Rating:
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 10/02/2001

Released in conjunction with Billy Joel's grand experiment with classical music, The Essential Billy Joel was a welcome reminder of Billy Joel's way with a pop song, improving on the previous Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2 by extending into the '90s and delving deeper into his catalog. There were some casualties along the way -- it's easy for a fan to carp about the absence of personal favorites like "She's Right on Time" or "Travelin' Prayer," and it may even make some sense that "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" or "Shameless" didn't make the cut, but it's mind-boggling that "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" isn't here (we won't mention that the classical pieces that end the record, no matter how surprisingly good they are, are as out of place as Attila would have been) -- but for the most part, this has every one of Joel's heavy-hitters, and his craftsmanship, both as a songsmith and recordmaker, has never shone brighter. The biggest fault is that there is a notable drop-off in quality after 1986's The Bridge (which ends midway through disc two), but even so, this is as good a distillation of Joel's talents imaginable. In fact, as the first disc unfurls, even cynics may wonder why he's been dogged by the critics, since singer/songwriter pop doesn't come better than "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," "New York State of Mind," "Only the Good Die Young," "My Life," "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," "Don't Ask Me Why," "Allentown," and their seven companions.

~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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Billy Joel - Harmonica
Billy Joel - Piano
Billy Joel - Keyboards
Billy Joel - Vocals
Billy Joel - Producer
Billy Joel - Main Performer
Don DeVito - A&R
Ted Jensen - Digital Remastering
Christopher Austopchuk - Art Direction
Art Maillet - Photography
Patrick Demarchelier - Photography
Andreas Meyer - Mastering
Mark Feldman - Marketing
Richard Huyghe - Piano
Gary Montalvo - Art Direction
Greg Linn - Production Director
Greg Linn - Marketing
Sharon Czechowski - Administration
Jane Arginteanu - Administration
Richard Joo - Performer

The Ultimate Collection
    Billy Joel / CD / 2001
VH1 Behind the Music: The Julian Lennon Collection
    Julian Lennon / CD / 2001
Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994
    Sting / CD / 1994
Greatest Hits 1970-2002
    Elton John / CD / 2002
Chicago Story: The Complete Greatest Hits 1967-2002
    Chicago / CD / 2003
The Very Best Of [2003]
    Eagles / CD / 2003
A Horse with No Name and Other Hits
    America / CD / 2004

Release Date: 10/02/2001
Genre: rock