Billy Joel Complete Hits Collection 1973-97 CD

Personnel includes: Billy Joel (vocals, guitar, harmonica, accordion, piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, melodica, keyboards); T-Bone Wolk (vocals, bass); Ray Charles (vocals, piano); Crystal Taliefero (vocals, percussion); Larry Carlton, Hiram Bullock, Steve Kahn, David Brown, Danny Kortchmar, Dann Huff (guitar); Paul Franklin (pedal steel guitar); Richie Cannata (flute, clarinet, saxophone, organ); Clint Black (harmonica); Mark Rivera (alto & tenor saxophones, synthesizer, percussion); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Richard Tee, Matt Rollings (piano); Wilton Felder, Neil Stubenhaus, Will Lee (bass); Willie Weeks, Sean Pelton, Liberty DeVitto, Ron Tutt, Zachary Alford (drums); Peter Cetera, Trisha Yearwood, Color Me Badd (background vocals).
Producers include: Billy Joel, Phil Ramone, Mick Jones, Danny Kortchmar, Peter Asher.
Includes liner notes by Timothy White.
Personnel: Billy Joel (vocals, harmonica, accordion, melodica, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, harpsichord, Clavinet, keyboards, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, percussion, background vocals); Tommy Byrnes (vocals, guitar); Ray Charles (vocals, piano); Crystal Taliefero (vocals, percussion, background vocals); Wrecia Ford, B. David Witworth (vocals, background vocals); Color Me Badd, T-Bone Wolk (vocals); Steve Khan (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar); Dann Huff, Danny Kortchmar, Mike Tyler, Dean Parks, Don Evans, Philip Nowlam, Joey Hunting, William Sterndale Bennett, John McCurry, Larry Carlton, Bob Mann (guitar); Howie Emerson, Russell Javors (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Hugh McCracken, James Herb Smith , Mac McAnally, Steve Burgh (acoustic guitar); Hiram Bullock (electric guitar); Tom Whitehorse (banjo); World Famous Incognito Violinist (fiddle); Richie Cannata (flute, clarinet, saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, organ); Clint Black (harmonica); Dominic Cortese (accordion); Everette Harp (saxophone); Mark Rivera (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, synthesizer, percussion, background vocals); David Matthews, Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone); John Gatchell, Joe Shepley (trumpet); Jim Horn (horns, alto horn); Hollywood Paul Litteral, Charles Rose (horns); Steve Lindsey (alto horn); Matt Rollings, Richard Tee (piano); Steve Nathan (organ); David Rosenthal, Michael Omartian, Randy Waldman, Robbie Kondor (keyboards); Jeff Jacobs (synthesizer, programming); Dave Lebolt, Jeff Bova (synthesizer); Bill Zampino, Anton Fig, Ron Tutt, Willie Weeks, Zachary Alford, Liberty DeVitto, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Jimmy Bralower, Mingo Lewis, Neil Jason, Andy Kravitz, Ralph MacDonald (percussion); Sammy Merendino (electronic percussion); John Mahoney, Kevin Jones (keyboard programming); Doug Kleeger (sound effects); Chris Rodriguez, Donna McElroy, Donnie Dacus, Frank Simms, Jackie Gouche, Hicksville High School Chorus, Ian Lloyd, Patty d'Arcy, Chuck Arnold, Joe Lynn Turner, Alex Brown, Peter Cetera, Pete Hewlett, Trisha Yearwood, Kim Fleming, Bob Bailey, Yvonne Hodges, Doug Stegmeyer, Frank Floyd, George Simms (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Jay Healy; Joe Nicolo; Michael Brauer; Peter Asher; Phil Nicolo; Tom Lord-Alge; Bill Schnee; Bruce Botnick.
Audio Remixers: Elliot Scheiner; Gary Tole ; Jim Boyer; Phil Nicolo; Phil Ramone; Brian Ruggles.
Liner Note Author: Timothy White .
Recording information: Andora, Capitol and Conway Recording Studio, Los Angele (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Columbia University (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Halt, Frankfurt, Germany (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Harvard University (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Hofstra University (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Nassau Coliseum (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Paradise Club, Boston, MA (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Right Track Studio, New York, NY (06/??/1980/12/31/1993); Sony Studios, New York, NY (06/??/1980/12/31/1993).
Photographers: Dan Borris; LEntertainment Weekly (12/12/97, p.84) - "Joel's three hit collections, plus a bonus, fans-only disc with live cuts and highlights of his anecdotal, often amusing college lectures..." - Rating: B
Q (1/02, p.118) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...piano-playing and melodic style...[with] eclectic musical influences and lyrical diversity...confirm he's much more than just a romantic balladeer..."