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Hot August Night Vinyl LP (1972) 
NEIL DIAMOND CD discography Recorded live at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California on August 24, 1972. Originally released on MCA Records (6896). Includes liner notes by Karen Shearer.
In addition to his excellent skills as a songwriter, Neil Diamond is also known for his bold, often theatrical performance style. One glance at the cover of HOT AUGUST NIGHT--Diamond clothed in denim and Native American jewelry, with his hands hovering over his body, and an expression suggesting a trance of intensity--and the listener knows he or she is in for some serious performing. The pop icon delivers as expected; HOT AUGUST NIGHT, recorded in 1972 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, documents the epic showmanship of a Neil Diamond concert.
Listeners will certainly get their money's worth. Diamond's best-loved songs stuff the two-disc, 25-track set list--the ubiquitous "Sweet Caroline," the infectious "Song Sung Blue," et al, plus versions of "Red Red Wine" and "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," which he wrote, but were also hits for others. An energetic backing band and a full string section complement the singer's impassioned performances, and an encore medley of "Soolaimon" and "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" brings the show to a fiery close. HOT AUGUST NIGHT remains one of Diamond's best-selling albums. Give it a listen and see why.
Recorded live at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California on August 24, 1972. Includes liner notes Karen Shearer.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
All songs written by Neil Diamond.
Personnel: Neil Diamond (vocals, guitar); Emory Gordy, Jr. (guitar, vibraphone); Richard Bennett, Danny Nicholson (guitar); Alan Lindgren (keyboard); Reine Press (bass); Dennis St. John (drums); Jefferson Kewley (percussion).
String section includes: Hyman Goodman, Jay Rosen, John deVoogdt, David Turner, Tibor Zelig, Samuel Boghossian, Myron Sandler, Sven Reher, Linn Subotnick, Marilyn Baker, Philip Goldberg, Jesse Ehrlich, Giacinto Nardulli, Salvatore Crimi, Henry Ferber, Beldassare Ferlazzo, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Shari Zippert, Walter Wiemeyer, Richard Kaufman.
Personnel: Neil Diamond (vocals, guitar); Emory Gordy, Jr. (guitar, vibraphone); Richard Bennett, Danny Nicholson (guitar); Hyman Goodman, Jay Rosen, John deVoogdt, David Turner, Tibor Zelig, Samuel Boghossian, Myron Sandler, Sven Reher, Linn Subotnick, Marilyn Baker, Philip Goldberg, Jesse Ehrlich, Giacinto Nardulli, Salvatore Crimi, Henry Ferber, Beldassare Ferlazzo, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Shari Zippert, Walter Wiemeyer, Richard Kaufman (strings); Alan Lindgren (keyboards); Reine Press (bass); Dennis St. John (drums); Jefferson Kewley (percussion).
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Bang Years: 1966-1968 Vinyl LP (2011)
NEIL DIAMOND albums Neil Diamond transitioned from professional songwriter to performer when he signed with Bang Records in 1966. There, he cut two albums -- his 1966 debut The Feel of Neil Diamond and its 1967 sequel Just for You -- that contained his greatest songs: "Solitary Man," "Cherry, Cherry," "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," "Kentucky Woman," "Thank the Lord for the Night Time," "I'm a Believer," "Red, Red Wine," "The Boat That I Row," "You Got to Me," and "Shilo." All these, along with the rest of the two Bang albums all presented out of LP order, are on Columbia/Legacy's 2011 The Bang Years: 1966-1968, by far the best overview ever assembled of this crucial era for Diamond. It's not just that these are Diamond's best songs but these are his best records: crisp, lively, colorful pop tunes balanced by luxurious moody brooding ballads. Once he turned into a superstar Diamond tended to rely on his innate showmanship, but here at the beginning of his career ...
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