How do you feel about Neil Diamond's “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Pizza, Sep 16, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. bloodlemons

    bloodlemons Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grit City, USA
    Yeah... We're not all best friends 43 years out. Almost none of that has anything to do with JLS, tho.
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  2. Socalguy

    Socalguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    What Roger Ebert said about the movie applies equally to this steaming heap of Muzak: “... the biggest pseudocultural, would-be metaphysical ripoff of the year.”
     
    S. P. Honeybunch likes this.
  3. g.z.

    g.z. Senior Member


    Do you guys like any of Neil's other musical offerings?
     
    Folknik likes this.
  4. ponkine

    ponkine Senior Member

    Location:
    Villarrica, Chile
    And you have Billy Fury avatar. That poor attempt at British Elvis ...
     
  5. sherrill50

    sherrill50 Well-adapted Melomaniac

    Location:
    Mukilteo, WA
    I love Lee Holdridge's score arrangements, but Neil's songs themselves really were the beginning of the end.
     
  6. JamieC

    JamieC Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit Mi USA
    Yes. Early stuff and Uni/MCA. While he did a few good songs after I consider this his "shark jump" moment. He left Brooklyn Roads and Glory Road for the schlocky road. But he made my mom hum.
     
    Jarleboy, Buddybud, BZync and 2 others like this.
  7. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    The two ND albums that followed, Serenade and Beautiful Noise, are among my favorites.

    And let's not forget the 15 minute Jonathan suite on side 4 of Love at the Greek
     
  8. g.z.

    g.z. Senior Member

    That's cool. People have a point where they jump ship with an artist.
    Just throwing out the question. Love Brooklyn Roads; one of his best songs ever.:)

    Neil made a lot of moms hum. Including mine.
     
  9. DirkM

    DirkM Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA, USA
    It's really not a bad album; it's quite pleasant, actually, and although nothing really stands out to me, it doesn't have any of the outright clunkers that litter his other albums. For what it's worth, I enjoy most of Neil's early output (I absolutely treasure the Play Me: The Complete UNI Recordings set), and he only started to lose me after Beautiful Noise (well, technically Serenade is the first album of his that I really dislike, but it wasn't until I looked it up just now that I realized that it came before BN).

    Still, I think that most of his post-Beautiful Noise albums still have at least a track or two worth listening to (Save Me is a particular favourite), and of course, 12 Songs is rightly considered a return-to-form of sorts (Melody Road ain't half-bad either).
     
    Jarleboy and g.z. like this.
  10. sunking101

    sunking101 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, England
    I'm a massive Diamond fan, have all his albums and find the mid to later ones very hit & miss. This one is a huge miss to me. It gets fabulous reviews and is supposed to be up there with his best work....but nah, not for me.
     
  11. BlackCircleVinyl

    BlackCircleVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    South NZ
    My Dad played the heck out of this LP for most of my childhood on a cheap "all in one" stereo system. I just pushed play on Spotify.... didn't make it past 1 minute in. Even it it could be a great album it's one I could never listen to again. I can see why my dad loved it tho. it's M.O.R hum along half drunk friendly.
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  12. Pretentious but I enjoyed a lot more than the movie. It’s got some nice music on it
     
    g.z. likes this.
  13. Perhaps you need to conceive... of something to enjoy it
     
  14. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    The darn thing is a Doug Sax cut from The Mastering Lab in Los Angeles.

    What that means is that it's totally unlikely that the CBS Mastersound 1/2 Speed Mastered Audiophile release is likely to top an original.

    Colombia by the way knew that they had an evergreen title on their hands, as this one has always gotten a special reissue on any new format flavor right off the bat.

    Found a stone mint copy for $1.00 with die cut cover and it does sound wonderful. But I am missing the booklet. This is very discouraging and could cause slight difficulty getting to sleep if I don't soon find a booklet to match with my minty set.

    What's in this thin booklet I am missing anyway?
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2018
    g.z. likes this.
  15. Manapua

    Manapua Forum Resident

    Location:
    Honolulu
    I'm a big Diamond fan up to around '78. This one is far from his best but has some lovely melodies and Catalano and Holdridge do their usual classy job. Now if they would just put the 45 version of Skybird as a bonus.
     
    g.z. likes this.
  16. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    I'm a fan but thought it was some of his less substantial work.
     
  17. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    Beautiful Noise is like Blonde on Blonde compared to this.
     
    quicksrt likes this.
  18. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I did too until I realized the kind of sales it generated. Big hit album commercially.
     
  19. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    One thing I like about the booklet is that it has a list of the musicians (a whole page of L.A. studio veterans). Aside from that, it has the lyrics and some photos. You won't have a hard time finding another copy with the booklet.
     
  20. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    What was odd is that I grabbed the LP from one copy and then the cover from another at a thrift store. Neither had the booklet. I was most interested in perfect vinyl and a wear free cover. Yes booklet will be seen in next copy found - like during next thrift store run. I'll get the next one I find that looks crisp and unhandled.
     
  21. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Tap Root Manuscript is a wonderfully realized album, great sound and adventurous production.
     
  22. Ignatius

    Ignatius Forum Resident

    I remember a contemporary comedian doing riffing on a guy's out-of-date seventies suit, "his lapels spread wide like the wings of Jonathan Livingston Seagull"
     
    S. P. Honeybunch likes this.
  23. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    Personally, I'm a big fan of the seagull.

    Rock on Jonathan...

    ;)
     
  24. BILLONEEG

    BILLONEEG Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" may be Neil Diamond's weakest albums & that's OK. He's written & recorded so much great stuff during his career so it's only natural that eventually he'd do a weak album to get it out of his system. One of the albums that followed "JLS" was "Beautiful Noise" & I thoroughly enjoyed that one from beginning to end. I'm glad that Neil did "JLS". I enjoyed listening to it when I was a kid & I really like the song "Be". I still do & include it on my playlist when I travel. Neil Diamond is one of our incredible writers of music & a great entertainer. We are all so lucky to have his classics to enjoy & appreciate. We should appreciate his music from the side roads as well because they helped him stay on track for a long & great recording career. My opinion.
     
  25. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Mean and nasty jokes about someone's appearance or clothes is not nice. We should not encourage or laugh at that.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine