The Best Of from
Universal UK was originally released in 1996 on
MCA as
The Best of Neil Diamond, and as far as "greatest-hits" collections go, it's in the upper echelon. There are no insufferable stretches of mid-'80s material like
"Heartlight" or
"Headed for the Future"; rather, the compilers chose to focus on the
pop/rock legend's prolific late-'60s/'70s period. While by no means exhaustive, classic
Diamond gems like
"Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," "Sweet Caroline," "Cracklin' Rosie," "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," and
"Shilo" sound as good as ever, making this 21-track anthology as good a place as any to begin your journey down the sequined streets of Diamondtown. ~ James Christopher Monger