Neil Diamond - Hot August Night (Remastered / Expanded) (2CD)

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Music reviews of Hot August Night (Remastered / Expanded) (2CD)

Music Review: Hot August Night drips with energy.
Rating: 5 Stars

Hot August Night is probably the best live concert ever recorded. The intensity is sustained all throughout the performance, electrifying his audience and listeners alike, making this record drip with so much energy. The intro, "Prologue", is a killer tune. It is a masterpiece. Just listen to it build up to a climax as it gets layered into an atmosphere of strings, keyboards, acoustics and percussions (the sound is greatly improved on the remaster--crisp sounding). It is a majestic piece. Sure, Neil has those songs with corny titles and lyrics to it (i.e. "Soggy Pretzels", "You're So Sweet Horseflies Keep Hangin' Round Your Face", "Crunchy Granola Suite", "Porcupine Pie", and even "Song Sung Blue"), but aren't artist allowed to tease and have fun?

"I Am... I Said", "Morningside" and "Canta Libre" are some of the more emotional tracks of the set as Neil Diamond takes you to one moving song to another as he connects with his audience through songs and banter. While "Holly Holy" (a definite favorite of mine), and definitely the best version compared to the stale and thin sounding original studio recording off the Touching You, Touching Me album, sets the tone and pace as the show climaxes to a thunderous end to some of Neil's percussive moments on the album. The big climax of "Holly Holy" sees Neil Diamond exploding into dramatic rage and passion (this is repeated on the closer "Brother Love`s..."), making this a high point of the album. "Holly Holy" is a very beautiful song and a masterpiece as well. Band and orchestra should be applauded here. This leads into a quieter, almost solemn intro into "I Am... I Said" (the calm before the storm) that builds up into a huge emotional burst, full-orchestra, keys and percussions kicking into the music. The Walk Off as orchestra and band explode to a built up "I Am... I Said" instrumental before everything breaks loose as nonstop percussions rumble into "Soolaimon/Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" medley. What a listening experience this brings on repeated play. As the band and orchestra encores to the tune of "Brother Love's...", I stay glued, still, onto my seat, moved by it all like I where in that concert, wishing that it never ended--it always feels that way with me. Musicianship is topnotch and cohesive, and yes, special mention has to be given to drummer Dennis St. John for his amazing distinct and tireless work all throughout. (The first time I ever heard "Holly Holy" playing on the radio in the early `70s was by Hugo Montenegro. I did not even know Neil Diamond existed, but even when I finally discovered Neil, it was the Hugo Montenegro cover that became my measure of that song's beautiful style. The Touching You, Touching Me original version, despite the strings has a poor and uneven mix, and the Gold (first ND live record) version is raw and simple with only electric guitar, bass and drums as backup instruments.)

The beauty about Hot August Night is that all of the songs Neil performed are his original compositions. He got to do this again the last time when he recorded Love At The Greek after the Beautiful Noise album. In retrospect, I wish Neil also sang in this concert "High Rolling Man" (I love the piano riffs on this one), "Captain Sunshine" (beautiful lyrics and melody) and "Lordy" (beautiful melody and beat). Incidentally, I read years ago that the string section was used on this particular night only for the recording purposes of this show.

If you are a Neil Diamond fan but don't own Hot August Night yet, get it. It is worth more than the countless ridiculous ND greatest hits and compilations that are being released faster than you could say "You're So Sweet Horseflies Keep Hangin' Round Your Face". If you are not a Neil Diamond fan yet but are contemplating on becoming one, Hot August Night is definitely the best start for you (though In My Lifetime and Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings are also well recommended for their sheer historical overview of Neil Diamond`s music), mind you, this concert was recorded in 1972, so you should know what Neil Diamond songs to expect from that era--timeless classics. What were you expecting me to say?

As for Dave Barry's inclusion of "I Am.. I Said" to the "Worst Songs Ever" list, who cares? That is his opinion and he can keep it. Like most of us, we also have our opinions and "I Am... I Said" is a song with profound lyrical content--a true masterpiece.

Description of Hot August Night (Remastered / Expanded) (2CD)

Broadway & Vocalists CDs

• Music > Styles
• Folk
• Pop
• Rock