Piano man still has it

When reviewing a live concert album, it's hard to decide whether to review it as if it were a real album, or to review the performance itself. However, when doing the latter, it is significantly more difficult having not attended the show(s). What makes it even more difficult, it's Billy Joel: a nostalgia act. However, taking all these factors into consideration, 12 Gardens Live rocks and rolls for over two and a half hours, and will not disappoint Joel's fans. The album is a compilation of 12 live performances at Madison Square Garden, featuring Joel mainstays: "Only the Good Die Young," "My Life" and of course, "Piano Man."\nJoel's backing band packs an extra punch on already powerful tunes like, "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me." The small horn section really thickens up the instrumentation, while the electric guitar helps keep Joel's piano honest throughout. On "Piano Man," Joel plays harmonica, simultaneously sitting at the piano.\nIt's impressive that Joel can still sell out multiple shows at one venue, some 35 years after his debut album. It proves that he's one of the original superstars of pop music. While today's radio is flooded with preteen bubble gum rock/pop, Joel is the father of the Top 40 pop song. The casual Billy Joel fan will be surprised at how many songs he may recognize or even be able to sing. On this album Joel showcases his unbelievable writing talent, and allows the crowd to sing the chorus to "Piano Man." Unlike other performers of his age, his craft has not dropped off, and his voice may even be better with age. It is truly refreshing to hear some of the songs that I grew up with being played in a live setting.\nThe production on the album lacks at times, occasionally allowing too much crowd noise to break through the music. Despite this minor problem, the rest of the production is done painstakingly well with just the right combination of horns, drums, guitars, pianos, all without an overpowering vocal track.\nSome lesser-known, breakthrough tracks really hold their own among the mega hits on the album: "Vienna," "And So It Goes" and "Miami 2017." With over 30 songs (two bonus tracks) Mr. Joel truly is "The Entertainer," but it still isn't enough. Joel leaves his listeners chanting "Encore, encore"