Billy Joel - Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (2xCD) (1985)

Year: September 2, 1985 (CD 1985)
Label: Columbia Records (U.S.), G2K 40121
Style: Rock, Pop
Country: Hicksville, New York, U.S. (born May 9, 1949)
Time: 53:24, 55:26
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 297, 321 Mb

Certifications and sales:

Australia - 9x Platinum, Austria - Gold, Canada - 2x Platinum, France - 2x Gold, Japan - 3x Platinum, Netherlands - Gold, New Zealand - Platinum, Norway - Platinum, United Kingdom - Platinum, United States - 23x Platinum.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_(Billy_Joel_albums)

Joel's first greatest hits compilation, which compiles the majority of his most popular tracks up until 1983. Two new tracks were recorded for this album, "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" and "The Night Is Still Young", both of which became "hits" in their own rights.

Several versions of this album exist, with altered track listings. The original LP version contains the 1981 live version of "Say Goodbye To Hollywood", "New York State Of Mind" with a re-recorded saxophone solo, and radio edits of several songs. Additionally, some issues replaced "Don't Ask Me Why" with "Honesty".

The CD version of this album adds "Captain Jack", "The Entertainer", "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", as well as the 1981 live version of "She's Got a Way", and replaces the live version of "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" with the original 1976 album version.

(discogs.com/master/72105-Billy-Joel-Greatest-Hits-Volume-I-Volume-II)

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.

(allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-vols-1-2-1973-1985-mw0000650316)

CD1:

01. Piano Man (05:36)
02. Captain Jack (07:15)
03. The Entertainer (03:38)
04. Say Goodbye To Hollywood (03:54)
05. New York State Of Mind (06:02)
06. The Stranger (05:07)
07. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (07:33)
08. Just the Way You Are (03:36)
09. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) (03:28)
10. Only The Good Die Young (03:53)
11. She's Always A Woman (03:17)

CD2:

01. My Life (03:51)
02. Big Shot (03:43)
03. You May Be Right (04:09)
04. It's Still Rock And Roll To (02:54)
05. Don't Ask Me Why (02:57)
06. She's Got A Way (03:00)
07. Pressure (03:15)
08. Allentown (03:48)
09. Goodnight Saigon (07:00)
10. Tell Her About It (03:35)
11. Uptown Girl (03:15)
12. The Longest Time (03:36)
13. You're Only Human (Second Wi (04:48)
14. The Night Is Still Young (05:28)

CD1:

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CD2:

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