CALLANDER: Diamond's still got it 40 years later

"The American Popular Song goes on and on…” Neil Diamond’s lyrics proclaim. Yes it does. The American popular song industry is huge. Some of the music is great; some is hardly music at all.

Personal taste comes into play, and marketing is a part of that. What you hear on the radio impacts what you grow to appreciate. If that cool deejay says a new release is dynamic, then you may actually believe it. If it’s hip to like it, then why not embrace it?

I just came back from one of those awesome pop concerts in Washington, D. C., this one put on by Neil Diamond himself.

While I relish the excitement of being part of the musical extravaganza — at $120 per ticket — I also know that my all-time favorite singer/songwriter is beholden to corporate entities that make or break aspiring performers by deciding who is worth promoting. Diamond has been the recipient of the good and the bad.

Despite a varied selection of songs offered on about 50 albums released over the past 40 years, surprisingly, this year was the first that Neil scored a No. 1 album in the U.S.A. The thing is, though his current “Home Before Dark” is a fine album, so are all the others. It seems to me that this one made No. 1 because Neil made an appearance on that high ratings TV show, “American Idol,” around the time the album was released. The viewers apparently got the idea they should purchase the CD, and they did.

While mesmerized by the sounds of the “Beautiful Noise” that filled Verizon Center on a “Hot August Night,” I easily forgot the sinister side of the music business and focused my attention to the words and music of the extraordinary, enduring performer. Others like me, including whole families from grandpa to teen to 6-year-old, were also enraptured.

Though my favorites are often the lesser known tunes and lyrics, once you’re in the concert hall, every song that Diamond performs in his two-hour show is inspiring and uplifting, and, yes, awakening. The 67-year-old still has plenty of sex appeal.

I loved the brown embroidered shirt that Neil wore for this go around.

Earth tones are OK again in the fashion world and the choice certainly complimented the back-to-basics approach of the last two albums, which were produced
by comeback strategist Rick Rubin. Several new “down to earth” songs were showcased with acoustic guitar in hand, and they contrasted with some of Neil’s rousing Top 40 hits like “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “Holly Holy.”

Diamond looked especially fit for this performance. Clearly he and the band have been spending time on the treadmill. I had visions of myself being carried out on a stretcher while the old-timers danced on.

“Neil Diamond Rocks” T-shirts were sold at the vending booths. Yes, Neil Diamond rocks. That’s why it is so outrageous that after almost 40 Top 40 hits, years of gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums, and decades of sold-out concerts around the world, the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame has yet to induct Neil into its honor society. He was, in fact, the top solo concert artist of the 1990s.

The snub reflects not on the artist; it discredits the organization.

Other greats have been left off as well, while insignificant artists make the list. Still, Diamond has plenty of awards to display, including a lifetime achievement award from the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

If you find Neil Diamond too schmaltzy on the radio, there’s a whole new persona in concert. I doubt there was anyone in the arena that wasn’t swept away by the selfless giving from this expressive man with the loving and passionate heart.

Be it a romantic serenade, a light-hearted frolic, jazz or a patriotic masterpiece, Neil Diamond does it all. Thankfully, his determination and inspiration, coupled with the recognition of his talent by that money-obsessed record industry, brought this pop hero into our lives.

You say you hate him? Try a different album. The never-fail oldies with the purer, younger voice may be more palatable. “Stages”, a set of several CDs with DVDs, provides a sampling from all the music-inspiring times of Diamond’s decades.

Alane Callander is a south Stafford resident active in many local causes. Reach her at info@staffordcountysun.com.