Billy Joel - "12 Gardens Live"

[AKA]

In June, Columbia Records quietly released 12 Gardens Live, a two disc set that highlights a dozen shows that the Piano Man performed at Madison Square Garden early in 2006 to promote his My Lives box set.

I was initially reluctant to pick up the set, mainly because of how big a disappointment his previous live effort, 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert was. I felt that 2000 Years featured a bored, unhappy (and sloshed) 50-year-old man going through the motions as he helped about 20,000 fans ring in the year 2000. The arrangements were somehow sloppy and polished at the same time, and Billy's voice - even via after-the-fact studio overdubs - sounded tired and weak. His constant screeching was annoying, and, frankly, made being a Billy Joel fan embarrassing.

"What happened to the man who hit a home run with (his 1981 live album) Songs In The Attic," I thought.

2000 Years was one of the many CDs I sold during my "Great Unemployment Crisis Of 2004." And one of the few I don't miss.

Back to 12 Gardens. What drew me into purchasing this set was the tracklisting. Sure, Billy performs many of his most popular smash hits on the album, such as "My Life," "Don't Ask Me Why," "Piano Man" and "Only The Good Die Young" (all of which are great songs), but he also dusts off some rarely-heard fan favorites, such as "Vienna," "She's Right On Time," "Laura" and "Zanzibar." This intrigued me, as I haven't heard any of these songs performed live. Maybe Billy wasn't just "going through the motions" anymore. Maybe he was actually enjoying himself.

When I brought 12 Gardens home, I heard a re-invigorated 56-year-old man who seemed to be having as much fun performing his songs as his fans were having listening to them. He seems to have conquered some of the demons that have been plaguing him for decades, freeing him to give these performances his best. Billy is also in great voice here; probably the best his vocals have sounded since his final studio album (1993's River Of Dreams). And I didn't hear any studio trickery here; this sounds like a genuine live article, through and through.

In short, this set, to me, is the polar opposite of 2000 Years. It's the kind of live album that makes you sorry that the performer you're listening to doesn't do any concerts near where you live, because you'd gladly shell out $50 to attend a show like this.

My only complaint is that, from what I've read, Billy did a killer version of "Pressure" (a song that, up to this point, has never been on any of his live albums) at the MSG shows. It would have been great to have it included here, as well as what, from all accounts, is a hilarious rendition of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell," sung by one of Billy's roadies, while Billy played guitar.

Billy's longtime drummer Liberty DeVitto is missed here, but the replacement drummer (whose name escapes me at the moment) does a more-than adequate job filling in. Hopefully, Billy and Liberty can patch up their differences sometime down the road and reunite. It's sad to see a 30-year partnership dissolve.

Despite that, this is a killer set. From the opener, "Prelude/Angry Young Man" to the "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" finale, it's not a bad way to spend two-and-a-half hours.

Buy this album if you're a fan of classic Billy Joel (i.e. the era of songs that were recorded before his wife was born ). It can be had on the cheap.

And, in the immortal words of Mr. Joel, himself, "don't take any **** from anybody!"

[jpcanes]

What about this one? KOHUEPT (LIVE IN LENINGRAD)
Loved that album!!

[AKA]

Well, I like КОНЦЕРТ on the basis of its historical significance - the fact that it was rock being performed by an American artist in the U.S.S.R. It was a big deal.

It has its moments, among them a very moving - and appropriate - cover of Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changing," but I don't enjoy the album as much as Songs In The Attic, or even 12 Gardens.