Billy Joel has shared a massive companion playlist to accompany the second part of his And So It Goes documentary.
It comes as the Piano Man has been celebrating his life and 60-year-long career with a two-part documentary titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the project looked to dive into “the love, loss and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting”, and features never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with one-on-one interviews.
It made its debut on July 18 on HBO, and the second and final part arrived last Friday (July 25).
Now, to accompany the conclusion of the documentary, Billy Joel has shared an extensive 155-track “musical companion” to the project on streaming services. It features nearly seven hours of live performances and previously unheard material.
Telling the story of his career, it includes historic moments like his first-ever performance of ‘Scenes From an Italian Restaurant’, which was recorded at Long Island’s C.W. Post College in May 1977.
Others include early tracks from his time with bands including The Hassles and The Lost Souls, some recordings from his appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test, and some from the day he signed with Columbia Records.
As highlighted by Rolling Stone, some parts of the soundtrack also include introductions to the songs made by the Piano Man himself. Ahead of ‘Big Shot’, for instance, the songwriting legend can be heard describing it as “a hangover song”.
“I don’t know how many times I woke up in the morning realising I was an idiot the night before, felt like hell, had a hangover,” he says. “You look in the mirror and you go, ‘You had to be a big shot, didn’t you?’”
As well as being available on streaming services, the 155-song playlist is also available on YouTube alongside some corresponding visuals, which include both live concert footage and music videos. Check it out above.
The collection is produced by Steve Cohen, Bradshaw Leigh and John Jackson, and most likely isn’t the end of the material in Billy Joel’s vault. Speaking to Ultimate Classic Rock, Jackson said that there is still a lot left to come from the artist.
“There’s a ton of stuff that’s in his personal vault and there’s a ton of stuff that’s in Sony’s vault, with not a ton of overlap,” he told the outlet. “We are determined to go through both things in the coming years.”
In the documentary, Joel revealed that comments Elton John made about him needing to go to rehab were “rock bottom” for him, and that he attempted to take his own life twice after having an affair with his best friend’s wife.
And So It Goes had its debut at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 4, during the first night of this year’s Tribeca Festival, and Joel was not present due to his current health struggles.
Earlier this year, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), and later had to cancel all of his upcoming tour dates – including his headline UK shows – as a result.
During a recent podcast interview, Joel gave an update on his health and said that the disorder “sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling”, sharing that he currently feels “fine” but his “balance sucks”, likening it to “being on a boat”. “It’s not fixed, it’s still being worked on,” he added of the condition.
When asked what causes the disorder, Joel shared: “Nobody knows. They don’t know. I thought it must be from drinking. I don’t anymore, but I used to like a fish.”
