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Review ... Neil Diamond's "12 Songs"

Neil Diamond
“12 Songs”

It only took 35 years, but Neil Diamond has finally released the singer songwriter album that we would get the occasional glimpse of. “12 Songs” offers the proverbial journey back in time when Neil delivered unplugged style, scaled down songs regularly. Think … “Girl, You’ll be a Woman Now” … “Brooklyn Roads” … “Solitary Man” … and you get the idea. “12 Songs” is an exceptional recording and is Neil’s best work since 1988’s “The Best Year of Our Lives” and his most listenable since 1996’s “Tennessee Moon.”

“12 Songs” finds Neil writing about his usual topics of love, vulnerability, and relationships … but from the point of view of a 64 year old man who is knowingly in the autumn of his years. The overall mood that is created is similar to Frank Sinatra’s “September of My Years” … Sinatra’s coming to terms with his life and marriage to Mia Farrow upon his turning 50 years old. In the album opener, “Oh Mary,” Neil gently asks, … “Oh Mary, can you hear my song/Does it make a mournful sound?” In “Create Me” Neil pleads, … “How many seasons have we endured?” “Save Me a Saturday Night” finds Neil pondering, …”How did I ever find you?”

The stripped down instrumentation, Neil’s closely miked vocals, the aging of his singing voice, and the directness of his lyrics make for a moving, emotional listen. There is no mistaking this album for the over the top theatrics of his live arena shows. For the fan of “Love on the Rocks” and “Hello Again,” this is the album for you.

So much of the buzz surrounding “12 Songs” centered on Rick Rubin acting as the producer. Rubin had worked with Johnny Cash during the last decade of his life and was instrumental in bringing out the brooding, creative artist from inside of Cash, which was sometimes overlooked with his outlaw image. Suffice it to say, Rubin has worked his magic here and has created the space for Neil to re-invent himself. Treat yourself to “12 Songs” … easily one of the ten best albums of 2005.

Required Listening – a half dozen of Neil’s best recordings

Classics (Columbia – 1990)
The Best Years of Our Lives (Columbia – 1988)
And the Singer Sings His Songs (MCA - 1976)
Serenade (Columbia – 1974)
Hot August Night (MCA – 1972)
Gold: Live At the Troubadour (MCA – 1970)
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the_kid's avatar
the_kid
465 posts
 
Interesting. I like Neil and have read other good reviews of this release. I sampled it yesterday and was disapointed. I will give it another listen.

Chris
zshuster
56 posts
 
be careful...this CD is listed as having the Sony DRM crap
rar1's avatar
rar1 OP
1,769 posts
 
Qdrone and Zshuster:

The "12 Songs" CD does have the SONY DRM information listed
on the back CD cover and this is true for both the regular and digipak
versions of this CD. I have played it at least a dozen times on my Musical
Fidelity CD PRE24 CD player/preamp; my SONY SCD 555 ES SACD changer;
and my portable Technics SX-430 CD player with NO PROBLEMS and no
strange after effects. Anyways, given that the copy protection software is just
that ... software, for standalone CD player only use, I don't see how you would
have any trouble.

Even though I have a MAC computer and SONY's copy protection software
reportedly does not affect the OS-X operating systems, I will not chance
playing this CD on my computer. I had wanted to load "12 Songs"
on my iPod.

I would think that a solution might be downloading this CD from iTunes and
then creating a playlist for iPod use or making a CD copy.

The Kid:

"12 Songs" is not an easy first, second, or third listen and does
not lend itself to sampling. These are some of the most complex and cleverly
arranged stripped down songs I have ever heard. Spend some time with
"Oh Mary" and you will see what I mean. You can hear echoes of
some of Neil's previous albums, ... "Beautiful Noise" ... "I'm
Glad You're Hear With Me Tonight" ... "Stones" ... in these
new songs.

Thanks for the comments.

Regards, Rich
hooper
396 posts
 
I posted a brief review of it over on Audio Asylum. I agree with your sentiments. "12 Songs" is perhaps the best album Neil has ever cut. The melodies are fantastic, the instrumental work (by Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, among others) is first-rate, and the sonics are sublime. Rick Rubin deserves a lot of credit, but if Neil hadn't been up to the task, it would've showed in the end result. Thankfully, it doesn't. The album is a triumphant return for one of this country's better singer-songwriters.
rar1's avatar
rar1 OP
1,769 posts
 
Hooper:

I very much agree (obviously) with your thoughts. Since he started out, Neil has looked to stretch himself as an artist. The "African Suite" that comprises the second side of "Tap Root Manuscript," as well as "Songs From the Brill Building," come immediately to mind. I remember his interviews over the years and Neil would always speak about evoking some type of theme in his songs. I had just thought that his stage persona got in the way of making an album like "12 Songs." For a long time, he was determined to record schlock like "Headed to the Future" (you really have to hear this one live to appreciate its schlock value) and emotional, moving songs like those that comprise "The Best Years of Our Lives" never made it to his stage show. But now, we have "12 Songs" to appreciate and I am not complaining.

Regards, Rich
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