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Just when you think you've heard it all, a collection of this magnitude sees the light of day. Weather you like the music or not, you can't disagree that the the shear volume of material is worth the price of admission. I was initially sceptical, feeling that there is usually a reason why certain songs are unreleased and that this set would only appeal to fans and it would be a limited appeal at that. Fortunately I was completely wrong. There are some absolute crackers here, some of them better than released ones (imagine how much better Storm Front would have been with Money or Love and House of Blue Light in place of State of Grace and When in Rome). The first disc is the real gem of the collection, The early stuff by the Lost Souls, The Hassles and Attila is by no means the greatest music you'll ever here, but hearing the overly bass-ey and static ridden recordings really transports you back to the sixties and, with the gift of hindsight, you can really see that Joel was always destined for great things. Disc one is also the most 'demo heavy' of the five and so represents the rarest material which adds to its appeal. The remaining three CDs, while not quite as interesting as disc one, are equally matched in terms of quality. The only minor gripe I have is that the DVD supplied is not one of Joels best shows and that a compilation of lives performances might have better suited this collection. This is just my opinion, however, and a mere quibble of one at that. If you're not a fan of Joel and so don't wish to part with your twenty odd quid, I strongly recommend that you track down a friend who is and borrow this collection! A fellow reviewer has said 'If you have ears that work buy it!' and their absolutely right, This is a musical treat from start to finish that everyone should enjoy, even if you don't like the whole collection, I guarantee, with the songs spanning three decades you will find at least one track that you will love! The following comment goes without saying 'If you're a Billy Joel fan and you haven't bought it, why on earth not? get thee to a music store, NOW!

Rating: 5 out of 5

I really love this collection of music. I have listened to it all over and over again! I have been a Billy Joel fan for years, and it's great to be able to hear so much top quality, but previously unreleased stuff. The demo's seem almost personal - listen to Christie Lee - they seem to be having such a good time you just want to be there too! It just proves what an incredible musician he is. Definitely one of, if not the best singer/songwriters of all time.

Rating: 5 out of 5

If you are a fan of Billy Joel, then you will already know the following fact: Despite Billy's main influences (e.g. Beethoven, The Beatles) rising to fame before him with extraordinary catalogues of work, he is the number one artist of all time.Agreed, he may be an unlikely looking rock star, but his repertoire is the finest and most consistent in terms of quality, variety, lyrically, musically, and educationally.'My Lives' is a box set which amazed me - there are at least 5 songs on it that should have been released! 'Money or love' is a song of real quality and would have fitted in the 'Bridge' album perfectly. 'End of the World' could quite easily be a number one hit for a band like Franz Ferdinand with some adjustments to the arrangement. The list goes on...If you are a fan of Billy - buy it. If you are a song-writer - buy it. If you want to learn about a living legend and how he writes - buy it. If you have ears that work - buy it!

Rating: 5 out of 5

If you have been a Joel fan for years, B sides, demo's and alt versions of songs have been impossible to come by. As the man has not released a new album since'93, I thought this selection would never come to press.If you are a fan from the early days this collection is a must. It gives an insight into early song developments and also covers previous bands Joel was in before his solo career. (Will there ever be a new album?, or another UK tour)

Rating: 5 out of 5

This is an absolute must for any Billy Joel fan! The vast majority of the songs in this collection were either never available, or very hard to find. It's fun listening to previously unreleased versions of classics such as Piano Man, and Billy's original reggae version of Only The Good Die Young (!!!) Superb value for 4 CDs and a DVD. Wonderful must-have boxset.

Rating: 5 out of 5