Customer Reviews

Classics: The Early Years

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD features the best of Neil Diamond's recordings for Bang Records. Some people may be disappointed that some of his hits like "Sweet Caroline" aren't included, but that song was recorded for a different record company. This CD includes all his Bang Records hits, and that's good enough for me. This is my favorite period of Neil's career. You can't go wrong with songs like "Cherry, Cherry", "I'm a Believer" and "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon". I highly recommend this CD.

This "Greatest Hits" CD, culled from Diamond's 1960s Bang label sessions, states on the cover "The Original Hit Recordings". This is not quite true; if it were true, they would all be the mono single versions. These are the stereo versions, often with a different vocal track. There is a compilation with the mono versions of most of these, but it is a multiple CD set. So this is still the only single disc collection available of Neil Diamond's great early rock & roll recordings, in my opinion, the most essential music ever made by Diamond.

There isn't a single song on this CD i don't like. I remember this was the first Neil Diamond album my mom bought some years ago. These aren't actually the original mixes of the songs. They were originally released in mono. These are in stereo and have extra strings added to them. But it's still a collection worth getting if you're into Neil's early work. Actually the only one. The albums he released on Bang are all out of print and neither MCA or Columbia ever rereleased them. So a few of these songs are somewhat hard to fing on any other albums especially "Do It". The Boat that I Row is on the box set and the rest nine other ones are on the Essential ND and Shilo is found Live on Essential and hot august night. The remake is on Velvet gloves on spit, so the studio version is only available on this album. For those really into Neil Diamond's songs from the feel of neil and just for you and his first greatest hits album there is a rare album called the Bang collection which has all 25 of his songs from that era plus five additional mixes. Classics the early years is a great CD for anyone to start their ND colliction!

Now THIS is more like it! A Neil Diamond collection with the original versions of the hits. Someone mentioned in another review that these are the stereo mixes of the early hits with things like extra horns. Well, these are the versions that were on the radio when I grew up listening to them on AM radio when they were new releases. I've heard the mono "originals" that appear on the 2 disc set "Greatest Hits 1966-1992" and those don't sound like the original Bang records mono singles I've got. As far as I am concerned THIS disc has the hits.

My only complain is that some of the tracks have apparently not aged well in the vaults. There are minor drop outs in the recordings. Also, on "I Got The Feelin' (Oh No No)" there appears to be vinyl record surface noise (!) as if they had to master from a record instead of from an original master tape.

Despite these "flaws" the sound is still excellent and man oh man does this collection bring back great memories. This is where it's at if you're looking for the hit versions of Neil's early classic hits!

This review is for the rare & out of print European CD titled "Solitary Man." "Classics: The Early Years" is a great album, but only contains a mere 12 songs, while Neil Diamond released well over 20 songs for the Bang label during the late 1960's before joining UNI. The "Solitary Man" CD contains a total of 19 songs, 11 of which are out of print and otherwise unavailable on CD. This disc contains all of the songs on the OOP LP "The Feel Of Neil Diamond" except for "Hanky Panky" and most of the songs released on the OOP 2LP "Double Gold." These are: "Red Rubber Ball", "New Orleans", "Monday Monday", "I'll Come Running", "Someday Baby", "You'll Forget", "Shot Down", "The Long Way Home", "Love To Love", "Crooked Street" and "La Bamba." This CD doesn't completely replace "Classics", as there are a few songs on that disc that are not on "Solitary Man", so buying the "Solitary Man" CD in addition to "Classics" will give you nearly every song Neil ever recorded for Bang Records. The other songs are completely out of print("The Hanky Panky" for one)and have never been issued on CD. Hopefully someone will someday release a CD that contains his complete output for Bang records, but for now this CD does the job and since it's been forty years and no one has done this it appears unlikely. "Classics: The Early Years" is currently in print and easy to find, but "Solitary Man" is out of print and almost impossible to find, so grab a copy if you can find one!

Before rising to international superstardom as an adult-contemporary vocalist, Diamond started out as a songwriter and recording artist for Bang Records. This collection pulls together 12 of his best compositions from that period, produced by Brill Building stalwarts Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.

Included are well-known masterpieces like "Kentucky Woman" "Cherry Cherry" and "Solitary Man." But perhaps more interesting (and less well anthologized) are cuts lesser known as Neil Diamond compositions like "The Boat That I Row" (recorded by Lulu), Red Red Wine (recorded by ska artist Tony Tribe in the 60s and ressurected by UB40 in the 80s), and his own version of "I'm a Believer," which scored a massive hit for the Monkees.

Diamond had already mastered his singing style by the time he laid down these earliest sides, and combined with the fresh well of songs he was tapping, the results couldn't be anything less than stellar.

In junior high school, my algebra teacher had countless laminated Neil Diamond posters on her classroom walls. This was enough to make me ignore Neil Diamond for the next decade. When you grow a little bit older and a little bit wiser, I guess, you can grow to appreciate talent. Neil Diamond is undoubtedly a talented singer and songwriter, and having given his material a fair listen (despite the early and haunting posters-in-math-class nightmare), I can say unequivocally that this album of his early songs is not only listenable but effectively entertaining. It chronicles what I consider to be the very best of Neil Diamond, before he started the easy listening drivel of later years (a la "Coming to America" sorts of things). Diamond has been both revered and mocked by artists to come after him, including a band who does all Diamond covers. And of course songs like "Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon" have been high profile remakes (by Urge Overkill in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack). The beauty of this collection is that you cannot listen to it and hate it. It is just Neil Diamond at his best, and even if you are not a Diamond fan, you can appreciate it and will recognize the songs...

There is a certain authenticity about Neil Diamond's early work that lends it an enduring appeal. All of these songs are winners, a combination of hook-filled melodies, heartfelt delivery and perfect production. The many cover versions of many of these are proof of their timeless appeal. A pop song like I'm A Believer has more depth of feeling in Diamond's own version than the more famous Monkees cover, while on the ballads like Shilo his voice has a certain haunting atmosphere that still gives me gooseflesh after all these years. This is pop music of quality and distinction.

Neil Diamond produced not one bad song. Not one. The quintessential songwriter and performer, he has a voice that is unparalleled for its interesting quality. His classics album is a great buy, which is not to say that his more modern music is not good. This album is the definitive Neil Diamond, with the songs "Cherry, Cherry" and "Shilo" are particularly good, and the CD contains the magnificent masterpiece "Solitary Man," which, in my opinion, is Neil Diamond's magnum opus. This album is a must; it is a necessity, so that all may hear what real musical talent is.

Classics: The Early Years is a very solid CD by Neil Diamond. Neil can sing along with the very best of them; and we are better off for his sharing his artistry with us. The sound quality is excellent and the artwork is also very good.

"Kentucky Woman" starts off the CD with a rockin' hit by Neil! The guitar work is great and the vocals by Neil Diamond couldn't sound better! Neil sounds pretty strong on this tune; his voice is in excellent form. "Cherry, Cherry" has an excellent melody and Neil sings this to perfection--and beyond! The percussion and keyboards mark the beat and the backup chorus enhances the beauty of this rocking ballad! I love it.

"Solitary Man" again gives us Neil Diamond rockin' hard; and the brass complements his vocals perfectly. The subtle backup chorus harmonizes well and it all holds its own very well. "I Got The Feelin' (Oh No, No)" shines when Neil Diamond sings this; and there's yet another backup chorus to bolster Neil's performance. Honestly, however, Neil Diamond really didn't need any backup vocalists to make his numbers shine--his excellent sense of timing and his very good diction were more than enough to make his performances solid every time!

"I'm A Believer" features Neil Diamond doing an excellent cover of this rock ballad originally performed by The Monkees; and I'm sure they were proud to hear Neil Diamond do such a fine rendition of their tune! Neil takes "I'm A Believer" and makes it his own by playing with the tempo and adding a few subtle key changes; and it works wonders for this tune.

"Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" got a lot of airplay when I was a young kid; and Neil Diamond still sounds wonderful when I hear him sing this out! Neil Diamond handles complicated tempo changes effortlessly--but we know it wasn't really that easy. Neil's talents helped him immeasurably. "Do It" has some great percussion and guitar while Neil does this flawlessly; and listen also for Neil on "Red Red Wine." "Red Red Wine" slows down the tempo quite a bit and this torch song gets the royal treatment from Neil Diamond.

The album ends nicely with Neil Diamond performing "The Boat That I Row." "The Boat That I Row" has an upbeat, rockin' flavor to it and Neil makes this a strong ending for this CD.

People who love Neil Diamond will certainly want this for their collections if they don't have these classic songs already. In addition, people who enjoy that 1970s sound of high octane rock and roll will love this album as well.