This isn't the first time Ol' Doe Eyes has released a career-spanning set, so why bother? Well, it goes back, way back, to Billy Joel's pre-solo days. His early fumbling attempts at rock glory with old bands the Lost Souls (Nuggets rock) and Attila (ELP-esque prog-rock) are the best bits. As far as his more familiar Tin Pan back-alley approach, there are lots of barren demos of tunes like ''Piano Man,'' never-released songs, and live covers of Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen numbers. If you love him, you need My Lives; if you like him, there's always iTunes.

