Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Billy Joel (vocals, harpsichord, harmonica, accordion, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer, percussion); Ray Charles (vocals, piano); Mac McAnally (acoustic guitar); David Brown, Russell Javors, Dann Huff, Dean Parks (guitar); Paul Franklin (pedal steel); Clint Black (harmonica); Mark Rivera (alto & tenor saxophones, percussion); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone); Everette Harp (saxophone); Jim Horn, Paul Litteral (horns); John Gatchell, Joe Shepley (trumpet); Matt Rollings (piano); Steve Nathan (organ); Neil Stubenhaus, Doug Stegmeyer (bass); Willie Weeks, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Color Me Badd, Trisha Yearwood. Chris Rodriguez (background vocals). | | Producers include: Phil Ramone, Mick Jones, Billy Joel, Danny Kortchmar, Peter Asher, Steve Lindsey. | | Engineers include: Jim Boyer, Jay Healy, Niko Bolas, Joe Nicolo, Phil Nicolo. | | Recorded at Right Track and Sony Studios, New York City, New York; Andora, Capitol and Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California. | | This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. | | Personnel: Billy Joel (vocals, harmonica, accordion, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, harpsichord, Clavinet, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, background vocals); Ray Charles (vocals, piano); Color Me Badd (vocals); Danny Kortchmar (guitar, drums); Dann Huff, Mike Tyler, Dean Parks, Thomas V. Byrnes, Philip Nowlam, Joey Hunting, Dave Brown , Thomas V. Bynes, T.M. Stevens, Bob Mann, Russell Javors (guitar); Mac McAnally (acoustic guitar); Clint Black (harmonica); Dominic Cortese (accordion); Ed Cherney, Gary Tole , George Massenburg, Leanne Ungar, Niko Bolas (recorder); Everette Harp (saxophone); Mark Rivera (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, percussion); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone); John Gatchell, Joe Shepley (trumpet); Jim Hoke, Jim Horn, Hollywood Paul Litteral, Charles Rose (horns); Henry Rolling, Matt Rollings (piano); Steve Nathan (organ); John Mahoney (keyboards, keyboard programming); David Rosenthal, Randy Waldman, Robbie Kondor (keyboards); Jeff Jacobs (synthesizer, programming); Jeff Bova (synthesizer); Liberty DeVitto (drums, percussion); Willie Weeks, Shawn Pelton, Zachary Alford, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Sammy Merendino (percussion, electronic percussion); Crystal Taliefero (percussion, background vocals); Andy Kravitz (percussion); Kevin Jones (keyboard programming); Doug Kleeger (sound effects); Chris Rodriguez, David Campbell , Donna McElroy, David Whitworth, Frank Simms, Jackie Gouche, Wrecia Ford, Ian Lloyd, B. David Witworth, Chuck Arnold, Joe Lynn Turner, Alex Brown, Marlon Saunders, Mick Jones , Monalisa Young, Trisha Yearwood, Kim Fleming, Bob Bailey, Yvonne Hodges, George Simms (background vocals). | | Audio Mixers: Danny Kadar ; Doug Michael; Jay Healy; Jim Boyer; Joe Nicolo; Peter Asher; Phil Nicolo; Tom Lord-Alge; Bill Schnee; Charles Paakkari . | | Liner Note Author: Michiko Suzuki. | | Recording information: Andora Recording Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Capito Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Capitol Recording Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Conway Recording Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Right Track, New York, NY; Sony Studio New York, NY; Sony Studios, New York, NY; Sony Studios, NYC, NYConway Recording, Los Angeles, CA. | | Photographers: Dan Borris; Len Irish. | | Unknown Contributor Roles: Ira Newborn; Anton Fig. | | Arranger: Patrick Williams. | | In his own inimitable fashion, Billy Joel has crafted some of the catchiest pop hits of the '80s and '90s, and most of them--17, to be exact--are on this disc. The jaunty, nostalgic "Keeping the Faith" opens things up, and we cruise right down memory lane with Billy: through the pop-soul of "A Matter of Trust," the brash, rocking "I Go to Extremes" and "All About Soul" (remixed here to good effect). Joel has grown over the course of his long career, and you can trace his maturity as an artist through these later songs. The tone is a bit darker, a bit edgier than on his earlier tunes. This is an artist who has always been about making pop music, but he's also lived and learned: "You gotta get tough/but that ain't enough/it's all about soul." Fans will probably agree, and will enjoy this collection immensely. |
Musical Guests | | Ray Charles | | Vinnie Colaiuta | | Trisha Yearwood | | Everette Harp | | Clint Black | | Will Downing | | Color Me Badd | | Michael Brecker |
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