Early in his career, Billy Joel seemed cynical about fame, even as that distrust bore strange fruit: mainstream superstardom (thanks to "Just the Way You Are," "Honesty," and "My Life") and multiple Grammy awards, as well as the critic's-whipping-boy status that went with them. Maybe it was that restlessness--or undiluted cynicism--that inspired left turns into roots and nostalgia (the spunky "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me," "You May Be Right," "Uptown Girl," and "The Longest Time") as his career peaked. Perhaps not surprisingly, not long after Joel's songs seemed to find their most satisfying balance of angst and mature reflection on songs like "Storm Front" and "River of Dreams," he threatened to bolt the pop music business altogether. The 2001 recordings of "Waltz No. 1" and "Invention in C Minor" that round out this set are the unlikely products of Joel's commitment to classical music. Billy Joel remains both a true, if oft-lambasted, American pop icon and that rarest of animals: a bonafide crowd-pleaser with a serious case of 'tude. Both are well chronicled here. --Jerry McCulley

Billy Joel has a past, a rock and roll NY garage band secret that is hidden from this so-called "Essential" two CD set. This flip/flop CD set begins with his break out hit "Piano Man", a self-reveralional look at me! Dammit Look at Me! If that didn't make it sure then howabout. "The Entertainer"? or "Say Goodbye to Hollywood"? (At least that song was covered by Ronnie Spector with Bruce Springsteen's E St. Band backing and a terrific 45).

Billy continued to write what he knew," NY State of Mind", etc.., but a songwriter has to have a standard, a song that would be sung by Steve Lawrence, Al Martino, and scored by elevators. "Just the Way You Are" made it and offered a lifetime envelope of bucks.

With that security, Billy hit a stride of top 40 hits "My Life" "She's Got a Way" "You May be Right" Billy was hitting a strong average of .750 and pissed that he wasn't considered hip while Punk and New Wave were all over magazines (not charts tho) and his slam was "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me". Like anyone cared.

Realizing that, Billy put out his finest LP/Cass/CD " An Innocent Man".
An amalgam of his love of 50's 60's influences, the 4 Seasons, "Uptown Girl" the Dion/Belmonts "The Longest Time",

Success leads to doing whatever one wants.. Billy made a political polemic "We Didn't Start the Fire" a hit with an update of Reunion's "Life is a Rock (but the Radio Rolled Me), a quick history of baby boomers in rhyme and tempo.

After that, well fine, concerts all over the world, swell, in Hell, and admired. Concerts in tandem with Elton John and piano walkin' the plank.

This 2CD has 36 songs, probably 20 more than anyone needs. No booklet, no history, no pictures of wire-terrior haired Billy, no nothin' extra.

Talent Talent Talent. What can you say about Talent and Real Achievement. "The Essential Billy Joel" includes "Say Goodbye To Hollywood", "Honesty", "Don't Ask Me Why" and "New York State Of Mind". Billy Joel has become involved in the 2008 Presidential Race. Interestingly, in the 2008 Presidential Primary race, New York Senator Hillary Clinton earned more Votes than any other Presidential Primary candidate in American history (hillaryclintonforum, the denver group)

I can't think of anything that's missing from this album, except maybe "Why Should I Worry" which he did for the animated movie Oliver and Company. Disney must have all the rights, because I don't see it on his regular albums. Probably wasn't enough of a "hit" but I wouldn't mind having a copy of that one.

This collection is really great, a few harder to find hits such as "Honesty" and "An Innocent Man" as well as some others. It spans pretty much all decades of Billy's career. I just wish they had included "Pressure".

Everything you could want from his long career history of music is here.

Definitely 'essential'! Highly recommended!