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The Essential Neil Diamond | 
 enlarge | Artist: Neil Diamond
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $24.98
Buy New: $14.97
You Save: $10.01 (40%)
New (49) Used (19) from $9.52
Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 1003
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 5 x 0.4
MPN: 85681
UPC: 696998568129
EAN: 0696998568129
ASIN: B00005R5SO
Release Date: December 4, 2001
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Solitary Man | | • | Cherry, Cherry | | • | I Got The Feelin' (Oh No, No) | | • | Kentucky Woman | | • | Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon | | • | You Got To Me | | • | Red, Red Wine | | • | Thank The Lord For The Night Time | | • | I'm A Believer | | • | Sweet Caroline | | • | Song Sung Blue | | • | Holly Holy | | • | I Am...I Said | | • | Cracklin' Rosie | | • | Play Me - Live | | • | Morningside - Live | | • | Crunchy Granola Suite - Live | | • | Brooklyn Roads - Live | | • | Soolaimon - Live |
Disc 2
| • | America | | • | Hello Again | | • | Love On The Rocks | | • | Captain Sunshine | | • | He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother - Live | | • | Yes I Will/Lady Magdalene - Live | | • | Shilo - Live | | • | Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show - Live | | • | If You Know What I Mean | | • | Beautiful Noise | | • | You Don't Bring Me Flowers | | • | Desiree | | • | Forever In Blue Jeans | | • | September Morn | | • | I've Been This Way Before | | • | Yesterday's Songs | | • | Heartlight | | • | Headed For The Future | | • | You Are The Best Part Of Me |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Neil Diamond is one of a rare breed. As a songwriter, his music has been covered successfully by artists as diverse as the Monkees, Deep Purple, UB40, and Smash Mouth. But Diamond used that three-chord alchemy to build an unparalleled career as a performer as well. The 38 tracks on these two discs address those interlocking legacies in the most comprehensive manner yet, gathering his material from Bang! Records (including such pop staples as "Solitary Man," "Cherry, Cherry," "Kentucky Woman," "Red, Red Wine," and "I'm a Believer"), Universal (highlighted by "Sweet Caroline," Song Sung Blue," "Holly Holy," and "I Am ... I Said"), and Columbia for the first time. And if Diamond has veered toward the middle of the road on those latter recordings (such as "September Morn," "Heartlight," and the Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"), there remains a remarkable consistency throughout his work. As if to underscore the point, a number of mid-period hits (including "Shiloh," "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," and "Soolaimon") are featured as live recordings from fall 2001. These performances show that the sweet roughness of his voice has only grown in power and drama; it's small wonder that Diamond remains one of the top live draws in the business. Even if it overlooks Diamond's unlikely late-'90s hit country album (Tennessee Moon), this set manages to be both concise and thorough, the best introduction yet to an American music legend. --Jerry McCulley
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| Customer Reviews: Read 38 more reviews...
 Great CD July 4, 2008
Amazon has become my favorite place to buy CD's and books. Always on time and
always correct order. Thanks
 Neil Diamond Essentials June 14, 2008
The music is great about all you need.
As usual Amazon delivered a good value for the price
fine assortment of hits and ballads even if you don't like all the live tracks May 19, 2008
16 out of 21 found this review helpful
The Essential Neil Diamond is an excellent two CD set that is attractively priced--what a value! These two CDs have many, many wonderful hits and ballads performed by the great Neil Diamond; and the sound quality couldn't be better. The artwork is nicely done as well. I do need to warn you that some of these songs are recorded from live concerts and that may or may not bother you. I think the live recordings are pretty decent but to each his own!
"Cherry, Cherry" really rocks with Neil Diamond doing a smash-up job on this tune! Neil sounds great and this is absolutely a wonderful number that's very strong as well. "I Got The Feelin' (Oh No, No)" has a bit of a country flavor to it that enhances the natural beauty of this ballad; and I like that very much. Neil's excellent diction bolsters his performance and the backup singers never fail him either! "Kentucky Woman" was a huge hit for Neil Diamond and that's great for all of us--it's a wonderful number that Neil shared with us! "Kentucky Woman" has incredible sounds that Neil handles with panache and it's truly a major highlight of this two CD set. There's also "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon;" this tender love ballad never escapes my mind and it's very pretty. The melody is very well done and Neil sings this with lots of passion to make "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" yet another highlight of this two CD set.
"I'm A Believer" rocks well as Neil does this cover song; the backup singers work wonders for this tune as well. Listen also for "Sweet Caroline;" this classic signature song for Neil proves his talents beyond a doubt--wowzer! "Song Sung Blue" stuns me with its beauty and Neil Diamond sings this with all his heart and soul.
Now there are some live tracks that you're going to love or hate. "Morningside" is well done and the sound quality is actually better than some reviewers led me to expect. Neil clearly enjoys a good rapport with his fans and that's great. "Brooklyn Roads" is another live track that I think works very well.
"Hello Again" from the second CD is a marvelous number that I really like; the piano arrangement is very nicely done. "Love On The Rocks" was never one of my favorite tunes but I can still recognize that it has quality. There's also a great live track of "He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother." This number features Neil singing so well in concert--he needed no mixing in the studio to make his voice sound special! In addition, Neil does a wonderful duet with Barbra Streisand on "You Don't Bring Me Flowers;" this touching and moving ballad tugs at my heartstrings--it's all THAT good.
"September Morn" is another major highlight of this two CD set with Neil singing this flawlessly alongside a lush musical arrangement; and there's also "Yesterday's Songs;" "Yesterday's Songs" has that `70s flavor to it that still sounds great today! We also get Neil Diamond doing a great job on "Heartlight;" and the two CD set ends with Neil Diamond performing "You Are The Best Part Of Me." "You Are The Best Part Of Me" is a very touching ballad that makes a great ending for this two CD set.
Neil Diamond has enriched our lives by sharing his talents with us. This two CD set is a strong one and I heartily encourage this for his fans--as long as they don't mind the live tracks. Newcomers to Neil Diamond would do well to start with this two CD set.
 Too many live cuts! May 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Probably the best collection of his music. Why do we have to settle for cuts that were not what we heard on the radio? Who makes these crapola decisions? Pefect set if not for someone's idea of what we should hear.
GLK
A good collection, but with a few shortcomings April 2, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Overall, this is a good collection for the price paid. It has more than 35 songs and has all of Neil's best known ones. It is hard to find a complete compilation like this one in a single package at a decent price.
The majority of the tracks are the originals as I remember them. I especially like Solitary Man, I Am, I Said, and, of course, America. There are a number of his lesser known songs included, like Beautiful Noise, which add a lot to the collection.
There are two areas of concern, however. First, I am not sure why about a quarter of the tracks are live when the studio recordings are certainly available, and the live recordings are not, in my opinion, of the same quality. Brooklyn Roads, one of my favorites, sounds much better on the studio recording, and Brother Love's Show is not good - I am thankful my CD player has a "skip track" button for this one! The other concern is the packaging. I actually had to break the case to get to the second CD. Unless they want to sell jewel boxes on the side, they could do better here. Still, this is a good collection,especially for the number of songs and the price.
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