Sequinned stadium star Neil Diamond is brought back to life with 12 Songs, Battles explode drone rock soundscapes, free jazz and electronica on their debut, Dilated Peoples have produced a solid fourth album and Liars' Drum's Not Dead is a bit of a shock... Neil Diamond: 12 Songs **** Having brought Johnny Cash a new audience with the remarkable American Recordings, producer Rick Rubin pulls off another extraordinary rehabilitation, this time with sequinned stadium star Neil Diamond. As a title, 12 Songs stands as a manifesto: a dozen beautifully calibrated acoustic tracks whose understated character places the emphasis firmly...

Wenn Neil Diamond nichts weiter hinterlassen w?rde als diese 12 Songs (in Wahrheit sind es 13 ? wg. der Bonus-Tracks), w?re ihm trotzdem ein Ehrenplatz im Olymp der Singer/Songwriter sicher - soviel gleich vorab! Denn die ausnahmslos neuen Songs, vor allem aber ihre anr?hrende Umsetzung geh?ren zum Besten, was der mittlerweile 65j?hrige in 40 Jahren geschaffen hat. Produzent Rick Rubin, der schon bei Johnny Cashs legend?ren Alterswerken Regie f?hrte, folgt bei Neil Diamond dem selben Konzept: weniger ist mehr, spiel die Gitarre selber, lass deine Stimme, lass den Song f?r sich sprechen, halte dich beim Arrangement ganz zur?ck, aber achte...

Pop, jazz and world releases Sunday February 19, 2006 The Observer Neil Diamond 12 Songs (Columbia) Out of fashion for as long as some adults have been alive, Neil Diamond is the latest erstwhile icon given a reboot by producer Rick Rubin, most famous for the kiss of life he gave to Johnny Cash's career. His role lies in mentoring and stripping back. Diamond plays unembellished guitar; there is an unobtrusive backing band and, here and there, Benmont Tench's piano. Now in his sixties, Diamond can muster some of the same gravitas that made Cash's latterday works so resonant. His sings songs like 'Hell Yeah' or 'I'm on to You' s...

NEW ALBUMS NEIL DIAMOND 12 Songs Everyone loves a comeback, particularly by someone long thought to be a spent force. Neil Diamond began his early career as one of the Brill Building songwriters knocking out tunes for The Monkees and others. As a solo performer in the '70s and '80s, courtesy of glutinous concept albums like Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, he became the jewel in the crown of MOR kitsch. His hands-on-crotch stance on the cover of the Hot August Night live album provided hours of titter-filled amusement for schoolboys with a spare felt tip pen and mischievous minds. Now, America has gone head over heels about...

Neil Diamond 12 Songs BMG If rehab can turn a rock star into a functional human being, then it has to be a good thing. None of us is happy about living in a world where Pete Doherty never phones his mum and his teeth are eroding faster than Dover. But whether a successful spell in rehab increases the sum total of great art is another matter. Given the amount of rubbish that rock's Hall of Famers turn out year after year, it's a miracle that no one has stumped up the cash for an artistic rehab centre. It would be a place where, say, Van Morrison can check in and a kindly nurse takes him track by track through Ve...

What do Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC and Red Hot Chili Peppers have in common? Rick Rubin produced their best work By Barry Didcock FOR a long time, the only Rubin in Neil Diamond's address book was Eddie Rubin, a member of his backing band in the late 1960s. Not any more. Joining Eddie is Diamond's new best friend, Rick Rubin - a semi-reclusive millionaire who hides behind a wild beard and a pair of sunglasses but whose musical vision and Midas-fingered production skills have just given the singer his most successful album in decades. It's called 12 Songs and it was released in America to immedi...

Neil Diamond: 12 Songs ROCK & POP REVIEW FIONA SHEPHERD NEIL DIAMOND: 12 SONGS **** COLUMBIA, ?12.99 THIS modest little collection is Neil Diamond's first new studio album in four years. But it might as well be his first new album in 40 years from the expectation attached to the project. That's because 12 Songs is touched by the hand of Rick Rubin, the fabulously hirsute Def Jam label owner and producer who, after years of working with rock bands and hip-hop acts, urged Johnny Cash to make career-best work in the last decade of his life. The magic of the American Recordings series was all Cash, but Rubin was clearly the catalyst...

A fencing primer By Robb Luehr Fencing is one of the oldest sports in the world. It was contested during the ancient Olympic Games in Greece and is one of just four sports to be included in every modern Olympics since they began in 1896. Here is some basic information about fencing competition, and some interesting facts about fencing: PLAYING FIELD: The "piste (French)," where a fencing bout is contested, is a 2-meter by 14-meter strip. It duplicates combat in a confined area, such as a hallway. WEAPONS: There are three weapons used in fencing: The foil, a flexible, rectangular blade about three feet long; epee, which is short...

Leonard Cohen and Neil Diamond: separated at birth? By Kevin Chong The songs of Leonard Cohen,which include such classics as Suzanne, Who By Fire and Hallelujah; are widely cherished and celebrated, his lyrics justly praised for their sardonic wit and finely wrought scenes of ecstasy and torment. At a ceremony in Toronto on Feb. 5, the 71-year-old artist will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. To understand his staying power as a songwriter (rather than as a poet or novelist), one must compare Cohen to that of another iconic singer-songwriter of Jewish background who came to prominence in the 1960s and is current...

Forgive me if I pass on watching the Winter Olympics. The whole thing seems a bit cheesy to me. Cheesy, dull and bizarre. Have you seen a list of some of these "events"? Most of what takes place in the Winter Olympics hardly qualifies as a sport in my book. Aside from hockey, which has been stripped of its charm since the inclusion of professional athletes (I would much rather watch guys from the University of Minnesota and Maine take on the dreaded Red Machine), what qualifies as a sport and how one qualifies to participate in said sport is truly annoying to me. LUGE: OK, I must admit I have never tried to Luge, but I am pretty su...

Neil Diamond has brought the world so many hits, such as "Cherry Cherry," "Sweet Caroline" and "Song Sung Blue." Now the Grammy Award-winning songwriter is celebrating the release of his new studio album called "12 Songs," and it has received rave reviews from the top critics in the music industry. On The Early Show, in addition to performing two songs from the new album, Diamond chatted with Dave Price, who pointed out that "12 Songs" is very different from what Diamond has done for much of his career. "It's true," said Diamond. "We really have come back to basics with this and have tried to bring it down to just the heart of the ...

Neil Diamond, 12 Songs The veteran singer-songwriter can offer more than sentimental pop songs. Just ask Rick Rubin, writes Chris Campion Sunday January 22, 2006 Neil Diamond was the most successful solo touring artist of the Nineties and has a following that grows ever more fanatical with age. But up until now he is the last person one would describe as hip or cool. The buzz around 12 Songs centres on the involvement of Rick Rubin, the only producer whose oeuvre takes in acts as varied as System of a Down, Jay-Z and Johnny Cash and who can lend multi-million selling albums his own cachet of hip credibility. It's imposs...

'Delirious Love' - NEIL DIAMOND During his nearly 40-year career, Neil Diamond has become legendary, and beloved, for his big, booming baritone, melodramatic production and over-the-top stage presence. But on his latest album, '12 Songs,' Diamond tones it down and his voice takes center stage. First single 'Delirious Love' is a delightfully feisty romp. On the album, it is simply Diamond and his guitar, but a revamped version, which appears on the special Digipak edition, features Brian Wilson. Diamond`s performance is stellar, and Wilson`s backing vocals add some much-needed melodic flair that turns the tune into a formidable toe-...

Sony recalls copy-protected CDs Neil Diamond's latest album sold well despite the XCP row Sony BMG is recalling music CDs that use controversial anti-piracy software. The software was widely criticised because it used virus-like techniques to stop illegal copies being made. Widespread pressure has made the music giant remove CDs bearing the software from stores. It will also swap bought CDs for copies free of the XCP anti-piracy software. Sony is also providing software to make it easy to remove the controversial program from Windows computers. Swap shop Sony's music arm could be recalling millions of CDs becaus...

Stockton council fires city manager Action follows revelation of possible $400,000 loss on Neil Diamond concert By Cheryl Winkelman, STAFF WRITER STOCKTON — City Manager Mark Lewis was fired by the Stockton City Council Tuesday, just days after it was announced a pricey Neil Diamond concert he authorized could mean a $400,000 loss for the city. Along with city staff and the International Facility Group, the company that manages the arena, Lewis arranged for Diamond to be paid a $1 million fee for performing what would be the first concert in the new Stockton Arena. The concert, one piece of the downtown revitalization pl...

VERLAINE SLAMS SWEET CAROLINE CROONER TELEVISION vocalist TOM VERLAINE has blasted fellow singer NEIL DIAMOND'S ability to carry a tune. The MARQUEE MOON rocker ranks the veteran singer/songwriter among the top five singers he "can't bear to hear" - with his own vocals following close behind at number six. The 56-year-old says, "Neil (Diamond) is a much worse singer than me, and I'm right up there with the worst. "I'll tell you who the most underrated singer is: TODD RUNDGREN. He's astonishing."

Arts & Culture Not Your Mother's Neil Diamond MUSIC By David Kaufmann January 20, 2006 Stop me if you've heard this one before: A hip and really hot music producer seeks out an old and established artist — perhaps a bit past his prime — and talks him into working on an album. The point of the collaboration is to emphasize the singer's craft and the song itself, and so everything is stripped down to the merely essential — acoustic instruments, some organ fills, some simple piano licks and not all that much more. And wouldn't you know, it works! The star is not resurrected—he is reborn. A new generation hears this old-timer singing ne...

STOCKTON, Calif. Stockton's city manager was fired tonight, following a report that a weekend Neil Diamond concert cost taxpayers nearly 400-thousand dollars. The city council voted 6-to-1 in a closed emergency meeting to fire Mark Lewis. Mayor Ed Chavez cited complaints about Lewis spending money without council approval and his contentious relationship with the press, among other things. Supporters, however, credited Lewis with revitalizing the city with projects such as building the Stockton Arena and Ballpark. Lewis came under fire in recent weeks after he revealed that the city spent one (m) million dollars in public funds...

Stockton's loss put at $400,000 as $1 million goes to Neil Diamond. By Anne Gonzales -- Bee Correspondent The city of Stockton may lose almost $400,000 on the first concert held in its new arena, a controversial booking of a Neil Diamond concert on Sunday. Vice Mayor Gary Giovanetti said the city rushed the concert plans and has "learned from its mistakes." The city hopes to provide a public accounting in five to 10 days, he said. The city paid $1 million in public funds for the entertainer, and at first refused to disclose the cost. Then, ticket prices were slashed to stimulate sales, upsetting some fans who had bought the h...

Ian Hill Record Staff Writer Published Tuesday, Jan 17, 2006 STOCKTON - Neil Diamond fans were thrilled with the singer-songwriter's performance Sunday night at the new Stockton Arena, despite complaints about the location of seats, a lack of handicapped parking and the cost of tickets. More than 8,000 fans attended the concert, the first at the arena. Some were upset that they bought tickets in December for $67.75 to $152.75, excluding fees, only to watch the arena sell seats last week for $22.25 each. But some music-industry experts, such as Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief of the trade magazine Pollstar, say fans shoul...

If you didn't know something special was going on in downtown Stockton on Sunday night, the lack of parking spaces, throngs of people and four circulating spotlights in the sky over the Stockton Arena might have given it away. Decked out in black with just a touch of red sequins, Neil Diamond appeared almost magically at 8:30 on the dot after his band, piece by piece, and back-up singers rose from under the stage. He went on to belt out more than 25 hits to a sold-out crowd. Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond belts out a song in front of nearly 10,000 people Sunday night at the Stockton Arena. (Jerry R. Tyson/News-Sentinel)Af...

Local mom, daughter experience 'Oprah' By The Daily News editorial board - Short Takes for Monday, Jan. 16 Today's "Oprah Winfrey Show" will have a Montcalm County flavor. Maybe. On Thursday, Greenville's Janie Petersen and her daughter, Kim Kuhn of Stanton, attended a taping of the popular talk show host's television show in Chicago. Guests included actor Samuel L. Jackson and singer Neil Diamond. The show is scheduled for broadcast today. The two aren't sure if they'll be on camera. Once when the audience was bidding on a Neil Diamond costume for charity a woman sitting in front of the pair bid $1,500 and they may have been inc...

It's show time Neil Diamond breaks in the stage at Stockton Arena BRIAN MCCOY Record Staff Writer Published Monday, Jan 16, 2006 Six weeks of anticipation ended Sunday as thousands turned out for Neil Diamond’s concert at Stockton Arena. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Credit: MICHAEL MCCOLLUM/The Record STOCKTON - Neil Diamond's career highlights - rather than the high cost of bringing him here - took center stage Sunday as the veteran performer headlined the Stockton Arena's first concert. A week of controversy surrounding what the city paid Diamond ($1 million) and ...

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10 Questions for Dave Barry By JEFF CHU SUBSCRIBE TO TIMEPRINTE-MAILMORE BY AUTHOR Posted Sunday, Jan. 08, 2006 Pulitzer-prizewinning humorist Dave Barry, 58, may have stopped writing his weekly column a year ago, but he managed to scrounge together some thoughts for his 27th book, out next week, Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Like: Why Is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar? He spoke with TIME's Jeff Chu on Neil Diamond, the state of newspapers and his own endless run for the presidency. WHY FOCUS ON MONEY? There seem to be thousands of books out there about money, and I am basically trying to viciously mock them. They don't seem to d...

Solitary man? Getting to the heart of Neil Diamond BY MATT ASHARE It's easy to forget just how hard it's been to pin down Neil Diamond over the years. If Rick Rubin is to be believed, it took close to a decade just to get Diamond to agree to collaborate on the American Recordings-style project that finally bore fruit with 12 Songs (American/Columbia) debuting at the four spot on the Billboard chart back in November. But Diamond was an elusive figure in the pop world long before Rubin came along. He's known as a songwriter's songwriter, a product of the Brill Building who was on hand for the birth of rock and roll. But unlike his Bril...

Neil Diamond 12 Songs by Gretchen Scott Ever since Quentin Tarantino used Urge Overkill's cover of 'Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon' in Pulp Fiction, hipsters have thought it's funny to like Neil Diamond. He's a punch line, and between the sparkly shirts, bombastic vocal delivery and grandiose, arm-swinging live act, he set up the joke himself. That's why his latest album, 12 Songs, is such a moving record - he's conscious of his maligned persona and he knows he has nothing to lose. The result? Surprisingly vulnerable, restrained songwriting stripped of the pomp and circumstance. Much of the credit has been given t...

50 things for winter 2006 39. Neil Diamond's reinvention Time was when cosy singer-songwriters like Neil Diamond dwelt beyond the pale, somewhere at the very back of your parents' record collection. Nowadays, it's all the rage to redeem these pillars of the naff establishment for a new generation. Hirsute producer Rick Rubin redefined the late Johnny Cash by giving him a clutch of contemporary rock songs; on 12 Songs, Rubin gets Diamond to reconnect with his most unadorned instincts and produce a set of spare songs that are his best in 30 years.KE

Stockton secretive over cost of show City says deal with Diamond is confidential DAVID SIDERS Record Staff Writer Published Wednesday, Jan 4, 2006 STOCKTON - City Hall won't say how much it spent booking crooner Neil Diamond at the Stockton Arena, claiming the agreement behind the Jan. 15 gala is a secret. A taxpayer advocate and experts in public-records laws said the secret deal is illegal. "At the end of the day, this is public money," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. ::: Advertisement ::: City Manager Mark Lewis and Vice Mayor Gary Giovanetti said Tuesday that indu...

Bertie's pop picks ring in new year and election campaign He was raised on his mother's lap listening to How Much is that Doggy in the Window?, did his Leaving Cert to the strains of Sweet Caroline and never missed an edition of Top of the Pops in the days when it was broadcast on Thursdays, writes Paul Cullen Welcome to the world of Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach and top pop picker. Fresh from his New Year's Eve review of the sporting year on Setanta television, Bertie was on RTÉ's radio arts show Rattlebag yesterday running through his favourite tunes. Who says the election campaign hasn't started? His first music ...

ON A STICKER that adorns the front cover of this, Neil Diamond's first album in five years, the credit "Produced by Rick Rubin" is as prominent as the one for Diamond himself. But then, Diamond hasn't made a decent album since Beautiful Noise back in 1976, while Rubin's seemingly mercurial talents have made him one of modern music's pivotal figures. Much of Rubin's current renown stems from his work with Johnny Cash. As the '90s dawned, the veteran country singer was washed up and in ailing health. Over the course of four albums, between 1994 and 2002, Rubin coaxed the last drops of magic from him. In doing so, he revived Cash's career...