Question: Billy Joel Greatest Hits Vol 1 & 2

If I have all his CD's, is there anything unique to this set re songs?

 

"You're Only Human" and "While The Night Is Still Young", right? Otherwise, I think all you're "missing" is a shorter edit here and there.

rcb

 

I think the earlier versions of "GH 1 and 2" have the edits, and later ones may have the full song versions.

 

Correct. It was my very first CD. Like I fool I got rid of mine when the Box set was released.

 

I wouldn't call it foolish The fidelity of the old GH I & II pales in comparison imo. If you want those single edits, it's worth having. But mind you, those singles were mere edits (a generation down from the master version) and not remixes. To this day, I can't stand the signle edit of My Life. They chopped out that little piano solo towards the end of the song. It's one of the best bits in the song imo.

 

The other differences that the tracks "Captain Jack", "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", "She's Got A Way", and "The Entertainer" are on the CD issue of the album but not on the vinyl LP version.

 

Amazing. This was the first CD I ever bought as well. 1985---I was 16 years old and anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Sony Discman from J&R Music World. I had the Billy Joel discs about 4 days before my Discman arrived. I'll never forget the sound of 'Piano Man' coming through the headphones of the very first CD I ever played in my life. Doesn't seem all that long ago.

 

They're not all edits - "My Life" is a good case in point. Compare the effects on the backing vocals - the LP version has plate reverb, the single has a kind of chorusing effect applied. Different mixes.

That said, while I prefer the version without the piano solo (I call it "the Doogie Howser moment"), the single does have one of the most clunky edits ever committed to vinyl, where a cymbal splash just vanishes into nothing!

 

"Say Goodbye To Hollywood" fades too soon...do be do be do!

 

But not all single edits were included, like Piano Man. (BTW, I hate the edit of Pressure, missing the "Time Magazine" bit.)

 

I have a good memory of getting the original issue of this compilation. It was 1988, and I was a freshman in college. I ordered the set from Columbia House and it was delivered to my parents' house. My mom included it in a care package along with a couple new shirts and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

By the way, does the remastered version of this compilation have the same mastering as what appears on the remastered albums?

 

For me this was also one of my 1st CD (sets) purchases back in the 80's. The sound quality of this set really turned me off to the new digital format. As a result it took me almost 20 years before I bought more Billy Joel on CD.

 

I was very pleasantly surprised at how good one of the Japanese releases sounds.
It would be a late '80s pressing, and I think has an SRCS catalog number.

 

The remaster of GH I & II uses the same mastering as the remasters. I like the remasters. But one thing I wish they had was bonus tracks. Oh well

 

I believe the box set version has the studio version of "Say Goodbye To Hollywood", whereas the GH compilation is the live version from "Songs In The Attic".

I have the Japanese version of the box (SRCS08571) . The fourth cd is not the same as the domestic release. It's a special bonus disc "For Japan Only". Here are the tracks....

PRELUDE/ANGRY YOUNG MAN
ROOT BEER RAG
STREETLIFE SERENADER
HONESTY
JAMES
ALL FOR LEYNA
SHE'S RIGHT ON TIME
UNTL THE NIGHT
MIAMI 2017(Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)
VIENNA
LEAVE A TENDER MOMENT ALONE
THIS NIGHT
PIANO MAN (LIVE)

 

So it's different than the Hits box set discs 1 & 2? Those discs were done by Joe Palmaccio, instead of Ted Jensen.

 

Just as a side point, I believe the Australian version that comes in the "Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection" box set replaces "Don't Ask Me Why" with the track "Honesty". - Don't ask me why.

Here's the track line up...

Disc: 1
1. Piano Man
2. Captain Jack
3. Entertainer
4. Say Goodbye to Hollywood
5. New York State of Mind
6. Stranger
7. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
8. Just the Way You Are
9. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
10. Only the Good Die Young
11. She's Always a Woman

Disc: 2
1. My Life
2. Big Shot
3. Honesty
4. You May Be Right
5. It's Still Rock & Roll to Me
6. She's Got a Way
7. Pressure
8. Allentown
9. Goodnight Saigon
10. Tell Her About It
11. Uptown Girl
12. Longest Time
13. You're Only Human (Second Wind)
14. Night Is Still Young

 

An early vinyl edition of GH Vol. I&II had a version of New York State Of Mind with a completely different sax solo. Is that the album version? (I've never owned the album with that song on it so I wouldn't know.) The CD editions of GH Vol. I&II have the other version which I've always been familiar with.

 

That was on the Japanese version too...maybe the Australian uses the JPN mastering, or maybe just copies the track selection...I have the JPN and actually wish that "Don't Ask Me Why" was on it, because I like it WAY more than "Honesty"....

 

Well...there are two versions that I think we can all confirm (unless another snuck out, in which case someone will obviously chime in...):

Version 1: Originally issued on Turnstiles, vinyl and non-remastered CD

Version 2: Originally issued on GH 1&2, vinyl, non-remastered CD, and now the ONLY version available as it has replaced Version 1 on the Jensen remaster of Turnstiles and is on all compilations currently available.

The differences being the sax solo, and I believe speed/pitch and the appearance/disappearance of tape hiss.

 

Ok, time to track down a non-remastered cd of Turnstiles

All this talk of Billy Joel has me wishing, hoping and praying for (well, I'm not too pathetic ) Legacy Editions of The Stranger, Glass Houses and Nylon Curtain. I'd love to see some archival stuff...mainly live recordings in the form of complete shows...1980 and 1982 would be good places to start.

 

as a casual fan, I like the Original GH 1 & 2 much better....edits and mastering.

 

Hmmm, I don't hear any mix differences, at least not using the version found on the 1st issue of GH 1 & 2. I don't have the original 45; perhaps the version on GH was a reconstruction of the 45 edit using the LP version?

You are right about that edit...extremely sloppy.

 

Thanks! Yes, bonus tracks would have been nice. Probably in the next round of Billy Joel remasters...with poor mastering.

 

I must say that I don't find the mastering on the original GH CD to be bad. Maybe a bit on the dull side (they probably mastered the CD using the LP cutting master), but nothing offensive. While many are offended by the edits, I actually appreciate having some of the 45 edits available on CD for historical purposes...those were the "hit" versions after all.

However, not all the versions on the original GH CD are the 45 versions:
- The Entertainer: The 45 version is a different mix with additional guitar work, also edited
- Movin' Out: The 45 version does not have the motorcycle sound effects at the end
- Goodnight Saigon: The 45 version fades in much later than the LP version
- You're Only Human and The Night Is Still Young: The 45 versions were edited

Unfortunately, GH did not include Keeping The Faith. The 45 version is a significantly different mix that has never been released on CD.