Artists/bands that were once quite popular, yet nowadays are mostly ignored in canonical history books

the chorus is particularly good imo

obviously I'm familiar with the songs written for other artists F. Hazel mentioned...

I’m A Believer was written for the Monkees, the others are covers of songs Diamond recorded himself

Ah, okay. Well, "I'm a Believer" obviously is awesome, but I dunno if being responsible for a creepy grooming anthem like "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" is a big merit...

Deep Purple also covered "Kentucky Woman".

I do feel like most people in the US bellowing along to "Sweet Caroline" probably couldn't name/don't care about the other hits?

Although, here in the Twin Cities, Martin Zellar of The Geardaddies used to do (maybe still does) a Neil Diamond tribute show that used to pack 'em in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoYfgFfh1c0

Neil Diamond was all over "adult contemporary"/"soft rock" radio in the 70s/80s (along with aforementioned Dan Fogelburp, Juice Newton, Streisand, Mandrell, Barry Manilow etc.) My mom had that shit on all the time.

and then he had his big soundtrack moments - "Coming to America", that ET song

Sweet Caroline is by far his most popular song on Spotify (214 million) but Forever in Blue Jeans (26,193,639) and Cracklin' Rosie (26,554,366) are pretty big too.

In addition to Crystal Gayle (who I agree was ubiquitous at a certain point, the Solid Gold era?)I am here to nominate JUICE NEWTON, also of that era.

In spite of her fun and occasionally bombastic hits Angel of the Morning, Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me, Queen of Hearts, Heart of the Night -- where is Juice Newton?

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, October 29, 2019 1:44 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Also, like Crystal Gayle, she had suuuuuper long abundant hair

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, October 29, 2019 1:44 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

OMG, when I was like 4 or 5 years old I was obsessed with both Solid Gold and Crystal Gale. I think I had a slight crush on her because she looks a little like my mom.

Diamonds "America" was Michael Dukakis' theme song lol

xps

the saddest of boners
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Hot_august_night.jpg

one time i saw ween and a neil diamond show was going on in the adjacent arena. that's all i have to say other than that the post-show exodus was interesting

xpost--in fact Johnny Cash used it for an album title American Recordings III: Solitary Man

― Muswell Hillbilly Elegy (President Keyes), Tuesday, October 29, 2019 5:46 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Oh this has reminded me that Diamond did a couple of Rick Rubin-produced albums of his own in the 2000s and from what I can remember they were pretty heavily promoted as a big, serious comeback. Radio 2 played the single ('Pretty Amazing Grace') from the second one a lot, it wasn't a hit but the album made #1.

Jeez, such hate.

Y'all need to turn on your heart light.

this Rolling Stone review of Tap Root Manuscript is uh worth reading:

Side Two is the Artistry, open to question. This is The African Trilogy (a folk ballet). It's a varied and ambitious work. Here is the written introduction:

"When rhythm and blues lost its sensuality for me I fell in love with a woman named gospel. We met secretly in the churches of Harlem and made love at revival meetings in Mississippi.

"And loving her as I did. I found a great yearning to know her roots. And I found them. And they were in Africa. And they left me breathless.

"The African triology is an attempt to convey my passion for the folk music of that black continent."

I know you're laughing. The strange thing is, it's not that bad a piece of music. It's certainly far less pretentious than its introduction. The worst of it has been identified as: "wimoweh" off-key, the "Missa Luba" by Doc Severinsen, or the sound track to Elephant Walk. In its better parts, though, it's quite charming children's chorus, interpretations of African music and the like. The only trouble is, I haven't any idea who would want to listen to it. Certainly not the audience he has. No one interested in African ballet. Freaks leave the room when it's on. But then again the Moody Blues got rich off stuff that's sillier than this. If somebody gives you a copy, listen to it, but I wouldn't recommend your blowing your dope money on it.

(with extra Moody Blues reference!)

Hate for?

Neil Diamond is well loved still, I don't see much hate here either.

xp

I wish to made it known for the record that I hate Neil Diamond

I don't hate him, he has a great voice and a handful of great songs. I don't really love him either though, I mean he isn't really worth taking seriously. He is seriously weird/fascinating though.

'Seriously weird/fascinating' is worth taking him seriously imo. He's got a lot of deep cuts, too. This might be a geographical diff as well, where Sweet Caroline still blasts in baseball stadium USA-wide, but you'd be surprised how many people o'er here own a copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, to name but one.

I found more than enough oddities in his seventies catalog to assemble a playlist, and the 2005 Rubin-produced album, it pains me to say, is rather good.

guys, remember this album?

i was working at tower records at the time and had to hear it in the store at least twice daily.

xpost to alfred!

i though it was horrible, but i'm biased because neil diamond is thoroughly terrible.

I don't like Neil Diamond, but I recognize that he's good at what he does.

My nominee for this thread is Tom Jones. Big hits once upon a time, had a kitsch moment in the 90s, now forgotten, and/but the three albums he did in the 2010s are fucking great. Rubin-esque (one is all gospel songs) without Rubin.

what about paul anka? he's one of those guys, isn't he?

Tom Jones is minor royalty in the UK, probably not so much in the US though

Ha, there is a street named after Paul Anka in Ottawa. He definitely gets covered in any history of pop music in Canada.

lol my first exposure to Tom Jones was his cover of Prince's "Kiss" with Art of Noise

In the 60s/70s Neil Diamond had classic pop songs just falling out of his pockets as he walked down the street.

Yeah, come on, Jewish Elvis does not belong in this thread.

The The - quite popular + VERY critically acclaimed - nowadays i'm not sure many people listen and the press certainly aren't interested.
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz),

see recent(ish) massive sell out UK gigs etc.
UK press were very interested, however, Matt hates playing the media game.
can i suggest that Dire Straits be added to this thread ?
massively popular across the planet, and yet, very little love for them these days.

lol waht have you heard a War on Drugs record

Neil Diamond Is Undeniably The Greatest Showman Of All Time. “Soolaimón” is one of Neil’s most unforgettable tracks. It has stood the test of time and still continues to be among his greatest hits. It was a staple in most of his concerts or any live performance. In fact, he would often sing it for the opening.

https://societyofrock.com/neil-diamond-soolaimon-live-2/

Well, thanks thread for getting me to listen to "Soolaimon" for the first time since probably junior high school.

re Dire Straits/War on Drugs : no, but from what i have read here, touche.
that said, the source band have not been given any real love.

xpost.

Tom Jones has always been both huge and kitsch

one time i saw ween and a neil diamond show was going on in the adjacent arena. that's all i have to say other than that the post-show exodus was interesting

Neil Diamond would be a good opener for Ween tbh

and Freeman for Diamond!

King Diamond > Neil Diamond

you'd be surprised how many people o'er here own a copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, to name but one.
― Le Bateau Ivre, dinsdag 29 oktober 2019 21:15

+1 for growing up in Dutch households with the Jonathan Livingston Seagull soundtrack. Also, Beautiful Noise.

I have professed my love of “Longfellow Serenade” on this board more than once, but it’s taken me until now to realize he should have named the song “Sad Boner Symphony”. Kudos, bendy!

did you guys know that Asia's self-titled debut sold 4 million copies in the United States alone and around 10 million worldwide?

i actually have a copy here, given to me by a friend. happy birthday i guess.

Lindisfarne were, very briefly, the biggest-selling band in Britain, but I only know of them from Paul Gascoigne's cover of "Fog on the Tyne", which got to number two back in October 1990.

The entire folk-rock movement that followed, with bands like Steeleye Span and Renaissance etc, died a death, and I don't think I've ever read a long-form article on the subject. It didn't seem to be restricted to rock music - Jon Pertwee's Doctor Who adventure "The Daemons" was broadcast in 1971 and has people dancing around a maypole, and of course The Wicker Man came out in 1973. Why did British people in the early 1970s suddenly develop an interest in folk music? Future shock, economic malaise, nostalgia, or what?

Also, and this is more vague, there's a certain kind of boogie-woogie blues sound that was prevalent in British rock music in the 1970s but largely killed off by punk and synthpop. You know how Thin Lizzy sounds bluesy, but Depeche Mode doesn't? I don't know enough about music theory to write about the difference, but there's a lot of 1970s rock music that just sounds millions of years old to my ears.

blues as a genre has had a tough go of it over the past couple decades. there was a period where there'd be some new post-SRV guitar heroes, or young acoustic blues guys, or a crop of old-school west side blues-style players who'd make a comeback, but it seems pretty dead these days at least beyond the local scenes. I know some blues guys in Chicago who make a very good living playing around town but anything bluesy seems to be DOA.

i still hear elements of blues in some music...i mean obviously it's not gone. it's just so diminished. wouldn't be surprised if 25 yrs later From the Cradle is still one of the top selling current blues albums out there.

lol my first exposure to Tom Jones was his cover of Prince's "Kiss" with Art of Noise

― Οὖτις, Tuesday, October 29, 2019 4:51 PM

same

"rap music that reminds me of the blues" is very popular still, and talking about it in the abstract critically approved although I also suspect a lot of the bluesier rap (yfn lucci, durk, roddy ricch, lil baby) is more tolerated by critics than listened to

Wait war on drugs sound like dire straits??? Do they have sweet solos? The stuff I heard sounded like Born In The USA or maybe Brothers In Arms if, like, it was made by non-virtuosos

i guess you could say post malone is pretty eric clapton-ish in this way xp

The entire folk-rock movement that followed, with bands like Steeleye Span and Renaissance etc, died a death, and I don't think I've ever read a long-form article on the subject. It didn't seem to be restricted to rock music - Jon Pertwee's Doctor Who adventure "The Daemons" was broadcast in 1971 and has people dancing around a maypole, and of course The Wicker Man came out in 1973. Why did British people in the early 1970s suddenly develop an interest in folk music? Future shock, economic malaise, nostalgia, or what?

Former Wire editor Rob Young wrote an excellent book on this subject, Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music, in 2011.

War On Drugs sound like Dire Straits because the hivemind has decided they do, it's an easy reference. They don't actually sound like Dire Straits.

War on Drugs sound marvelous at the Argentine churrascaria I frequent.