Neil Diamond – 12 Songs

Neil Diamond is cool again. His new album, 12 Songs, was produced by Rick Rubin, he’s got a MySpace profile, and even hip programs such as KCUR’s Sonic Spectrum have featured tracks. I mean, granted, when he plays Kansas City next month, the majority of the crowd is going to be my mother’s age and beyond, but I have a feeling there might be a few un-permed hairdos in the crowd this go-around.

The album has drawn much comparison to the resucitation Rubin performed on Johnny Cash’s career, and the parallels aren’t without warrant. Rubin’s fingerprints are all over 12 Songs. From the the quiet, “man and his guitar” sound, to the more quietly introspective lyrics, and a strong feeling of a man regaining his legacy (especially on “Hell Yeah”, where all of these elements coalesce most strongly), Diamond’s new album is most certainly a Rubin project. Let’s just hope that the next album there can be some strong rockers like “Cherry, Cherry” or “Coming to America” that 12 Songs desperately lacks.