Big back catalogue

Big back catalogue

London Free Press - Canada

As its title suggests, Billy Joel's 12 Gardens Live -- his second concert recording in six years -- was culled from a dozen sold-out shows at New York's ...

12 GARDENS LIVE

BILLY JOEL; COLUMBIA/SONY BMG

As its title suggests, Billy Joel's 12 Gardens Live -- his second concert recording in six years -- was culled from a dozen sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden. Now, there are plenty of rockers who could sell out that many nights. But few besides Joel have a back catalogue so vast they could likely play the whole stint without repeating themselves. Fewer still have so many hits they could release a 152-minute double-live CD with 32 tracks and still leave off more than a dozen classics. So you won't find Just the Way You Are, Pressure, Uptown Girl, Honesty or Longest Time, to name a few. But you will find My Life, Allentown, Don't Ask Me Why, She's Always a Woman, We Didn't Start the Fire, Big Shot, You May Be Right, Piano Man, Only the Good Die Young and a hidden version of It's Still Rock & Roll to Me. In keeping with Joel's recent desire to showcase his work beyond his chart- toppers, you'll also find a generous portion of oldies and album cuts such as The Great Wall of China, Laura, Goodnight Saigon, Everybody Loves You Now, The Ballad of Billy the Kid and The Entertainer. And you'll hear them all serviceably reproduced by a reasonably enthusiastic Joel and a capable if unremarkable octet. You won't hear anything new, of course, since Joel turned his back on pop following 1993's River of Dreams.

Other rockers might be able to sell out a dozen nights at the Garden. But how many could do it 13 years after their last disc?