Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel

by Billy Joel

Overview

This international collection of highlights from the East Coast native's prolific career takes its choicest bits from Columbia's three hugely successful Greatest Hits compilations. Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel may just skim the surface of Joel's large reservoir of material, but it's hard to argue with the end results. All of the radio hits, minus some of the more obscure ones like "Allentown," "Pressure," and "Matter of Trust" are dutifully represented. From "River of Dreams" and "We Didn't Start the Fire" to "Piano Man" and "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," this skillfully paced compilation, which also includes a ten-track DVD, is about as good a single-disc Billy Joel primer as one is likely to find. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	06/01/2010
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0828768235928

Tracks

1. Tell Her About It
2. Uptown Girl
3. Piano Man
4. New York State of Mind
5. The River of Dreams
6. It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me
7. We Didn't Start the Fire
8. Goodnight Saigon
9. My Life
10. She's Always a Woman
11. She's Got a Way
12. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
13. An Innocent Man
14. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
15. Only the Good Die Young
16. All About Soul
17. Honesty
18. Just the Way You Are

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Billy Joel   Primary Artist,Organ,Piano,Vocals,Melodica,Accordion,Harmonica,Keyboards,Percussion,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
T.M. Stevens   Bass
Steve Khan   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Andy "Funky Drummer" Kravitz   Percussion
Billy Armstrong   Fiddle
Jef Lee Johnson   Bass
Russell Javors   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Schuyler Deale   Bass
Frank Floyd   Choir/Chorus,Vocals (Background)
Hugh McCracken   Guitar (Acoustic)
Ron Tutt   Drums
Richard Bennett   Guitar
Katreese Barnes   Choir/Chorus
Peter Cetera   Vocals (Background)
Doug Stegmeyer   Bass,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
George Simms   Vocals
B. David Whitworth   Vocals
Ronnie Cuber   Sax (Baritone)
Steve Burgh   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Fred Heilbrun   Banjo
Mark Rivera   Percussion,Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor),Vocals (Background)
Color Me Badd   Vocals
Eric Troyer   Vocals (Background)
Liberty DeVitto   Drums,Percussion
Phil Woods   Sax (Alto)
Sammy Merendino   Percussion
Ralph MacDonald   Percussion
Michael Omartian   Accordion
Mingo Lewis   Percussion
Will Downing   Choir/Chorus
Brenda White-King   Choir/Chorus
Howie Emerson   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Larry Carlton   Guitar
Lani Groves   Vocals (Background)
Chuck Treece   Bass
Crystal Taliefero   Vocals,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Joe Nicolo   Co-Producer
Joe Shepley   Trumpet
David Spinozza   Guitar (Acoustic)
Dean Parks   Guitar
Dennis Collins   Choir/Chorus
Curtis King, Jr.   Conductor
Marlon Saunders   Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Creamers   Vocals (Background)
Ron Taylor   Vocals (Background)
Corliss Stafford   Choir/Chorus
David Brown   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Richie Cannata   Flute,Organ,Clarinet,Saxophone,Sax (Tenor),Sax (Soprano)
Richard Tee   Piano
Michael Brecker   Sax (Tenor)
Diane Garisto   Choir/Chorus
Tommy Byrnes   Guitar
String Fever   Strings
Danny Kortchmar   Guitar
Hiram Bullock   Guitar (Electric)
Eric Weisberg   Banjo
Donnie Dacus   Vocals (Background)
Mike Alexander   Vocals (Background)
John Gatchell   Trumpet
Tom Bahler   Vocals (Background)
Rory Dodd   Vocals (Background)
Dominic Cortese   Accordion
Devora Johnson   Choir/Chorus
Jeff Jacobs   Synthesizer
John Mahoney   Keyboards
Susan Steward   Vocals (Background)
Robert Freedman   Horn
Stephanie James   Choir/Chorus
Lonnie Hillyer   Bass
Wrecia Ford   Vocals
Steve Kahn   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Phillip Ballou   Choir/Chorus
Joey Hunting   Guitar
Ullanda McCullough   Vocals (Background)
Terry Textor   Vocals (Background)
James Smith   Guitar (Acoustic)
Frank Simms   Vocals
Zachary Alford   Drums
Bill Zampino   Drums
Mike Tyler   Guitar

Technical Credits

Patrick Williams   Orchestration
Ted Jensen   Mastering Engineer
Phil Nicolo   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Andy Hoffman   Assistant Engineer
Jay Healy   Engineer
Michael Omartian   Arranger
Mike Allaire   Assistant Engineer
Tim Crich   Assistant Engineer
Andy Baker   Coordination
Brian Vibbertsa   Assistant Engineer
David Martone   Assistant Engineer
Ira Newborn   Orchestration
Billy Joel   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Chaz Clifton   Assistant Engineer
Scott James   Assistant Engineer
Dirk Grobelny   Assistant Engineer
Gary Soloman   Assistant Engineer
Joe Pirrera   Assistant Engineer
Joe Nicolo   Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
David Matthews   Arranger
John Bradley   Engineer,Assistant Producer
Ron Malo   Engineer
Lou Waxman   Engineer
Suzanne Hollander   Assistant Engineer
Michael Stewart   Producer
Tom Roberts   Assistant Engineer
Rick London   Executive Producer
Domonick Maita   Assistant Engineer
Phil Ramone   Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Jim Boyer   Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Niko Bolas   Engineer
Mick Jones   Producer
Bradshaw Leigh   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Bruce Botnick   Mixing Engineer
Danny Kortchmar   Producer
Dave Grusin   Arranger
Tom Lord-Alge   Mixing Engineer
Brian Ruggles   Producer
Tom Bahler   Vocal Arrangement
Dan Hetzel   Assistant Engineer
Lester Baylinson   Coordination
Marsy Robinson   A&R
Paul Hulse   Assistant Engineer
Michael Christopher   Assistant Engineer
David Dorn   Assistant Engineer
Dave Wilkerson   Engineer
Jon Small   Producer
Gary Solomon   Assistant Engineer
Dana Becker   Assistant Engineer
Frank Weber   Executive Producer
Jim Miner   Coordination
Fred Dellar   Liner Notes
Andy Kadison   Producer
Crystal Taliefero   Vocal Arrangement
Elliot Scheiner   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Carl Glanville   Engineer
Don Puluse   Engineer
Larry Franke   Assistant Engineer
Michele Slagter   Assistant Producer
Bob Thrasher   Engineer
Andrew Baker   Coordination