Guitar-strumming Neil Diamond

There is so much inferior songwriting going on these days that one can be literally stunned by an album of excellent originals. This recently happened with the CD entitled 12 Songs. It came out of the simplest of sessions. One voice accompanied by one or two guitars and an occasional keyboard. Sounds like something that producers skimped on the budget? Not at all. This is because the voice belongs to Neil Diamond and with a legend as big as he is, there is really no need for anything more.

I do not know how the younger generation remembers Diamond or if they do at all. They are probably familiar with You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, his duet with Barbra Streisand. He had a succession of big sellers during the ‘70s with Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon, Sweet Caroline, I Am I Said, Song Sang Blue, Play Me, Longfellow Serenade, Love on the Rocks, Hello Again and others. There were also the sweeping soundtracks to Jonathan Livingstone Seagull based on the famous book by Richard Bach and The Jazz Singer, where he made his acting debut. He also composed for other artists, most notably Red Red Wine for UB40 and Kentucky Woman for Deep Purple.

Then times changed and so did music tastes. As in the case of most of the big music stars, Diamond remained a major draw as a performer but the hits stopped coming. The last we heard from him was with Three Chord Opera five years ago. Then all of a sudden, there was 12 Songs, so spare in its arrangements but so filled with the same heartbreaking lyricism that characterized his early releases. 

Maybe because of his full, deep voice and his narrative songwriting style, I always saw Diamond as the creator of epic albums with big music and big themes. Diamond is one of the arena players where his big voice, big orchestra and big everything result in spectacles. With 12 Songs though, all that changed. Diamond sought to be different and it is so amazing that he succeeded. He is thoughtful, lighthearted and younger than I’ve imagined. For the first time too, I can see him strumming a guitar while singing in a small joint.

Can you hear my song/ does it make a mournful sound? he asks in Oh Mary, the first cut in 12 Songs.  With this he sets the stage for a lovely introspective experience. Then Diamond finds a new way to promise love steadfast and true in Captain of a Shipwreck, If you’re captain of a shipwreck, I’ll be first mate to your shame. He also has a take on heartbreak in Evermore. Do I Know You/ did I ever/ thought I did/ now I know better/ saw the signs/ but not the danger/ how’d you get to be a stranger.

The other titles, Save Me a Saturday Night or Delirious Love, I’m on to You, What’s It Gonna Be, Man of God, Create Me, Face Me and We Are are honest with their emotions. The one that speaks volumes about living though is Hell Yeah, which goes, I freed my soul, just let it fly, hell yeah, this crazy life around me, it confuses and confounds me but it’s all the life I’ve got till I die.

Why Taylor Hicks?

I’ve been asked five times. So I told myself, if I get a sixth, I will put my answer here. The question is why is Taylor Hicks the new American Idol?  Those who asked perhaps wanted sympathy for runner-up Katharine McPhee but they asked the wrong person. Although I had doubts that he will make the finals, I was already rooting for Hicks from the first time I saw him during the auditions and I knew he would win after he performed Joe Cocker’s You are So Beautiful to Me.

Like most of those who voted, I liked his funny, underdog image. I liked the fact that he was 29 and gray-haired, a spastic dancer and badly dressed. Must pop idols be always young and good-looking? Let Hicks change that. He also has this unique singing style and the ability to choose the songs that work best for him and that the audience will like. 

This was where good singers Elliot, Chris, Mandisa and even Katharine failed miserably. They chose to be indulgent by choosing difficult, unfamiliar songs that showed off their vocals but which listeners could not relate to. Taylor, though got his songs right most of the time. 

Then if I were the producer assigned to do the album of the winner, I will still pick Hicks because there are so many interesting things that can be done with his recordings. Why would I want a pretty girl who sings Over the Rainbow beautifully when she will be competing with Norah Jones, Jane Monheit, Joss Stone, Rene Oldstead and other pretty girls who can also sing Over the Rainbow very well? 

Hicks, though is as natural as blue-eyed soul, a rare specie. Last I heard, Doobie Brother Michael McDonald was the only one holding the fort. It would be interesting to find out what an American Idol will do with those songs.