2000 Years: Millennium Concert (Long)

2000 years: millennium concert (long)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - Billy Joel,

2. Big Shot

3. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

4. Summer, Highland Falls

5. Ballad of Billy the Kid

6. Don't Ask Me Why

7. New York State of Mind

8. I've Loved These Days

9. My Life

10. Allentown

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. I Go to Extremes

2. Goodnight Saigon

3. We Didn't Start the Fire

4. Big Man on Mulberry Street

5. 2000 Years

6. Auld Lang Syne - Billy Joel,

7. River of Dreams

8. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

9. Dance to the Music

10. Honky Tonk Women

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 1
1. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - Billy Joel,
2. Big Shot
3. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
4. Summer, Highland Falls
5. Ballad of Billy the Kid
6. Don't Ask Me Why
7. New York State of Mind
8. I've Loved These Days
9. My Life
10. Allentown
See all 12 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. I Go to Extremes
2. Goodnight Saigon
3. We Didn't Start the Fire
4. Big Man on Mulberry Street
5. 2000 Years
6. Auld Lang Syne - Billy Joel,
7. River of Dreams
8. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
9. Dance to the Music
10. Honky Tonk Women
See all 13 tracks on this disc

2000 Years: The Millennium Concert,Billy Joel,Sony,Album Rock,Hard Rock,Pop,Pop/Rock,Rock,Singer/Songwriter,Soft Rock

2000 Years: Millennium Concert (Long)

Average customer rating:

Don't Bother! Save your money for the 12 Gardens CD
Columbia needs to put some time and effort into Joel's live CD and DVD repertoire.
WHERE ARE THE LIVE DVD'S?
Billy Joel Rings In The New Year With Style
The perfect retrospective and live concert by Billy the Kid

2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
Billy Joel
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music

Vocal Pop | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

12 Gardens Live
KOHUEPT (Live in Leningrad)
Songs in the Attic
The Bridge
Billy Joel: Fantasies & Delusions, Op. 1-10

ASIN: B00004T0QB
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Tracks:

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Big Shot
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Summer Highland Falls
The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
Don't Ask Me Why
New York State Of Mind
I've Loved These Days
My Life
Allentown
Prelude/Angry Young Men
Only The Good Die Young

Tracks:

I Go To Extremes
Goodnight Saigon
We Didn't Start The Fire
Big Man On Mulberry Street
2000 Years
Auld Lang Syne
River Of Dreams
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Dance To The Music
Honky Tonk Women
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
You May Be Right
This Night

Amazon.com

Much has been made of Billy Joel's plans to ditch his career as a rock & roller and age gracefully into the supposedly sanguine world of classical music. Maybe it's the right thing to do if, as it seems, he's run out of gas as a pop songwriter. Recent years have seen no new material, only box sets and reissues of his old albums. Now comes the capper, a live album from his Millennium Concert recorded at New York's Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve. Certainly there's still some mileage left in Joel's catalog, particularly ballads like "Summer Highland Falls" and "I've Loved These Days," and, considering the nexus of the occasion and Joel's career plans, his version of "My Life." And he also turns in sharp performances of signature pieces like "Angry Young Man," "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," and "You May Be Right." But his between-song patter may grow tiresome over repeated listenings. Joel is known to be pretty full of himself, but after hearing him rattle on about high ticket prices and his classical ambitions, you may have had your fill of him, too. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews:

Don't Bother! Save your money for the 12 Gardens CD.......2006-07-20

As much as it pains me to say it this live cd is not a worthy billy joel release. In fact one wonders why it was released at all. Billy's voice is strained and is prone to over singing and the arrangements are overblown. From the sound of things Billy sounds like he was drunk or on medication. A lot of the running time is waisted with lengthy monologues with the audience. Why this was put on the CD is anyones guess but it just neans less songs!

However the good news is that this CD has now been blown away by his superb new 12 Gardens CD in which Billy is the Billy of old. The one who sung well and sung the songs straight as they were meant to be sung. 12 Gardens is crammed with 32 songs rather than the 26 on offer here and there's no timewaisting audience chat!!

Columbia needs to put some time and effort into Joel's live CD and DVD repertoire........2006-05-27

My excitement is building into overflow territory for the June 13th release of "12 Gardens," Billy's new live album of performances culled from his recent record-breaking run of 12 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.

Bruce Springsteen held the previous record of 11 sell-outs. To these ears, if anyone had to beat Bruce out for any title, Billy is the only other guy I'd want the title to go to. They are my two favorite writers, performers and singers - not just "singers," but emoters. They write passionate lyrics and sing them with all the emotion of that passion. Just as Springsteen uses the stage and crowd as his own personal church of rock 'n roll, Billy Joel hammers out his rock 'n roll gospel from his own pulpit of rock, blues, doo-wop and Broadway flare.

Both are better live than in the studio, and if you disagree based on the evidence in the market place, you are simply a victim of the fact that many of the examples entered in as evidence over the years by their record company have not translated accurately from the actual concert to the album or DVD. Springsteen's most recent work ("Live in New York" CD and DVD and the Barcelona DVD), however, came staggeringly close. Meanwhile, Billy has 3 live albums and one live DVD, all of which, while they vary in degree, fail to get the ultimate job done.

There are plenty of worthy tracks and worthy individual performances spread throughout all the live Joel releases to be sure, but each, as a whole, is nowhere near being indicative of just how great a Billy Joel live show is. The fact that Columbia records has gotten as close as ever recently in getting the gist of Springsteen across (giving us a full concert in the Barcelona package and fat 2-Disc compilation in the New York DVDs; and putting a cherry on top by releasing the audio on CD as well; not to mention the same treatment to the recent DVD/CD release of his '75 Hammersmith concert) it is surprising, since Joel shares the same record label, that amping up his live catalog has gone ignored.

Here's to my hope that this recent Joel tour will finally be the excuse Columbia needs to give Joel the same treatment they have bestowed upon the Boss. If any major classic-rock legend's fan base has been left wanting in this department, it's Joel's. And why not now, Columbia? New tour, new live album, renewed interest; go head, take advantage. For once we won't accuse you of doing so. We want this stuff. It's not taking advantage if you're giving us something we really want for our money.

Which brings me to this Millennium album (finally, eh?). I was saying all this same stuff back in the late 90's before this album was released. I saw Joel on this tour and it made me immediately renew my decade long tirade on the complete insanity and insult that was the fact that Billy Joel does not have a definitive live CD and/or video (we didn't say DVD at the time). So imagine the sound my jaw made when it hit the floor at the news that Billy Joel would release his New Year's Eve concert on CD - his first new release in 7 years (not counting "Greatest Hits 3"), his first live album since '87 and his first-ever 2-Disc live show from one actual concert. My hopes were high and right off the bat, this album did not disappoint. For the longest time (years, actually) I preferred to listen to the versions of "Movin' Out," "Summer, Highland Falls," "Angry Young Man," "Allentown," "Only the Good Die Young," "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "River of Dreams" from this album than their studio cuts.

I was, however, a bit turned off by "You May Be Right" with some chintzy-sounding horns thrown in for no good reason , a less-than-audible "It's Still Rock 'n Roll...," a cheesy synthesizer on "I Go to Extremes" and a "Goodnight Saigon" that isn't as tight or emotive as the one on "Khouept."

In fact, these few examples point out an underlying problem on this release: There is too much going on.

I was not at THIS show so I can't say if a lot of this is due to tinkering with the production for effect or if Joel just wanted to spice things up at the show for the New Year's event he must have felt obligated to turn the concert into. After all, as Billy states on the album, people paid "ridiculous" ticket prices - but he's sorry :). Either way, as the songs are presented here, there is simply too much added to many of them, from the horns and synthesizers I mentioned, to whatever is going on during "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" (I think both instruments decided to duke it out and both ended up throwing up all over the song).

Part of MY problem is, being a big fan, I have managed to seek out many a rare live Billy Joel recordings. I know how great some live versions of songs like "You May Be Right" and "We Didn't Start the Fire" can sound when Joel and the band just rock 'em out like a bunch of 19 year olds in a garage. When I saw this setlist I was so excited that I would finally have that captured in a professionally recorded live album. I thought this album would be Joel's definitive live album, and these songs would be their definitive versions. Perhaps my expectations were too high. But that doesn't mean that the things I complained about on said tracks aren't there. If you don't like a lot of extra production, those songs will no doubt rub you the wrong way too.

None of this is to say these songs are bad. Not by any means, but there is no point in replacing the classic versions with them, and as such, I don't listen to them much on this album.

That's not to say I don't listen to the album. Some of the tracks DO capture that giddy straight-ahead rock I mentioned and are better for being slightly beefed up. "Movin' Out" and "Only the Good Die Young" are enough all by themselves to make you wish you were there and to recommend this CD, and next to maybe only "Movin' Out," a Mexican fiesta version of "Don't Ask Me Why" is this set's highlight. "My Life," friskier and more rebellious sounding than ever, is also a top contender. A cover of the Stones' "Honkey Tonk Woman" is fun and "New York State of Mind" benefits as well from its New York, New Year's Eve setting (and this is pre-9/11 mind you... imagine if it were after; it probably would have been put out as a single). Also, you get to hear the New Year's countdown which will bring back Millennium memories.

But as far as "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," we already had a great live version in the Greatest Hits boxset and it is light years beyond the overbaked one here (better sound quality too), the versions of "I've Loved These Days," "... Billy the Kid," and the afore mentioned "Saigon" are not as good as previous live releases on "Songs in the Attic" and Kohupet," respectively, and were the hell is "Piano Man?!" I know, I know; we've all heard the song a bazillion times, it's his signature song so its too obvious, yada yada. I may have been disappointed by it had they did put it on. Like "Scenes..." I feel the best live version has already been released on the Greatest Hits boxset, but this show would feel so much more complete with it. In its place is "This Night," which at first glance I was happy to see - I love that song - but this version, fine as it is, doesn't make me miss the all-time concert-ender that is "Piano Man." There is a bonus track on the import version of this CD after "This Night." "Piano Man?" Nope. "Just the Way You Are." I haven't heard it so I can't comment on its worth, but c'mon; they had a second chance to give anyone who felt it was sacrilege to leave off "Piano Man." Here's a tip: On the G.H. boxset version - it is so good - Billy ironically ends the song by saying happy new year and the usual, "Don't take any sh*t from anybody;" as well as wishing us, "lots of love, lots of sex, lots of happiness." If you ever burn a compilation of songs from this release, you could include that version of "Piano Man" and, with the New Year's comment, no one would be any the wiser.

This album is a worthy buy on any level, but die hard fans and those expecting something definitive may be left wanting. It is however worth it just for the versions of "Movin' Out," "Summer, Highland Falls," Don't Ask Me Why," "My Life," "Only the Good Die Young," and "River of Dreams" included here, not to mention it is an interesting time marker. And these versions of "Big Shot," "Big Man on Mulberry Street," "Allentown" and "Angry Young Man" are no slouches. I just think they, "like "Scenes..." "...Billy the Kid," "I've Loved These Days," and "... Saigon," have already had better versions released in the past. And "You May Be Right," "It's Still Rock...," and "We Didn't Start the Fire" - though never on a live album yet - are capable of much better renderings. I've heard them. So sad, but so true. So this 2/3 of a great album.

Let's hope what we've been waiting for is "12 Gardens." The setlist already looks better and more definitive of Joel's HITS AND FAN/ARTIST FAVORITES. It's the best selection and sectioning of the two types I've seen for any artist on a live album. Lets hope the sound and the performances of those tracks lives up to it. If the reviews of those Garden shows are any indication, they do.

So if you are thinking about purchasing this, wait a month, check out "12 Gardens" first. If that doesn't do the trick for you then try this. And let's hope that, unlike this release, Columbia finally learns from their Springsteen successes with accompanying CD and DVD releases, and gives us a "12 Gardens" DVD as well.

Fingers crossed, people. Fingers crossed.

WHERE ARE THE LIVE DVD'S?.......2006-01-28

BILLY HAS PREFORMED MANY GREAT CONCERTS IN HIS CAREER. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME OF HIS BEST ON DVD LIVE? I SAW HIM A FEW TIMES & HE ALWAYS SOUNDS GREAT. BILLY WE NEED SOME MEMORIES OF YOU FOR YEARS TO COME.

Billy Joel Rings In The New Year With Style.......2005-08-26

I'm a huge Billy Joel fan, and this is one of my favorite albums from him. Recorded during his 1999 New Year's concert in New York, this is my favorite of Joel's live albums (and yes, that includes "Songs In The Attic"). On these two discs, you will hear Jole sing some of his biggest hits, including "Big Shot", "Movin' Out", "My Life", "New York State Of Mind", "Only The Good Die Young", "I Go To Extremes", "We Didn't Start The Fire", "The River Of Dreams", "You May Be Right" and "It's Still Rock & Roll To Me". Also, as a real treat, Joel dusts off some songs that haven't been heard in ages, such as "Summer, Highland Falls", "Ballad Of Billy The Kid", "I've Loved These Days" and "This Night". He also does great covers of "Honky Tonk Women" and "Dance To The Music". Overall, this is a great live album that I'd recommend to any Billy Joel fan.

The perfect retrospective and live concert by Billy the Kid.......2005-04-21

The last song of Billy's Joel's album, "The River of Dreams" seemed to be somewhat appropriate. On the song, "Famous Last Words", Billy sings the words "These are the last words I have to say; That's why this took me so long to write; There will be other words some other day; But that's the story of my Life". Billy Joel would soon proclaim that his 13th studio album, 1993's "The River of Dreams" would be his last original Rock/Pop album he would do. Following that album, Billy Joel would assume a place as an "elder statesman" of Rock. Instead of creating new music, he would spend his time, doing the College Lecture series (discussing his music), and dabbling in Classical Music. In a way, Billy would go into semi-retirement. During this semi-retirement, Billy would also do his share of touring - both with Elton John and solo. With many artists doing concerts on New Year's Eve 1999 at the turn of the millennium, Billy would be no exception as he would do a New Year's Concert in his "home city" New York City at Madison Square Garden. "Billy Joel: 2000 Years - The Millennium Concert" is a 2-CD collection of Billy's New Year's Eve show In a lot of ways, this album is a long awaited live album by Billy that provides for the first time classic songs that hadn't been released live before.

I look at Billy Joel's career as having three phases. The first phase is what I call "Old Billy Joel". This basically includes all of his material from "Cold Spring Harbor" through "Turnstiles". These are perhaps the strongest days as the piano sound, but they also contain most of Joel's least heard material. The next phase is what I call "Middle Billy Joel". This was his most successful period and covers from "The Stranger" to "Billy Joel Greatest Hits Volume 1 and 2". Joel would go through a transition during this phase - expanding his musical horizons and exploring different avenues. The final phase is the "Later Billy Joel" phase - this covers "The Bridge" to "River of Dreams". "2000 Years - The Millennium Concert" does justice to all three phases of Billy Joel's career. In fact, of Billy's 13 original studio albums - all have representation at this performance except for his debut, "Cold Spring Harbor" and his third album "Streetlife Serenade". Despite this omissions, there is still a terrific balance of songs from Billy's career.

"2000 Years - The Millennium Concert" is the third live album by Billy. In addition to being the most complete, it is basically a recording of that New Year's Eve concert at Madison Square Garden. Billy's first live album was "Songs From the Attic". This actually served two purposes: 1) It was meant to be a live collection of songs from several performances - as opposed to a single performance; 2) The portfolio of songs on the collection was meant to be focused around "Old Billy Joel" songs from early in his career - songs that had almost been forgotten about - or not heard much by the average fan. Billy's second live album was "Kohuept" (Russian for "In Concert"). For the most part, this would serve as a record of Billy's concert in Leningrad - although there was some stuff included that wasn't played that night. It would also serve the purpose of providing a long awaited live album that would be a better cross-section of his career. "2000 Years - The Millennium Concert" takes all of its material from a single night. Although it omits some songs, it still does an outstanding job at representing that performance of New Year's Eve. For the most part - there is something magical about hearing a great performance on a single night captured on a CD. I find that taking live songs from different concerts on different nights, the flow is disrupted. You also don't get the opportunity to hear the CD as if it were the concert preventing you from getting the full experience. This CD does a nice job at getting as close to that New Year's Eve experience as possible.

As mentioned, this is a CD where for the first time on CD you will hear live cuts of "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Don't Ask Me Why", "New York State of Mind", "My Life", "I Go To Extremes", "We Didn't Start the Fire", "River of Dreams", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", "You May Be Right", and "This Night". Although the following three songs are included on "Songs in the Attic" , I liked the inclusion of some old songs such as: "The Ballad of Billy the Kid", "Summer Highland Falls" and "I've Loved These Days". Although not the strong point of this CD, Billy also includes some Rock classics like "Dance to the Music", "Honky Tonk Woman" and a segment of "Land of 1000 Dances" is folded into "River of Dreams". Billy will perform his historical retrospective "2000 Years" right as the Millennium is about to turn and then goes into "Auld Lang Syne". Billy will also find ways to fold his classical music into various parts of the performance. Billy will also bring his out sax player, Richie Cannatta out for "New York State of Mind".

Billy does a great job at communicating with the audience - and interjects lots of humor. This is captured very well on this CD. Parents may want to take note that Billy does make use of foul language at several points of the CD. This is not to judge Billy, but just make awareness to the consumers.

The liner notes are pretty thin. There are no lyrics and little in production and musician credits. However, the music on this collection tells the whole story. This is a top-notch performance by Billy Joel. It is his best of the three live albums and still shows in Semi-Retirement, this elder statesman of Rock can still party.