Personnel includes: Billy Joel (vocals, harmonica, piano); Steve Khan, Mark Rivera (various instruments); Eric Gale, Russell Javors, David Brown, Larry Carlton, Gary Dalton, Don Evans, Hugh McCracken (guitar); Tom Whitehouse (pedal steel guitar, banjo); Toots Thielmans (harmonica); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone); David Sanborn (saxophone); Jon Faddis (trumpet, synthesizers); Joseph J. Shepley, John Gatchell (trumpet); Riachard Tee (piano, organ); Leon Pendarvis (organ); Michael Omartian (keyboards); Doug Stegmeyer, Wilton Felder (bass); Liberty DeVito, Ralph MacDonald, Jimmy Bralower (percussion); Rory Dodd, Peter Cetera, Donnie Dacus (background vocals).
Digitally remastered by Ted Jensen (Sterling Sound, New York, New York).
Personnel: Billy Joel (vocals, melodica, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer); Donnie Dacus (vocals); David Brown (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Dean Parks, Gary Dalton, John McCurry, Larry Carlton, Ron Evans (guitar); Steve Kahn (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar); Howie Emerson, Russell Javors (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Hugh McCracken, James Herb Smith , Steve Burgh (acoustic guitar); Hiram Bullock (electric guitar); Tom Whitehorse (banjo); Richie Cannata (flute, clarinet, saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, organ); Mark Rivera (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, percussion); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone); John Gatchell, Joe Shepley (trumpet); Richard Tee (piano); Michael Omartian (keyboards); Dave Lebolt (synthesizer); Bill Zampino, Ron Tutt, Liberty DeVitto (drums); Jimmy Bralower, Mingo Lewis, Bobbye Hall (percussion); Frank Simms, Peter Cetera, Pete Hewlett, Doug Stegmeyer (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Bruce Botnick.
Audio Remixers: Elliot Scheiner; Jim Boyer ; Phil Ramone.
Recording information: Paradise Club, Boston, MA (1973-1985); The Hit Factory, New York, NY (1973-1985).
Photographer: Patrick Demarchelier.
Billy Joel, a classically-trained pianist, was signed to Columbia Records in 1973. The title track to Piano Man, became a US Top 30 single and sowed the seeds of a highly successful recording career. However, Joel refused to bow to corporate demands for commercially-minded material and despite enjoying hits with two subsequent albums, Street Life Serenade and Turnstiles, it was not until 1977 that his fortunes flourished with the release of The Stranger, which eventually surpassed Bridge Over Troubled Water as Columbia's best-selling album. Joel's 1979 album, 52nd Street, spawned another smash single, 'My Life' while the singer's first US number 1, 'It's Still Rock 'N' Roll To Me' came from a subsequent release, Glass Houses. His image as a popular, uncontroversial figure was shaken with The Nylon Curtain, which featured two notable 'protest' compositions, 'Allentown' and 'Goodnight Saigon'. However he returned to simpler matters in 1984 with An Innocent Man which included the effervescent best-seller 'Uptown Girl'. In 1997, he announced that he would not be writing any pop songs in the foreseeable future, concentrating instead on classical scores.