Customer Reviews
Nothing like as strong as 12 Songs - By: Dyspeptic Spirit, 12 Jul 2008 
Another new release, another raft (?) of 5 star Amazon customer reviews.
Is it only me that feels that the majority of reviews on Amazon are given by die-hard fans who would give a 5 star review for a CD of their beloved artist breaking wind for 2 hours. The trouble is that this makes a mockery of the whole review process & ends up hindering rather than helping the average purchaser separating the Tom Waits CDs from the Robbie Williams CDs. The only solution I find is to look at alll reviews by a given person before taking any notice of a given rating in an attempt to see if they have good taste, well, similar taste to yourself anyway.
Anyway, back to the new CD. I thought 12 Songs was a phenomenal album, a stark, emotional affair full of powerful, melodic songs. By contrast the music on Home Before Dark is more laid back, rhythmic & ephemeral; something to have on quietly in the background while you work. The exception is the opening track If I Don't See You Again which would have felt quite at home in 12 Songs. From that point on the music loses it's intensity & edge & becomes, well, for me anyway, largely unremarkable; an easy listening experience. Too add to this many of the songs feel overlong & outstay their welcome lacking the brevity & tightness that made 12 Songs so good. This is not to say that Home Before Dark is a bad album, it isn't, it's just a little bit, well, of a let down compared to the previous CD.
It's also extremely annoying to find that the CD/DVD contains two bonus songs (a fact I missed until after I had purchased the regular CD) one of which, Without Her, is one of the strongest tracks on the album in my opinion. Hey ho.
Abolutely brilliant - By: Geoff, 12 Jul 2008 
Words you can actuallly hear & sentiments you can appreciate.
Unlike most performers of Neil Diamond's age & beyond, who constantly, it seems, have a wish to show just how far past their 'sell-by-date' they are, this is as good as it gets.
Anyone who saw his performance at this years Glastonbury Festival, live if they were lucky, will agree that he still has what it takes - in spades.
I'm a rebel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - By: B. Elliott, 04 Jul 2008 I'm going to ruin the end of this cd for everybody without a care in the world... The last track is callled ''Home Before dark''. There I did it. Oh no he didn't, oh yes he did.
Diamond Stories - By: Stewart Baxter, 23 Jun 2008 I was going to start with the cliche "a return to form", but frankly this offering is so far beyond Neil Diamond's previous achievements for a studio album that the phrase doesn't fit. A collection of lyrical, thoughtful, poignant songs musing on life, lost love, faith, hope & fear, it well deserves its number 1 slots. None of the real anthems of the past, in favour of solid vocals & sharp backings, with a few melodic gems including "Pretty Amazing Grace" & "Don't Go There", these songs have stories to tell & do so beautifully. Far from being too long, the six minute opener "If I Don't See You Again" is worth every second. "Act Like a Man", "The Power of Two" are other highlights & the superb title track, "Home Before Dark" is one to make you want to start alll over again. Have a glass or two of Mr Diamond's red wine & let these beautiful songs wash over you...
Not as tight as 12 songs, but still very good - By: chris widgery, 18 Jun 2008 
A coulpe of years ago I was seeing a friend who works in the music business. I asked him what the album of the year was. He looked slightly shame faced & said "12 Songs, by Neil Diamond" NEIL DIAMOND? I cried. Surely you're having me on, that guy's rubbish. "Well, Rick Rubin has stripped away everything that makes him rubbish, leaving everything that makes him great".
And, sure enough, 12 Songs is one of the best records of recent times. Without the bombast & the, well, rubbish, that obscures everything, it was a revelation. Simple, raw & honest. Genius. Seriously.
And so when I heard he'd made a follow up, with Rubin again, I bought it. Only this one's not as good. For one thing, alll the songs seem to be five - six minutes long (one is more than seven). Too many are flabby, compared to the tightness on 12 Songs. It's a good record, but not as good. It doesn't feel as personal. 12 Songs sounded like a man who was forcing himself to rediscover himself as a song writer. In comparison, this sounds knocked out - the songs lack the honesty.
Which is not to say it's bad - just not as good. Although judging by the other reviews, this one seems to be more popular with his long standing fans, so if you're one of those, perhaps you'll actuallly like it more.
But 4/5 from me
