Neil Diamond?

I’ve gotten a lot of questions (okay, two) about whether Neil Diamond listed in my favorite music in my profile is a joke.

I first (over)heard Neil Diamond on my parents’ stereo. Dad and Mom would play records a night or two a week after they thought I was asleep, and I’d listen through the ceiling (also largely responsible for my fanhood of Steve Miller, the Brothers Four, and Handel’s Messiah). Wasn’t tough to hear; my dad had these great old Eico tube amplifiers, and he loved to heat ’em up. You could have cooked hot dogs with those things.

Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night, a 1972 performance at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, wrecked me for live albums. It’s perfect in every way: outstanding set, vibrant performances, and production that sparkles without sterilizing. The rockers scorch, the ballads pierce, and it’s all just electrifyingly huge. Particular favorites are “Prologue/Crunchy Granola Suite,” “Cherry Cherry,” “Shilo,” and “Holly Holy,” but really, it’s like picking your favorite children. The whole thing just smokes. I’m up for it anytime. It’s on my “desert island” list, no matter how short said list is. It’s probably the only record I’ve listened to every year since its release. It belongs in every rock ‘n’ roll fan’s collection.

I got a chance to see his show firsthand in 1999 in Nashville. He performed in the round, with a circular stage that contained an orchestra pit, and it was spectacular. He owned the crowd and may be the single best showman I’ve ever seen.

Like any performer of his longevity, he’s had his ups and downs. The Jazz Singer soundtrack isn’t bad, but it’s uneven (and the ill-considered remade movie of the same name is pretty much a two-hour-long cringe). He then spent a lot of the ’80s trying to be a contemporary pop star, with predictably subpar results.

He’s definitely in his element again with his latest release, the Rick Rubin-produced 12 Songs (2005). It seems simple: just a man’s mind, voice, and guitar for most of an hour. But it’s the sort of record that takes hold of you a little more with each listen, until suddenly what was once “music to work by” or something similarly dismissive is now thoroughly compelling. If you’re into the classical notion of a singer/songwriter, check it out.

So yeah, no joke: Neil’s one of my guys. Excellence is always cool.

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