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Editorial Review:
Neil Diamond is one of a rare breed. As a songwriter, his music has been covered successfully by artists as diverse as the Monkees, Deep Purple, UB40, and Smash Mouth. But Diamond used that three-chord alchemy to build an unparalleled career as a performer as well. The 38 tracks on these two discs address those interlocking legacies in the most comprehensive manner yet, gathering his material from Bang! Records (including such pop staples as "Solitary Man," "Cherry, Cherry," "Kentucky Woman," "Red, Red Wine," and "I'm a Believer"), Universal (highlighted by "Sweet Caroline," Song Sung Blue," "Holly Holy," and "I Am ... I Said"), and Columbia for the first time. And if Diamond has veered toward the middle of the road on those latter recordings (such as "September Morn," "Heartlight," and the Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"), there remains a remarkable consistency throughout his work. As if to underscore the point, a number of mid-period hits (including "Shiloh," "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," and "Soolaimon") are featured as live recordings from fall 2001. These performances show that the sweet roughness of his voice has only grown in power and drama; it's small wonder that Diamond remains one of the top live draws in the business. Even if it overlooks Diamond's unlikely late-'90s hit country album (Tennessee Moon), this set manages to be both concise and thorough, the best introduction yet to an American music legend. --Jerry McCulley
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Not Just Music Your Mum Listens To You've probably dismissed Diamond as music your mum listens to. You're wrong to think this because you'll be missing some great pompous rock songs. Some of it's cheesy, but a lot of what is on this best of is genuinely good stuff. His name looks like an anomaly on my MP3 player's artist list. The thing is, I'm not ashamed as I love these big over the top (orchestra included on everything) songs. And you don't have to worry about good taste getting in the way of your listening experience. Some of... more info
An essential compilation Following his success in reinventing and reviving the career of Johnny Cash, Rick Rubin has turned his attention to another bygone US icon, Neil Diamond. Their stripped down 2006 collaboration, 12 Songs has been a critical and commercial success. For any new (or old) fans wanting a compilation of the best of the bigger Diamond sound of yore, The Essential Neil Diamond is an excellent purchase.
TEND is a double CD containing all Neil's hits and most famous compositions from his days as a songwriter in the... more info
Comprehensive collection This really is a good collection for Neil Diamond novices. It is a tall order to find a 'definative' Neil Diamond collection as there will always be so much left out of this prolific songwriters catalogue. Offering a mixture of recent 'live' recordings and the more familiar studio work, the former appealing more to those who have experienced Neil Diamond's live shows. This collection is unique in that it benefits from the additon of the sublime 'lady Magdelene' and 'Yes I will', which in my opinion, are... more info
Slightly flawed diamond Anybody who’s been on an office night out in Scotland ( I don’t know if this happens elsewhere as well) will have experienced the strange cultural phenomenon that is Sweet Caroline mixed with women consuming alcohol. Even from a starting sitting position, they sing-along gently to the first verse, start singing more loudly with some arm waving at the hands touching hands bit, then get into the full all singing, all dancing mode at the chorus, not forgetting the coup de grace… the singing of the brass... more info
