ESPECIALLY The Byrds’ “Mr Tambourine Man”. They sucked the soul right of that one.
Hendrix is an exceptional case.
Nah. I like the Dylan version, warts and all.
Neil Diamond was the first concert I ever went to. I was 8 or 9 years old, my father took me and my sister. It was the Keil auditorium in St. Louis, 1972 or 73.
I’m glad our seats were up in the nosebleed section where I couldn’t see the first row, it was 1972 and there were no very large people on dates or I’d have been scarred too!
It was truly one of the oddest experiences of my life. 
Ex-cuuuuu–oooo-oooo–use ME. I love that album! The Sanctus, Skybird, and many other just truly great songs – okay, I haven’t heard it since my turntable died 6 or 7 years ago, but I find the album to soar above both the book and the (ug ack arg) movie. In fact it might be the only thing of lasting value to come out of that whole endeavor.
And while I’m here apologizing for Neil Diamond (one of my more guilty pleasures – not quite as guilty as my enjoyment of Stevie Nicks, but I had to stand in a line for that). Yes he is cheesy! Yes, he isn’t a great singer, but in the 60’s/70’s/ and into the 80’s he put on a great show! His live performances are better than the studio work – but there is something about his singing that appeals to me (plus I like a number of his songs – in spite of brangs, and Heartlights[okay,I hate that one] bluejeans and other annoying things – I like to listen to them.
I also like Pentagle, Steeleye Span, Nora Jones, The DK’s, Bob Marely, Peter Tosh, Sting (who gets a little cheesier with each CD), Huey Lewis, Led Zeplin, Bob Martin, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Leonard Bernstein, Leonard Cohen, Fiona Apple, – I guess I’m indescriminate, no, I really don’t like Wesley Willis (well, in small doses he is amusing).
BTW: I also feel it is perfectly acceptable to not like Neil Diamond, just don’t pretend you have a sound, structural, musical reason for doing so – you may not like him, but like Steven Spielberg and Movies, he knows what he’s doing when he writes or sings a song.
Another aside: Wil Ferrell’s Neil Diamond imitation is one of my favorite running things ever from SNL.
Okay, I’m done.
He appears in The Last Waltz and is just so damned earnest in delivering the song - that’s what grates.
I once dated a woman that, along with her entire family, was a huge Neil Diamond fan. He was about the only person they listened to. I think I stayed drunk for most of our relationship as a result. “More Neil Diamond? Give me another beer, please.”
Please see post #6.
Did Neville ever get rid of that huge, cragged wart/mole/skin tag he sported proudly and digustingly for years?
Nope. He was on Letterman a couple of weeks ago. The thing still looms large.
Stevie Nicks > Neil Diamond.
Yeah, “Cherry, Cherry” and “Solitary Man” aren’t bad either. But “September Morn” makes me want to vomit.
My aunt LOVES Neil Diamond. I mean, she LOVES him to death.
Why do you hate They’re coming to America?
“America” always reminds me of the MST3K episode where they did Parts: the Clonus Horror, and the clones go to America. And every time Mike and the 'Bots shout, “Today!”
He sung during the World Series a couple nights ago. Yes, he still has Mt. Neville on his eyebrow, and if I’m not mistaken, he had a new homemade tat of a dagger on his cheek. Cheese, indeed.
MOLE! MOLEY MOLEY MOLEY MOLE!
I’m forced to disagree.
You clearly enjoyed it, so I’ll have to admit that there’s no accounting for taste, but I found it profoundly unsatisfying and banal. My primary objection is not with the music per se, however, but that Neil Diamond was a willing and active co-conspirator in the creation of that horrid, mind numbing, soul destroying, torturous excuse for a “movie.”
In a just world, any willing participant in the production or distribution of that vile thing would be beaten, run over by a Winnebago, shot, buried in a termite mound, dug up, dismembered, fed through a wood chipper, immolated, mixed with cattle urine, loaded into an artillery shell, and fired into an active volcano.
That’s all I’m saying.
Did anyone catch CBS Sunday Morning yesterday?
They did a big piece on Neil Diamond. Apparently, he has a new album coming out, produced by none other than Rick Rubin. It’s had 4 star reviews, even from Rolling Stone.
Rubin said he used to love Diamond, and loves his voice and wanted to get him to return to his roots.
So, if you want to validate your love for Neil by the company you keep, you could do worse than Rubin. He was one of the guys who founded Def Jam records, but I think he’s also produced some Soundgarden albums, some Johnny Cash, and lots of other hard rock and pop and hip hop. He’s a guy that’s a real music lover and isn’t married to any notions of superiority of genre.
He spoke very respectfully of Diamond, saying he loved his baritone voice, and his simple style of guitar playing, Even diamond said that he hasn’t played the guitar for so long because there are better guitar players. But Rubin told him he wanted him composing and playing with the guitar.
So, if you’re a Diamond fan, look for “12 Songs”, coming soon.
We either must’ve seen different concert tours, or we have vastly different opinions about what makes a performer great in concert. When I saw him (with tickets my grandmother won in a raffle – though I admit I liked him when I was younger, I would never have intentionally paid money to see him perform), he absolutely sucked. Donkey balls. He stood in one place in the middle of the stage and sang/screamed into the mic. He didn’t even move his ass when he did the “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” duet with one of his backup singers. Which brings me to…
Based on what I observed of his behavior on stage, I wouldn’t doubt that for a second. IMO he treated his backup singer with such disrespect, relegating her to staying several feet behind him and off to the side during the duet. Who the hell sings a duet like that?! I thought it was obnoxious.
In my opinion, he doesn’t have much going on in the voice quality department. It’s too deep and he’s not particularly skilled with it. He’s not bad…he’s just not good.
He’s on The View this morning. He looks like a gay Bill O’Reilly.
Um, destitute guy singing the praises of cheap liquor. I figured this out from hearing it playing in my mom’s room when I was a teenager.