I've seen this 2CD from Japan on other sites. It's an official Legacy release, but I don't see it anywhere in the US. Does anyone know if it will be released here? The second CD is a live radio show.

Thanks,

Mark

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Added by Linda, courtesy of Pete -- it's coming out domestically on November 8th:

Product Description
In late 1973 Columbia Records released Piano Man, its first album by Billy Joel. A New York-bred singer-songwriter-keyboardist, the artist would have a profound impact on popular music for years to come. The album's title track single, "Piano Man" took its time before debuting on the Hot 100 in February 1974, where it eventually rose to #25. The album went on to sell more than 4-times RIAA platinum to date, and is one of the corner-stones of Billy Joel's Columbia catalog of nearly 20 studio and live albums.

Almost four decades later, Piano Man (Legacy Edition) puts the groundbreaking 10-song album back in the spotlight. The new package includes a bonus CD of an entire previously unreleased 1972 live radio concert (predating Joel's Columbia signing by a year), a crucial stepping-stone in his career. Early support for Joel came from Philadelphia, specifically the top-rated FM station WMMR, which programmed a live concert series taped in the intimate Sigma Sound Studios. Billy recorded a concert for the series on April 15, 1972. Three of the 12 songs that he performed were destined for inclusion on his next album (more than a year and a half away) Piano Man: "Travelin Prayer," the Aaron Copland-esque "The Ballad Of Billy The Kid," and the notorious "Captain Jack." Tapes of the 'MMR concert made the rounds, with "Captain Jack" turning into an "underground" FM favorite. Some of those listeners happened to work for Columbia Records, and soon the groundwork was being laid for Billy Joel to come to New York and audition for the label. The rest, of course, is history but without the Philadelphia radio concert, that history might have taken a different direction indeed.

Disc 1
1. Travelin' Prayer
2. Piano Man
3. Ain't No Crime
4. You're My Home
5. The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
6. Worse Comes To Worst
7. Stop In Nevada
8. If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)
9. Somewhere Along The Line
10. Captain Jack

Disc 2
1. Introduction By Ed Sciaky
2. Falling Of The Rain
3. Intro To Travelin' Prayer
4. Travelin' Prayer
5. Intro To Billy The Kid
6. The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
7. Intro To She's Got A Way
8. She's Got A Way
9. Intro To Everybody Loves You Now
10. Everybody Loves You Now
11. Intro To Nocturne
12. Nocturne
13. Station ID And Intro To Turn Around
14. Turn Around
15. Intro To Long, Long Time
16. Long, Long Time
17. Intro To Captain Jack
18. Captain Jack
19. Intro To Josephine
20. Josephine
21. Intro To Rosalinda
22. Rosalinda
23. Tomorrow Is Today

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FNGAD8/?tag=imwan-20

is it the same show that came with the box set a few years ago? if so, you may be able to get it that way.

What box set? This is the second CD set list...

LIVE AT SIGMA SOUND STUDIOS, April 15th, 1972

(1) Intro
(2) Falling of the Rain
(3) Travelin' Prayer
(4) The Ballad of Billy the Kid
(5) She's Got A Way
(6) Everybody Loves You Now
(7) Nocturne
(8) Station I.D.
(9) Turn Around
(10) Long, Long Time
(11) Captain Jack
(12) Josephine
(13) Rosalinda
(14) Tommorow Is Today

this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005NNM8/?tag=imwan-20


but i don't think it's the same thing you are looking for.

Thanks Renny but that's not it.

I have a bootleg CD of this performance, and it's pretty great. Not just his performance, but the sound quality as well. About a year ago I read that Sony was going to revamp the Billy Joel catalog in 2011, starting with a Legacy Edition of "Piano Man" and a box set with remastered/expanded versions of all of his albums (before they would be individually re-released). I'm guessing that's not happening this year, just like his autobiography that was about to be published until BJ changed his mind & decided not to release it.

Japan has the Legacy edition of Piano Man released, which is why I brought this up. I would love to see his albums re-released with expanded editions. I think The Stranger is done already, which was very well done IMO. To see the rest of his catalog get some type of treatment is deserves would be great.

With Billy being unable to write any good songs for nearly 20 years, you would think he'd be completely on board for exploiting his incredible catalog. I wonder if Sony is keeping his catalog update under wraps or if Billy put a stop to it. I'm not ready to spend money on Japanese imports, but I will be very excited to see any US releases. I join Mark Kravitz in asking for any info on this.

You know Rich...you might have hit it on the head with maybe Billy putting a stop to it. He did put a stop to his autobiography coming out. At the same time, he has released 3 live albums in the last decade or so. Also, I don't know if it's an issue of Billy not being able to write good songs as it is he just does not want to.

By the way, am I the leader now???

Sure. But with great power comes great responsibility. Are you ready for that?

Just call me Spider-Man

"Spin us a web, you're the Spider-Man
Spin us a web tonight..."

Actually, I think the box set will happen this year:

http://www.billyjoel.com/us/complete_albums

The Buy Now link doesn't work, but there's a picture of it. Legacy isn't yet ready to officially announce this set, but there it is to look at. Also, Joel mentions it in an article that came out today: http://www.wmmr.com/music/news/story.aspx?ID=1464405

I'm guessing if this is it, then when these are released individually, the 17 unreleased items will be spread among the albums.

This is from WMMR-FM here in Philly-I think this is the same as djej posted above (for what it's worth I've heard this will be out in November)...

The upcoming Billy Joel reissue series will also include a multi-disc box set featuring the "Piano Man's" entire catalogue. The "Complete Albums Collection" features 14 of Billy's original albums -- with a bonus disc collecting 16 non-album tracks and more. In addition to that, Columbia/Legacy is launching a definitive 40th anniversary reissue project of newly restored and expanded editions of Billy's complete catalogue.


We caught up with Billy, who explained that releasing an uncut compendium of his work has always been on the top of his list: "Well, I've been pushing for years to have an anthology put together, because a lot of kids don't even know the albums, they just know singles, compilations, greatest hits, live (albums). And I wanted people to hear the whole album from beginning to end. Now, there's a box set, which I'm very happy about. So people can make up their own minds."

•Out now is the career spanning, 19-track album Billy Joel - The Hits. We asked Billy how he feels having yet another repackaging of his older material on the streets: "They send it to me and I say, 'Ah, here we go -- another greatest hits compilation. They're entitled to (release it). Part of the deal."
SIDE NOTES

•Among the upcoming releases in the 2011 Columbia/Legacy 40th anniversary commemoration will be a Legacy Edition of his 1973 breakthrough album, Piano Man.
•There's been no hard street date announced for any of the reissues.

I'm excited that this will finally see the light of day. When they originally announced it last year, if I remember correctly, the plan was to have the box set come out first with the bonus disc of rarities, and then they would release deluxe editions of the individual albums with additional bonus material over the next year. Not sure if some of the tracks from the box set bonus disc will be held off the deluxe editions, but in the end we'll probably need to purchase the box AND the deluxe editions. Most of these were essential albums for me, so I'm in...even though I'll be grumbling as the cost adds up.

I'm in also. I bought the remasters years ago but I'm up for deluxe editions to his albums. I would love a deluxe edition to Songs in The Attic...maybe a second CD of more live material from that era. I would love live material from each album as well as unreleased material. I hope this is all done properly.

I only got one of the reissues (from the late-90s, right?). It was The Stranger, and I didn't like the sound as much as the original CD pressing. I thought the original sounded like a crisp version of the LP I grew up with, whereas the reissue was flatter & tinnier. I like the original CD pressings of his other albums as well, so I kept them & never got any of the reissues. I'm hoping these new ones have improved mastering, and that the bonus material includes things I don't already have on bootleg.

By the way, the Japan release of "Piano Man(Legacy Edition)" never happened.

I see it being sold on Ebay.

This is a quote that deserves to be preserved for posterity and frequently re-posted on this forum.