Neil Diamond Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Joe Goldberg

Critical Essay by Joe Goldberg

Both in conception and delivery, Diamond tends toward melodrama. The spiritual progenitor of some of his most effective numbers, like "I Am … I Said," is the "Soliloquy" from [Richard Rodgers's and Oscar Hammerstein's] Carousel. On a bad day, he can slip over into the sentimentality of a Rod McKuen or the bathos of a Vegas lounge act singing "My Way" after dedicating it to The Chairman of the Board [Frank Sinatra], but he usually manages to keep his head above water. And this time, he's come up with a remarkable record [Beautiful Noise]….

This is by no means a perfect record. Despite the variety of subject and musical approach, the songs have a certain sameness when heard all at once. Some of them are reminiscent of other music, some of Diamond's own work.

I can see that most of what I've written here extends praise with one hand and...
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