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| Home Before Dark | 
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| Artist: Neil Diamond
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $13.97
Buy New: $5.49
You Save: $8.48 (61%)
New (60) Used (26) from $3.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  97 reviews
Sales Rank: 500
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.3 x 4.8 x 0.4
MPN: 715465
UPC: 886971546521
EAN: 0886971546521
ASIN: B0015D3Z3A
Release Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Factory sealed! Hole punch in corner!
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| Customer Reviews:
 It Sure Is Dark! June 16, 2008
6 out of 14 found this review helpful
I have read every review posted here on amazon, regarding Neil Diamond's new cd "Home Before Dark". I consider myself a huge Diamond fan who has followed his career since the early seventies. I hestitated writing this review, because the last thing I wanted to do was write an unfavorable synopsis of this new cd. I have never been a big fan of producer Rick Rubins stripped down guitar and voice only approach for an entire album of songs. After several listens, I have found this cd to be uneventful and slow. Songs like "No words", "Another day", "Don't go there", "If I don't See You Again", and most others, are basically a group of songs that sound the same, with a depressing overtone and scoring a zero on the excitement scale. After an entire cd of the same format on "12 Songs", his prior release, I can't believe he decided to make another cd full of boring fireside strums. Just what is Rick Rubin producing here? There is no production. It would have been nice if Neil jammed it up a notch, on at least half the cd. Let's face it, Neil Diamond is a showman, No one is going to go to his latest concerts this summer and beg to hear this stuff. Whether one wants to admit it or not, the fans are going to his shows to hear those classics, that shake you out of your seats, like "Cracklin Rose", "Sweet Caroline", "Brothers Traveling Salvation Show", "Beautiful Noise", etc. Some hardcore Neil Diamond fans seem to be personally offended with every negative review of this cd, you shouldn't be, just as I am not bothered by the positive reviews, it is all a matter of opinion. My opinion is, this is a far cry from his best efforts. One can judge for themselves.
 Christians will especially love these deep, soulful melodies. June 20, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I bought this CD because I was intrigued by what new and wonderful music Neil could come up with now. I wasn't a bit disappointed; in fact, I was very impressed. The songs are richer and more soulful than anything I've ever heard from him, and Christians will especially feel the magnitude of his faith. Don't expect "icky-sweet," because these songs are honest and woven with the pain of having had a few bumps in the road. But for most of us, that is just the kind of music we can relate to. Whether you're a Christian, or not, buy this CD. It will stir your heart and soul like nothing you've heard in a long time!
Diamond Strikes Gold with his first #1 Album! August 17, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Neil Diamond has been around for 40 years and I've been a fan of his for about as long as that. This CD is a quiet introspective collection of songs that won't disappoint his legion of fans.
I don't normally review CD's, as I just don't have the gift to explain how songs move me; it's all so personal and the words just escape me most of the time. I'm glad I waited to review this new CD though, as I honestly didn't like it much when I first heard it. It's the kind of CD that has to grow on you and you have to get use to the fact it isn't the rock side of Diamond that so many love. These are all personal songs with both subtly and intensity and you don't quite catch that on the first hearing of it.
An obviously favorite for most Diamond fans will be "Pretty Amazing Grace" which is the single he promoted when he appeared on American Idol last season (May 2008). I love that song and bought the CD on the power of that one single, but over time I've come to love other songs on the album even more. My favorite is the long (7 + minutes) of the first song "If I Don't See You Again" and followed closely by "Don't Go There" which is rather hypnotic and playful in tone. The duet with Natalie Maines on "Another Day" is just plain beautiful music. The most interesting song on the album for me was "One More Bite of the Apple" and for the life of me, I can't explain why that is so.
Some may think because Diamond has strayed from some of his more rock roots (America, Cracklin Rosie, Cherry Cherry, Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show, etc.) that he has lost his voice with age, but let me assure that after seeing him in concert at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on August 9, 2008 that Neil Diamond has NOT lost an ounce of his voice at all. In fact, I was blown away at just how energetic and powerful he and his voice still are at 67 years old. He is just ageless. My family originally had seats in the upper decks of the concert hall, but A staff member came up to us, a family of four, and said, "Neil hates to see holes in the floor seats, so how would you like to have front row seats?" We were dumbstruck! We ended up in the front, on the floor seats, right in front of his microphone. What a way to introduce my kids, who love Diamond's music, to their very FIRST concert of a famous singer.
We will never forget that night and my only disappointment was that Diamond didn't sing "Hello Again" from The Jazz Singer which was the first movie I took my wife to see and that song became our wedding song as your best friend should always be your spouse and that is what that song is about.
Oh, well, I digress here. See why I don't write about CD's often. I just go all over the place. Anyhow, any Neil Diamond fan will want to buy this album, but just know that it may take some time to appreciate its power.
 Tired May 7, 2008
5 out of 16 found this review helpful
I have loved Neil all my life, and bought all of his albums in every format, plus the boxed sets.
But this is just not the Neil that I fell in love with. This is a tired almost dreary reminising about life.
Neil at his timeless best May 16, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I've been a fan of Neil Diamond ever since I heard the 33 1/3 LP live "Hot August Night".
"Home Before Dark" is Neil at his songwriting best!! Superbly performed. The CD player in my car is now set at "repeat disc" for this CD. All the songs are great.
Very introspective and soul searching songs!!
Put it on, go for a long drive and hear it again on your return drive home.
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