Neil Diamond: An appreciation
Last week, the Brooklyn-born Neil Diamond took the stage at Madison Square Garden for four days, and if you think the 67-year-old rock star is past his prime, you need to take a closer look.
Besides playing a bopping 2-hour set that had more hits than a classic rock radio station, Diamond has revitalized his career with his two latest albums.
Starting with “12 Songs” in 2005 and his CD from earlier this year, “Home Before Dark,” the glittery singer has teamed up with the hirsute super producer Rick Rubin for what would be two stunning albums that take the best pop sensibilities and sentimentality that Diamond is know for and ushers them into a new era.
At this weekend’s concert, Diamond, as expected, got the crowd energized with hits like “Cherry Cherry” and “Cracklin’ Rosie,” and brought the house down with quieter songs like “Song Sung Blue” and “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.”
But what’s great is that when Diamond played his newer songs, the crowd, which was clearly made up of more long-term fans then newbies, was just as receptive of those works as they were of “I’m a Believer.” Usually when a classic artist has a show, the new songs are the key times for bathroom breaks for the fans who just want to hear the classic hits. But the crowd was just as captivated as he belted out “Hell Yeah” from “12 Songs.”
The highlight of the concert, however, does belong to his biggest hit, “Sweet Caroline,” which brought the crowd to its feet for a rocking sing-along, and with “Hot August Nights,” which closed out the encore and had the grandmotherly woman standing behind me screaming like she was a 16-year-old.
Whether he’s showing the kids how to rock on “American Idol,” or guest starring in the goofy comedy “Saving Silverman” from a few years back, Diamond has been an underappreciated figure in music during the past few years, but as this concert proved, Diamond is just as relevant as ever. When he comes back to town, it is a must-see experience.
