20th Century Masters: The Best Of Neil Diamond (Millennium Collection) [Original recording remastered]

Amazon.com
Neil Diamond's entry in MCA's multivolume 20th Century Masters points up the essential flaw of the whole series. While the title suggests a sort of time capsule--something truly representative of an artist's best work--that turns out to be true only to the extent that the label controls that material. Thanks to the budget-minded nature of the project, no attempts were made to include any of Diamond's great hits recorded for the Bang label, or the wildly successful adult-contemporary fare he did later for Columbia. True, there are some great hits here from the second phase of his career--"Sweet Caroline," "Holly Holy," "Song Sung Blue," and "I Am... I Said"--but the set ignores three Top 20 hits from this period, so it's less than definitive. Still, if you pair it with another greatest-hits package, Classics: The Early Years, you've got a pretty good collection of Diamond's best stuff. --Daniel Durchholz

20th Century Masters: The Best Of Neil Diamond (Millennium Collection),Neil Diamond,Mca,Adult Contemporary,Pop,Pop Vocals,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Singer/Songwriter,Soft Rock,Vocal

Average customer rating:

Skimpy collection
Perfect!!!
One of 3 CDs to Get If You Want Good Diamond compilation
one-third of a satisfactory Diamond collection
A good mix of Neil Diamond's early hits

20th Century Masters: The Best Of Neil Diamond (Millennium Collection)
Neil Diamond
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Broadway & Vocalists | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of ABBA
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Jimi Hendrix

ASIN: B00000I8LG
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Sweet Caroline
Holly Holy
Song Sung Blue
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show
Play Me
Brooklyn Roads
Crunchy Granola Suite
Stones
Soolaimon
I Am...I Said
Cracklin' Rosie

Amazon.com

Neil Diamond's entry in MCA's multivolume 20th Century Masters points up the essential flaw of the whole series. While the title suggests a sort of time capsule--something truly representative of an artist's best work--that turns out to be true only to the extent that the label controls that material. Thanks to the budget-minded nature of the project, no attempts were made to include any of Diamond's great hits recorded for the Bang label, or the wildly successful adult-contemporary fare he did later for Columbia. True, there are some great hits here from the second phase of his career--"Sweet Caroline," "Holly Holy," "Song Sung Blue," and "I Am... I Said"--but the set ignores three Top 20 hits from this period, so it's less than definitive. Still, if you pair it with another greatest-hits package, Classics: The Early Years, you've got a pretty good collection of Diamond's best stuff. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews:

Skimpy collection.......2007-07-28

The tracks on this millennium collection are very similar to those on his Neil Diamond - His 12 Greatest Hits album. Still, they represent a particulaly fertile period in the late 1960s and early 1970s when his melodic prowess was at a peak on songs like Sweet Caroline, Cracklin' Rosie, Song Sung Blue and I Am I Said. A song like Holly Holy has a defnite spiritual undertone. This music demonstrates his authenticity as a major composer and consummate vocalist. Although the album provides a great listening experience, it is incomplete and does not even remotely represent all of his bst work from the 20th century.

Perfect!!!.......2007-01-09

This was exactly what I was looking for. I am very pleased. Keep 'em coming!!!!

One of 3 CDs to Get If You Want Good Diamond compilation.......2002-03-20

The songs are excellent (hence the four stars), worthy examples of Brill Building tunefulness married to lyrical phrases influenced by Dylanesque dissociation. That Diamond, like Elton John's Bernie Taupin, can render said dissociation prosaic and sometimes absurd (remember the "not even a chair" line?)only makes him slightly more gauche than Billy Joel, Paul McCartney or Michael Jackson at their least inspired. But like them he has an undeniable gift, and in my opinion he's written more good songs than James Taylor, Don McClean or at least Joe Walsh. Not all of them, unfortunately are on this disc, which thus fails to deliver on its title's promise (hence the aforementioned four stars) of including the best of the featured artist. For that you also need two other releases that bookend this one: "Classics The Early Years" for additional key tracks from his 60's pop-rock period and "12 Greatest Hits Vol. 2" for highlights from his more recent adult-contemporary material. Sure there are still songs that will be missed by some, but if you have at least two of these three collections (which may depend on your budget and what phase of Diamond's musical career you favor) you are bound to have most of his more memorable and popular compositions. This album,like the two others I've mentioned, offers the original recordings of the hits, an advantage over more exhaustive, multiple-CD anthologies marred by live performances which, while quite enjoyable on their own terms, leave many listeners longing for the studio versions of songs they cherish. Even if you decide to purchase only this album you will have made an excellent addition to your music library. But if, as I suspect, it leaves you wanting more, seek out the others I've recommended at your leisure and you will get much more of a very good thing.

one-third of a satisfactory Diamond collection.......2002-03-18

A thoroughly enjoyable sampler of Neil Diamond's memorable pop-rock hits which preserved and updated the virtues of Brill Building songwriting, namely, an instant accessability and enthusiasm married to certain degree of emotional resonance and sophistication - an artful balance that faltered when the times unfurtunately demanded or creative inspiration dictated that Diamond sacrifice the former in favor of the latter. Yet while it includes "Sweet Caroline" and "Cracklin' Rosie" (hence the four stars), it does leave out several songs that most people who enjoy Diamond's music will probably want to hear(ditto). To those who wish to have several more his finest songs from the early years I humbly recommend that they seek out "Classics: The Early Years." For the best known of his more recent and still tuneful adult-contemporary material I advise them to look up Columbia's "12 Greatest Hits Vol. 2." To the best of my knowledge, none of the selections on these compilations overlap, and this due to reasons of music label ownership. Anyway, last I checked the two other hits collections I've named were also available. Together they provide a very good (though, of course, by no means definitive) overview of Diamond's work and, in terms of cost and content compared to multiple-CD sets, it may be the way to go for more casual listeners.

A good mix of Neil Diamond's early hits.......2001-07-29

This is a good mix of Neil Diamond's early hits. From "Sweet Caroline" "I am I Said", "Play Me", "Holly Holy", "to "Cracklin Rose" each song was a hit that was played on the radio in the 1960's through today. While not a complete CD of Neil's greatest hits, (that would be at least 3 CD's), this is a good variety of the songs that made him famous.

Neil Diamond songs are timeless. He is one of the few artists that I can listen to going down the road and know the words to each and every song and enjoy singing them out loud (of course by myself). His CD's are the type that I could listen to again later in the day after playing them earlier in the day. His unique voice, sense of passion in his lyrics, and his story telling when he sings is unique and very well received. I look forward to hearing his songs on the radio, listening to his songs in my collection, and purchasing his new works when they are released.

Overall, this is a great CD to have, is it a complete version of his greatest hits? NO. Is it one to enjoy over again? Absolutely YES!! Highly recommended!

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