Neil Diamond: Greatest Hits Live

As a long standing fan of Neil Diamond, I could be accused of a certain bias in my review, however, I must say these are not his best performances of these classic songs, of course it would be churlish to suggest that Neil Diamond has short changed anyone, but if you have ever attending one of his big arena shows, you will understand what I mean, all the major hits are here, sung with a sincerity as only Neil can, but what is lacking is the electric atmosphere of a full blown concert, given that this set was recorded in front of a select audience, it doesn't have any of the impulsiveness one gets from an excited and enthusiastic crowd, all that said, it is worth investing in, if only to see a master Tunesmith at work.

I had heard several times that Neil Diamond was a fabulous performer, one of the best of his generation and a big reason his concerts were immensely. That inspired me to get this VHS, but I didn't find him anything special. I guess he's someone who appeals a lot more to women. They seemed to go nuts over him, really getting into his songs as one can see on this concert tape.

Actually, after awhile the women are annoying to watch, being a little over-dramatic in the audience. That's nothing new. They did it back in Frank Sinatra's heyday, and with Elvis and then the Beatles, etc.

Anyway, I have no complaints about the music. I've always liked most of Diamond's numbers and he does them justice in this concert filmed at the Aquarius Theatre in Los Angeles, Ca., in 1988. Most of the songs in this are solid, but I'd rather listen to him and see all the stupid women making fools of themselves in the audience.