|
Post by Chippa on Apr 24, 2016 6:16:33 GMT
I was going to feature Prince, but virtually none of his music is readily available on YouTube, or elsewhere. So I chose another member of rock royalty-- Neil Diamond.
The "Best Of" compilations on YouTube are far too long, so I picked a nice selection of songs which I think represent him well.
Sweet Caroline
Forever In Blue Jeans
I Am, I Said
Longfellow Serenade
September Morn
Hello Again
Love On The Rocks
Oh, Mary
|
|
|
Post by Platypus on Apr 24, 2016 10:11:04 GMT
I haven't thought about Neil Diamond in quite a while, and I have none of his music! I think he was so pervasive on radio here in Australia through the 1970s and into the 1980s that we got tired of him. He has such a characteristic sound - a Neil Diamond song is a Neil Diamond song - but to me he is a fine example of songcraft. His best songs just sit so "right", and you've presented us with some good ones!
Sweet Caroline must be one of his defining creations, hooky and memorable. Sweet Caroline... pum pum pum !
Forever in Blue Jeans - not a favorite, what is it? A seinfeld song, about nothing, but while it's there it's good.
I Am, I Said - another defining song, simple, every note where it should be
Longfellow Serenade - classic Diamond, atmospheric and lush
September Morn - Sweet but a little too piano lounge for me
Hello Again I don't recall hearing before, and I don't really like it, feels artificial. (Ah, Google says it's from The Jazz Singer, which confirms I'm not familiar with it and probably explains the "manufactured" feel.)
Love on the Rocks - another from Jazz Singer, replete with 1980s chimey keyboard, synth glissandos and ripply piano arpeggios.
Oh, Mary - an immediate, intense song, but for me the thing that jumps out is the difference in production 25 years later. The older songs are lush, polished with effects, the big sound - Oh, Mary is dry, intimate and revealing, chamber music.
Thanks for those Chippa, I've enjoyed my Sunday evening with Neil!
|
|
|
Post by 88keys on Apr 24, 2016 22:26:46 GMT
Neil Diamond! The king of kitsch-cool! I'll have to give a listen pretty soon.
|
|
|
Post by jrmugz on Apr 25, 2016 4:30:02 GMT
Cool, Chippa; nobody croons the tunes like Neil! Looking very forward to enjoying these selections and writing the review of them, within the next week!
Jim
|
|
|
Post by unomusette on Apr 25, 2016 15:27:46 GMT
Neil Diamond is one of those artists who people my age might immediately consider to be old hat, the sort of stuff our mums and dads used to listen to. But when you consider all the great songs he's written, both for himself and other artists, you realise what a great talent he is. He has the same sort of knack as Jeff, to produce short, catchy, quality songs which have a wide appeal. And he's still playing live, good for him. Here goes: Sweet Caroline - Love the raspy vocals he brings in on the "Touching me..." bits, and it's a punchy, meaty sound when listened to on earphones. Great crowd pleaser, I'm doing the head nodding and almost the arm-waving all on my own here, brilliant. Forever in Blue Jeans - I'd never noticed the cheeky little bongo parts on this, they come across really well on earphones. Bouncy and cheerful, not earth shattering compared to some of his others but a lot of artists would kill to have this kind of song as a feature, let alone an also-ran. I Am, I Said - I've always liked this song, it's something a bit different and although it's a bit miserable the lyrics are clever and the full sound is fab. Love his deep voice too Longfellow Serenade - Great tune, lively beat, lots of layers in the sound, classic Diamond. September Morn - I'd forgotten this one. For me, he's at his best doing the sort of songs alreaady aired, this is pleasant enough but not my kind of genre. He does put a lot of feeling into the vocals though, it sounds a bit like a song from a musical. Hello Again - Another smoocher, it would probably make a good atmospheric opening track for a concert. Goes on too long for me though. Love on the Rocks - Ack, that chimey keyboard sound, I hate it. He puts a lot of effort into this vocal-wise and overall it is a bit of an epic. You get the impression it's been on for ages but it's not actually all that long. I expect he needed a nice lie down once he'd finished this, he must have been wrung out. Oh, Mary - Oooh, that deep voice in my ear when it kicks off, the whole sound is much more immediate and clear than the previous songs. Does plod a bit for me and seems over-long, but having that sound wash over me was most pleasant. As an ELO fan I'm always going to be impressed by the lush, layered sound on all these tracks, talk about value for money, he's used all the instruments he could find and polished the result like a maestro. Well thought out lyrics, irresistible tunes and his trademark vocals make this collection mostly a goodie. Nice work, Mr Diamond, you have 7 out of 10 from me, only losing points on the slow numbers towards the end. Thanks for sharing Chippa
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2016 2:56:15 GMT
Neil Diamond is one of those guys who was ubiquitous during the 70's and into the 80's. His songs always felt classy, for lack of a better term.
Of the songs featured, my favorites are Sweet Caroline(ba bum bum bummm), the sexy sounding Love On The Rocks, and Forever in Blue Jeans. Funny story- when I was a kid I always thought he was singing "Reverend Blue Jeans". I found it hilarious that a pastor would be nicknamed Blue Jeans. Yes I was a weird child. LMAO.
|
|
|
Post by 88keys on Apr 29, 2016 2:01:25 GMT
I really got into these songs more than I thought I would. I went in thinking of these as guilty pleasures, but came away with a real respect for how great a songwriter Neil is.
The Great Sweet Caroline ....classic! Love On The Rocks...makes me feel like throwing back some Scotch on ice.
The Good Hello Again Forever In Blue Jeans I Am I Said Longfellow Serenade Oh Mary
The OK September Morn..a little too wedding song-y.
|
|
|
Post by Chippa on Apr 29, 2016 17:22:56 GMT
I guess I should review these....
Sweet Caroline- Ubiquitous, but tough to dislike. The ultimate sing along song.
Forever In Blue Jeans - A little bit of country influence here, that is until the huge strings come in. Love the slow burn of this one. Quiet, urgent verses, then that big swaggering chorus.
I Am, I Said - Strange title, but what a song. Neil's songs always had a flair for the dramatic, and this one was definitely not an exception.
Longfellow Serenade - About a young man trying to woo a girl with poetry. Chicks dig poetry! Love the bassline on this track, and of course that insanely catchy chorus.
September Morn - Yea, it's a little bit "safe", but that's a great melody! I have a vivid memory of hearing this song playing in a hotel bar in NYC, during a somewhat foggy, slightly drunken evening about ten years ago. Ah..the good old/bad old days....
Hello Again - The Jazz Singer was a terrible movie, but it gave us at least two really great songs.
Love On The Rocks- The other great song from The Jazz Singer. Love the play on words, and Neil's dry delivery. The emotion he conveys in the chorus is nothing short of stunning. Love the whirring, percolating, greasy sounding analog synths!
Oh, Mary- Great track from his 2005, Rick Rubin produced album "12 Songs". Captures Neil at his bare bones best. The whole album is great. Check it out of you get a chance.
|
|
|
Post by sparky123 on Apr 30, 2016 8:16:55 GMT
I forgot how much I enjoyed Neil Diamond. I nice start to Saturday morning listening to those songs
|
|
|
Post by jrmugz on May 1, 2016 2:35:04 GMT
01. "Sweet Caroline" - The glory of being in the thick of romance. Nice song to hear once or twice a year. 02. "Forever in Blue Jeans" - This one always reminds of Fall, naturally. Anthem to dressing normally, nice chorus that sounds like something Kenny Rogers would sing. 03. "I Am, I Said" - A little bit of a depressing lyric for a dramatic buildup of a song. "A" for effort and enthusiasm, but doesn't really strike a chord with me. 04. "Longfellow Serenade" - Reminds me a little of his song "Captain Sunshine". Pure Neil Diamond lyric and chorus. 05. "September Morn" - Now begins the first of a few vintage Neil crooning songs. This is him at his best, being himself, but with a chorus that he some real hooks and power in the vocals. 06. "Hello Again" - Another classic, just love the bridge, vintage stuff. "Lately it's been crazy, and maybe I'm to blame, ..." 07. "Love On the Rocks" - Maybe my favorite chorus of any Neil Diamond song. A pure joy every time I hear this one, serious of a song as it is. 08. "Oh, Mary" - Wow, never heard this one, and am blown away by it. Looks like that "12 Songs" CD is one I went to check out, if this song is any indication of it!
Star Rating: 4.3 out of 5 Prime Cuts: "Hello Again", "Love on the Rocks", "Oh, Mary" Bottom Line: When Neil's vocals meet one of his strong passionate chorus or bridge lyrics, everyone look out, it's going out of the park.
I think "Oh, Mary" illustrates that he's sometimes at his best with little orchestration.
Thanks Chippa, was great to hear all of these. Got you marked down for the next open slot in a couple months or so.
So, have you heard the "12 Songs" CD, are they all pretty good like "Oh, Mary"?
Jim
|
|
|
Post by jrmugz on May 1, 2016 2:40:11 GMT
"The Jazz Singer was a terrible movie, but it gave us at least two really great songs." Three, if you count "America", which I count as a great song at least. Jim
|
|
|
Post by jrmugz on May 1, 2016 2:41:39 GMT
Neil Diamond is one of those guys who was ubiquitous during the 70's and into the 80's. His songs always felt classy, for lack of a better term. Of the songs featured, my favorites are Sweet Caroline(ba bum bum bummm), the sexy sounding Love On The Rocks, and Forever in Blue Jeans. Funny story- when I was a kid I always thought he was singing "Reverend Blue Jeans". I found it hilarious that a pastor would be nicknamed Blue Jeans. Yes I was a weird child. LMAO. You and everyone else thought "reverend blue jeans", I remember me and others thinking that as well. Jim
|
|
|
Post by Chippa on May 1, 2016 19:00:51 GMT
So, have you heard the "12 Songs" CD, are they all pretty good like "Oh, Mary"? Jim I like more than half of the tracks on the "12 Songs" album, so that's pretty positive. I think the entire album is on YouTube, so maybe you can check it out before deciding whether or not to buy it.
|
|
|
Post by jrmugz on May 3, 2016 21:04:51 GMT
... Nice work, Mr Diamond, you have 7 out of 10 from me, only losing points on the slow numbers towards the end. Thanks for sharing Chippa It's really funny when I'm hearing peoples' lukewarm liking of "September Morn", "Hello Again", and "Love on the Rocks", because to me, those are the ones where he really nails it the best. For my experience, I couldn't wait to get to those three, especially the two from "The Jazz Singer". Guess it's all subjective, we just like what we like. ha ha. Jim
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on May 16, 2016 17:41:14 GMT
Sweet Caroline - A great happy singalong classic!
Forever In Blue Jeans – I love the jolly acoustic guitar and drums at start. Very upbeat and catchy.
I Am, I Said – I've always been fascinated by this song, it's not often people include chairs in lyrics! I love it though. Maybe my favourite ND song.
Longfellow Serenade – Very good, maybe my favourite so far. Great tune.
September Morn – A lovely track. I love the piano and the strings.
Hello Again – Lovely opening, I didn’t think I knew this but I do. Perhaps my favourite of the bunch?
Love On The Rocks- At first I just thought this was very nice but the more I hear it the more I like it. Could be a good track for karaoke.
Oh, Mary - Now this is just lovely, definitely my favourite of these songs. Virtually perfect.
I didn't know Neil had such great songs. I've always liked him but never enough to explore his music deeper. It's the ones I didn't know before that seem to be the best of all his music.
|
|