young" (awesome) and "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me."

I like the second CD a lot better, mostly because it has "We Didn't Start The Fire" on it. It has "River of Dreams" as well, which I never heard until I got this collection. I found out I was really missing out. It's a great, great song. The second CD also has some strictly piano tunes at the end, which are nice easy-going things to listen to, and really let you know what Billy Joel is all about.

"Big Shot" isn't on this CD, but that doesn't take away from how great the CD is.

If you don't already have Billy Joel's hits, you can't go wrong with this CD. Come on, if you buy it you can listen to "Uptown Girl" whenever you want. Sounds good doesn't it? Huh? Huh?

Some reviewers are complaining about the fact that this CD only contains previously issued material.
Eh, you guys? It's a compilation. It's not intended for people who already own all of Billy Joel's original albums, it's meant for casual listeners who just want all the stuff they've heard on the radio. I hate it when record companies try to get the diehards to shell out by putting out a compilation with 29 previously released songs and one new "bonus track"...

"The Essential Billy Joel" is actually one of the best entries into Columbia Records' "Essential" series.
It perfectly captures every facet of Billy Joel's thirty-year career, from grand, musical-like songs like "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" and "Piano Man", to the soulful doo-wop of "The Longest Time" and straight-ahead rock n' rollers like "You May Be Right".

Billy Joel was always quite a versatile composer, moving easily between rock n' roll, pop, soul, grand operatic ballads, and even updated Irish folk ("The Entertainer").
Almost all of Billy Joel's best songs are here, and even though a lot of hardcore fans will probably find the omission of some or other personal favorite worth carping about, this is just about as good as any two-disc distillation of William Martin Joel's back catalogue could be, and even though not all of these songs are equally good, or particularly original, I think the undeniable quality of this compilation makes it worthy of all five stars.
And besides, it's chronological, which (to me at least) gives it the edge over the previous double-disc compilation "The Ultimate Collection".

This album is one of the greatest you could imagine. I've heard people say it's not that good, but personally I loved it. I could beat those people. This is one of the best damn CDs ever made. Don't listen to the other people, this is great.

I don't really agree with any of the negative reviews of this album. I don't think we should judge an entire album just because a feew songs are missing. I thought these reviews were supposed to be based on qulaity not quantity. And frankly, this is some high quality music, some of the best rock and pop music ever recorded spanned over two discs by one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.

What "The Essential Billy Joel" basically gives you is 36 of Billy's most popular hits, which if you don't by know include "Piano Man", "Just The Way You Are", "My Life", "You May Be Right", "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", "Uptown Girl" and if I keep going I'll name every track on the album. To entice hardcore fans they've included rarely heard gems like "The Entertainer", "You're My Home" and "Miami 2017". All of these songs are excellent rock classics that prove why Billy is one of the greatest artists ever.

I do agree that a lot of great songs are left out, but I won't fault the entire album for it. All of Sony's "Essential" series albums aren't perfect (the exception being the excellent compilation put together for Heart in 2002). Still, they all have excellent music thst prove why the classics never get old.

If you must add Billy Joel to your cd collection, pick up The Stranger and Piano Man. This bulky 'Essential' collection is loaded with his cheesy late 70's and 80's pop diddies and mysteriously leaves out two of his best songs, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and The Stranger.

When I saw how many negative reviews this album got, I have to admit that I was surprised. Okay, "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" is a very serious omissions. And even I would have liked to have seen "Big Shot", "Sometimes A Fantasy", "Keeping The Faith", "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" and "Modern Woman" included on this set. But should we really let these omissions, no matter how serious they are, affect how much we like the songs that are included? C'mon, all the songs here are great.
Okay, maybe "You're My Home", "The Entertainer", "Goodnight Saigon" (awful song), "Lullabye" and the classical pieces could've been thrown off to include more essential songs. But the majority of these songs are rock masterpieces.

Disc 1 is from his early years. The first 10 songs are from when he was a folksier, more introspective singer. Most of these songs are really among his best. "Piano Man" is timeless, probably his best. The same can also go for "Just The Way You Are". "Only The Good Die Young" is pure fun. "Movin' Out" and "My Life" are great anthems for the American dream. I really think that "She's Always A Woman" and the haunting "Honesty" are among his underrated masterworks.

The 1980s' stuff is even better. There's still a raw urgency heard when you listen to "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" and "You May Be Right". "Don't Ask Me Why" really is one of my favorite. His voice is sly and the melody just glides along. "Allentown" is another favorite of mine that is a great way to close the album.

Disc 2 is my favorite of the two. This has when he got into some harder edged music while also returning to the doo - wop songs he loved as a kid. "An Innocent Man's" lyrics to me seem haunting after 9/11, especially "I am not willing to lay down and die 'cause I am an innocent man". "Uptown Girl" is possibly my favorite Billy Joel song. It almost sounds like a Four Seasons song, but Joel makes it untouchable. "Tell Her About It" is a great rock rave up. "Leave A Tender Moment Alone" is a great ballad. And "The Longest Time" is quite possibly one of the finest doo - wop songs ever. "A Matter Of Trust" and "I Go To Extremes" are great stabs at hard rock. "We Didn't Start The Fire" and "The River Of Dreams" were proof that Joel could appeal to a mass audience even in the 1990s'. "All About Soul" is another underrated number. The closing songs stink, but don't let them ruin the fun.

Overall, not perfect but has some great music. We have yet to have a perfect Billy Joel "greatest hits" set (even the boxed set left out "Honesty" and "Modern Woman"), butif you don't want to pay a lot for Billy's best, this is the set for you.

This is a good compliation of Billy Joel's work. It has a large range of his good stuff, although it could have been better.

The first disc is mostly his older stuff, beginning with Piano Man. They are all well written and well sung songs. The mood of the music changes with almost every track. No matter what mood you're in, there will be a song to fit it.

Personally, I think that The Entertainer, My Life, You May Be Right, Miami 2017, and Movin' Out are the best songs on this CD. I have never cared for Captian Jack or Just The Way You Are, but that's an opinion. All in all, Disc One is probably a 9/10.

Disc Two isn't quite as good. The songs are of the same quality, but some of the last tracks are unesscary. While Disc One was a range of generas, this one is mostly rock, and that's OK. Joel does well with almost anything.

Uptown Girl is a classic, as well as We Didn't Start The Fire. Baby Grand will always be remembered, as it was a duet with Ray Charles. Together Joel and Charles are two of the best singer/songwriters, and this is a perfect song for them. I have always liked The River Of Dreams and The Downeaster "Alexa".

Lullabye, Waltz No. 1 (and hopefully last), Invention In C Minor, and Goodnight Saigon, were put on this album for reasons best known to Sony and Sony only. They were a waste of CD and aren't good tracks. Lullabye, however, does work to put people to sleep, and might be good if you have a young child. The CD that was wasted on these few tracks would have been better spent on Scenes From An Italian Resturant, Stranger, and Sleeping With The Television On. OK, that last one isn't known all that well, but it was a fun rock song that I never tire of. All in all, probably an 8/10 CD.

Besides the aforementioned, this is one of the best Greatest Hits/Essential CDs made, with only a few mistakes. If you are a Billy Joel fan, whether die-hard or just occasional, this is the CD for you.

IS Billy Joel crazy or a genius? Well, this CD gives grounds for either arguement. I think he's a little bit of both, as his songs are marvelous time and time again.

This compliation is 4 stars for me, but only because of the missing few tracks. With the few that I talked about above switched around, it would easily, very easily, be a 5 star CD.

I cringed when I first played the Essential Billy Joel on my KEF Q series speakers -- This album is one of the worst remastering efforts I've heard recently. The sound is way, way too bright (enhanced treble), and it really wears on the ears after a few songs if you're listening to it on good speakers.

All in all, this is an okay album, though it could've done without the atrocity that is "Captain Jack."

I was about to blast the view stated above, then I noted the reviewer was only 13. IMO, Joel could have ended his career after this one song and been a success. In many ways, Joel never got any better than the Piano Man disc. Perhaps some day, you'll grow into it.

"The Essential Billy Joel" is yet another entry into this new, booming "Greatest Hits" trend. It seems like every artist from James Taylor to No Doubt is getting the "Hits" treatment, which should come as no suprise to anyone since they've been selling in massive amounts ever since the Beatles' "#1" album hit the shelves. That album's impressive sales records turned record executive heads, and thus Columbia/Sony began releasing their newfangled "Essential" catalogue.

So, anyway, you've got the "Essential" Billy Joel and you've got the "Greatest Hits 1,2 & 3" Billy Joel. Which one should you buy? Well, if you want the three greatest hits albums, it's going to cost you a bit more than this particular set, especially if you want the box set (which also features a bonus disc of some dialogue and rare material). You'll get more songs, but the "Essential Billy Joel" contains a few songs not featured in either of the Greatest Hits discs, most notably one of my favorite songs of the piano man, "Leave A Tender Moment Alone." Unfortunately, there's a flipside to this coin. This compilation does not have "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," which is one of the greatest songs in the history of pop music. However, this really shouldn't suprise anyone. Greatest Hits discs are almost never perfect. Just look at Elton John's recently released "Greatest Hits 1970-2002," which omits the version of "Candle In The Wind" that was dedicated to Princess Diana.

The "Greatest Hits 1,2 & 3" are missing songs and the "Essential Billy Joel" is missing songs, so either way you figure it, a truly definitive Joel collection still has yet to be released. Until then, though, pick which collection you want in accordance to which songs you'd prefer. I have both collections, but prefer this one. Thirty six great Billy Joel songs on two discs at a great price. What more could you ask for (besides a few more songs, of course)?

Highly recommended.

It really comes down to what songs you want most. The "Greatest Hits 1 & 2" have 24 tracks, and include "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", "Big Shot", "Pressure", and "You're Only Human (second wind)", all of which are missing here. Also that set only goes through the mid-eighties. However, this "Essential Collection" is 36 tracks, and career-spanning. It includes "Miami 2017 (see the light go out on broadway)", "Leave A Tender Moment Alone", "A Matter Of Trust", "I Go To Extremes", "We Didn't Start The Fire", "Downeaster Alexa", and "River Of Dreams", all missing on the "Hits 1 & 2". Now the "Greatest Hits Volume 3" would complement the first two nicely, but then you're buying two collections. My guess is that if you're a casual fan, like myself, you'll be more than happy with "The Essential Billy Joel". Either way, "It's Still Rock n' Roll To Me".

I agree with many of the reviews I've read here. Sure, there are many "great" songs here, but many of his "greatest" are missing. I feel like I was once again duped by the "Repackaging Gods" into buying yet another "Essential" compilation that contains more "Non-Essential" so-called hits. Putting "Waltz No. 1 (Nunley's Carousel)" and "Invention In C Minor" was the ultimate slap in the face. Advice: Grab all your favor CDs and burn your own compilation, and save yourself a major disappointment (not to mention $$$).

Some "essential" songs that are missing:

The Ballad of Billy the Kid
The Stranger
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
She's Always A Woman
Big Shot
Sometimes A Fantasy
Pressure
Keeping the Faith
You're Only Human (Second Wind)

These songs, in my opinion, should be on an "essential" Billy Joel collection. There are some songs included that do nothing for me, but are probably near and dear to Billy Joel. BUT....that is what CD burners are for!

If you're like me and don't own many Billy Joel albums, The Essential Billy Joel is a good introductory 2-CD set to start a Joel collection. There are many of his great hits in this 36-track compilation, most of which have appeared in other "Greatest Hits" collections. To make up for this, Columbia Records fiddled around with the playlist a little bit. They left out "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" and "The Stranger" (among others) that were on the more expensive Greatest Hits albums and replaced them with (on disc one) "You're My Home," "Miami 2017," "Honesty," and (on disc two) they added "Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel)" and "Invention in C Minor."

I like this album not only for its variety, but for its affordability ($22.99 at Amland). Let's face it, not everybody can afford to shell out $36.00 for Joel's Greatest Hits Box Set, which has 18 more songs than this 2-disc set. With this Essential CD, new and old listeners alike can follow Joel's three decade long career, from his first hit ("Piano Man," 1973) to his new classical compositions (2001's "Fantasies and Delusions"). I also like it because it has really great songs, such as "An Innocent Man," "Honesty," "The Longest Time," "A Matter Of Trust" (a guitar-based kick-butt rock song that reminds me of Bruce Springsteen), the bluesy "Baby Grand" (a duet with the great Ray Charles), the spiritual "River of Dreams," and the lovely classical piano piece," Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel)." This reflects, in my opinion, Billy Joel's versatility and flexibility as a songwriter, composer and singer. I was amazed to hear how different Joel can sound depending on the style he chooses in his songs. One minute he can be gentle and melancholy as in "And So It Goes," the next he can sound defiant and determined as he does in "Downeaster Alexa."

So ignore the naysayers; get this wonderful CD album. Trust me; you won't regret it.

Betty June Moore

Billy Joel released his top-selling "Greatest Hits Part I & II" in 1985 after gleaning five Top 20 singles from 1983's platinum "An Innocent Man" LP. That set captured the sound and style of the 50s-60s doo-wop and Brill Building music he loved as a teenager. "The Nylon Curtain," touching on shared personal and political baby boomer memories, preceded "Innocent Man" and received some of Joel's finest reviews. That, plus sellout concert tour and celebrity marriage with baby daughter, led him to a personal and professional peak.

The story and songs are different with "Essential Billy Joel," an inferior entry in Sony Music's series spotlighting its selling artists from Tony Bennett to Men at Work. By its 2001 release tabloids had filled with stories of Joel's divorce and financial ruin, his quitting pop music, recording one classical CD and repackaging his considerable catalogue on CD shelves and on tour with fellow 70s icon Elton John.

Sequencing and song selection doom this collection. Joel's most popular songs make the cut: "Piano Man" leads off, you get "New York State of Mind" and the hits from 1977's breakthrough "The Stranger." Yet the collection misses "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Angry Young Man," two songs playing to Joel's musical and lyrical gifts: his pounding piano style and ability to shape atmospheric musical vignettes. ("Miami 2017," from "Turnstiles," also qualifies as defining, but its cynicism is a hard swallow 27 years later in light of 9-11.)

The CDs shortchange 1978's exceptional "52nd Street" (missing the masterpiece "Until the Night," among Joel's songwriting gems) and "Nylon" (missing "Pressure," one of his best sonic recordings as opposed to compositions). Yet you get nearly all Joel's radio hits from "Innocent Man" and 1989's inconsistent "Storm Front," including his awkward attempts at hard rock ("I Go to Extremes," "A Matter of Trust"). "Modern Woman," 1986's Top 10 hit from the film "Ruthless People," has not reached any Joel collection.

Radio could use new Billy Joel music (and not the pleasant but minor classical compositions closing the disc). Adult contemporary and "lite" stations on which he'd been a core artist need his wry lyrics and complex pop to counter their mushy, overemotive divas. Great songs like 1993's near-finale "All About Soul" show lyrical and musical maturity and empathy it would have been good to see him follow. Short of that, consider Billy Joel's essential 1985 best-of or a reasonably priced version of his box set before choosing this slighter, superfluous "Essential" collection.

I've been a fan of Billy Joel's music for two decades, and I must say, he truly is versatile. Joel can write in different styles (from blues-inspired rock to classical), and The Essential Billy Joel charts his musical evolution from 1973's "Piano Man" to 2001's "Fantasies and Delusions" (his debut as a classical composer). The inclusion of two tracks from "F & D" (wonderfully played by pianist Richard Joo) may be jarring to some listeners who have been familiar with Joel only as a pop-rock songwriter/singer, but hopefully they'll relax and enjoy the two compositions (Waltz #1 and Invention in C Minor) and maybe purchase "Fantasies and Delusions."

If you own the three compact discs of his Greatest Hits, there are very few surprises here. Oh, sure, the producers did not include "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" or any of the tracks that were especially added to Volumes II and III of Greatest Hits, but they did include "You're My Home," "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)," and "Honesty," which is one of my favorite songs. If your Billy Joel CD collection is complete -- even down to the Limited Edition Boxed Set and "F & D" -- then maybe this CD isn't for you, as good as it may be.

However, if you are new to Joel's music and would like to sample his 30-year career's best material at an affordable price, The Essential Billy Joel is a good choice. Buy it and enjoy.