Billy Joel – Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (1985/2007) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Billy Joel – Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (1985/2007)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:54:31 minutes | 2,40 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Columbia Records

Although it’s missing a few important (not to mention big) hits, Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2 is an excellent retrospective of the first half of Billy Joel’s career. Beginning with “Piano Man,” the first disc runs through a number of early songs before arriving at the hit-making days of the late ’70s; some of these songs, including “Captain Jack” and “New York State of Mind,” weren’t strictly hits, but were popular numbers within his stage show and became radio hits. Once the songs from The Stranger arrive halfway through the first disc, there’s no stopping the hits (although “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” an album track from The Stranger, manages its way onto the collection). In fact, over the next disc and a half, there’s so many hits, it’s inevitable that some are left off — to be specific, “Honesty,” “Sometimes a Fantasy,” “An Innocent Man,” “Leave a Tender Moment,” and “Keeping the Faith” aren’t included. But all the other hits — including “Just the Way You Are,” “Only the Good Die Young,” “My Life,” “You May Be Right,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Don’t Ask Me Why,” “Allentown,” “Tell Her About It” and “Uptown Girl,” among many others — are present and accounted for, as are two new songs (“You’re Only Human (Second Wind),” “The Night Is Still Young”) that became hits as well. In short, Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2 does its job perfectly, encapsulating exactly why Billy Joel was one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the late ’70s and early ’80s. –Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracklist:

1-01. Billy Joel – Piano Man (05:39)
1-02. Billy Joel – Captain Jack (07:17)
1-03. Billy Joel – The Entertainer (03:40)
1-04. Billy Joel – Say Goodbye to Hollywood (04:37)
1-05. Billy Joel – New York State of Mind (06:03)
1-06. Billy Joel – The Stranger (05:10)
1-07. Billy Joel – Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (07:35)
1-08. Billy Joel – Just the Way You Are (04:50)
1-09. Billy Joel – Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) (03:30)
1-10. Billy Joel – Only the Good Die Young (03:55)
1-11. Billy Joel – She Always a Woman (03:22)
2-01. Billy Joel – My Life (04:45)
2-02. Billy Joel – Big Shot (04:03)
2-03. Billy Joel – You May Be Right (04:16)
2-04. Billy Joel – It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me (02:57)
2-05. Billy Joel – Don’t Ask Me Why (02:59)
2-06. Billy Joel – She’s Got a Way (02:55)
2-07. Billy Joel – Pressure (04:41)
2-08. Billy Joel – Allentown (03:52)
2-09. Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon (07:06)
2-10. Billy Joel – Tell Her About It (03:55)
2-11. Billy Joel – Uptown Girl (03:18)
2-12. Billy Joel – The Longest Time (03:43)
2-13. Billy Joel – You’re Only Human (Second Wind) (04:48)
2-14. Billy Joel – The Night Is Still Young (05:26)

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