Billy Joel - The Essential (2001)

Early in his career, Billy Joel seemed cynical about fame, even as that distrust bore strange fruit: mainstream superstardom (thanks to "Just the Way You Are," "Honesty," and "My Life") and multiple Grammy awards, as well as the critic's-whipping-boy status that went with them.

Maybe it was that restlessness--or undiluted cynicism--that inspired left turns into roots and nostalgia (the spunky "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me," "You May Be Right," "Uptown Girl," and "The Longest Time") as his career peaked.

Perhaps not surprisingly, not long after Joel's songs seemed to find their most satisfying balance of angst and mature reflection on songs like "Storm Front" and "River of Dreams," he threatened to bolt the pop music business altogether. The 2001 recordings of "Waltz No. 1" and "Invention in C Minor" that round out this set are the unlikely products of Joel's commitment to classical music.

Track listing:
Disc 1
1. Piano Man - 5:38 - 34 MB
2. You're My Home - 3:13 - 20 MB
3. Captain Jack - 7:17 - 44 MB
4. The Entertainer - 3:41 - 24 MB
5. Say Goodbye To Hollywood - 4:37 - 32 MB
6. Miami 2017 (I've Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) - 5:14 - 29 MB
7. New York State Of Mind - 6:04 - 33 MB
8. She's Always A Woman - 3:22 - 18 MB
9. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - 3:29 - 22 MB
10. Only The Good Die Young - 3:55 - 26 MB
11. Just The Way You Are - 4:51 - 29 MB
12. Honesty - 3:53 - 23 MB
13. My Life - 4:44 - 31 MB
14. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me - 2:59 - 16 MB
15. You May Be Right - 4:11 - 28 MB
16. Don't Ask Me Why - 3:01 - 19 MB
17. She's Got A Way (Live) - 3:01 - 14 MB
18. Allentown - 3:51 - 27 MB

Disc 2
1. Goodnight Saigon - 7:04 - 35 MB
2. An Innocent Man - 5:19 - 32 MB
3. Uptown Girl - 3:17 - 24 MB
4. The Longest Time - 3:39 - 23 MB
5. Tell Her About It - 3:55 - 26 MB
6. Leave A Tender Moment Alone - 3:55 - 24 MB
7. A Matter Of Trust - 4:13 - 28 MB
8. Baby Grand (duet with Ray Charles) - 4:06 - 23 MB
9. I Go To Extremes - 4:23 - 34 MB
10. We Didn't Start The Fire - 4:51 - 35 MB
11. Leningrad - 4:05 - 26 MB
12. The Downeaster "Alexa" - 3:45 - 26 MB
13. And So It Goes - 3:38 - 18 MB
14. The River Of Dreams - 4:07 - 26 MB
15. All About Soul - 5:58 - 41 MB
16. Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - 3:33 - 18 MB
17. Waltz no. 1 (Nunley's Carousel) - 6:54 - 21 MB
18. Invention In C minor - 1:02 - 3 MB

Rapidshare links:
Disc 1
http://rapidshare.com/files/166432280/1_Piano_Man.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166438707/2_You_27re_My_Home.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166439312/3_Captain_Jack.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166439744/4_The_Entertainer.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166440236/5_Say_Goodbye_To_Hollywood.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166441165/6_Miami_2017__Seen_The_Lights_Go_Out_On_Broadway_.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166441588/7_New_York_State_Of_Mind.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166442109/8_She_27s_Always_A_Woman.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166442661/9_Movin_27_Out__Anthony_27s_Song_.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166432901/10_Only_The_Good_Die_Young.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166433254/11_Just_The_Way_You_Are.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166433872/12_Honesty.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166434938/13_My_Life.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166435479/14_It_27s_Still_Rock_And_Roll_To_Me.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166436547/15_You_May_Be_Right.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166437662/16_Don_27t_Ask_Me_Why.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166437975/17_She_27s_Got_A_Way.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166438505/18_Allentown.flac

Disc 2
http://rapidshare.com/files/166443104/1_Goodnight_Saigon.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166443307/2_An_Innocent_Man.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166443483/3_Uptown_Girl.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166443813/4_The_Longest_Time.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166444094/5_Tell_Her_About_It.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166444402/6_Leave_A_Tender_Moment_Alone.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166444604/7_A_Matter_Of_Trust.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166444831/8_Baby_Grand.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166445252/9_I_Go_To_Extremes.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166445606/10_We_Didn_27t_Start_The_Fire.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166445805/11_Leningrad.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166445979/12_The_Downeaster__Alexa_.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166446342/13_And_So_It_Goes.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166446711/14_The_River_Of_Dreams.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166447065/15_All_About_Soul__Remix_.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166468044/16_Lullabye__Goodnight__My_Angel_.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166469176/17_Waltz__231__Nunley_27s_Carousel_.flac
http://rapidshare.com/files/166469834/18_Invention_In_C_Minor.flac