Home Before Dark

Neil Diamond has been around for 40 years and I've been a fan of his for about as long as that. This CD is a quiet introspective collection of songs that won't disappoint his legion of fans.

I don't normally review CD's, as I just don't have the gift to explain how songs move me; it's all so personal and the words just escape me most of the time. I'm glad I waited to review this new CD though, as I honestly didn't like it much when I first heard it. It's the kind of CD that has to grow on you and you have to get use to the fact it isn't the rock side of Diamond that so many love. These are all personal songs with both subtly and intensity and you don't quite catch that on the first hearing of it.

An obviously favorite for most Diamond fans will be "Pretty Amazing Grace" which is the single he promoted when he appeared on American Idol last season (May 2008). I love that song and bought the CD on the power of that one single, but over time I've come to love other songs on the album even more. My favorite is the long (7 + minutes) of the first song "If I Don't See You Again" and followed closely by "Don't Go There" which is rather hypnotic and playful in tone. The duet with Natalie Maines on "Another Day" is just plain beautiful music. The most interesting song on the album for me was "One More Bite of the Apple" and for the life of me, I can't explain why that is so.

Some may think because Diamond has strayed from some of his more rock roots (America, Cracklin Rosie, Cherry Cherry, Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show, etc.) that he has lost his voice with age, but let me assure that after seeing him in concert at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on August 9, 2008 that Neil Diamond has NOT lost an ounce of his voice at all. In fact, I was blown away at just how energetic and powerful he and his voice still are at 67 years old. He is just ageless. My family originally had seats in the upper decks of the concert hall, but A staff member came up to us, a family of four, and said, "Neil hates to see holes in the floor seats, so how would you like to have front row seats?" We were dumbstruck! We ended up in the front, on the floor seats, right in front of his microphone. What a way to introduce my kids, who love Diamond's music, to their very FIRST concert of a famous singer.

We will never forget that night and my only disappointment was that Diamond didn't sing "Hello Again" from The Jazz Singer which was the first movie I took my wife to see and that song became our wedding song as your best friend should always be your spouse and that is what that song is about.

Oh, well, I digress here. See why I don't write about CD's often. I just go all over the place. Anyhow, any Neil Diamond fan will want to buy this album, but just know that it may take some time to appreciate its power.

I'd thought I'd "outgrown" listening to Neil Diamond, having gone to several concerts in the 1980's. A friend purchased the album for me, as I didn't even realize he was still composing and recording. I don't think I would have enjoyed this album near as much back then as I do now. It's definitely a more mature Diamond, with more mature lyrics. Many of the songs are appealing to me as someone who's now in my 40's.

While the great '12 Songs' was all Neil Diamond the serious and introspective songwriter,Home Before Dark has some lighter moments too that are plain fun to listen to.Such as "Who's Hands Are These","Forgotten","The Power of Two" and "Don't Go There".The serious songs are also very good-especially "If I Dont See You Again" and the moving duet with Natalie Maines.

Neil Diamond really is on top of his singer-songwriter game with the two Rick Rubin produced gems.Both albums are a must if you like acoustic guitar rock.

I never understood until recently that as our bodies age, our hearts remain an age that was our happiest in our youth yet with all the benefits of the experiences of our journey. This has been proven now by an aging, yet timeless musical artist. Thank you Neil for sharing your heart once again. You obviously still have much to share.

Neil Diamond, never greater. Mature songs, mature voice. I'm glad I added this CD to my collection.