PRODUCER Rick Rubin was the man responsible for giving Johnny Cash a new lease of life in his dotage. Now he looks set to do the same for Neil Diamond.
The man whose country rock sound made him a household name on both sides of the Atlantic, stopped touring in 2002. But that is what has helped this album with the singer-songwriter coming up with a fresh and intimate collection of songs.
Turn away if you want uplifting lyrics and something cheery with which to start the day, 12 Songs is a touching medley about lost love and tragedy.
Gone are the sequins and bright lights that became such a trademark, this is Diamond without the trimmings - raw and personal.
Hell Yeah and Save Me a Saturday Night are both powerful tracks while things get a little more upbeat with Delirious Love, of which there is an excellent version at the end of the album with Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
With a brand new audience now tuned in to the revitalised Johnny Cash maybe this Diamond is another veteran set to sparkle again.
DL
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