NEIL DIAMOND

'STAGES'

PERFORMANCES 1970-2002

The Definitive Live Collection

Box in Excellent CONDITION -No Damage

All Discs in Excellent Condition

5 x CD

1 x DVD (over 2 hours)

+ Booklet

Large box-10"x 5.5"

83 Rare Live Recordings

(82 previously unreleased)

US Import

Review:

Oh not, not another collection of live recordings, I thought when I heard about Neil Diamond's latest box set release. But since I've always thought of him as a great live performer, I went for "Stages" anyway. And what a pleasant surprise!

Rather than concentrating on yet the hits again (there must be at least seven official live recordings of some of his best-known songs), this extensive collection contains a full recent concert plus a lot of additional goodies. I was especially pleased with discs 3 and 4 that feature tapings from the 1970's and 1980's, mainly stuff rarely performed live before. The sound quality on both the audio discs as well as the DVD is excellent throughout, even though the inclusion of selected Christmas songs mainly from his 1993 tour on a full disc is... ehm... awkward.

The Dublin show on DVD includes only about an hour of concert highlights, and my song choices would have been differently. Generally interesting to see the then 61-year old entertainer mesmerizing the Irish audience with his perfectly staged show. Getting a 75-minute no-frills backstage view of Diamond & Band on the road is a treat, though!

This box set is mainly for fans, but it will also show casual Diamond listeners that there is a lot more to the man indeed.

This is a career defining set. Neil Diamond, for all his faults in the studio, is the consummate live performer. This showcase of that aspect of his life is absolutely wonderful.

The first two discs, being his entire 2002 set, show that Diamond, at the age of 61, is still, incredibly, at the zenith of his powers. His voice remains a unique, rich and powerful instrument. The show contains some rare gems, including, in particular, Yes I will/Lady Magdalene, Captain Sunshine and the Boat that I Row. The pacing of the show is exactly what you would expect from an entertainer from the old school: carefully constructed to elicit, by turn emotions filled with joy, sadness, elation, poignancy, excitement and melancholia.

Discs 3 and 4 are a revelation. These are records of performances spanning thirty years. The choices of songs are, in many cases, tracks from past albums and would not be terribly familiar to people who have only a passing interest in Neil Diamond. I sense that the cuts were chosen, not because they are the best renditions in a live setting of the particular song, but because they reflect where Diamond was in his life and music at that particular point in time. They are all the better for this approach. Songs like Home is A Wounded Heart carry an immense emotional impact.

These discs also contain covers of songs by Dylan, John, the Beatles and others. The only one that did not work for me was Elton John's Rocketman.

Disc 5 is somewhat redundant at this point, covering, as it does, live performances of Christmas songs. The performances are, nevertheless, entertaining.

Disc 6, the DVD, contains highlights of his Irish shows in 2002. A daylight gig is a little disconcerting at first, but the excellence of the performance and the enthusiasm of the fans soon dispel any misgivings. In fact, in the end this disc is a highlight of the set and the pity of it is that the whole concert is not featured.

Disc 6 also contains a documentary style look at Backstage on tour. It is entertaining and informative. Most interestingly, you see Diamond, his band and the entourage, as 'real people'; and people that are genuine, grounded and likeable. How refreshing!