Customer Reviews
Not Just Music Your Mum Listens To - By: Pete, 17 Aug 2006 
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 gettingin the way of your listening experience.
Some of these songs even rockin their own way. Though it's best to skip the Streisand duet. And Brooklyn Road & Morningside don't stand up after a few listens. Otherwise it's great. And the live tracks are very energetic - I personally don't consider them to be a compromisein quality.
Diamond's version of "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" is just as heavy as the cover version by Urge Overkill (as heardin Pulp Fiction when Uma Thurman & John Travolta come back to her house after winning the dance contest).
An essential compilation - By: Greg Farefield-Rose, 27 Mar 2006 
Following his successin reinventing & 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 & 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 & most famous compositions from his days as a songwriterin the legendary Brill Buildingin the early 60s right through to recordings madein the early noughties. Originally a writer for others, many may be surprised that he penned The Monkees' I'm A Believer & Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon, a song rediscoveredin 1994 by the Urge Overkill recording for the classic Tarantino film Pulp Fiction. Both of Diamond's "originals" are excellent, perhaps surprisingly containing the full arrangements of the more famous later versions minus a few backing vocals & cheese.
Other highlights of The Essential Neil Diamond from Neil's heydayin the 60s & early 70s include his most famous song Sweet Caroline, the call-and-response beat sound of Cherry Cherry & more introspective orchestrated pop of Solitary Man. Like Burt Bacharach, his songs often incorporate full brass & string arrangements to similarly, produce quality easy-listening music which it is OK to like. Occasionally his semi religious zeal gets the better of him with the resulting product being over bombastic though there are many excellent songs to like on TEND.
Beyond his original purple period, Diamond had his first major comebackin the early 1980s following his appearance & songsin the updated film version of the Jazz Singer with Laurence Olivier & Lucie Arnaz. Standout tracks from this period include the downbeat ballad Love On the Rocks & blue-collar country pride of Forever In Blue Jeans.
Allin all, the Essential Neil Diamond is an excellent introduction to one of the few easy-listening artists who it's OK to like. With his critical radar on the rise following the Rubin collaboration a deserved re-evaluation of Neil's body of work is now taking place. Lets hope this time that Diamond is forever...
Comprehensive collection - By: , 07 Jul 2005 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 & the more familiar studio work, the former appealing more to those who have experienced Neil Diamond's live shows. This collection is uniquein that it benefits from the additon of the sublime 'lady Magdelene' & 'Yes I will', whichin my opinion, are probably two of his most outstanding musical contributions. ( For those wishing to hear these songsin their original format, then 'Serenade' is the album for you!)
It has, sadly become'uncool' to like Neil Diamond's music & he has never really received the critical acclaim that he is truly deserving of. This man's contribution to music & poetry is awesome & this collection stands as testament to that. Sheer genius.!
Slightly flawed diamond - By: Oscillator, 12 Aug 2004 Anybody who’s been on an office night outin 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 figure. How does that work? Meanwhile, the men either take solacein their own drinks or sheepishly mouth the words. But Sweet Caroline isn’t the first song I think of with regards to Neil Diamond, that honour goes to ‘I Am I Said’. That was the first Diamond song I was familiar with but it wasn’t even the original, it was on one of those sixties/seventies Top of The Pops Album which featured session musicians trying to recreate the hits of the day. In their lunchtimes. It still sounded like a good song at the time & it still does. These things coupled with the fact he’s written so many good songs such as ‘Daydream Believer’. ‘Girl, You’ll Me A Woman Soon’ etc. have led me to having a grudging admiration for Neil Diamond. All the crucial songs seem to be present & correct on this compilation & the sound is sparkling. It’s illuminating how close the version of ‘I’m A Believer’ is to the Monkees version whilst I prefer the version of 'Red, Red, Wine' here to the UB40 version (which apparently was derived from a version from reggae artist Tony Tribe). Overall this compilation is very good. I have to knock off a star though..The ‘Jazz Singer’ (there’s a misnomer if ever there was one) songs are brutally bad. I suppose though for a comprehensive overview they had to be included.
A must-have for Neil Diamond fans - By: Suroor Alikhan, 15 Apr 2003 A trip down nostalgia lane! I grew up with Neil Diamond's music, & all the favourites are here--Cracklin' Rosie, Song Sung Blue, Kentucky Woman... & some of his later songs.
