Neil, He Said

David Wild's He Is ... I Say does as good a job as you'd want at making the case for Neil Diamond's RRHOF induction. Wild never tells us why the Hall has excluded Diamond, because the book is a little bit bio of him and bio of the author, as told through his love of the singer. A Rolling Stone critic, Wild's book is actually even-handed. He tells you what Diamond songs suck, but also praises the stuff critic's would never touch.

I've long believed that the Hall has kept Diamond out (not even giving him a nomination) because they feel his post Bang-era records are too Easy Listening. Sort of like his label mate Barbra Streisand. But the fact remains that Diamond's Bang-era stuff does Rock as much as Bobby Darin's Atlantic stuff. His 70's-00's output certainly didn't help his cause with the stuffy nominating committee. He was Adult Contemporary all the way. But his 2 recent Rick Rubin produced albums show that when his heart is in it he can still deliver. What's funny is that I believe that if the Hall did nominate Diamond, he'd get in on his first try. Get Wild's book for a better argument for Neil Diamond's belated RRHOF induction.