Greatest Hits Vol. 3 - Joel, Billy (Cassette 1997)

Released in 1997, Greatest Hits Volume III is Billy Joel's third album since KOHWEPT from 1987, first album since River of Dreams in 1993, and zero-th album featuring original songs. Although GHv3 takes two more songs from An Innocent Man, GHv3 also validates the greatness of Storm Front by taking six songs from that album and therefore putting it on par with The Stranger.
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Greatest Hits Volume III
Billy Joel (1997 - Columbia)
All lyrics by Billy Joel except for songs [15]-[17]

Billy Joel's instrumental contributions :
Piano -- all songs except [07][10][11][14][16][17]
Fender Rhodes -- [01][02]
Hammond B-3 -- [01][02][08][12][14][15]
Synthesizers -- [03][05][09][14]
Claninet -- [07][10]
Percussion -- [07]
Accordion -- [10]
Harpsichord -- [11]
Harmonica -- [15]
Keyboards -- [16]

Backup/Supporting Musicians :
Liberty DeVitto (drums) -- [01]-[03],[05]-[08],[10],[11]
Liberty DeVitto (percussion) -- [07]
Doug Stegmeyer (bass) -- [01]-[03],[05]
David Brown (guitar) -- [01]-[03],[05]-[08],[10],[11]
Russell Javors (guitars) -- [01]-[03],[05]
Mark Rivera (alto saxophone) -- [01][02]
Mark Rivera (tenor saxophone) -- [01[02]
Mark Rivera (percussion) -- [01][02]
Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone) -- [01]
Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone) -- [01]
John Gatchell (trumpet) -- [01]
Joe Shepley (trumpet) -- [01]
Jeff Bova (additional synthesizers) -- [03]
Ray Charles (piano) -- [04]
Vinny Calaiuta (drums) -- [04]
Neil Stubenhaus (bass) -- [04]
Dean Parks (guitar) -- [04]
Schuyler Deale (bass) -- [06][07][08][10][11]
Jeff Jacobs (synthesizers) -- [06][07][08][10][11]
Dominic Cortese (accordion) -- [06][10]
Joey Hunting (guitar) -- [07]
John Mahoney (keyboards) -- [07]
Crystal Taliefero (percussion) -- [07]
Sammy Merendino (electronic percussion) -- [07]
Kevin Jones (keyboard programming) -- [07]
Doug Kleeger (sound effects) -- [07]
World Famous Incognito Violinist (fiddle) -- [10]
Zacary Alford (drums) -- [12][14]
Danny Kortchmar (guitar) -- [12][14]
Tommy Byrnes (guitar) -- [12]
T.M. Stevens (bass) -- [12]
Lonnie Hillyer (bass) -- [14]
Andy "Funky Drummer" Kravitz (percussion) -- [14]
Mike Tyler (guitar) -- [14]
Chuck Treece (bass) -- [14]
Jeff Lee Johnson (bass) -- [14]
Robbie Kondor (keyboards) -- [15]
Randy Waldman (keyboards) -- [15]
Philip Nowlam (guitar) -- [15]
Bob Mann (guitar) -- [15]
Will Lee (bass) -- [15]
Sean Pelton (drums) -- [15]
Peter Asher (percussion sequencing) -- [15]
Joe Nicolo (percussion sequencing) -- [15]
Anton Fig (cakewalk snare drum) -- [15]
David Rosenthal (keyboards) -- [16]
Thomas V. Byrnes (guitar) -- [16]
Randy D. Jackson (bass) -- [16]
Everette Harp (saxophone) -- [16]
Willie Weeks (drums) -- [17]
Dann Huff (guitar) -- [17]
Mac McAnally (acoustic guitar) -- [17]
Paul Franklin (Pedal Steel) -- [17]
Matt Rollings (piano) -- [17]
Steve Nathan (organ) -- [17]
Clint Black (harmonica) -- [17]
Jim Horn (horns) -- [17]
Paul Litteral (horns) -- [17]
Jim Hoke (horns) -- [17]
Charles Rose (horns) -- [17]

Bacground/Supporting Vocals :
Ray Charles -- [04]
Chuck Arnold and Members of the Hicksville High School Chorus -- [06]
Crystal Taliefero -- [07][11][12][14]
Mick Jones -- [08]
Joe Lynn Turner -- [08]
Ian Lloyd -- [08]
Patti Darcy -- [11]
Frank Floyd -- [11]
Wrecia Ford -- [12][14]
Marlon Saunders -- [12][14]
B. David Whitworth -- [12][14]
Color Me Badd -- [12]
Frank Simms -- [14]
George Simms -- [14]
Bob Bailey -- [17]
Kim Fleming -- [17]
Yvonne Hodges -- [17]
Donna McElroy -- [17]
Chris Rodriguez -- [17]
Trisha Yearwood -- [17]
Alex Brown -- [17]
Jackie Gouche -- [17]
Monalisa Young -- [17]

Everette Harp appears courtesy of Blue Note Records.
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Below are the seventeen songs found on GHv3:
[01] 4:38 "Keeping the Faith" (An Innocent Man)
[02] 5:19 "An Innocent Man" (An Innocent Man)
[03] 4:12 "A Matter of Trust" (The Bridge)
[04] 4:05 "Baby Grand" (The Bridge)
[05] 5:00 "This Is the Time" (The Bridge)
[06] 4:04 "Leningrad" (Storm Front)
[07] 4:49 "We Didn't Start the Fire" (Storm Front)
[08] 4:24 "I Go to Extremes" (Storm Front)
[09] 3:38 "And So It Goes" (Storm Front)
[10] 3:44 "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" (Storm Front)
[11] 4:27 "Shameless" (Storm Front)
[12] 6:01 "All about Soul" (Remix) (River of Dreams)
[13] 3:34 "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)" (River of Dreams)
[14] 4:11 "The River of Dreams" (River of Dreams)
[15] 3:53 "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan (GHv3)
[16] 3:57 "Hey Girl" by Carole King & Gerry Goffin (GHv3)
[17] 6:12 "Light As the Breeze" by Leonard Cohen (GHv3)
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Three songs which were performed in the USSR in 1987 can be found on the KOHWEPT album ("Baby Grand," "An Innocent Man," and "A Matter of Trust"). Additional details about each GHv3 song can be found within the following opinions at these URLs:
AN INNOCENT MAN Shows That Billy Joel Is Guilty of Popularity @ [http://neomartin.epinions.com/content_36046016132]
THE BRIDGE Joins Billy Joel's Past with the Present (circa 1986) @
[http://neomartin.epinions.com/content_36438380164]
KOHWEPT-- Billy Joel at His Peak in the USSR @ [http://neomartin.epinions.com/content_36595994244]
STORM FRONT Ties THE STRANGER As Billy Joel's Greatest Album @ [http://neomartin.epinions.com/content_39640731268]
If I Could Just Get Past One Song I Can Like RIVER OF DREAMS Better @ [http://neomartin.epinions.com/content_33997753988]
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While both The Stranger and Storm Front share the top spot with 6 songs each named Greatest Hits, the 1983 album An Innocent Man earns the distinction of being the only one of Billy Joel's albums to have Greatest Hits songs found on two albums (three on GHv2 and two on GHv3). If The Stranger and Storm Front are tied for the gold medal, then An Innocent Man gets the bronze medal for having five Greatest Hits songs.

Like the GH release from 1985, lyrics for every song on GHv3 can be found in the booklet which comes with the CD. Unlike the GH release from 1985, GHv3 packages 17 songs on one CD. Like the earlier GH album, at least one song on GHv3 had modifications to its music arrangement; unlike the earlier GH album, though, GHv3 makes a note of the changes-- namely, the remixed version "All about Soul" from River of Dreams. Like GH from 1985, GHv3 contains songs not found on any other Billy Joel album. Unlike GH from 1985, however, the three additional songs on GHv3 are covers of songs by other singers; at least on GHv2 the new additions were written by Billy Joel.
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"To Make You Feel My Love"
"To Make You Feel My Love" is another Bob Dylan song Billy Joel sings ("The Times They Are A-Changin'" found on KOHWEPT is the other). While Billy Joel sings "The Times They Are A-Changin'" as himself when he toured the USSR in 1987, Billy Joel does his best to sound like Bob Dylan when he sings "To Make You Feel My Love." Billy Joel does a good job approximating Bob Dylan, but I must say that Billy Joel has the better singing voice by far. "To Make You Feel My Love" was also released as a single around the time GHv3 was released.

"Hey Girl"
"Hey Girl" is a song which received much airplay on radio When GHv3 was released, and I still hear this song on radio when I eat out or wait in an office. At first I thought this was a Billy Joel song exclusive to GHv3, but I discovered from reading the notes in the booklet that the song is by Carole King & Gerry Goffin. Billy Joel sings "Hey Girl" with the golden-throated vocals which were common during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

"Light As the Breeze"
"Light As the Breeze" is a long song by Leonard Cohen which Billy Joel sings in a way which resembles other singers. The song is slow and deliberate, and it builds up to a solid end. When listening to "Light As the Breeze," it can be seen that Billy Joel puts himself into this song even if he is not singing like Billy Joel.
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GHv3 is made possible because of the strength of the Storm Front album from which it takes six songs. The better selections from River of Dreams were taken for GHv3, although I would have changed one of the selections. The surprise on GHv3 comes from the 2 songs which come from An Innocent Man since there is no apparent explanation for the chronological overlap; I think that is why GHv3 doesn't list 1986-1997 as a time period whereas 1973-1977 for GHv1 and 1978-1985 for GHv2 were used. In the end, the time period issue is minor-- what matters is that what had been the long-awaited release of GHv3 arrived and gave Billy Joel fans an important contribution for their collections. Unless Billy Joel composes sufficient music which is performed by concert pianists and other classically trained musicians, do not expect GHv4. Greatest Hits Volume III puts a cap on both the rock and roll as well as popular music career of Billy Joel.