Neil Diamond


What do you do when the songs you really loved growing up are classified as Adult Contemporary? My wife informed that I can’t call my music “pop” anymore because the pop meant popular and none of what I like would fit that category today.

I have a sweat spot for Neil Diamond. I struggled with a lot of confusion growing up and Neil was a friend. I remember listening to Neil on my dad’s real-to-real that he picked up while in Vietnam.

Something about Neil always said this guy has it together. I mean on every cover he did there was serious Neil looking like this cool confident cat. If you can look like he did on the Rainbow cover and stand with confidence you must know something that no one else does.

The two albums that hooked me were You Don’t Bring Me Flowers and The Jazz Singer. The American Popular Song is one of my favorites that never makes any of the greatest hits albums. Forever in Blue Jeans for whatever reason still takes me back to a simpler time before the confusion of puberty set in.

I think we all long for something simpler, something less stressful, a place of hope and rest. When I think back to all of my confusion I am reminded of Neil Diamond and my escape and I rejoice that I have found a more permanent place of rest today.

Several years ago I had the chance to go see Neil, sequined shirts and all, but I declined because I preferred the Neil of the album cover. When I discovered that Jesus longed to gather me under his protective wing, that he hoped to give me a place of rest, I abandoned my need for Neil.

I stumbled across Neil on Rhapsody today and listened to The American Popular Song for the first time since I was a kid. As I listen I say a special thanks to God that I have someone much closer than an album cover today to take comfort in.

The songs sound even better now that I live on the other side of the storm.