It's a bit difficult to know what to make of this new Neil Diamond album. You have to sort out past all kinds of noise. You have to look past his big somewhat cheesy personnae. You have to get past all the hype about Rick Rubin supposedly giving him a Johnny Cash-style comeback makover. Then there's the whole Sony DRM thing.
Overall, this gets a middling decent rating. In fairness, it could never have lived up to the hype around it. It's just Neil Diamond, for heaven's sake. I'm somewhat agnostic on Diamond overall.
I came in pretty much wanting to like the album, but a first listen had me ready to really slag the thing. It's grown on me somewhat on repeated listenings, though. That's a decent sign. There are at least a couple of outstanding songs.
Rick Rubin certainly presents the songs in something like an optimal form. It's somewhat stripped down relative to some of his famously overwrought recordings, but it's not just Neil Diamond solo in his living room like the famous first Johnny Cash American recording, however. Diamond actually plays some guitar on this album though, which he hasn't in a long time. Also, like some later Cash American recordings, Rubin drafted a couple of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench will tend to make any half decent song sound good.
Thing is, a lot of these songs just aren't very good. Specifically, most of these melodies are not memorable. He could sell the cheesy profundity of something like "I Am... I Said" because there was a strong tune under it. A lot of these new tunes are almost more recitatives than real melodies, though.
For example, I'm sympathetic to the big ol' "My Way" type sentiment of "Hell Yeah." It does definitely have some soul. You can hear real emotional investment. Plus, the arrangement sounds quite nice. The tune's just a little flat, though. It's worth hearing, but I don't know how well it'll stand up to a lot of repeat listening. Still, it's growing on me after a half dozen listens. It might creep up and get ya.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Evan
the music i picked to listen to is Neil Diamond
2 - Evan
i will also try to vote for Neil Diamond at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards
3 - Evan
i finaly did
4 - Evan
Happy Valaintines Day Neil Diamond fans
5 - Evan
Neil Diamond is also better then Hilary Duff Neil Diamond the music i listen to not Hilary Duff
6 - Evan
my mom says that i should not wear a Neil Diamond t - shirt but mom is wrong im getting one for my birthday
7 - Al Barger
Howdy Evan. Glad you dig on Neil Diamond. I can appreciate an obsessive fan. If a dedicated fan like YOU wears a Neil Diamond shirt, then it's cool.
8 - Evan
Neil Diamond is better then the All American Rejects i dont like how the All American Rejects Neil Diamond was young he first came out but he did not sound the way the All American Rejects sound nobody did in the 60s or 70s Neil Diamond however is a baratone his voice was higher then Elton Johns in the early 70s in the early 70s Elton John was tenor
9 - Evan
im always thinking about music
10 - Evan
Neil Diamond is not the only music t - shirt im getting for my birthday im also getting Cat Stevens and Barry Manilow
11 - Evan
i dont like the All American Rejects i like Neil Diamond Barry Manilow Billy Joel Elton John Neil Young James Taylor John Denver Cat Stevens Gilbert O Sullivan Air Supply Christopher Cross Leo Sayer Neil Sedaka Rod Stewart the Carpenters Olivia Newton John Captain and Tennile Chicago Three Dog Night Seals and Crofts America Bread Abba the Bee Gees Jim Croce Harry Chapin Phil Collins Steve Winwood Jackson Browne Paul Mccartney Paul Simon Journey Toto Paul Williams Peter Allen Eric Carmen Albert Hammond Gerry Rafferty Al Stewart Art Garfunkel Lobo England Dan and John Ford Coley Gordon Lightfoot and Dr Hook
12 - Evan
i dont like modern music i like the classics
13 - Evan
Neil Diamond came to nashville in october 2005 but i did not go see him becuse i did not like him yet last year is when i started liking him
14 - Evan
heres my list of favorites music 70s like Elton John Barry Manilow Billy Joel Neil Diamond John Denver Jim Croce Rod Stewart Dave Loggins Cat Stevens Bobby Goldsboro the Carpenters Neil Young Captain and Tennille Bread James Taylor Neil Sedaka Gilbert O Sullivan Leo Sayer Gerry Rafferty Dan Fogelberg Jackson Browne Olivia Newton John Three Dog Night Chicago Loggins and Messina Harry Chapin Lobo Don Mclean Eric Carmen Seals and Crofts Harry Nilsson America England Dan and John Ford Coley Dr Hook the Bee Gees Abba Crosby Stills and Nash Hall and Oates Boz Scaggs Albert Hammond and Gordon Lightfoot and 80s like Phil Collins Air Supply Toto Journey Christopher Cross Mike and the Mechanics and Steve Winwood
15 - Evan
movies the Secret of Nimh and others
16 - Evan
sports skating not anything like basketball tennis bowling golf baseball football or any of that stuff
17 - Evan
Neil Diamond has met Barry Manilow and Billy Joel
18 - Evan
i dont like sports i think about music everytime and talk about music in my head
19 - Evan
im always thinking about music and talking about music in my head and out loud all the time
20 - Evan
i dont like sports but enough of that
21 - Evan
i think about the music industry
22 - Evan
i am obsessed with Neil Diamond but im not a fan thats gonna attack him
23 - Evan
also i want a Neil Diamond mini figurine
24 - Evan
im not an obsessive fan im a fascinative fan
25 - Evan
fascinated is a little bit like obsessed but more healthier fascinated means to focus on all the time a little bit but keep to yourself instead of bringing up all the time