Join me in throwing off the stigma! (Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond)

Cafe Society
1

Hi, my name is Weirddave, and I like Manilow and Diamond.
(Hi Dave!)
I’m 41 years old, a definite child of the 80s, and I’ve held hard to what cool is left to me now that I am a father. I have to do all the things that I hated about my dad for my teenage son. It rapidly depletes any cool credits I have accumulated in a lifetime of being myself. I was like anyone else my age. We all pretend amazement at the popularity of Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow. “Who could like that shit?” we asked each other, smug in our superiority. “Jesus, that’s music for our parents, it sucks!”. The denials went on.
Well, I am here to come clean. I love Barry Manilow, and I love Neil Diamond. I always have. In 1986, I was dealing with my first heartbreak. I was 20 years, young and full of (unrequited) cum. The girl I had been dating dumped me. I took it hard. I played song after song, reveling in my pain, emotionally biting in tinfoil, you know, that feeling you get in the fillings in your teeth? The song I kept coming back to, although you could have pulled my fingernails out and I never would have admitted it then, was “Weekend In New England”.

Time marched on. I got better. I married for the first time. I was so happy, and “Sweet Caroline” was the soundtrack of my life. That marriage lasted for 5 years, and as it broke up, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” seemed eerily prophetic.

Then came 9/11. In the wake of that tragedy, was there ever a better song than “Coming to America”? It encapsulates everything that is great about the United States. Neil Diamond, an artist universally despised by all of the “cool kids” had once again nailed it perfectly.

So. Suddenly, I met the love of my life, the paragon of feminine possibility. She had a kid, I had a divorce, but “Looks Like We Made It” fit. I had made it, she had made it, WE had made it.

Now, 6 years on. How do I think of my beautiful wife? Well, surprisingly enough, Neil Diamond has a song, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas”. Every day with my wife and kids is Christmas, even when things go wrong.

Through it all, from teenage idiot to the complete MAN I am today, Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond have been there with wonderful songs. So…
I’m throwing off the mantle of “cool”. I’m stripping all of the expectations from myself. I’m standing tall and proud and I’m shouting to the stars for the whole world to hear:
DAMNIT, I LIKE BARRY MANILOW AND NEIL DIAMOND!!
Whose with me?

2

Paw raised

I don’t mind them at all. Then again, I’m 44, and I still think the soundtrack to Jonathan Livingston Seagull is cool, one of my all-time favourites, thanks to Neil Diamond. I love Love on the Rocks as well.

And as for Manilow – yeah. Still cool.

3

Aww. Sweet. Anyway, why not? I like 'em too. They aren’t high-brow, cutting-edge, and cool, maybe, but IMO high-brow, cutting-edge, cool stuff is overrated. What’s wrong with pretty, catchy songs that resonate with people? Nothing, that’s what.

4

I’ve been in love with Barry Manilow since about 1973. Neil…well, he’s okay too.

5

I’m 37 and listen, primarily, to indie rock. But I own a Barry Manilow CD and even saw him live a few years back. He’s got the best have-a-good-cry music. His melodies and key changes are brilliant and moving. Oh, and I’ve always claimed that the first 45 I ever bought was “Keep on Loving You” by REO Speedwagon when I was 11, but it was really “Can’t Smile Without You”.

My death-metal loving husband wanted to see Neil Diamond live until he saw the ticket prices start at $96 and go up to $728. I’d rather make a mortgage payment, thanks.

6

I own two Manilow CDs: 2 AM Paradise Cafe (which I bought [on cassette – it was 1984 or so] strictly based on a Peoplemagazine review) and Manilow Sings Sinatra (Christmas gift from the hubby).

Love Paradise Cafe; haven’t listened to the Sinatra one much.

There’ s a Neil Diamond cassette knocking around here too; can’t remember the title. Used to listen to it all the time. (I really need to get going on my plan to transfer all my cassettes to digital.)

7

I’m not a Barry Manilow fan*, but I do like Neil Diamond. I actually own a Neil Diamond album, although I haven’t listened to it in ages.

For some reason, it really bothers me that he sings a song entitled “I Write the Songs” that he didn’t actually write, for one thing. I know that’s irrational, but it’s true

8

Manilow wrote “Copacabana.” Neil Diamond wrote “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show.” Those two songs rock, and justify the rest of their careers.

They ain’t the best, but both are damn good.

9

I am also 41, male, and a Barry Manilow fan. Back when “I write the songs” was popular, it was my favorite song at the time. The local pop AM radio station (WTIX) used to play a programmed list of songs that was about 2 or 3 hours. I listened to the radio constantly back then and when “You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate used to come on, I knew that “I write the songs” would be on within two or three songs later. I also enjoy Neil Diamond, but whereas I have Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hits 1 and 2, I don’t have any Neil Diamond on my iPod.

10

Manilow? Diamond? You have got to be kidding me. I wouldn’t be caught dead listening to such pap.

::Slowly shuffles away humming -
“I’ve been up… Down… Trying to get that feeling again.”
“I remember starry nights, raining down as cold as ice,”
“Hello again, hello. Just called to let you know.”
“Sweet Caroline” bump bump baah “Good time never seemed so good”
Self consciously looks back over his sholder::

What? Bug off!

11

I can’t do the Manilow, no way no how, unless it’s a rocking cover version of Mandy but I like Neil Diamond just fine. He’s kind of a cheeseball, but that Cherry song is fun as hell to play on the guitar.

12

OK, not only do I have immense love for both of these guys, but I’ve seen them both in concert. Manilow more than once (What? Shut up!) I also adore and have seen James Taylor in concert.

I also have CD’s/albums by both of them, although two things bother me by Neil Diamond’s Greatest Hits (I have volumes one and two, thankyewverymuch): One, the version of Shiloh that’s on it has the middle verse cut out. Aaarrrggghhh. That makes me all stabby, then I have to go listen to some of my teenager’s emo music. Two, neither album has Solitary Man or Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon".
Oh, one more thing. I can’t listen to Cracklin’ Rosie any more. One night, while we were still dating, my hubby was over my house and we had CD’s playing. Well, that night, he had a lot to drink (don’t worry, he didn’t drive home; I kept him all night), and decided Cracklin’ Rosie was his All Time Favorite Song. He must have played it 25 times. In a row. Blech.

I don’t think you need to feel any shame attached to this love, Dave. After all, these guys, even though they’re old, are still packing major concert venues, as opposed to bands who were “cool” when I was in high school. Hell, hubby and I saw both Styx and Kansas together in concert at the freakin’ Allegany County Fairgrounds, ferchrissakes. (Yeah, it was a good concert; but you won’t find Diamond or Manilow playin’ freakin’ fairgrounds any time soon!)

13

I agree those prices are insane … but I will also say that Neil Diamond live in concert is a force to be reckoned with. He is a strong contender for the Hardest Working Man in Show Business title. You will be entertained within an inch of your life.

I love the Neil, if you couldn’t tell. :wink:

14

I have no problem with Diamond and can enjoy him in small doses, but I despise Manilow with a passion that is shared only by Village people and Celine Dion.

This does not mean I think you are less cool, but I had two requirements at my wedding, **No Manilow ** and No Village People. When they went ahead and played Manilow anyway I got extremely angry and loud. It was not pretty. The band were complete jerks for going against such a simple request. I made an ass of myself, a bad combination.

I am not sure why I hate him as much as I do, but I will run from a room where he is playing and I usually feel a need to blast Zeppelin or Sabbath. His music is the most derivative of all music. Taken separate by components I realize his voice is not overly annoying like Celine. His music is no worse than lets say the Carpenters who I can tolerate. His lyrics are cloying at best, but again, no worse than some other pop artists of the 70s or the entire disco era. Somehow the complete package makes be suspect he is the Anti-Christ and I am not even religious.

So back to Neil Diamond, he has some songs I enjoy and that are actually rocking. I like Coming to America. I actually enjoyed his part of “Saving Silverman”.

The sad thing is I can’t name any of the songs I like.

15

I’ve always like Neil.

I bought his most recent (I think) 12 Songs that was produced by Rick Rubin. It’s an excellent album. Real stripped down, solid pop tunes. “Delirious Love” is a great song.

Not much of a Manilow fan, but I give credit to anyone whose songs have legs like his.

16

I used to listen to some Neil in college, back in the 70’s, and quite liked it. I think some of the cheezieness comes from the fact that he has been imitated so much that the real thing sounds overdone.

Not so much with the Manilow. Never got it.

I once saw Wayne Newton do a USO show. I’m sorry Wayne, I take back all the wisecracks, you are a surprisingly good entertainer.

17

I like Barry Manilow, but I adore Neil Diamond. :slight_smile:
I also love James Taylor and the Who. :cool:

18

As long as we’re coming clean about liking musicians we are not suppose to…

I will admit it. I like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. They both have great voices and both have a large catalog of music I enjoy when I hear it.

19

My parents had Barry Manilow’s best of in the 70’s and I knew the lyrics to every song on it by age 9, and surprisingly it didn’t turn me gay- I dig him. :slight_smile:

20

What world are we now living in that makes it a social crime to admit liking some of the most talented singers/songwriters of the 20th century?

If they’re not your cup of tea, you think they’re overplayed, or they’re too much a product of their era, fine. But who in their right mind actually thinks Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Barry Manilow, or Neil Diamond are objectively bad?