Music Album Review: ‘Billy Joel – Greatest Hits, Volumes I & II (1973-1983)’

🎶 Billy Joel – Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II

Some albums become more than music—they turn into companions. For me, Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II was exactly that. I received the cassette in 1986 for my 23rd birthday, one of my last big celebrations. That tape became a lifeline: it lifted my spirits when romances soured, steadied me through looming deadlines as a student journalist, and traveled with me overseas when I studied Spanish in Seville. I played it so often that it eventually wore out—sent off to the Big Walkman in the Sky.

Luckily, just before the cassette gave up, I bought my first stereo system with a CD player. One of my earliest purchases was this two-disc set of Joel’s most popular songs. Spanning from “Piano Man” (1973) to “The Night Is Still Young” (1985), the collection captures Joel’s many musical faces: storyteller, satirist, balladeer, and rocker.

✨ Surprises and Discoveries

Because I was still new to CDs, I hadn’t studied the track list carefully. So when “Piano Man” faded out on Disc One, I expected “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.” Instead, I was greeted by “Captain Jack” and “The Entertainer.” Even more thrilling was hearing “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” in full, with its reflective prologue and epilogue framing the saga of Brenda and Eddie.

Another revelation: the CD included the complete version of “Just the Way You Are,” which had been truncated on the cassette.

Disc Two held fewer surprises, since its playlist closely mirrored the cassette. Still, the inclusion of a live rendition of “She’s Got a Way” and the full version of “Pressure” made the experience richer. And of course, the familiar anthems—“Goodnight Saigon,” “Uptown Girl,” “For the Longest Time,” and “Tell Her About It”—were right where memory expected them to be.

📀 Complete Track Listing (CD Version)

Disc One

1. Piano Man
2. Captain Jack
3. The Entertainer
4. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (Live)
5. New York State of Mind
6. The 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 Two
12. My Life
13. Big Shot
14. You May Be Right
15. It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
16. Don’t Ask Me Why
17. She’s Got a Way (Live)
18. Pressure
19. Allentown
20. Goodnight Saigon
21. Tell Her About It
22. Uptown Girl
23. The Longest Time
24. You’re Only Human (Second Wind)
25. The Night Is Still Young

🎤 Final Thoughts

If you’re already a Joel devotee, chances are you own this set—or don’t need convincing to do so. But for new listeners, this is the perfect gateway into the many moods and styles of one of America’s finest pop-rock songwriters. And if the box set is out of reach, pairing this with Greatest Hits Volume III (1997) makes for a near-complete journey through Joel’s career.

This isn’t just a greatest-hits album. For me, it’s a soundtrack to memory, resilience, and discovery—proof that Billy Joel’s songs don’t just endure; they live alongside us.