Continued from page 24
This retrospective of Diamond’s career
collects fifty years of pop hits, worthy
album cuts, and a clutch of previously-
unreleased songs onto six CDs bound into
a coffee-table book. For anyone desiring a
well-curated collection accompanied by a
lively description (written by David
Fricke) of Diamond’s singular career as
both songwriter and performer, this set is
an ideal overview spanning 32 albums cul-
minating with 2014’s Melody Road.
The book’s unmistakable look is resplen-
dent in faux-diamond-studded denim, cel-
ebrating “Forever in Blue Jeans” – just one
of many songs strewn throughout the set
that generations of casual and fervent fans
alike can sing verbatim. Early hits include
1966’s stoic and horn-fueled “Solitary
Man” and the buoyant acoustic guitar-
and-piano romp “Cherry, Cherry.”
Diamond’s version of his signature single
for the Monkees “I’m a Believer” sits near
his “Red Red Wine,” which became UK
reggae-pop band UB40’s best-known sin-
gle in 1983. Billboard #1 single “Cracklin’
Rosie” joins the fare on disc one with sup-
port by famed L.A. session players the
Wrecking Crew, preceded by enduring sin-
galong “Sweet Caroline.”
Disc two opens with the confessional jour-
ney into self-reflective turmoil “I Am… I
Said.” Disc three boasts the anthemic
“America,” hopeful ballad “Hello Again”
from 1980's **The Jazz Singer soundtrack,
brokenhearted duet “You Don’t Bring Me
Flowers” with Barbra Streisand, and melo-
dramatic “September Morn.” The bulk of
Diamond’s best-known songs are present,
although listeners wanting a true hits
package will miss 1972 #1 single “Song
Sung Blue.” Nonetheless, the track listing
was selected by Diamond himself to reflect
his own assessment of his best work. More
recent fare includes “Another Day (That
Time Forgot)” with Natalie Maines of the
Dixie Chicks, taken from 2008’s Rick
Rubin-produced “Home Before Dark”
alongside “Pretty Amazing Grace.” Other
guests revealing Diamond’s multi-genre
range include guitar maestro Chet Atkins
on “Blue Highway” and outlaw country
hero Waylon Jennings on the tender “One
Good Love.”
The treasure for long-time fans will be disc
six, collecting a dozen previously-unre-
leased songs that amount to a new album’s
worth of sparkling Diamond gems.
“Sunflower” blends Diamond’s unerring
pop melodicism with Nashville instru-
mentation like acoustic slide guitar and
weeping pedal steel. Diamond’s pivotal
role in the 2001 comedy film **Saving
Silverman culminated in a cameo but did
not include the theme song “The Ballad of
Saving Silverman” as heard here. Playing
that song now, it’s hard to imagine the
song wouldn’t have been the perfect
accompaniment for the film’s closing cred-
its.
– Jeff Elbel
march
2019
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