Neil Diamond - The Essential Neil Diamond
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CD Details
Artist: Neil DiamondEdition: Music CD
Music CD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2001-12-04
Audience Rating: Unrated
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Solitary Man
- Cherry, Cherry
- I Got The Feelin' (Oh No, No)
- Kentucky Woman
- Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon
- You Got To Me
- Red, Red Wine
- Thank The Lord For The Night Time
- I'm A Believer
- Sweet Caroline
- Song Sung Blue
- Holly Holy
- I Am...I Said
- Cracklin' Rosie
- Play Me - Live
- Morningside - Live
- Crunchy Granola Suite - Live
- Brooklyn Roads - Live
- Soolaimon - Live
- America
- Hello Again
- Love On The Rocks
- Captain Sunshine
- He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother - Live
- Yes I Will/Lady Magdalene - Live
- Shilo - Live
- Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show - Live
- If You Know What I Mean
- Beautiful Noise
- You Don't Bring Me Flowers
- Desirie
- Forever In Blue Jeans
- September Morn
- I've Been This Way Before
- Yesterday's Songs
- Heartlight
- Headed For The Future
- You Are The Best Part Of Me
Music reviews of The Essential Neil Diamond
Music Review: A Missed Opportunity
Rating: 3 Stars
Trying to find a decent Neil Diamond compilation is a frustrating venture: there are label specific compilations, which focus on the three labels Diamond has recorded for; while MCA has found the most ways to compile Diamond records, Sony has issued very few. Sony's first attempt at a complete career overview, GREATEST HITS 1966-1992, had expert track selection and a logical sequence, but used live versions of the MCA recordings, which happened to include some of Diamond's best songs "Sweet Caroline," "I Am...I Said," "Cracklin' Rosie." THE ESSENTIAL NEIL DIAMOND is Neil Diamond's entry into what has so far been an excellent compilation series, until now.
Many of the Essential series editions do what their supposed to, they provide a relatively complete (definitive) compilation of the artist's best work, Bob Dylan, The Clash, Billy Joel. All compilations miss songs, most have one or two questionable judgement calls, but overall they work. For a serious compilation, THE ESSENTIAL NEIL DIAMOND features some of the worst errors to be found (think K-Tel style problems): poor track selection, excessive live recording substitutions, and illogical track sequencing. Not only does this compilation fail as a Neil Diamond overview, it is largely an unlistenable collection.
Diamond's early classic recordings for Bang, from 1966-1968, is the one part of THE ESSENTIAL NEIL DIAMOND done properly. The sound is a major improvement over CLASSICS, particularly on "You Got To Me." There are some slight differences in the recordings on "Solitary Man" and "I Got The Feeling (Oh No, No)" from CLASSICS, but these are so minor that they don't pose much of a problem.
The Uni era recordings, from 1968-1972, have always been, and will continue to be, a major obstacle in career-length Diamond collections. Some of Diamond's best work is controlled by MCA, "Sweet Caroline," "Holly Holy," "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," and it is a critcal part of any compilation. MCA has issued several different compilations that focus exclusively on these records, ranging from the 11-song 20TH CENTURY MASTERS, to PLAY ME, which covers every studio recording from these years. Sony made some progress here, they obtained the masters for his five Top 5 hits, "Sweet Caroline," "Song Sung Blue," "Holly Holy," "I Am...I Said,", and "Cracklin' Rosie." But there are other tracks from the Uni era of importance and these are featured in live versions from recent concerts, which is a cheap way of getting around licensing issues. For instance, "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" has evolved into a show-stopper, and the live version reflects this, but the original studio recording is tighter and boosts the fascinating sound Diamond was-then known for. The point of a career-spanning compilation is to be a one-collection purchase, to get the most important recordings in the same place. Instead if you want some of Diamond's most celebrated songs, you need to buy additional discs. Furthermore, the song selection for the live cuts is highly questionable, "Captain Sunshine" (which makes rarely is compiled, even on live albums) and "Morningside" don't really belong on the essential collection, and even if "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" did hit the Top 20, its importance in a career overview is negligable.
The Columbia recordings are poorly represented. While there are exceptions, there's a sharper divide over these songs, which a good collection could have addressed. Here as well, the compilers excluded important songs, "Be" and "Longfellow Serenade," actual hits, unbelieveably substituted for a live medley of "Yes I Will/Lady Magdalene" and album track "I've Been This Way Before." The second disc's illogical sequencing really stands out as well. So rather than the listener appreciating "Desiree," "America," and "Heartlight," all thats gained from the second half is the rather jarring way the material is presented. The ending of the collection is also problematic, the four year gap between "Heartlight" and "Headed For The Future" is understandable, but "Headed For The Future" was released in 1986, and the disc jumps to 2001 for "You Are The Best Part Of Me," (which does sound out of place). It's understandable that compilers wanted to go for complete, but it simply does not work, they could have drafted in select songs from the surrounding fifteen years, or left off at "Headed For The Future."
Career-spanning compilations work best chronologically, allowing the listener to trace artistic development, and avoiding questionable sequences. THE ESSENTIAL NEIL DIAMOND, especially on the second disc, is very poorly sequenced. The second disc opens with "America" and runs through the hits from THE JAZZ SINGER, plows through five live tracks (three of which are unnecessary additions), and bouncing throught the Columbia era.
Between the poor sequencing, questionable selection, and especially the live tracks, it is impossible to view THE ESSENTIAL NEIL DIAMOND as anything other than a missed opportunity. This collection does a great disservice to both listeners and to the music of Neil Diamond. A one collection introduction is still a long way off.
Description of The Essential Neil Diamond
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.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
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