# Neil Diamond... why?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571 "2003-09-04T18:21:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/21 "2003-09-05T14:15:28Z")
To the OP, I say what I say whenever anyone asks a question like this: What answer could we give that would make so say, “OHHHHH… NOW I get it!” Has anyone EVER explained to you, satisfactorily, why an artist (or book or movie or play) that you hate is actually brilliant? I like Neil Diamond. Oh, I concede that there’s a certain hokum/cheese factor that you have to endure at a Neil Diamond concert (someone once said that watching Neil Diamond perform live is like watching your inebriated uncle trying to sing karaoke!). But in the end, it all comes down to the songs. You either like them or you don’t. I happen to like a LOT of Neil’s songs. Very few other people have written as many good songs. I’ve been to many concerts by groups or artists who only have 3 or 4 good songs. If you’ve been in that position, you know how dull that can get. Neil Diamond is one of the few artists I know of who can do a 2 hour set in which EVERY song is a good one, and when it’s all over, you can still think of at least a half dozen other songs you wish he’d played. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/22 "2003-09-05T14:57:27Z")
Because. I like his songs, and I like his voice. Neil’s awesome. I laughed like a hyena when Will Ferrel would imitate him on Saturday Night Live. _“I put clown makeup on my penis… Just do the best you caaaan…”_ ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/23 "2003-09-05T17:10:06Z")
Must admit, love some of his music, in spite of myself. ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/24 "2003-09-05T17:22:18Z")
Look, I’m more than a little indifferent about Neil Diamond and his body of work; however, if he were a complete waste of space, then Robbie Robertson wouldn’t have asked him to play with The Band at The Last Waltz. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/25 "2003-09-05T17:27:23Z")
Let me be clear, my question is not ‘why does he suck,’ 'cause I don’t think that, but listening to much of his stuff, it just seems so… I don’t know, soulless, unspirited. I was just told, though, that I need to get his live album and listen to it. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/26 "2003-09-05T22:55:36Z")
mr diamond has appeal to the younger ones because some of his songs are a bit angsty. when you are going through that “no one understands me,” " i am alone here," phase, “i am i said” speaks to you. you think, ahhhh neil knows, the poor man is talking to chairs, my love can save him. he appeals to the older ones because they grew up with him. they relive prom moments, young first love moments. and because his music is everywhere many people will listen and join in the neil diamond love. best join in, diamond fans can get rather scary if they think you are mocking mr diamond. just ask dave barry. ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/27 "2003-09-06T00:23:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eonwe \* > \*\*I was just told, though, that I need to get his live album and listen to it. \*\* You’ll be sorrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy… Assuming this is the same live album my brother purchased many years ago, you’ll be treated to the sound of Neil screaming his lyrics. Have a listen to _Tap Root Manuscript_ instead. There are Neil Diamond songs that I love (_Sweet Caroline, Done Too Soon, Beautiful Noise_) and Neil Diamond songs that I hate (_Heartlight_). Some of it is nostalgic - he was one of the artists we listened to on long car trips when I was a kid, and some of it is because he just writes rockin’ songs. Have a good time on your date. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/28 "2003-09-06T02:19:46Z")
One major reason why we come around to appreciating artist we formerly may have hated / despised / burned in effigy. Most of the time, their work comes out at the same time as a lot of other musicians whose works truly bite the wax tadpole. Time goes on. The clones all fall away, leaving behind on the high tide of pop culture the diamonds that can shine on their own. This way, I can listen to Abba – yanked from the wall-to-wall disco that swamped radio back then – and appreciate their true worth. I’m discovering the same reaction to John Denver and even – god help me for admitting this – Journey. It’s no sin to appreciate a well-made song. Or, as Noel Coward put it: “Strange how potent cheap music is.” ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/29 "2003-09-06T06:43:14Z")
The live one I have sucks… and its the only version I have of “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation show” _sigh_ bummer… The man seems to sooth my nerves… I “Get a Kick” out of him… I think it would be a hoot to back “Broter Love’s Travelling Salvation Show” with “The Dooright Family” by Ray Stevens:D ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/30 "2003-09-06T12:15:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Krisfer the Cat \* > \*\*I think it would be a hoot to back “Broter Love’s Travelling Salvation Show” with “The Dooright Family” by Ray Stevens:D \*\* Or with Brother Bart’s song. ---
**Author:** ![Jello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@Jello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jello)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/31 "2003-09-06T14:14:52Z")
I went to a showing of The Last Waltz (The Band’s final concert) last year in a theatre celebrating the film’s rerelease. I figured I’d use the part where Neil Diamond joined them as a bathroom break, and it turned out I wasn’t alone, as a sizable chunk of the audience was doing the same thing. There were lines. The same thing happened for Jodi Mitchell fifteen minutes later… ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/32 "2003-09-06T18:58:12Z")
I was watching an MTV Pop-Up Movie (like Pop-up videos, only with movies, y’know). It was the story of The Monkees. One of the pop-ups said that Bob Dylan was instrumental in Diamond becoming a performer; it would seem that prior to Dylan’s popularity, Diamond didn’t think he was good looking enough, or have a good enough voice to record his own stuff, so he just wrote it for other folks. Then, along comes Dylan, and Diamond says to himself, “Well, I’m better looking than **that** guy, **and** I carry a tune better!”, and started recording his own stuff. Hubby and I saw him in concert about 10 years ago (of course, we’re old fogies; we’ve also seen James Taylor, but, whaddayagonnado?), and both thoroughly enjoyed it! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/33 "2003-09-06T22:09:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Nobody’s mentioned “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show.” That song rocks. \*\* You read my mind. Salvation tent revivals are scary, but even _I_ would go see Brother Love! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/34 "2003-09-07T00:17:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*Because. I like his songs, and I like his voice. Neil’s awesome. > > I laughed like a hyena when Will Ferrel would imitate him on Saturday Night Live. _“I put clown makeup on my penis… Just do the best you caaaan…”_ \*\* I think Neil Diamond is catchy. I also liked the SNL “Storytellers” skit with Will Ferrell. There was one line, I can’t remember it exactly, but the Sports Guy mentioned it in a column; Diamond/Ferrell makes a comment about killing a drifter in Vegas so he could get an erection. Funny stuff! ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/35 "2003-09-07T06:47:48Z")
That was one weird and funny sketch. Will Ferell actually upstaged The Rock with the drunken ad-libbing. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine\_Delgado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@Jasmine\_Delgado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine_Delgado)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/36 "2003-09-07T13:30:31Z")
Hi. I’m using my first post to express my love for Neil Diamond. I’m old and I love him. What more can I say? ---
**Author:** ![corndog\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@corndog\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corndog_man)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/37 "2003-09-07T14:40:17Z")
I don’t care if the woman is a nymphomaniac and looks like Sandra Bullock, i would never date someone who loves Neil Diamond.’ Period. ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571/38 "2003-09-07T19:26:35Z")
_The boat that I row won’t cross no ocean The boat that I row won’t get me there soon But I got the lovin’ if you’ve got the notion The boat that I row’s big enough for two That’s me and you_ And my favorite verse from the same song: _There ain’t a man alive can tell me what to say I choose my own side and I like it that way I don’t worry ‘bout all the things that I’m not There’s only one thing that I want I ain’t got You know that I’m talkin’ about you, baby…_ Couple that with tamborine in all the right places - how can you _not_ love that attitude? Female Neil Diamond fans everywhere are grateful for that, **corndog man**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-diamond-why/199571.md?page=1)