Customer Reviews

I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a Neil Diamond fan virtually from the beginning, but I'm not a blind Neil fanatic who loves everything he does simply because he did it. There are Neil numbers I love, Neil numbers I hate, and Neil numbers I'm indifferent to. Regarding "I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight," I can honestly say that I was knocked out. Here's my cut-by-cut review:

1. God Only Knows: Not superior to the original, but an intriguing interpretation of it.
2. Let Me Take You in My Arms Again: An exhilirating number that starts off like a ballad but then sweeps the listener off to another world.
3. Once in a While: A very pretty waltz.
4. Let the Little Boy Sing: The obligatory rocker in which he decides to be something other than Neil Diamond.
5. I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight: I'm amazed he didn't have a hand in writing this. A gorgeous ballad that ranks among his very best.
6. Lament in d Minor/Dance of the Sabres: The kind of cut that you'll love or hate. For the record, it's a rock version of Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance." In fact, it is indeed more of an instrumental than a vocal.
7. Desiree: Neil rocks! It was ironic that this came out just a tad after Bobby Goldsboro's "Summer--the First Time."
8. As If: A minor song, but a good example of what he means when he says he writes some songs to match his vocal range. It's a goodie.
9. "You Don't Bring Me Flowers": No offense to Barbra or Linda Press, but it was better as a solo number.
10. Free Man in Paris: This was one of the featured numbers in William Friedkin's aborted production of what eventually became the "I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight" TV special. An interesting interpretation.

My personal ranking for this album: A-

The reason I purchased this title was for the song Desiree alone which I heard at the age of seven.It brought back memories of being a kid again in the mid 70's. I'm much older now and able to appreciate the fact that Neil Diamond never resorted to campy or trashy Las Vegas lizard lounge tactics to convey his sheer talent and artistry. Diamond's original solo version of You Don't Bring Me Flowers is a bit "different" without hearing Streisand's co-vocals in it; It's still an excellent track. This title is almost 25 years old and considered (in my list) to be a Diamond classic even though I've never been a die-hard fan. I'm Glad...is pure class and substance ! It's not just a title strictly for candlelight dinner purposes but for anytime to relax...

With the exception of "God Only Knows" and the title song, I have always loved this album. "As If" is a wonderful song, and "Dance of the Sabres" is a masterpiece of writing and arranging. It's one of my all-time favorite Neil pieces.

What else can be said about such a prolific songwriter who carved a new sound? This particular album has a version of Joni Mitchell's classic 'Free Man in Paris' performed in Neil diamond's style and panache without detracting, in my opinion (being a songwriter myself), from Joni Mitchell's original intent and theme; I know that Diamond's version really caught my attention and still does every time I listen to it. Neil Diamond's arrangement and voicing of this Joni Mitchell song brings out a new depth and power not present in the original without the disturbing dissonance sometimes associated with remakes, at least from the auditory point of my ear.

I can still remember buying this album upon its release - and being a little disappointed for the very first time by any new Diamond album. Never mind cover tunes, he'd done that before. But the whole production sounded so sleek, so unspired. Was this the same Neil Diamond who'd released the ambitious milestone "Beautiful Noise" only a year before?

I blamed it on the change in producer at the time... and boy, was I right. With every new release the new hired hand Bob Gaudio managed to take away a little more substance from the unpolished Diamond stuff in favor of ersatz elavator fare. My favorite tracks off this album are the lesser-known "Sabre Dance" and "As If" - probably because they're the only ones that still sound like what ND used to be before.

I used "not one bad song" for this review title not only because it's true, but it was said to me by a fellow college student back in 1978. We were in a music store shopping for albums and he was undecided on what he wanted. Being a Neil Diamond admirer since the beginning of his career, this particular album hand an impact on me both from the actual record to the TV special that carried the same name, so I recommended I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight" to my college buddy and he purchased the 8-track edition. About a week later, when he saw me in the student union, he told me, "There's not one bad song on that entire album," and he thanked me for the recommendation. In his own songs, and the songs he tributes from other writers, Neil Diamond has a way of presenting music with feeling, and great flare. In my opinion, no singer/songwriter can come close to the magnitude and charisma that Diamond shows in his incredible talent. There aren't too many musicians around today that are still selling out concerts in great number since the late '60s. Diamond's music is timeless, and it's great that present day generations can appreciate his works.

This is probably one of the more divisive of Diamond's albums. Fans of his earlier works feel it is over produced and schmaltzy, others believe things are only enhanced by the use of sophisticated orchestrations; after listening once again, I find myself in the latter camp. While on songs like "Once in a While" the background is too busy, filled with soaring strings "tinkling" synths; the next song "Let the Little Boy Sing" shows how well this style can work elevating a fairly slight piece into one of sheer joy. Opening and closing with compositions by Brian Wilson and Joni Mitchell, Diamond does a great job in making "God Only Knows" and "A Free Man in Paris" his own (both worth the price of admission) and his own compositions work well between these wonderful "bookends." I can appreciate the point of those critical of this work, but his voice convinces me, there's just as much passion here and he's not buried in the sound. It just supports him in an occasionally over lush cocoon, but still has the emotion needed to make the album work.

...way back in 1978, because it introduced me to the 'phenomena' of Neil Diamond. As with the rest of his work, you cannot pigeon-hole this album. It gives you a little bit of everything, from the seductive 'I'm Glad you're here with me tonight' to the stirring 'Dance of the Sabres', still one of my favorites. As with all his albums, this grows on you and gets richer each time.

...and quiet after a long workday. Great stuff by an amazing artist. Still not up there with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, but not far behind it, either.

I have always enjoyed Neil Diamond's music. I had this on 8 track tape years ago and was so happy to find it here on CD. I am enjoying it as much now as I did before.