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A criticism that has long dogged Billy Joel's career involves his songs' direct, heart-on-the-sleeve emotional sentiments and a musical approach that often revels in pop music's past glories instead of reacting against them. Ironically, those are the very strengths of Twyla Tharp's dialog-free pop ballet based on Joel's infectious canon of music, including his recent forays into the classical realm. This live cast recording is fueled by the piano and vocals of Michael Cavanaugh, who, backed by an ensemble handpicked by the songwriter, gooses every last drop of drama from Joel's already theatrical songs with a verve worthy of the legend himself. But divorced from Tharp's always kinetic choreography, and despite angular reworkings of "We Didn't Start the Fire" and other Joel standards, it's a collection that sometimes sounds akin to Joelmania: not really Billy, but an incredible simulation. --Jerry McCulley