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Title - 'Neil Diamond - 50th Anniversary' (6CD Box-Set)
Artist - Neil Diamond

In celebrating 50 years of Neil Diamond as a singer songwriter, UMe/Capitol has just-released a rather magnificent 6CD retrospective spanning his entire career.

The collection features 115 tracks and contains beloved hits alongside demos, rarities and 14 previously unreleased tracks.

Furthermore, the collection is contained in a hardbound book with rare and previously unseen photos from Neil's personal archive.

CD 1:
1. SOLITARY MAN - Mono
2. CHERRY, CHERRY - Mono
3. I GOT THE FEELIN' (Oh No No) - Mono
4. DO IT - Mono
5. THE BOAT THAT I ROW - Mono
6. YOU GOT TO ME - Mono
7. GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON - Mono
8. I'M A BELIEVER - Mono
9. THANK THE LORD FOR THE NIGHT TIME - Mono
10. KENTUCKY WOMAN - Mono
11. RED, RED WINE - Mono
12. BROOKLYN ROADS
13. GLORY ROAD
14. HOLLY HOLY
15. AND THE GRASS WON'T PAY NO MIND
16. SHILO
17. SUNDAY SUN
18. BROTHER LOVE'S TRAVELLING SALVATION SHOW
19. DIG IN
20. SWEET CAROLINE
21. CRACKLIN' ROSIE
22. SOOLAIMON
23. CRUNCHY GRANOLA SUITE
24. LORDY (Live)

CD 2:
1. I AM...I SAID - Original Demo
2. I AM...I SAID
3. DONE TOO SOON
4. STONES
5. MORNINGSIDE
6. PLAY ME
7. WALK ON WATER
8. LONELY LOOKING SKY
9. SKYBIRD
10. BE
11. I'VE BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE
12. THE LAST PICASSO
13. ROSEMARY'S WINE
14. SONG SUNG BLUE
15. LONGFELLOW SERENADE
16. THE GIFT OF SONG
17. BEAUTIFUL NOISE
18. JUNGLETIME
19. LADY - OH
20. STREET LIFE
21. SIGNS
22. SURVIVING THE LIFE
23. STARGAZER
24. IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

CD 3:
1. DRY YOUR EYES
2. DESIRÉE
3. ONCE IN A WHILE
4. I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE WITH ME TONIGHT
5. AMERICA - Original Demo
6. AMERICA
7. HELLO AGAIN
8. LOVE ON THE ROCKS
9. AMAZED AND CONFUSED
10. SONGS OF LIFE
11. YESTERDAY'S SONGS
12. I'M ALIVE
13. HEARTLIGHT
14. ON THE WAY TO THE SKY
15. HEADED FOR THE FUTURE
16. YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS - Duet with Barbra Streisand
17. FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS
18. SEPTEMBER MORN

CD 4:
1. THE STORY OF MY LIFE
2. IT'S A TRIP (Go For The Moon)
3. HOOKED ON THE MEMORY OF YOU
4. BABY CAN I HOLD YOU - Live in Dublin R.D.S. 1989
5. HARD TIME FOR LOVERS
6. ALL I REALLY NEED IS YOU
7. IF THERE WERE NO DREAMS
8. SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES IN YOU
9. THE WAY
10. ONE GOOD LOVE - Duet with Waylon Jennings
11. BLUE HIGHWAY - Featuring Chet Atkins
12. OPEN WIDE THESE PRISON DOORS
13. EVERYBODY
14. NO LIMIT
15. I HAVEN'T PLAYED THIS SONG IN YEARS
16. YOU ARE THE BEST PART OF ME
17. DELIRIOUS LOVE
18. I BELIEVE IN HAPPY ENDINGS
19. MAN OF GOD
20. WE

CD 5:
1. I'M ON TO YOU
2. WHAT'S IT GONNA BE
3. SAVE ME A SATURDAY NIGHT
4. CAPTAIN OF A SHIPWRECK
5. ANOTHER DAY (That Time Forgot) - Duet with Natalie Maines
6. DON'T GO THERE
7. HOME BEFORE DARK
8. FORGOTTEN
9. PRETTY AMAZING GRACE
10. MELODY ROAD
11. NOTHING BUT A HEARTACHE
12. SOMETHING BLUE
13. IN BETTER DAYS
14. SEONGAH AND JIMMY
15. SUNNY DISPOSITION
16. THE ART OF LOVE
17. HELL YEAH

CD 6:
1. SUNFLOWER *
2. C'EST LA VIE *
3. GIRLS GO FISHIN' *
4. MAYBE *
5. CARIBBEAN CRUISE *
6. YOU ARE *
7. EASY (TO BE IN LOVE) *
8. BEFORE I HAD A DIME *
9. THE BALLAD OF SAVING SILVERMAN *
10. IT DON'T SEEM LIKELY *
11. LONG NIGHTS, HOLD ON *
12. MOONLIGHT RIDER *

* Previously Unreleased

Well, as you would fully expect from Neil Diamond, this highly impressive 6CD set entitled Neil Diamond - 50th Anniversary is a luxurious, beautiful, and fully encompassing salute to one of the world's greatest, most renowned, most beloved musicians.

As well as dozens of signature Diamond recordings such as ‘Sweet Caroline,’ ‘Forever In Blue Jeans,’ ‘I Am…I Said,’ ‘Solitary Man,’ ‘Cherry Cherry’ and his duet with Barbra Streisand, ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,’ the set has a full disc of 12 previously-unreleased songs.

Indeed, these include the recently-unearthed ‘Sunflower,’ which was written and recently updated by Diamond and originally recorded by Glen Campbell, and the long forgotten track he cut for the Saving Silverman movie (2001), 'The Ballad of Saving Silverman.'

Other newly-discovered material includes ‘Before I Had a Dime’ and ‘C’est La Vie,’ which he wrote with his friend and accomplished fellow writer-artist Gilbert Bécaud. Also in the collection are the original demos of Diamond’s anthemic ‘I Am…I Said’ and ‘America.’

Simply put, this is the best greatest hits release by Neil Diamond EVER! Period. Sure there have been several supposedly comprehensive releases in the past with 2 or 3 CDs worth of music. In fact, I've bought The Essential Neil Diamond and Greatest Hits 1966-1992 only to be disappointed, in truth.

Drawing upon almost 50 years of recordings, Capitol has actually put together a pretty well-thought out known hits collection, that's for darn sure.

However, older songs from the Bang label years ('You Got to Me', '...Boat...', 'Thank the Lord...') are just as good, and just as classic as, for example, 'I'm a Believer,' et al.; but would have undoubtedly been bigger hits if they'd been released after the non-mono recording days (although the latter still did well for Lulu on the UK charts).

Although not a big chart hit, 'Brooklyn Roads' is a sublime recording and one of Diamond's transitional songs - as he moved from writing strictly pop ditties to songs with more mature lyrics.

And both 'Glory Road' and 'Done Too Soon' embrace the upheaval of the '60s - the former is supposedly about things like The Freedom March, MLK and RFK, although it seems like it would fit fine on an album like Beautiful Noise or eve his last album, the beautiful Melody Road; both of which take on the subjects of songwriting and performing.

'Crunchy Granola Suite', Diamond's song about weed and its mellowing effects sounds great in the studio version or the live Hot August Night version, and 'Stones' is another dynamite love ballad (even if the words are a bit mysterious).

'Longfellow Serenade' is one of those Diamond classics that should ALWAYS be included on a greatest/best of package. It's just all round that good.

'I've Been This Way Before' is less angst-ridden than 'I Am I Said', but still as emotional and personal in the offing. 'We' is a bighearted, toe-tapping and insightful, mid-tempo tune whilst 'Hell Yeah' is a strong, guitar driven ballad and a sort of pop/rock 'My Way' - but more personal.

I could go on, but the fact is the unrivaled career of the Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has seen him sell more than 130 million albums worldwide.

His history includes 38 US top 40 singles, 16 top ten albums, 40 gold-certified albums, 21 platinum and 11 multi-platinum.

He is also a member of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and recently received three more of the greatest honors that a composer can receive, the Johnny Mercer Award, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award.

Official 6CD Purchase Link

www.LegacyRecordings.com

www.NeilDiamond.com

Neil Diamond @ Facebook

Neil Diamond @ Twitter

Neil Diamond @ Instagram

Neil Diamond @ YouTube





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