Billy Joel - Greatest Hits, Vol. 3

Perhaps it was inevitable that Billy Joel's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 would pale next to its double-disc predecessor. Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2 covered nine albums (it ignored Cold Spring Harbor), a period during which Joel had 26 Top 100 hits. If it had picked up where the first collection left off, Vol. 3 would have covered three studio albums, which produced 11 hits. That alone would have made a respectable hits collection, and it would have made sense, since The Bridge marked the beginning of a new phase of Joel's career. Instead, the 17-song Vol. 3 begins with a pair of songs from An Innocent Man ("Keeping the Faith," "An Innocent Man") that sound entirely different from the material that follows, which finds Joel delving into mechanized, slickly produced adult contemporary pop. The remaining songs don't strictly adhere to his charting hits, substituting such album tracks as "Leningrad," "Shameless" and "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" for hits like "Modern Woman," "That's Not Her Style" and his non-LP cover of Elvis' "All Shook Up." Even with those missing hits, Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 does summarize Joel's latter career quite well, culling most of his best songs from the time. However, the album ends on a down note, as it adds three new songs, all covers, that are limply produced and colorlessly played. Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" -- which Joel decided to perform as if it was a slow, sanitized Blonde on Blonde outtake -- is the best of the trio, but none of them qualify as Joel classics, and they are an inauspicious way to end this chapter of his career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alex Brown Vocals (Background) Andy Kravitz Percussion Anton Fig ? Arif Mardin Orchestral Arrangements B. David Witworth Vocals (Background) Bill Schnee Mixing Bill Zampino Choir Arrangement Billy Joel Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Fender Rhodes, Piano, Producer, Harpsichord, Synthesizer, Organ (Hammond), Percussion, Accordion, Harmonica, Clavinet Bob Bailey Vocals (Background) Bob Mann Guitar Bradshaw Leigh Associate Engineer, Engineer Brenda White-King Choir, Chorus Brian Garten Assistant Engineer Charles Paakkari Assistant Engineer, Mixing Charles Rose Horn Chris Rodriguez Vocals (Background) Christopher Austopchuk Art Direction Chuck Arnold Vocals (Background), Choir Director Chuck Treece Bass Clint Black Harmonica Color Me Badd Vocals Crystal Taliefero Vocal Arrangement, Vocals (Background), Percussion Curtis Rance King, Jr. Choir Conductor Dan Borris Cover Photo, Photography Dana Becker Assistant Engineer Dann Huff Guitar Danny Kadar Assistant Engineer, Mixing Danny Kortchmar Guitar, Drums, Producer Dave Brown Guitar David Campbell Choir Arrangement, Vocals (Background), String Arrangements, Conductor David Dickson Associate Producer, Associate Engineer David Dorn Assistant Engineer David Rosenthal Keyboards David Whitworth Vocals (Background) Dean Parks Guitar Dennis Collins Choir, Chorus Devora Johnson Choir, Chorus Diane Garisto Choir, Chorus Dirk Grobelny Assistant Engineer, Engineer Dominic Cortese Accordion Don DeVito Producer Donna McElroy Vocals (Background) Doug Kleeger Sound Effects Doug Michael Mixing, Assistant Engineer Doug Stegmeyer Bass Ed Cherney Recorder, Engineer Everette Harp Saxophone Frank Floyd Choir, Chorus Frank Simms Vocals (Background) Fred Tenny Associate Producer, Associate Engineer Gary Solomon Assistant Engineer Gary Tole Engineer, Recorder George Massenburg Recorder, Engineer George Simms Vocals (Background) Henry Rolling Piano Hollywood Paul Litteral Horn Ian Cutler Art Direction Ian Cuttler Art Direction Ian Lloyd Vocals (Background) Ira Newborn Orchestration, ?, Orchestra Ivy Skoff Project Coordinator Jackie Gouche Vocals (Background) Jason Goldstein Assistant Engineer Jay Healy Engineer, Mixing Jef Lee Johnson Bass Jeff Bova Synthesizer Jeff Jacobs Project Assistant, Synthesizer, Programming Jeff Schock Art Direction Jim Boyer Engineer, Associate Engineer, Mixing Jim DeMain Assistant Engineer Jim Hoke Horn Jim Horn Horn, Horn Arrangements Joe Lynn Turner Vocals (Background) Joe Nicolo Mixing, Producer, Assistant Producer, Percussion Sequencing, Engineer Joe Pierre Assistant Engineer Joe Pirrera Assistant Engineer Joe Shepley Trumpet Joey Hunting Guitar John Gatchell Trumpet John Hendrickson Assistant Engineer John Mahoney Keyboard Programming, Keyboards Justin Neibank Engineer Katreese Barnes Choir, Chorus Kevin Jones Keyboard Programming Kim Fleming Vocals (Background) Leanne Ungar Recorder, Engineer Len Irish Inlay Photography, Artwork, Photography Liberty DeVitto Drums, Percussion Lonnie Hillyer Bass Luis Quine Assistant Engineer Mac McAnally Guitar (Acoustic) Mark Rivera Sax (Tenor), Sax (Alto), Percussion Marlon Saunders Vocals (Background), Choir, Chorus Matt Rollings Piano Mel Jones Assistant Engineer Michael Allaire Assistant Engineer Michael Brecker Sax (Tenor) Michiko Suzuki Liner Notes Mick Jones Vocals (Background), Producer Mike Tyler Guitar Monalisa Young Vocals (Background) Nathaniel Kunkel Engineer Neil Stubenhaus Bass Niko Bolas Engineer, Recorder Patrick Williams Arranger Paul Franklin Pedal Steel Peter Asher Mixing, Producer, Percussion Sequencing Phil Nicolo Engineer, Mixing Phil Ramone Producer Philip Nowlam Guitar Phillip Ballou Choir, Chorus Randy Jackson Bass Randy Waldman Keyboards Ray Charles Piano, Vocals, Performer Rob Mounsey Orchestration Robbie Kondor Keyboards Robert Charles Assistant Engineer, Engineer Ronnie Cuber Sax (Baritone) Russell Javors Guitar Sammy Merendino Electronic Percussion, Percussion Schuyler Deale Bass Scott James Assistant Engineer Shawn Pelton Drums Stephanie James Choir, Chorus Steve Boyer Associate Engineer Steve Lindsey Producer, Horn Arrangements, Orchestration Steve Nathan Organ Suzanne Hollander Assistant Engineer T.M. Stevens Bass, Guitar Ted Jensen Mastering Thomas V. Bynes Guitar Thomas V. Byrnes Guitar Tim Crich Assistant Engineer Tom Lord-Alge Mixing Tony Brown Producer Trisha Yearwood Vocals (Background) Vinnie Colaiuta Drums Will Downing Choir, Chorus Will Lee Bass Willie Weeks Drums Wrecia Ford Vocals (Background) Yvonne Hodges Vocals (Background) Zachary Alford Drums