Question: Billy Joel Greatest Hits Vol 1 & 2

Never got into the album... as long as "The Entertainer" sounded fine (which it does), I'm happy.

 

There's a few really cool tunes on that album. Last Of The Big Time Spenders has such a great drum part. The overall feel of that track kills me. The Mexican Connection is very Vince Guaraldi-ish and I have a special place for the instrumental chorus of Roberta.

Streetlife Serenader on Songs in the Attic is one of my favorite, if not my very favorite Billy Joel track (and that's saying a lot for me).

 

Streetlife is the long-forgotten Billy Joel album imo. And it's also one of my faves...74-82 era Billy is his best period imo.

Souvenir is one of my fave Billy tracks...short and sweet. For years he used it as the show closer.

 

It was the last Billy album I bought. I think it was due to the rather drab looking cover art. It just didn't look enticing for a kid in 6th grade in 1984. I eventually really dug it but it took longer than the others. Something about it sounds very middle aged to me. It doesn't have the pep or excitement of his albums after Liberty DeVitto and the other Topper boys joined him from Turnstiles on.

 

Hey, don't forget "Los Angelenos". I love the electric piano! It's my favorite song on Streetlife Serenade.

 

Me too!

The version on Songs In The Attic kicks ****...that song is made for being played in club. I also like the song Roberta. There are some DEEP cuts on that album. Weekend Song is another good one...a bit of gospel and r&b in there. Another thing...Streetlife (along with Piano Man) are the only 2 Billy albums on which you hear pedal steel.

This album was under-represented in concert too:

1. Streetlife Serenader and. Los Angelenos...hardly ever played until 1980 and even then not very often. RARE!
2. The Entertainer...got played the most...74-78
3. Root Beer Rag...same as Entertainer...dropped after 78.
4. Weekend Song...dropped after 76, moderate rotation in the set.
5. Souvenir...the show closer for practically every show from 1976-1982
6. Mexican Connection...last song played over the P.A. before the start of every show from 77-84, save for the 82 tour.

 

It's cool he's been re-discovering this material. He played Root Beer Rag and The Entertainer when I saw him earlier this year. Also, if memory serves me I'm pretty sure he played Streetlife Serenade in 1987 in Cleveland. I think it was a special treat for six straight sold out nights (I saw five of them).

 

I listened to the remaster but preferred the "soft" sound of the original master over it. Just a personel choice.

Maybe it's the style of the music... not as "hard-hitting" as his other albums (using mostly session musicians instead of his own band would probably be the reason for this, as you pointed out).

I also kept the original master of "Storm Front" and "River of Dream" because I figured the two of them didn't' need too much improvement as far as mastering went.

 

Jared pal you got that right. Streetlife is definitely an album that is not better served by the louder mastering of the remaster. The pain the remaster causes me aside, IMO the whole ebb and flow of the album is ruined on the remaster.

Rick

 

True for River of Dreams...not so much for Storm Front, IMO. I much prefer the remaster of Storm Front. But again, YMMV.

 

So these edits are on the two disc fat boy edition, just to clarify?

 

Those edits are on the copies of GH 1&2 available before the 1998 remaster. I believe they did come in a fatboy case, and they have the red over white block spine lettering that CBS/Sony used on all of their CD releases back then. I don't have the disc anymore, but the catalog # is probably C2K-4xxxx.

I remember listening to a WPLJ-NY broadcast of one of Billy's college question and answer tours back in the mid-90's, and someone in the audience actually asked him why the short version of something was on the GH. He seemed perplexed and asked someone off stage if that was true and said that shouldn't be. Then a couple years later came the remasters and all the long versions replaced the single versions on GH 1&2. Coincidence? Maybe... I actually have a tape of this buried somewhere...

 

Cool, Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for that fatboy.

It's very possible that had something to do with it.

 

G2K-40121 (spine) (cd labels)

CK 40122 (disc 1 label), CK 40123 (disc 2 label)

 

Thanks

 

Hi. Can someone who owns the original Japan for U.S. pressing of this comment on whether yours has "Don't Ask Me Why" on Disc 2 or instead "Honesty" on Disc 2? Much appreciated!

 

On a side note, which sounds better -- the original Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 CD or the remaster? I have the latter and it sounds excessively bright, but I'm not sure whether that's just how the recordings sound. And there seem to be conflicting opinions in this thread.

 

bump

 

Im really looking forward to Mobile Fidelity's upcoming Hybrid SACD of Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2. What will be interesting is it claims that it will be "Mastered from the Original Master Tapes for the First Time: Unsurpassed Sound". So will that be the masters from the original release or the Ted Jensen version being those two editions have different versions of some songs?

"The third best-selling record in American history.Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity’s pristine hybrid SACD reissue of this ubiquitous classic finally does justice to the Hall of Fame caliber music. Part of the label’s restoration of Joel’s most crucial releases, Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2 literally takes on new life. Devoid of the flatness, squelched dynamics, and limited soundscapes that defined previous versions, the collection brings Joel’s genius and intentions into a more transparent light. "

It will also be avaialbe in a 180 gram double LP.

 

I sure would like to have one, if it is ever released……..

 

I don't know what "japan for US pressing" means. I own the US Columbia pressing released in the early/mid 80s....which is when I bought it as a kid--"Honesty" is not on the set at ALL. Never heard the song until I was an adult. "Don't Ask Me Why" is there.