Search - Billy Joel :: The Essential 3.0 Billy Joel (eco-Friendly Packaging)

WITHOUT QUESTION, THE BEST BILLY JOEL CD EVER!!!!!

Michael R. Mosley | 10/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!!"

Expanding Billy

Michael Kerner | Brooklyn, New York U.S.A. | 11/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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+"