Neil Diamond

Greatest Hits 1966-92

Pretty good, but way overloaded by the concert performances

Review Score:

(6/10)
This is actually one of the very best Neil Diamond collections out there. But unfortunately his very best hits are done on concert performance only. Most of the performances are pretty good. But they're still concert performances and not the real songs.

And only most of them are done pretty good. There's a couple of exceptions; most notably, the classic "Red, Red Wine," in which Neil actually raps

Red Red Wine make me feel so good
Even if the words aren't understood
Everybody get to have some fun
With UB40 - We Be Number One!

I'm sorry but white, aging crooners with scratchy voices from Brooklyn are not supposed to rap! I wish I could find an extensive Neil Diamond collection which contained both the original songs and some of the really great concert performances (minus, of course, the "Red, Red Wine" butchering).

This CD does not completely disappoint. (Notice the three stars instead of one.) But it is not for those who wish to hear the clean and original recordings of Neil's best work.

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