Illinois Entertainer March 2019 | Page 39

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 illinoisentertainer.com 39