Happy Birthday!

70 years ago today, the world welcomed the baby who would one day become one of the best singer/songwriters of all time: Neil Diamond. 

I'm a pretty huge Neil Diamond fan.  Like anyone of my generation that IS a Neil Diamond fan, the blame can pretty much be traced to the feet of my parents, who were even bigger Neil Diamond fans...especially my dad.  Around my house growing up there was a lot of Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, The Eagles and The Beatles.  Sometimes, growing kids react to what is forced on them by rebelling against it...that is what happened when my dad tried to get me to like golfing.  For some reason though, the music taste stuck. 

In the movie 'What about Bob?', at one point, two of the characters are having a conversation where they determine 'there are two types of people in the world...those who like Neil Diamond,and those who don't'

A very true statement.  Those who don't like Mr. Diamond will always think he is just a glorified lounge singer.  Those of us who do like him would want to clarify that he is not a 'glorified lounge singer'...he is The King of Lounge Singers.  Those custom made $5,000 sequined suits....the big over the top instrumental sections in the middle of some his songs....the sing along qualities of songs you will never get tired of hearing...

I'm not going to go through his whole catalog...needless to say, he has a song for whatever mood you might be in.  'I am, I said.' and 'Love on the Rocks.' would probably make my All Time Top 10 list if I tried to make one. 

Two years ago, I bound and gagged my wife and brought her to see Neil Diamond in concert at the Key Arena.  It's the first time, and probably the only time I will see him in concert.  I simply recognized that yes, he is getting older, and that the clock on getting to see him live was ticking.  He did not disappoint.  At the time he was 68, and he put on one heck of a 2-hour long show.  I know for a while(and one show in Ohio in particular) he was dealing with some vocal issues...but he made good on those substandard performances with refunds.  The night we saw him, it was very much like listening to a CD...he was really good...and the crowd was interesting...a wider cross-section of humanity than I have seen at any other concert I have attended.

If you haven't seen him yet, and he comes to a town near you, I highly recommend giving him a chance.  If you can't get excited to sing along with 'Sweet Caroline' live...you are a cold fish indeed.