My Lives

by

Billy Joel

Edit

Below is some abridged information to help fans make their decision on this box set. Some of the information is from the included 58 page booklet and parts are from yours truly.

DISC ONE (CD): 1965-1980

(1) My Journey's End

Previously Unreleased. Originally Recorded 1965 - Sony BMG. By group "The Lost Souls". Billy on Vocals and Keyboards.

(2) Time And Time Again

Previously Unreleased. Originally Recorded 1968 - Sony BMG. By group "The Lost Souls". Billy on organ and vocals (with John Dizek vocals).

(3) Every Step I Take (Every Move I Make)

Originally Recorded 1968 - EMI. By the Group, "The Hassles". Billy on organ and vocals.

(4) You've Got Me Hummin'

Originally Recorded 1968 - EMI. By the group, "The Hassles". Billy on organd and background vocals.

(5) Amplifier Fire

Originally Recorded 1970 - Sony BMG. Group "Attila". Instrumental only with Billy Joel on Keyboards and Bass. Jonathan Small on Drums.

(6) Only A Man

Never Released Before Demo. Originally Recorded 1971.

[REVIEWER: Chorus continually says "It's Not Easy"]

(7) She's Got A Way

Album Version. From Cold Spring Harbor. 1971, 1981 Sony BMG.

[REVIEWER: Yes, different from Live version you always hear from Greatest Hits II]

(8) Oyster Bay

Never Released Before Demo. 1973. Billy on Harmonica, Keyboards and vocals.

[REVIEWER: Nice soft blues/rock feel. "Taking it easy" is chorus.]

(9) Piano Man

Never Release Before Demo. 1973. Billy on Harmonica, Keyboards and vocals.

[REVIEWER: Slightly different verse lyrics and slower than regular version. Not the full song. A bit of echo in some words that can be a bit annoying. Raw, but beautiful work that was in progress.]

(10) The Siegfried Line

Never Released Before Demo. 1973. Billy on Harmonica, Keyboards, and vocals.

[REVIEWER: To me, this sounds like Billy vocals over an accoustic guitar. Good, but another unreleased song that seems to brief. Good lyrics like "Soon, soon they say the war will be over. Home, home we will come home in the summer."]

(11) New Mexico

Never Released Before Demo. 1973. Early version of "Worse Comes To Worse" song.

[REVIEWER: Simply the piano, harmonica, lead and backup voice from Billy.]

(12) Cross To Bear

Never Before Released Demo. 1974. Joel on piano and vocals.

[REVIEWER: Sounds like a second duet that he and the late Ray Charles should have done]

(13) Miami 2017

Never Before Released Demo. 1975. Original songs is from Turnstiles Album, Columbia Recording.

[REVIEWER: "I've seen the lights go down on Broadway" done with just piano and vocals - slow and easy. Good length though]

(14) These Rhinestone Days

Never Before Released Demo. 1976. Early version of "I Loved These Days". Billy on vocal and piano alone.

(15) Everybody Has A Dream

Version from "The Stranger" album. 1977 - Sony BMG.

(16) Only The Good Die Young

Alternate Version Never Before Released. 1977. Original song from "The Stranger album.

[REVIEWER: Interesting version. Dare I suggest its reggae style. No, I wouldn't do that to him! Not quite reggae, but dangerously too close for my tastes...]

(17) Until The Night

Album version from 52nd Street. 1978 - Sony BMG. David Friedman on orchestral chimes and percussion.

(18) Zanzibar

Unfaded album version. 7/13/1978 - A&R Recording. Original was on "52nd Street" album.

(19) It's Still Rock And Roll To Me

Album Version. 1980 - Song BMG. From "Glass Houses" Album.

DISC TWO (CD): 1981-1988

(1) Captain Jack

Live Never Before Release Version. July 1981. Recorded live in Sparks Saloon on Huntington, Long Island.

[REVIEWER: Good polished version for a live cut.]

(2) The End Of The World

Never Before Released Demo. 1981 Media Sound. Early version of "Elvis Presley Blvd."

(3) The Prime Of Your Life

Never Before Released Demo. 12/7/1981 - A&R Recording. Early version of "The Longest Time"

(4) She's Right On Time

Album Version from "The Nylon Curtain". 1982 - Sony BMG.

(5) Elvis Presley Blvd.

Allentown B-side. 1982 - Sony BMG.

(6) Nobody Knows But Me

From a children's album, "In Harmony II". 1982 - CBS.

(7) An Innocent Man

Album Version from "An Innocent Man". 1983-Sony BMG.

(8) Christie Lee

Never Before Released Demo. 4/18/1983 - A&R Recording. Billy on Baldwin Acoustic Piano (SF-10), Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 and vocals.

(9) Easy Money

Album Version from "An Innocent Man". Also, on "Easy Money" Soundtrack. 1983-Sony BMG.

(10) And So It Goes

Never Before Released Demo. 1983. Billy on piano and vocal.

[Reviewer: On this one, personally I see little difference between this and the album version...]

(11) I'll Cry Instead

Live version from "An Innocent Man" B-side. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. 1983 - Sony BMG.

(12) Keeping The Faith

From 12" Dance Remix done on 1/20/1984 Hit Factory. 1983(?)-Sony BMG.

[REVIEWER: Although labeled a dance remix, not really any faster. Someone just added a back beat to me. Not a bad different version though, beat doesn't hurt the song any.]

(13) Modern Woman

Album Version from "Ruthless People" Soundtrack. 1985, 1986 - Sony BMG.

(14) Baby Grand

Duet with Ray Charles, this is version from album "The Bridge". 1986 - Sony, BMG.

(15) Getting Closer

Alternative Version Never Before Released. With Steve Winwood on Hammond Organ. Recorded at the Power Station. 1986. The original song was from album "The Bridge".

(16) House Of Blue Light

From "We Didn't Start The Fire" B-side. 4/8/1989 Hit Factory. 1989 - Sony BMG.

(17) Money Or Love

Never Before Released Demo. 4/8/1989. Billy on keyboard and vocals.

(18) The Times They Are A-Changin'

Live album version from "Kohuept" concert in Soviet Union. 1987 - Sony BMG.

DISC THREE (CD): 1989-1999

(1) The Downeaster "Alexa"

Album Version from "Storm Front". 1989 - Sony BMG.

(2) I Go To Extremes

Live Never Before Released. 4/1990 recorded in L.A. Sports Coliseum.

(3) Shout

From "Live At Yankee Stadium". 2000 - Sony BMG.

(4) All Shook Up

From "Honeymoon In Vegas". 1992 - Sony BMG.

(5) Heartbreak Hotel

From "Honeymoon In Vegas". 1992 - Sony BMG.

(6) When You Wish Upon A Star

From "Simply Mad About The Mouse". 1991 - Sony BMG.

(7) In a Sentimental Mood

From "A League Of Their Own" Soundtrack. 1992 - Sony BMG.

(8) Motorcycle Song

Never Before Released Demo. Early version of song, "All About Soul." 1992.

[REVIEWER: As much as I like "All About Soul", this is a good alternate version that should have been called "Jericho Road". In some ways, I like this song better as Billy doesn't seem to be forcing it as much...]

(9) You Picked A Real Bad Time

The "All About Soul" B-side. 1992, 1993 - Song BMG.

(10) River Of Dreams

Never Before Released alternate version. March & April, 1993. Hit Factory. Originally version from "River Of Dreams.

[REVIEWER: Similar, but bridge goes into "Lullaby {Goodnight, My Angel}" for a twist.

(11) A Hard Day's Night

From "A Voyage On The River Of Dreams - Live From The River Of Dreams Tour". 1997 - Sony BMG. Written again by Lennon & McCartney.

(12) Light As The Breeze

From album "Greatest Hits Vol. 3". 1995, 1997 - A&M Records. Clint Black on Harmonica. Trisha Yearwood on Background Vocals.

(13) To Make You Feel My Love

From album "Greatest Hits Vol. 3". 1997 - Sony BMG. Written by Bob Dylan.

(14) Hey Girl

1997 - Sony BMG. Everette Harp on the Saxaphone.

(15) Why Should I Worry

From Walt Disney's "Oliver & Company". 1988, 1998.

(16) Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day)?

Album version from "Runaway Bride" Soundtrack. 1999 - Sony BMG.

(17) Highway 61 Revisited

Never Before Released Demo. 4/28/99 Hit Factory. Written and originally performed by Bob Dylan.

[Reviewer: Hopefully the skipping is only on my CD... If you haven't heard it before, it jams!]

DISC FOUR (CD): 2000-

(1) Movin' Out

From "2000 Years The Millenium Concert". 2000-Sony BMG.

(2) You May Be Right

Never Before Released Live Version with Elton John from July 1994 Giants Stadium.

[REVIEWER: This is particularly cool for me since I was there at Giants Stadium in July '94 to see them.]

(3) Big Shot

From "The Essential Video Collection". 2001.

(4) Don't Worry Baby

From "An All Star Tribute To Brian Wilson". 2001, 2003.

(5) Goodnight, Saigon (Vietnam Veterans Version)

From Live Performance on "The Essential Video Collection". 2001.

[REVIEWER: What makes this different from the KOHUEPT and Greatest Hits versions?]

(6) Los Angelenos

Live version from "The Essential Video Collection". 2001. Original version was on "Summer of 1980".

(7) New York State Of Mind

From "America: A Tribute To Heroes". 2001 Sony BMG.

(8) Opus 1. Soliloquy (On A Separation)

From Fantasies & Delusions. 2001-BMG.

[REVIEWER: Enter his post-rock phase. Classical song over 11 minutes long]

(9) Opus 8. Suite For Piano (Star-Crossed)

From Fantasies & Delusions. 2001-BMG. Part I is Innamorato, Part II is Sorbetto, and Part III is Delusion.

(10) Elegy: The Great Peconic

Performed by The London Symphony Orchestra. 2001 - Dawn Treader.

DISC FIVE (DVD): Live From The River Of Dreams

DVD includes No Man's Land, Pressure, Ballad of Billy the Kid, Leningrad, Allentown, My Life, I Go To Extremes, Shades Of Grey, The River Of Dreams, Goodnight Saigon, We Didn't Start The Fire, A Hard Day's Night, Big Shot and Piano Man.

[REVIEWER: Didn't have a chance to look at the DVD, but a note in the box says you can "share the studio experience with Billy Joel" by inserting disc 5 (DVD) in your PC. "Add loops, even your own vocals. Create your own remixes & mashups."]

BOTTOM LINE:

This set contains 21 new unreleased tracks along with a great amount of already released Billy Joel material. Some of the material probably was unnecessary to put here. That said, it would be very difficult for one to gather many of the previously released tracks from the many older soundtracks (even a children's album in one case). The brand new tracks in this set will be appreciated by diehard fans the most, since few are polished enough to be released on an album.

The fact that Columbia released some songs EXACTLY from their original Billy Joel album seems a bit unnecessary to me. Billy already has 3 greatest hits albums that do the job for many of these songs. However, I recommend this set as a great supplement to all Billy Joel fans who want to experience the raw work of his career.

If this review helped you, then please rate that it was helpful. The positive feedback helps me to write more reviews.

As a kid, Billy Joel was one of the first musicians I really got into. I would buy everything, seeking out some of the obscure tracks, alternate takes, and prefame recordings found here. While my fandom for Joel has faded a bit, I sorta jumped at the opportunity to give this a whirl.

I enjoyed hearing a number of these cuts, including early versions of classics such as I've Loved these Days (These Rhinestone Days) and For the Longest Time (The Prime of Your Life). Many of the early versions and demos are clearly unfinished, sometimes with a guiding vocal or Joel abruptly interrupting Only the Good Die Young to say "big question mark, I don't like this part right here." There are also some good songs that never made the cut, like Oyster Bay, a song truly inspired by Joel's beginnings, or the b-side Elvis Presely Boulevard.

But as I was listening to this, a couple of things caught my attention. For one, the quality of these recordings leaves something to be desired. You would think that they would clean these up a bit or have better sources for some of the b-side material. Instead, you have to settle for some of the quite unremarkable prefame recordings (they're bad in both sound and song quality), and some recordings clearly sourced from old vinyl (they don't have a better source for elvis presley boulevard????). Then there are some clear throwaways, like the 12" version of Keeping the Faith (also sourced from vinyl).

Then there's the DVD. Trust me on this one kids, this one's a stinker. Joel's performance is okay, but if you really want to make a solid collection of rarities, I would be culling back to some of those concerts where his performances were much more top notch. The old Long Island concert, not available yet on DVD, would've been a better inclusion.

So at last, I checked out the liner notes. At quick glance, I thought I'd get a lot of insight into these recordings from the piano man himself, but alas - it's from a journalist and a couple of Joe's collaborators from waaaaaaaayyyyyy back, with only a few recent words from Joel himself.

Overall, there are some jewels on this set, but the jewels are in much better fashion and often overshadowed by poor quality or unneccessary recordings. It's a shame such an important artist cant get a better package together. For an example of a better approach to this, I feel Rhino does a better job, remastering the recordings, offering extensive insightful liner notes from the artists themselves, and offering a wealth of quality rare material (i.e., Elvis Costello, the Cure.)

For what it's worth, die hards should like this. Casual Joel fans best borrow from a friend if they can or get it second hand. There is an interesting, fun little bonus treat at the end of disc 4 that Joel fans should get a kick out of!