Neil Diamond 50 - The 50th Anniversary Collection

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by transistoroldies, Feb 26, 2017.

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  1. transistoroldies

    transistoroldies New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Winnipeg, Canada
    On March 31 Neil Diamond is set to release "Neil Diamond 50 - The 50th Anniversary Collection" a 3 CD box set boasting 50 songs.

    The track listing is somewhat predictable, but one thing I noticed is the distinction of "Desiree" from 1977 being listed as "single version". I don't recall the single being any different than the LP version on "I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight" although I've never owned the 45 to check. Can anybody shed any light on this? I was also wondering about any other information on the tracks being used on this collection like mono/stereo mixes or other single or LP versions? I know the proper single versions of "Red, Red Wine" and "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" with additional overdubs have never been issued on CD.

    Here's the track listing I've found on various sites:

    Neil Diamond 50 – The 50th Anniversary Collection Track List

    Disc 1

    1. Solitary Man
    2. Cherry, Cherry
    3. I've Got The Feeling (Oh No No)
    4. You Got To Me
    5. Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon
    6. I'm A Believer
    7. Thank The Lord For The Night Time
    8. Red, Red Wine
    9. Sunday Sun
    10. Shilo
    11. Kentucky Woman
    12. Brooklyn Roads
    13. Glory Road
    14. Holly Holy
    15. And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind
    16. Sweet Caroline
    17. Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show

    Disc 2

    1. Done Too Soon
    2. Soolaimon
    3. Cracklin' Rosie
    4. Crunchy Granola Suite
    5. I Am...I Said
    6. Stones
    7. Morningside
    8. Song Sung Blue
    9. Play Me
    10. Be - Recapitulation And Farewell To Fletcher
    11. Skybird
    12. Lonely Looking Sky
    13. I've Been This Way Before
    14. Longfellow Serenade
    15. Beautiful Noise
    16. Street Life
    17. If You Know What I Mean

    Disc 3

    1. Desirée - Single Version
    2. You Don't Bring Me Flowers
    3. Forever In Blue Jeans
    4. September Morn
    5. The Story Of My Life
    6. Yesterday's Songs
    7. I Believe In Happy Endings
    8. Hello Again
    9. Love On The Rocks (From "The Jazz Singer" Soundtrack)
    10. Heartlight
    11. Lady-Oh
    12. Pretty Amazing Grace
    13. Hell Yeah
    14. We
    15. The Art Of Love
    16. America (From 'The Jazz Singer' Soundtrack)
     
  2. transistoroldies

    transistoroldies New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Winnipeg, Canada
    Sorry to double-post here, but I was also wondering if anybody has heard if there will be a vinyl release of this?
     
  3. alchemy

    alchemy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    So are these original recordings? Or are they peppered with live versions?
    Interested in which master they use for each song and how the whole thing is mastered.
    Brickwalled?
     
    duggan likes this.
  4. hayden10538

    hayden10538 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Essex, England
    Yeah, I can't tell you the times I've gone to buy one of his hits albums only to find out one of the songs on the album that I want is a poxy live version. They should be banned from putting them on albums unless:

    1. The single was a live cut
    2. They put the original studio version on too!
    3. The whole album is a live concert!
     
    Vincent3, DiabloG, Coricama and 11 others like this.
  5. Manapua

    Manapua Forum Resident

    Location:
    Honolulu
    I'm still waiting for the single version of Skybird to make it's way to cd. This doesn't look to be the case here.
     
  6. ponkine

    ponkine Senior Member

    Location:
    Villarrica, Chile
    The tracklist looks good

    But I really doubt it will be well-mastered

    Expecting yet another brickwalled mess
    :shake:
     
    c-eling likes this.
  7. Carlox

    Carlox Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portugal
    :cry:...
     
  8. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    This link shows all the songs and where they are from. Some single versions, some live, but no info on who mastered it, but I will bet that it's the same Bernie Becker who has done most of his stuff for years, which usually means "it will not be great sounding".

    Neil Diamond Celebrates 50th Anniversary With New Box Set & Tour
     
  9. Snoflo1998

    Snoflo1998 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    I'm so happy to find I'm not the only one who got suckered into one of those live albums where Neil 'talks' instead of sings. I only listen to his original studio recordings. He's a cool songwriter.
     
    duggan likes this.
  10. jmobrien68

    jmobrien68 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toms River, NJ
    I've heard Neil on some live albums go deep into downright grindcore guttural barking.
    But... man is a ****ing Icon... so I always put respect on his name!
     
  11. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    This is the first comprehensive Diamond collection released since he moved his catalog to Universal, bringing everything under one roof. As a result, there were no longer financial or licensing pressures in putting together the track list. (Yes, I know there have been other issues that cross licensed between Columbia and MCA/Universal).

    It's a pretty obvious collection, all said, with a few interesting choices for the less successful years.

    Nice to see Story of My Life is now, apparently, part of the best-of canon.
     
  12. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Dear God, is there ANY musical artist who has released this many seriously screwed-up compilations? All those live tracks...

    I realize part of the problem with Neil Diamond involves his recording for three different labels during the hit-making years (Sony/Columbia now owns the early Bang Records material, as well as the latter-career material) and that creates all sorts of cross-licensing issues, but you'd think by now we'd at least get thoughtfully compiled, coordinated releases that cover all of the relevant years. There's nothing, for example, to prevent Sony/Columbia and MCA (or whatever that label is called now) from simultaneously issuing their own single-disc compilations that include just the original hit recordings that they control, but with titles and artwork that are designed to dovetail with, and compliment, each other (similar to The Beatles' red and blue albums).
     
    Galley, Hep Alien, thecdguy and 2 others like this.
  13. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    I bought the two-CD Capitol Records collection a couple years back and I'm happy with it. Why this?
     
  14. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    This is interesting. So if everything he recorded is now under one roof, at Universal, why can't we get a decent career-spanning compilation of original hit recordings, as opposed to compilations littered with remakes or live versions?
     
    Vincent3, duggan and Benno123 like this.
  15. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Good question. I guess Neil likes the live stuff. I used to think he was just too cheap to cross license.

    On the topic of live versions, I see that the 1966-1992 collection went out of print when he moved to Universal. That means a bunch of unique live versions that only appear on this collection are no longer available.

    That's not much of a loss IMHO, although I do like the late era live version of I Am I Said that appears on that collection.
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2017
  16. Finchingfield

    Finchingfield Forum Resident

    Location:
    Henrico, Va
    HEY: that list of Spotify tracks in the above link is different than if you actually go to Spotify yourself. When you go to Spotify and look up this album, all 50 tracks are there as in the first post above. Some are single versions, but none are 'live', and I'm guessing none are remakes.

    So everyone untwist your knickers and remain calm, and go enjoy Neil x 50...
     
    Lewisboogie likes this.
  17. emjel

    emjel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool
    He doesn't appear to be well covered within the recent vinyl revival. Looks like just a CD for this unfortunately. Don't particularly like the cover either.
     
  18. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Yeah, that cover is hideous. Almost seems like open mockery of modern-day Neil Diamond. Surprised it doesn't come packaged with a Bedazzler so fans can put sequins all over their jeans.
     
    Vincent3 and Matthew Tate like this.
  19. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nevada
    Has anyone bought this 50th 3CD Collection and how does it sound compared to the recent All-Time Greatest Hits 2CD, also put out by Capitol/UMe?

    I noticed that his 1988 song and minor hit "This Time" is once again missing from his comps and 1991's "If There Were No Dreams" would have been great to have too. Hopefully this 3CD set will sound the best yet, but track-wise, his 1996 Columbia IN MY LIFETIME 3CD boxed set remains the most comprehensive. The only problem with IN MY LIFETIME is that the sound quality isn't the best and the SBM process didn't help matters either.
     
  20. Kwai Chang

    Kwai Chang Forum Resident

    Location:
    Agua Dulce, Ca.
    If You Know What I Mean is a sonic shambles.
    Barely recognizable compared to the Beautiful Noise album.
    I've heard better fidelity on his original 70's albums.
    And...where's Walk On Water?
     
  21. Scottb

    Scottb Senior Member

    Location:
    Nanuet, NY, USA
    Yes I would be interested in how this new set sounds as well.
     
    Carlox likes this.
  22. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nevada
    Do you have the actual 50th 3CD set or did you sample this song somewhere? If you have the CDs, any other thoughts regarding the overall sound quality?
     
    Kwai Chang likes this.
  23. Futurecity

    Futurecity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nevada
    Yes, and has anyone compared the audio on the new 3CD to the recent Capitol All-Time Greatest Hits comp? There was a 1CD and 2CD version and now this new 3CD set.
     
  24. Kwai Chang

    Kwai Chang Forum Resident

    Location:
    Agua Dulce, Ca.
    I sampled the songs that I'm familiar with via internet. I am not a Neil Diamond expert.
    I always loved If You Know What I Mean. What I thought I heard was distortion(on the 50th).
    It may in fact be a sonic upgrade from what we've had...so, now you can hear how Neil's voice is overloaded with 'chorus' effect.
    Thus you can now hear it struggling to resonate with the strings...but it never does.
    I think the original release(Beautiful Noise) must have had massive limiting to hide the disharmony.
    If its an upgrade...it's not as drastic as we've heard with other artists.
     
  25. RoyalScam

    RoyalScam Luckless Pedestrian

    In My Lifetime was good enough for me, track list and sound-wise.
     
    g.z., Matthew Tate and Pelvis Ressley like this.
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