MIXED MEDIA : ** “EYE OF THE STORM” Billy Joel <i> CMV videocassette ($16.98)</i> : <i> Items in this survey of pop-related videos, books and laser discs are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic). </i>

Joel is at his worst when he’s on a social-consciousness kick. On four of the five videos in this 25-minute collection, including “Leningrad,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and two versions of “The Downeaster,” he’s raising our consciousness about something or other. Joel comes across as very in-sincere--just another millionaire rock star on a crusade. Like these songs--from his recent hit album “Storm Front”--the videos are saturated with sentimentality and melodramatic excesses. Only the joyous “I Go to Extremes” isn’t tainted by a social message. Joel’s music and videos are more likeable when he’s just having fun, crooning about nothing deeper than the trials of romance and everyday life.