Customer Reviews

12 Greatest Hits, Vol. 2

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There are great moments in this collection. There's the fun "Forever In Blue Jeans", "September Morn", the duet with Barbra Streisand: "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", the rousing "America", "Longfellow Serenade", "Love On The Rocks". And if all you want of Neil Diamond are the super hits, then yes, this along with the "Neil Diamond" collection are what you want. The two make a good set of samplers.

However, IMHO, Neil Diamond is one artist who just can not be captured on "Greatest Hits" CDs. You need the albums to really appreciate him. The one boxed set that really does him justice is "In My Lifetime", which includes the songs that started it all.

If your interest in the performer is strictly peripheral, this is fine. But to gain a greater appreciation, check out his other cds.

I have been a Neil Diamond fan for a long time. His style is very much his own. He gives his listners all they could ask for and then some! His music tells his story....Neil is a very powerful singer & song writer. He has a way of "touching"
everyone that listens to this CD! He's just awesome!!
Just when you think it doesn't get any better than this,
Neil can create another collection of songs that will, once again, stand the test of time! "A Music Icon"
Thanks Neil,
[A faithful fan]

I love Neil Diamond's voice and can never tire of hearing it. He is also a brilliant songwriter...every song here he either wrote or co-wrote. "Be" from the 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull Suite' is a wonderful ballad. As with a lot of his songs, they tell a story..."If you know what I mean" for example is a song about the loss of innocent dreams. This is a really good album, and for those of us who lived through the 70's, they stir up a lot of memories. At least, they do for me.

A pretty good CD, I originally got it because I wanted a copy of America, which is truly a great song, but as I continued to listen I realized that I also liked many of the other songs. Of course now I have to go get Vol. 1 so I can get Sweet Caroline and all those great hits as well. I remember many of these songs as my mom used to play them to me on an old 8-track and it surprised how many of them I still knew.

It's easy to pick on Neil Diamond's work. As a culture, we've been conditioned to be sarcastic and "savvy". We expect our art dark and jaded. You could even say it is now more rebellious to embrace Neil Diamond's music than to embrace someone more "dangerous". This, of course, makes Diamond counter-culture, which makes him cool.Each song on this CD is enjoyable. Light? For the most part, yes, but light in a way that reveals the great skills of the singer/songwriter. Catchy, uplifting, or comfortably melancholy, these songs are wonderful examples of why Diamond has been a success for 40 years. Ignore anyone who tells you this is nothing but fluff. Put "Neil Diamond: 12 Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" in your CD player and ENJOY it. It's okay. It really is.

I enjoyed this CD even though many songs were new to me. The more I listen, the better I like it. What's not to like about Neil Diamond?

Neil Diamond's career has been a metamorphosis of sorts. He was born when he became known for tunes like "Solitary Man" and "Cherry Cherry".Then he started growing when he moved to MCA Records with "Brooklyn Roads" up to "Morningside".By the time he recorded for Columbia, he had matured with songs like "Be" and "If You Know What I Mean".This album shows his first decade with Columbia wasn't too shabby.It also beacme a turning point because after this collection, he only had hits sporadically. But by then, his place in history was secure.

If you're a Neil Diamond fan, you probably already have this CD. If you don't have it, you'll be glad you bought it. If you're not a fan, you will be after listening to his songs. The CD has gone along with me on twenty automobile trips, three apartments, and my home, where it now resides in my computer's CD player even as I pen this.

This is not as good as some of his other GH packages. It's one sliver of Diamond's career. It does have a half dozen excellent tracks. They are mostly late seventies and early eighties cuts. If you are a fan of that part of Diamond's career, you will love this album.

For those of you previous reviewers, who gave this a mediocre review, shame on you!!! These songs bring back some really good memories, when I was growing up and finding my way. I like this volume of greatest hits, better than the one with "Kentucky Woman" and "Cherry, Cherry" that's mostly songs from the 60's. How could a collection with "Love on the rocks", "Hello again", "Forever in blue jeans", and last but not least "September Morn", be wrong!!! This stuff was the soundtrack of my elementary and junior high years, and I truly love this music!!! He's kinda lost the magic he once had in the 60's and 70's, but he's a great guy. THANK'S FOR THE MUSIC NEIL!!!!!