Customer Reviews

Love at the Greek

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is my second favorite Neil live album, Hot August Night is one of the GREATEST Live albums ever. This CD contains many Neil Diamond standards and great songs from Beautiful Noise and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

I have only one complaint. The CD cover states "2 Record Set on 1 Compact Disc". WRONG. I had the original album and 2 songs have been left off the CD, The Last Picasso and Longfellow Serenade from the Serenade album. Why? The CD is only 66 minutes long, so both songs could have been included. If something "had to be cut", why not Sweet Caroline or Song Sung Blue. Yes these are Neil Diamond standards, but they appear on multiple live albums already. I never will understand record companies.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a live Neil Diamond gig. I was one of those aging Baby Boomers swaying creakily to that "good gospel beat". As usual, Neil puts on a crowd-pleasing program, but the years are beginning to take their toll. Diamond's voice occasionally can't keep up with the vocal energy output, the raw edges show, and his voice cracks. I sadly realized that our idol isn't what he once was, and longed to listen to a performance from the "old days". So, I purchased LOVE AT THE GREEK, originally recorded a quarter of a century ago. I listened, the years fell away, and it seemed like only yesterday.

This CD is a remembrance of Diamond in his prime when his presentation was as enlivening as strong, hot, slightly harsh coffee with a pinch of sugar and a dollop of cream. (I'd like to say as smooth as Kentucky sippin' whiskey, but that analogy has never described his vocal style.) Of course, the timeless favorites - the ones he sings even at today's concerts - are here: "Kentucky Woman", "Sweet Caroline", "Holly Holy", and "Song Sung Blue". And there's my own personal first choice, the one that introduced me to his music and made me a lifelong fan: "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show". On LOVE AT THE GREEK, you'll also be able to hear songs he doesn't do live anymore (or at least I haven't heard them in recent years): "Glory Road", "I've Been This Way Before", and several from his Jonathan Livingston Seagull suite.

In terms of pure, raw energy, Neil's early 70s live concert recording of HOT AUGUST NIGHT certainly has more. However, by the time he appeared on this L.A. evening several years later, Neil had matured to the polished performer that resulted in perhaps his finest live performance soundtrack ever. We shall likely never again hear Neil croon so sweetly.

I bought this album back in the 80s on 8 track cassett (remember them) Well, I played it so much that I soon wore out the player. I've still got the cassett and have recently bought a new copy of Love at the Greek on CD. I would recommend this album to all who enjoy the wonderful music of Neil Diamond. From the relaxing sounds of Jonathan Livingston Seagull to the Racey excitement of Street Life, this album is one of Neil's best.. Listen out for the guest appearances by Helen Reddy and Henry Winkler (the fonz) in Song Sung Blue, and Neil's opening words at the start of the album, "If the weather holds out tonight we'll do em all, and I think we'll do em all even if the weather does'nt hold out" Good luck to you all..

The was NDs first live album for Columbia Records. Its loosely based on the NBC Special. First of all not all the songs are on the album that were on the TV Special. Second of all when the album went from vinal to CD "The Last Picasso and Longfellow Serenade" were omitted. Performance wise, ND and the NDRRT are in good form. I love the Jonathan Livingston Seagull medley, and the Beautiful Noise songs. To do this album justice Columbia should find all the orignal songs, digitally remaster it with album artwork. Ala what MCA did for Hot August Night.
Columbia dropped the ball on this album.

OK Sony/Columbia, it's your turn! The only reason this CD does not receive five stars from me is because there has yet to be a deluxe edition of it that contains the entire show. I still have my double-LP copy, and as a number of other reviewers have stated, two songs _ "Longfellow Serenade" and "The Last Picasso" _ were left off when this show was put on a single CD. This was understandable in the earlier years of the CD revolution. The whole program obviously wouldn't fit in 74 minutes and the powers that be didn't think a two-disc version would sell, I suppose. Given the number of Neil Diamond fans on this planet, I would say that was a false assumption!!!

In any case, I'm using this forum to urge Sony/Columbia to put out a deluxe edition of "Love at the Greek" with the entire show included. I am fortunate enough to have a laser disc entitled "Love at the Greek," which I believe was recorded at the same concert. Although it is only 52 minutes long and contains only 12 songs, it has four songs that are not even on the double LP version of "Love at the Greek." For those who are interested, those songs are "Cherry, Cherry," "Play Me," "Cracklin' Rosie," and "I Am...I Said." Add those four songs, plus "Longfellow Serenade" and "The Last Picasso," and you have a MINIMUM of 21 tracks for a deluxe, 2-CD "Love at the Greek." And I'm betting there are other songs from the show languishing in the vaults, waiting to be discovered as well.

So remaster it on a two-disc set and you'll make a whole lot of ND fans happy. And while you're at it, how about putting the whole thing on DVD with 5.1 sound? Since there was a laser disc, I'm sure the video footage is locked away somewhere!!!

One of the greatest Neil Diamond albums of all time this captures the man and his music completely.

If you only ever buy one album by Neil Diamond, make it this one.

This concert was televised live - I remember watching it and making a crude recording of it when I was a child. By far the best performace of the show was the song "I am I Said", and to my knowledge this was cut from the original soundtrack and never included in any issue of this album. With the length constraints of old recording media no longer an issue, it is a mystery why this recording was never remastered and reissued with all material included. Overall, this is a great, high energy performance.

Over the early years, Neil Diamond has matured and got the grip of giving his obtaining love at each concert back to its audience. here he does this at his best,with great performances on jonathans flight and the beatiful noise album. Live, neil is at his best and this you can hear on Love at the Greek.
its all love you can feel. so, just buy this cd....and love it.

Great CD. It replaced our old LP that was a bit scratchy and this one is so clear.

I saw Neil do this show in Louisville around this time. He was fantastic. This CD captures the quality and emotion of Neils voice. The backing band is more dynamic than Hot August Night making the whole sound bigger. Hot August Night leans to the Acoustic Neil. The band plays the songs here. Love at the Greek lets you feel the growth in Neils vocal power and his band sounds more seasoned. On the original album and video I AM, I Said is in the place of Johnatan Livingston. It was his best version I wish the would have put it on the CD.