I've always liked A Lovelorn Balladeer

I feel that at certain times quite a lot of this life's worries can be soothed by Neil Diamond's 12 Songs alboom. Of course I ken I'm 35 and not 65 but this record has a certain something going on which is quite majestic. It is a Neil Diamond record, he's not suddenly discovered a Merzbow element to his oeuvre, but it's all the better for that. Old Rubin manages to de-flab the arrangements and tone down some of the big sequin action he's become well kent for and what's left is a nice voice and plenty of crisp pure instrumentation- a great deal like the job he did wi' Johnny Cash in fact. Seeing as I'm an imbecile who doesn't know how to wire up his decent speakers I'm having to listen to it through crappy PC affairs but it still sounds great. If only a' thae fringey boys frae the west end o' Glasgow could hear me now. "You mean he doesn't listen to Orange Juice?" etc etc..fuckin' Orange Juice, I mean really...