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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)
128x128rar1
rar1's avatar
rar1 OP
1,769 posts
 
Tomryan and Pehare:

There is no reason to flame Neil for either his "Last Waltz" appearance or his "Headed to the Future" phase. If you read his interviews over the years, Neil has agonized over being relevant and that sometimes saw him going down some strange paths. But I am also sure that there have been other artists caught up in this same type of quandry (the Rolling Stones did do disco you know and I seem to remember Sinatra singing "Bad Bad Leroy Brown").

About 15 years ago, there was a TV Guide article about a Neil Diamond prime time TV special featuring his "Headed to the Future" songs. The TV producer was choreographing a number of modern dance segments that quite frankly, Neil could not relate to and it left him wondering just what he was doing there. It is interesting that you mention the Band's comments, because afterwards the Band and others did feel that Neil belonged on the stage with them. They were initially reacting to his pop star image and not recognizing Neil as a musician.

Regards, Rich
tfkaudio
591 posts
 
Robbie Robertson invited him to "The Last Waltz". That must count for something. He produced what is Neil's (arguably) best album, "Beautiful Noise". I grew up on Neil. My parents played his records a lot. I actually read this thread yesterday and decided to play some of those old records that I stole from my parents. I listened to "Serenade", "Moods", and "Taproot Manuscript", and it was a joy. That music has LIFE in it. A lot of what you might call "serious" or "important" music doesn't have it. I think I need to get "12 Songs". Is it out on vinyl?

Cheers.
rar1's avatar
rar1 OP
1,769 posts
 
Tfk:

I don't think that "12 Songs" is out on vinyl and for some reason, I tend to doubt that it will come out on vinyl. For whatever reasons, Neil's Columbia/SONY catalog only seems to be available on CD. Not one of Neil's albums ever made it to SACD, which you would think would have been a no brainer for SONY, given that they own the catalog.

The sonics are pretty decent on CD, though the CD sounds much better played through speakers, as opposed to a portable CD player and headphones.

Regards, Rich
zshuster
56 posts
 
I don't think the DRM stuff affects audio gear like CD players, pre-amps etc...it would be a factor if played on a computer
qdrone
1,039 posts
 
I'm gonna buy it just to hear what all the hype is about. My Aunt Bernice who past away a couple of months ago just loved Neil Diamond and I bought her albums from Ameoba in Hollywood so she could sit and listen to them after she lost her sight. I would visit her and we would listen on an old stereo system but what did i care it made her happy. i'll let you know what i think guys.
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