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Publisher : Sony Artist : Neil Diamond Manufacturer : Sony
Description
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 for 'The Essential Neil Diamond'
«Truly the "essential" collection!!»
My husband I recently bought tickets for his concert at Madison Square Garden, and I was eager to get in the "Neil Diamond mood," so I decided on this 2 cd set (we have Hot August Night on cd, and the rest on old cassette tapes, but I really wanted original recordings). I have loved his music for a long time, and this 2 cd set was an absolutely perfect collection for me. All of his well-known popular songs are the original recordings, and my 7 year old daughter is now singing along in the car. Couldn't have asked for a better Neil Diamond collection!!
[Saturday, August 30, 2008]
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«Best Diamond set yet»
I've been in the hunt for a solid all-around Neil Diamond set that had stuff from way back to recent to fast to slow and this hits all. Disc 1 is worth the price itself. Disc 2 gives you more of his latest and several Live tracks. Two of my favorites "America" and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (with Barbara Streisand) highlite Disc 2 and to have both on the same collection is well worth it.
[Tuesday, August 19, 2008]
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«Great»
How many "greatest" albums does Diamond have out there? If you don't have any of his music, then I would recommend this one.
[Wednesday, August 06, 2008]
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