Three Chord Opera

Neil Diamond | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 24, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005MKDL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,574 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Neil Diamond, July 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Three Chord Opera (Audio CD)

"Three Chord Opera" is just what you'd hope for from a new Neil Diamond effort. There are some truly inspired--if sometimes maudlin--tunes ("I Haven't Played This Song in Years"; "Midnight Dream"; "Elijah's Song"; "Turn Down the Lights"); the required love songs, delivered as only Diamond can ("I Believe in Happy Endings" is by far the best, and probably the best track on the album); and a handful of fun, upbeat, sometimes too silly, numbers ("Don't Look Down"; "At the Movies"; "A Mission of Love"; "Baby Let's Drive").

Is it Diamond's best? Probably not. There doesn't seem to be an "I Am, I Said" or "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" here (although there IS one catchy spiritual tune, "Leave a Little Room for God"). The songs on this album are more subtle than those, but they ring with that certain quality that has always made Neil Diamond an endearing singer/songwriter. The warmth, introspection, underlying optimism, Solitary-Man-outlook, and honesty are all here.

Bottom line: There's enough top-notch material--all of it, by the way, written by Diamond--to make this CD his best effort in many years. It's good to see this 70s pop icon back at the top of his game.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Neil continues to plug away...., July 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Three Chord Opera (Audio CD)

I've been a Neil Diamond fan for years. Though I still prefer his classic work, I bought this album because it's the first one in 25 years in which all the songs are written and composed by Neil himself. I really felt bad for Neil that his 25 year marriage to his second wife ended not long ago. It's hard to imagine that a man that can write with such passion has trouble with love in real life. But don't we all? Some of these songs are a little "strange" but there are a few love songs worthy of praise. It's also amazing that Neil's voice hasn't faded given the fact that he's 60 years old. Neil did his best work when he was experiencing personal pain and growth, and that's what I think this album is all about.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD grew on me, October 11, 2001

By 

David E. Levine (Peekskill , NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Chord Opera (Audio CD)

If I had written this review after I first listened to this CD, I would have only given it three or four stars. However, I listened to it a couple of times and then, I heard Neil Diamond do several of the songs on the CD in concert at Madison Square Garden. As always, Neil was phenominal in concert and after having heard him perform five songs on the CD, I began to like the CD a lot more.

I remember Neil from his rocking "Cherry Cherry" days. I like his rollicking songs such as "America," "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show," and "Soolaimon." I also like some of his early intense songs like "I Am, I Said," and "Holly Holy." Therefore, a less rocking Neil Diamond really has to grow on me. I really appreciated, "I Haven't Played This Song in Years" after hearing it performed in the concert. "At the Movies" is another song that I really like much better having seen it performed. Neil is sounding better than he has in decades, both in concert and on this CD. He turned 60 but the quality of his voice has really been sounding great. He has a somewhat gravelly voice that was becoming exagerated but, on this CD, he is back to the Neil of the 1960s as far as voice quality is concerned. I don't know whether he quit smoking or what the reason is, but he sounds great.

This CD is more subdued than the early Neil, but listen to it carefully and revisit it a couple of times. It will grow on you as it did on me.