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Overview
Leaving behind Columbia Records along with his latter-day collaborator producer Rick Rubin, Neil Diamond sets up shop at Capitol -- which now belongs to Universal Records, who owns his classic recordings for Uni and MCA -- and teams with producer Don Was for 2014's Melody Road. Diamond may have left his label of 40 years, but in an odd way, Melody Road is a return home after his stark wanderings of the 2000s. Rubin encouraged Diamond to be spare, sometimes recording him with little more than an acoustic guitar, but Was -- who is assisted by Jacknife Lee -- coaxes the singer/songwriter to bring back the schmaltz, an essential element of Neil's glory days that was largely ignored on the Rubin records. Was and Lee retain a hint of that new millennial intimacy -- it's never once as overblown as his '70s records -- but the songs themselves alternate between stately ballads, effervescent bubblegum, and self-important pomp. As on his best '70s records, which Melody Road often resembles in both construction and consistency, Diamond is best when he keeps his ambitions relatively simple. There's majesty on the title track and haunting splendor on "Alone at the Ball," and they find their counterparts in the joyous "Something Blue" and "Marry Me Now," along with the spirited ramble of "First Time." Each of these songs evoke memories of Diamond's peak -- a little bit of "Solitary Man," a little bit of "I Am…I Said," a little bit of "Cherry Cherry" -- while the tedious socially aware slog of "Seongah and Jimmy" and endless ballad "(OOO) Do I Wanna Be Yours" bring back the Diamond that's often forgotten, the Diamond whose LPs often got bogged down in middlebrow aspirations. As much as these weigh down Melody Road, it's also true that there's never been a Neil Diamond record where he doesn't stray into this murky territory. What makes a difference here is the general lightness of his new songs and Was and Lee's sympathetic production; the two play off each other perfectly, turning this into the first latter-day Diamond record to feel quintessentially Neil Diamond.
Product Details
| Release Date: | 10/21/2014 |
|---|---|
| Label: | Capitol |
| UPC: | 0602537991389 |
| catalogNumber: | 002176002 |
| Rank: | 99537 |
Tracks
Album Credits
Performance Credits
Neil Diamond Primary Artist,GuitarMatt Rollings Keyboards
John Fumo Horn
Elizabeth Wilson Strings
Benmont Tench Keyboards
Richard Bennett Guitar
Chuck Berghofer Strings
Jim Cox Keyboards
Alan Estes Percussion,Strings
Mark Goldenberg Guitar
Maurice Grants Strings
Hadley Hockensmith Guitar
James "Hutch" Hutchinson Bass
Rami Jaffee Keyboards
Greg Leisz Guitar
Don Markese Flute
Dennis Molchan Strings
Cheryl Norman Strings
Greg Phillinganes Keyboards
Tim Pierce Guitar
Anatoly Rosinsky Strings
Harry Shirinian Strings
Jeremy Stacey Drums
Sebastian Steinberg Bass
Kevan Torfeh Strings
Don Was Keyboards
Waters Family Background Vocals
Oren Waters Background Vocals
Dan Weinstein Horn
Shari Zippert Strings
Gayle Levant Strings
Marcia Dickstein Strings
Michael Ferril Strings
Smokey Hormel Guitar
Christina Soule Strings
Joey Waronker Percussion,Drums
Julia Waters Background Vocals
Norm Hughes Strings
Johana Krejci Strings
Agnes Gottschewski Strings
Lynn Grants Strings
Eric Gorfain Horn
Robert Berg Strings
Brian Benning Strings
Jody Rubin Strings
Marina Manukian Strings
Sarkis Gyurgchyan Strings
Stephanie O'Keefe Horn
Andrew Duckles Strings
Sally Berman Strings
Steve Richards Strings
Caroline Buckman Strings
Aaron Oltman Strings
Joel Pargman Strings
Jacknife Lee Guitar,Keyboards
Blake Mills Guitar
Justin Hageman Horn
Davide Rossi Strings
Karolina Naziemiec Strings
Giovanna Moraga Clayton Strings
Maxine Waters Background Vocals
Marc Bolin Horn
Matthew Cooker Strings
Sara Andon Flute
Vahe Hayrikian Strings
Jamelle Williams Horn
Mike Cottone Horn
Cj Vanston Keyboards
Zhou Yi Strings
Alex Gorlovsky Strings
Carrie Kennedy Strings
Michael Ferrill Strings
Phillippa Ruth Clarke-Ling Strings
Ousep Ketendijian Strings
Erik Avinder Strings
David Stone Strings
Anna Kostyucheck Strings
Technical Credits
Neil Diamond ComposerAlan Lindgren String Arrangements,String Conductor
Don Was Producer
Bernie Becker Vocal Engineer
Todd Gallopo Art Direction
Eric Gorfain Horn Arrangements
Tom McFall Engineer
Jacknife Lee Producer
Davide Rossi String Arrangements
Micah Diamond Cover Photo
Ari Michelson Cover Photo
Julie Farman Note Editing