Long Drive Home

So, how do you like your Neil? The power pop of the 60's or the take me serious stage of the 70's? I used own 2 of the latter ones, but gave them away. Diamond's 60's stuff is still prime Brill Building pop. But by the early 70's he wanted to be taken seriously and the fun left his music. His albums were a challenge to get through, even though he could still reel off a good single, even though they were usually ballads.
So, along comes Rick Rubin's 12 songs from 2006 and Diamond starts to get critical respect for making the same type of music he made in the 70's. But gone were cheesy hits like "Heartlight" or "Yesterday's Songs". But 12 Songs wasn't an easy listen. It sounded like demos, but at least the cheese was gone and Rubin's steady hand salvaged what could've been a disaster. Now in 2008 Home Before Dark picks up where the former left off. Rubin is again producing and the demo quality is still there. But it's not as good as 12 Songs, because it drags on too long. Still, Diamond fanatics will find solace in "Pretty Amazing Grace" and a duet with Natalie Maines that's better than anything on 12 Songs. After 2 of these albums somebody tell Neil it's alright to add drums to his songs. We get the point: you're a great songwriter and you need acclaim. Even Rubin's Johnny Cash records had rockin' moments. As long as the cheese stays on the floor. And, yes, Neil Diamond belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.