Neil Diamond Vinyl Records – Hot August Night, Greatest Hits & Essential Albums on Vinyl

Neil Diamond is one of the most successful American songwriters of the 20th century. Born in Brooklyn in 1941, he started out as a Brill Building songwriter (he wrote I'm a Believer for The Monkees) before emerging as a solo artist in the late 60s and, across the following four decades, producing a catalogue of singles — Sweet Caroline, Cracklin' Rosie, Song Sung Blue, Hello Again, Love on the Rocks, Cherry Cherry, Solitary Man, Forever in Blue Jeans — that have become genuine standards.

Hot August Night (1972), the double live album recorded at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, is one of the best-selling live records ever made and arguably the essential entry point. Moods (1972), 12 Songs (2005, produced by Rick Rubin) and the Home Before Dark (2008) Rubin follow-up are the artistic high points. Diamond on vinyl is genuinely excellent — rich orchestration, close-miked vocals, and some of the best arranging of the 70s. The MCA and Columbia originals and recent 180g reissues are consistently strong.

Best Neil Diamond Albums on Vinyl

Hot August Night (1972)
One of the best-selling live albums of all time. Sweet Caroline, Holly Holy, Done Too Soon, Cracklin' Rosie — two LPs capturing Diamond at his mid-70s peak as a live performer, backed by a full band and orchestra. Essential.

Moods (1972)
The studio peak. Song Sung Blue, Walk on Water, Canta Libre, Captain Sunshine — a record that balances his pop instincts with more ambitious arrangements. One of his finest studio albums.

12 Songs (2005)
The Rick Rubin-produced return to form. Oh Mary, Hell Yeah, Delirious Love, Save Me a Saturday Night — stripped back to voice and acoustic guitar, with Diamond's writing gaining new depth in his 60s. A genuinely moving record.

Home Before Dark (2008)
The follow-up Rubin production, topping the US charts and making Diamond the oldest artist to score a Billboard number one at that point. Pretty Amazing Grace, Don't Go There, Another Day (That Time Forgot) — even more assured than 12 Songs.

All-Time Greatest Hits (2014)
The definitive double-CD / double-LP career retrospective. Every single you'd expect, remastered, well sequenced. An ideal entry point for new listeners and a handy anchor for any Diamond collection.

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