In case you haven't picked up on it from previous album reviews (see Michael Bublé, Train and Rod Stewart), I listen to a little bit of everything. When One 2 One announced that they were looking for reviews for Neil Diamond's new album, I could not think of a single song I had heard from this guy. My first thoughts were: "Neil Diamond who?" Then I used google to find his most popular songs, and I immediately recognized them.
Obviously, there was "Sweet Caroline", a song from 1969, that I've heard on the radio more than once since my childhood.
Then, the song that stood out most was "America" from 1980. How many July 4th firework shows have included this patriotic song? I guess the real question is … how many haven't?
Given the very little I knew about Neil Diamond and his music, I agreed to go ahead and review his newest album Melody Road. My first thoughts upon listening are that this guy's time has passed. With "Sweet Caroline", the sound was very 70s-tastic; in much the same way, "America" was for the 80s what "Sweet Caroline" was for the 70s AND it had the additional patriotic theme that Americans love. What did the songs on Melody Road have to offer the 2000-teens?
Unfortunately, Mr. Diamond did not continue his trend of providing music that fits a time period with any songs that I could find on this album. Current pop music features styling by Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé, all of whose music is very different from Neil Diamond's. I'm not saying I would like a similar style in Neil Diamond's music, but he would have to offer something truly amazing to capture the attention of the public. Instead the style of music he provides is very simplistic and has an old style country flair that's very similar to his songs from the 70s and 80s. if you happen to like that style, this album might be the album for you.
To find out more about the album and Neil Diamond, I recommend checking out his website, facebook profile, or youtube page. You can also buy the new album now from Amazon or iTunes.
* I participated in the Neil Diamond Melody Road album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided a free album to review but all opinions are my own.
