The Essential Neil Diamond | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | December 4, 2001 | |||
Recorded | February, 1966 – October 28, 2001 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 141:09 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Compiler | Neil Diamond, Al Quaglieri | |||
Neil Diamond chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Essential Neil Diamond is a two-disc compilation album by Neil Diamond. It was released by Sony Music in 2001.
Diamond and his collaborator Al Quaglieri personally chose the 38 tracks that appeared in the collection. Nine selections were from Diamond's early period with Bang Records (1966–68) while 14 were from his Columbia years, which began in 1973. The Bang recordings are now owned by Sony, Columbia's parent company. For the five top ten hits that Diamond record for Uni Records (1968–73) Columbia leased the right for their appearance on this collection. Ten recordings that were used for the album were not the original studio recordings but live renditions from concerts.[2] "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", Diamond's 1978 duet with Streisand is included in The Essential Barbra Streisand as well as this compilation.[3] The Essential Neil Diamond reached number 90 on the Billboard 200 chart and was awarded double platinum status by the RIAA on March 3, 2016.[4][5]
In 2009, Columbia issued an expanded version of the album entitled The Essential Neil Diamond 3.0 which featured the original two discs and a bonus third disc containing eight more selections.[6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Solitary Man" | Neil Diamond | 2:32 |
2. | "Cherry, Cherry" | Neil Diamond | 2:42 |
3. | "I Got the Feelin' (Oh No, No)" | Neil Diamond | 2:13 |
4. | "Kentucky Woman" | Neil Diamond | 2:26 |
5. | "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" | Neil Diamond | 2:55 |
6. | "You Got to Me" | Neil Diamond | 2:48 |
7. | "Red Red Wine" | Neil Diamond | 2:41 |
8. | "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" | Neil Diamond | 3:00 |
9. | "I'm a Believer" | Neil Diamond | 2:43 |
10. | "Sweet Caroline" | Neil Diamond | 3:21 |
11. | "Song Sung Blue" | Neil Diamond | 3:13 |
12. | "Holly Holy" | Neil Diamond | 4:30 |
13. | "I Am... I Said" | Neil Diamond | 3:33 |
14. | "Cracklin' Rosie" | [Neil Diamond] | 2:59 |
15. | "Play Me" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 4:21 |
16. | "Morningside" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 5:25 |
17. | "Crunchy Granola Suite" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 4:05 |
18. | "Brooklyn Roads" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 5:29 |
19. | "Soolaimon" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 5:06 |
Total length: | 1:06:02 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "America" | Neil Diamond | 4:19 |
2. | "Hello Again" | Neil Diamond, Alan Lindgren | 3:39 |
3. | "Love on the Rocks" | Gilbert Bécaud, Neil Diamond | 3:40 |
4. | "Captain Sunshine" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 3:20 |
5. | "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (live recording) | Bob Russell, Bobby Scott | 3:46 |
6. | "Yes I Will " / "Lady Magdalene" (live recording; medley) | Neil Diamond | 7:01 |
7. | "Shilo" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 3:57 |
8. | "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 5:02 |
9. | "If You Know What I Mean" | Neil Diamond | 3:43 |
10. | "Beautiful Noise" | Neil Diamond | 3:26 |
11. | "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" | Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Neil Diamond | 3:16 |
12. | "Desiree" | Neil Diamond | 3:17 |
13. | "Forever in Blue Jeans" | Richard Bennett, Neil Diamond | 3:39 |
14. | "September Morn" | Gilbert Bécaud, Neil Diamond | 3:52 |
15. | "I've Been This Way Before" | Neil Diamond | 3:48 |
16. | "Yesterday's Songs" | Neil Diamond | 2:51 |
17. | "Heartlight" | Burt Bacharach, Neil Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager | 4:26 |
18. | "Headed for the Future" | Neil Diamond, Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren | 4:06 |
19. | "You Are the Best Part of Me" | Neil Diamond | 3:59 |
Total length: | 1:15:07 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Boat That I Row" | Neil Diamond | 2:41 |
2. | "Do It" | Neil Diamond | 1:53 |
3. | "Longfellow Serenade" | Neil Diamond | 3:51 |
4. | "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 4:10 |
5. | "Done Too Soon" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 2:53 |
6. | "Glory Road" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 3:37 |
7. | "Pretty Amazing Grace" (live recording) | Neil Diamond | 3:29 |
8. | "Hell Yeah" | Neil Diamond | 4:33 |
Total length: | 27:07 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[7] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[8] | 3× Platinum | 45,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[10] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |