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12 Songs Review12 Songs is a rare treat this holiday season:Not another cynical
Best-Of cd to cash-in.Not another covers cd.And not cold studio-pop.12 Songs is music that goes for the heart in a very honest and natural way.And it does.
Neil's albums have lacked good production for a long time.Otherwise good rock songs softened into easy listening mush in the studio.But with Rubin,like with the 1976 Robbie Robertson-produced Beautiful Noise,a rock producer makes Neil shine! Neil's distinctive deep-bass of a voice and a natural way with hooks and melodies are not burried by orchestras and background singers.
also great are the lyrics.Neil Diamond hasn't run out of things to say at age 64.He has a whole life to reflect on.Lessons to share.Memories that are sometimes happy,sometimes heartbreakingly sad.And Neil is looking ahaid.If only more of his peers stuck in an elevator of pop standards would do the same.The lyrics are gutsy.
here is a track-by review rating of the 12 Songs
"Oh Marry"
a haunting death-ballad against a backdrop of creepy piano that gives me chills.I wonder who 'Mary' is.A metaphor?an angel?A lover from a long time ago?A pretend-lover in those lonely nights?the music?the song is so gentle yet so moving.
"Hell Yeah"
Reminds me of "Lady Magdalane" in that it starts with a guitar and brooding lyrcs,but grows into thunderous intenity and power.In a way,"Hell Yeah" is "I am I Said" over 30 years later.He found the self worth he was searching for.Found peace being lost between two shores.And even offers motivation and hope for listener to not be afraid to follow their dreams.Powerful!
"Captain of a Shipwreck"
"Fear no flood in stormy weather/Fear no fire if winds arise/
Flesh and blood, I'm yours forever/And forever,it never dies",a very poetic and pretty ballad.
"Evermore"
one of the most beautiful songs I ever heard.The way the intensity builds and builds as Neil reflects on how and why relationships die is so powerful.
"Save me A Saturday Night"
the only song that sounds like it could have been written in Neil's Bang days.Has the same kind of vibe as songs like "I Got The Feeling Oh No No" and "Shilo".The dreamy organ and bells.The
beautiful words.I just love this song!
"Delirious Love"
the albums big rocker.But this time Neil rocks with just an acoustic guitar and minimal back up.The melodies and hooks are addictive.The vocals and lyrics express an exciting and fresh relationship.
"I'm On To You"
my favorite song of 2005-just so cool and jazzed-up sexy,even if the lyrics have the "Every Breath You Take" kind of vibe.
"What's It Gonna Be"
"One way or another,You need a new direction/Make a new connection/Hey, what's it gonna be?"
this song has the late-night-only-the-lonely-at-a-jazz-club feel.It is Neil facing his fears and doubts,and making the listener do the same.I love it!
"Man of God"
"Man of God" has a simple beauty that is mesmorising.Like Neil stopping at a southern church singing and making the whole congregation go wild!
"Create Me"
This song would not feel out of place in "Phanton of the Opera".It reminds me of Jonathan Livingston Seagull:The dreamer searching for a higher purpose then our daily boring routines.
"Face Me"
continues "Create Me"s gothic broadway vibe,a bitter goodbye ballad to an ex.
"We"
a piece of innocent ragtime-pop that could have been sung by Jolson in the 1930's.A heavenly closer.
I'm addicted to this cd.Actually look forward to getting on the train every morning on my way to work,closing my eyes and getting lost in this great album.I hope both Neil and Rick win a grammy!
12 Songs OverviewOne of the year's most heavily-anticipated new releases, 12 Songs pairs the pop music icon with legendary producer Rick Rubin.Producing a Neil Diamond album has been a long-time dream for Rubin, whose extraordinary resume spans the history of hip-hop from LL Cool J to Jay Z, the world of hardcore rock from Slayer to System Of A Down, and the pantheon of mythic stars from Tom Petty and Donovan to Mick Jagger and Johnny Cash's immortal Grammy-winning American Recordings series."Most of the songs were recorded with Neil playing and singing at the same time," said Rick Rubin in a Rolling Stone article (9/22/05) profiling the producer, "and it's a different animal. It's taking him back to being more of a singer-songwriter.He really blows me away."When it came time to record 12 Songs, Rick Rubin assembled a sympathetic ensemble of musicians to capture the essence of Neil Diamond's extraordinary new songs, each of them a finely-wrought gem, soul-searching, honest, yearning, and powerful.A core group of musicians made up of Mike Campbell (guitar) and Benmont Tench (piano/organ) from Tom Petty's Heartbreakers and guitarist Smokey Hormel (Beck, Tom Waits) and other musicians including the renowned Larry Knechtel (piano) and Billy Preston (organ) played on the album. The track listing for 12 Songsis:"Oh Mary," "Hell Yeah," "Captain of a Shipwreck," "Evermore," "Save Me A Saturday Night," "Delirious Love," "I'm On To You," "What's It Gonna Be," "Man of God," "Create Me," "Face Me," and "We."A special digipak edition of 12 Songs features two bonus tracks: "Men Are So Easy" and an alternate version of "Delirious Love" with guest artist Brian Wilson."….judging by eight finished tracks," wrote Lorraine Ali, previewing 12 Songs for Newsweek (August 1, 2005), "this is the best work Diamond has done in 30 years."
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