- Release date:
- May 6, 2008
- Artist/Band name:
- Neil Diamond
- Record label:
- Columbia
- Official Web Site:
- http://www.neildiamond.com/
- Overall User Rating:
-
(0 ratings)
Why you should care: Rubin helped write a memorable coda to Johnny Cash’s legendary career; one of his greatest powers seems to be simply convincing legends to trust in their own talent. Like 2005’s “12 Songs,” “Home Before Dark” strips the material down and steers clear of the clumsy embellishments that occasionally lead men like Diamond and Cash astray.
Verdict: Diamond sounds spirited and chastened as he reflects on past regrets (“I hated sleeping around/I went out looking for love/And never liked what I found”) and the wonder of finding new love late in life. His band, including a few of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, plays immaculately. Memorable melodies are never in shortage, although there’s nothing here in the lineage of “Hands…touching hands!” This is a reflective album—ponderous in places—with some bloated run times (almost half of the tracks swell to six minutes or beyond). Even the jubilant “No Words” has a lot of words. But going a little overboard is a Diamond signature, and his boyish, confessional earnestness (at age 67) gives the album some added charm. “Home Before Dark” is comfortable and classic-sounding—even if it’s pretty far from being an actual classic.
X-Factor: Diamond earned himself a new nickname—“The Basher”—while recording the album, thanks to his hyper-enthusiastic guitar playing.
