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From:Neil Diamond , Sony ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#752 |
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7 of 8 customers found the following review helpful:
 Where the words are found by the poet's eye, 2008-05-07
In the beginning there were the words and then the most imposing live act and now 45 years later after the joy and mastery of 12 Songs, comes the triumphant Home Before Dark. The words come from a rare and poetic place and touch the heart and mind in a refreshing and triumphant way. Like 12 songs, the words and voice tell a poignant story of live and love - in Home Before Dark - they come and touch you in many different ways and stay with you. The songs are longer and deserve to be with great words, a great story, beautiful arrangements and a beautiful and hauntingly real duet. These songs will stand the test of time from the master singer songwriter of my lifetime. There are songs on this album which the Neil Diamond band will make concert classics in the months ahead. I can't wait for the Diamond to sing them to us all live in concert. All the songs so far are favourites! Highly recommended 7 *******stars/5.
6 of 21 customers found the following review helpful:
 Another disappointment, 2008-05-07
In Home Before Dark Neil Diamond may have written the first song in pop history to reference a bug stuck in a bowl trying to get out... hardly a poetic image. But he has done it here on his latest outing, once again produced by master producer Rick Rubin. There are some definite "cringe" moments in Home Before Dark, such as when Diamond utilizes the sophmoric commercial device of spelling out the title of one of his songs - Forgotten - letter by letter. He did the same thing in Mission of Love from Three Chord Opera, and also in the title cut from his In My Lifetime collection. When he falls prey to this silly device I think of Hall and Oates singing M-E-T-H-O-D O-F L-O-V-E in their 80's hit Method of Modern Love. I really don't want to think of Hall and Oates at all. Where is the the Neil DIamond who wrote the masterful Stones from 1971, I've Been This Way Before, Lady Magdalene, or Songs of Life. Diamond used to be a great poet, but now one can almost hear the awkward strain of Diamond trying to get a phrase to rhyme in some of these new compositions. Diamond's last several CD's have been billed by his PR as highly personal, intimate, and self revealing. I think most fans have had enough of the intimate, soft side of Diamond. How wonderful would it be if Diamond would release an album of bouncy rock tunes songs that were actually fun to listen to.
44 of 47 customers found the following review helpful:
The winning streak continues, 2008-05-06
Wow. Since when does an artist who has been toiling away in the industry for 5 decades challenge his entire catalog by releasing what may be the two strongest albums in his illustrious career? As good as 12 Songs is, it's possible that Home Before Dark may even surpass its achievements. Whether it does so will depend on whether 12 Songs was too stark, too stripped-down, for the listener. Without moving remotely close to the bombast of the 80s, Diamond and Rubin have filled out the sound Home Before Dark with more instrumentation, which may please those for whom 12 Songs was too intimate.
Not for this listener. 12 Songs and Home Before Dark both showcase Diamond's greatest asset: his ability as a songwriter, and in both cases we are presented with the most solid, accomplished cycle of songs since the period that gave us "Moods" and "Stones."
Home Before Dark is a towering achievement, possibly even moreso than 12 Songs, as it shows without a doubt that 12 Songs was no fluke. Neil Diamond may be no spring chicken but he's at the height of his power as an artist. I guarantee you that if you ever loved Neil in the past, this album will remind you of everything you loved him for. It's truly stunning.
7 of 10 customers found the following review helpful:
 Solid Improvement Over "12 Songs", 2008-05-06
When "12 Songs" came out, it was heralded as a major comeback and a chance to hear "relevant" Neil Diamond songs again. While Rick Rubin's name being attached to the album definitely gave it an extra bit of cool, I'll admit that the tunes took a long time to appreciate and I found myself wondering when I was going to latch onto a melody that I'd want to hear over and over (or even hum along with). There were a few, but it stil ended up being an album to appreciate more than enjoy. When I heard that Rubin was producing a follow-up, I had some concerns as to whether the new album would be more of the same. The good news is, the answer is yes and no. It's definitely a Rubin production...you can hear it in the clarity of the instruments and Neil's voice. BUT, there's definitely more tunefulness to the songs this time around, more a sense of a band playing so that you can appreciate their contributions (especally Mssrs. Campbell and Tench). All in all, if you think of "12 Songs" as a dress rehearsal, then "Home Before Dark" becomes the main attraction, and it's a darn good one. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could. Enjoy!
5 of 14 customers found the following review helpful:
 Is Deluxe Edition worth the extra money?, 2008-05-06
Listening to the clips of the songs (clips available if you go to the page for the standard edition on Amazon), it's clear that this is another great album. But, is it worth 67% extra for only two more songs and four videos, one of which is for something that doesn't even appear on either edition of the CD?
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