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If you're looking for just one outstanding "best of" Neil Diamond, this is the one to get. Gorgeous, studio recordings of almost all my favorites. LOVE IT.
This CD is fair, but lacks some of Neil Diamond's better songs such as "America". There must be a better out there.
I consider this CD the best of Neil Diamond. His early recordings are the best. Almost bought a second copy That's how good it is.
Neil possesses great talent and just one listen to any of these songs proves it. "Walk On Water" has a very fine arrangement for this tender song; Neil sings this with great sensitivity and that's awesome. He's My Brother." In particular, "He Ain't Heavy. "I Am.I Said" is another thoughtful, pensive tune that Neil Diamond aces seemingly effortlessly; and again I'm stunned with his ability to deliver a great ballad like "I Am.I Said." "Done Too Soon" in particular boasts a lush musical arrangement which works well for Neil's performance.The CD then closes with Neil Diamond performing two great tunes entitled "Morningside" and "He Ain't Heavy. "Cracklin' Rosie" was another big hit for Neil and when you hear it you will find out why. The melody is almost victorious; it`s that upbeat and relentlessly happy.
Neil sings this with heart and soul and that's grand. "Sweet Caroline" is not just the first song on this CD; it's also a strong highlight of this album, too. The Neil Diamond Collection is certainly not an exhaustive compilation of everything Neil ever recorded; but it is quite a strong single CD retrospective of some of his better work to date. I recommend this CD for his fans but this is probably best suited for the casual fan who just wants some of Neil's very best. Neil performs this very well and it's another major highlight of this album. "Cherry, Cherry" also rocks hard, perhaps harder than the other rock ballads on this CD but it never gets to be too much--Neil pulls this off brilliantly and it's quite a strong number. This is also a fine CD for people just discovering the wondrous talents of the legendary Neil Diamond.
"Song Sung Blue" is a very pretty, sensitive melody; and I really like "Brooklyn Roads." "Brooklyn Roads" puts Neil squarely in the spotlight which is quite all right by me."Crunchy Granola Suite" is another Neil Diamond hit that rocks hard without blowing out your ears; and the percussion makes the arrangement even better than ever. The quality of the sound is excellent and I like that artwork, too."Sweet Caroline" lets Neil Diamond show off his great skill at changing keys and tempos quite fast and I'm very impressed. He's My Brother" gets the royal treatment from Neil who does this flawlessly. The backup chorus works very well; and the guitar arrangement sounds just right for Neil's vocals. "Holly Holy" is a somewhat religious tune by Neil Diamond; he delivers this without a flaw and I could never tire of hearing Neil Diamond perform "Holly Holy." The backup chorus works well without ever taking the focus away from Neil on "Holly Holy." Moreover, "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" is very strong; "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" rocks and this is perhaps my very favorite Neil Diamond song. What a gem.Neil Diamond has enjoyed decades of fame simply because he is so much better than the run of the mill "celebrity." Neil's talent is true and very strong even as the years go by.
My husband and I are big Neil Diamond fans and this album is perfect for fans like us who love Neil's classics. We're such big fans that we even liked the movie Jazz Singer. Anyway I highly recommend this CD, it's great.
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