When Billy Joel sang "These are the last words I have to say" on the final

song of 1993's River of Dreams, he meant it.

The Piano Man is releasing his first record in eight years on October 2 —

but it doesn't include any words.

Opus 1-10 Fantasies & Delusions (Music for Solo Piano) is a classical

music album featuring new material written by Joel and performed by piano

virtuoso Richard Joo.

Joel described the music in a Columbia Records press release as being

influenced by the Romantic era and composers like Schumann and Debussy, with

the exception of one 18th century-flavored piece, Invention in C Minor.

Fantasies & Delusions features 10 solo piano pieces, including a

suite in three parts. It was recorded in June at the Vienna

Koncerthaus at the Mozartsaal in Vienna, Austria.

Joel, who has sold 100 million albums worldwide, according to Columbia, grew

up studying classical piano before he gave it up to become a rock and roller.

His hits included "Just the Way You Are" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me."

Although some consider Joel a modern-day Jerry Lee Lewis on the piano, Joel

said in the press release he is not as talented as people think. "The

playwright doesn't have to act to have his characters come to life," he

explained. "Good actors can do that. Likewise, the composer doesn't have to

perform his music to have it heard."

Track list for Opus 1-10 Fantasies & Delusions (Music for Solo

Piano), according to Columbia:

• Opus 3. Reverie (Villa D'Este)

• I. Innamorato