The Essential Neil Diamond [Original recording remastered]

Neil Diamond | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 4, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005R5SO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,733 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #39 in Music > Pop > Vocal Pop > Contemporary
  • #41 in Music > Pop > Oldies > Traditional Pop
  • #76 in Music > Pop > Oldies > General

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Neil Diamond is one of a rare breed. As a songwriter, his music has been covered successfully by artists as diverse as the Monkees, Deep Purple, UB40, and Smash Mouth. But Diamond used that three-chord alchemy to build an unparalleled career as a performer as well. The 38 tracks on these two discs address those interlocking legacies in the most comprehensive manner yet, gathering his material from Bang! Records (including such pop staples as "Solitary Man," "Cherry, Cherry," "Kentucky Woman," "Red, Red Wine," and "I'm a Believer"), Universal (highlighted by "Sweet Caroline," Song Sung Blue," "Holly Holy," and "I Am ... I Said"), and Columbia for the first time. And if Diamond has veered toward the middle of the road on those latter recordings (such as "September Morn," "Heartlight," and the Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"), there remains a remarkable consistency throughout his work. As if to underscore the point, a number of mid-period hits (including "Shiloh," "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," and "Soolaimon") are featured as live recordings from fall 2001. These performances show that the sweet roughness of his voice has only grown in power and drama; it's small wonder that Diamond remains one of the top live draws in the business. Even if it overlooks Diamond's unlikely late-'90s hit country album (Tennessee Moon), this set manages to be both concise and thorough, the best introduction yet to an American music legend. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

230 of 245 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars WARNING: LIVE RECORDINGS, January 19, 2002

By 

"lostquark" (Duluth, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Neil Diamond (Audio CD)

I own just about every Neil Diamond album prior to 1995 (mostly LP's). I have been a serious fan since high school (late 60's).

If you are thinking that this would be a good "Greatest Hits" album to have, think again.

About half of these tracks are recorded from live concert performances, and many of those are of low musical quality. "Remastering" does no good when you are starting with junk to begin with.

If you like "live" recordings (and we are NOT talking about "Hot August Night" quality here), then you may like this CD.

If what you want is what your heard on the radio way back when, then half of this collection is going to seriously disappoint you.

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If you're curious about this cd, read this..., January 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Essential Neil Diamond (Audio CD)

Ok, so you're probably thinking to yourself, "What's the difference between this new greatest hits package and the others that are already out?" I already have all these songs on cd, but I'm a big fan of remastered cds and bought this primarily to see if the sound quality was better. I was happy to discover that this collection is the best sounding Neil Diamond recordings that you will find, even better than the "In My Lifetime" box set. On a side note, I highly recommend the MCA remastered "12 Greatest Hits" that came out awhile back. The sound quality on that disc is amazing. It also has much better studio recordings of "Shilo" and "Soolaimon" than the other versions that are out.

Anyway, like I said, the songs have been remastered and restored beautifully. Here are the downsides of this collection. First, there are (yet again) more live cuts that are simply not very good. It seems odd to me that they can provide the studio recordings of "Cherry, Cherry" and "Sweet Caroline" but they choose to provide an older Neil singing live versions of "Play Me" and "Shilo" etc. Second, just like the "In My Lifetime" box set, "Hello Again" is not included in its entirety. The opening strings of the song (which I love) are cut out, which I find quite annoying. Lastly, there are some songs like "Be" that are not included but it's no biggie. Anyway, like I said, if you have most of these songs or just want to get a taste of Neil, buy this because the sound quality is the best so far.

62 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I've Got the Feelin' (Oh, no) another rip-off improved, December 4, 2001

By 

Brian O'Marra (Little Rock, AR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Neil Diamond (Audio CD)

Neil's catalog is split across two labels (Columbia & UNI). The last Columbia 2-CD Anthology presented his original Bang material and his post MCA material, but since it couldn't license the rest, Sweet Caroline, I Am...I Said, Holly Holy and others were presented as live versions. No notation was given on the outside of the jewel case.

This latest offering improves on that release somewhat (5 of his UNI material are studio versions), but it still presents live material from that ill fated predecessor.

Which begs another question: Why is Shilo, live? Columbia owns the Bang studio version.

The import Ultimate Collection remains the best bet. It contains most of the Bang material (save for Shilo), most of the UNI material (except for Crunchy Granola Suite), and all the essential post UNI material (Longfellow Serenade, Love on The Rocks, etc).

Columbia, here is a suggestion: There is a comprehensive UNI collection remastered by MCA, why not give us a remastered Bang collection instead of this rip-off?