Neil Diamond is a man who needs no introduction. Simply put, he is one the most popular and prolific singer-songwriters of his generation. After more than four decades of writing and performing his work for the masses, Diamond continues to tour regularly and remains firmly in the spotlight when many of his former contemporaries have long slipped into the night. At 67, it’s a wonderful achievement which surprises many, maybe even the man himself.
While he has always remained a popular performer, his tours still selling out arenas worldwide, his recorded work since his ‘70s purple patch and success in the early ‘80s has been somewhat patchy. This, however, was rectified in 2005 when he hooked up with producer Rick Rubin to make 12 Songs, an album of acoustic self-penned gems that silenced the critics and thrilled the fans, no doubt recruiting some new ones as well.
So it’s no surprise that for the inevitable follow up, Diamond and Rubin have once again joined forces to create what I consider to be Diamond’s masterpiece, Home Before Dark. Once again it’s an acoustic affair, with Diamond writing all of the songs and Rubin’s signature sparse and sensitive production never sounding better. There are no drums here either, just Diamond’s acoustic guitar to drive the rhythm backed by a crack band including a couple of Heartbreakers and Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench providing guitars and keyboards, respectively.
Lyrically this is quite a dark album, dark but not without hope. Choosing favorites or “best tracks” on a record this consistently good is an impossible task, but two of the most poignant are the opening and closing songs. Opener “If I Don’t See You Again” is truly heartbreaking in its honesty and from the opening lines, “If I don’t see you again / It was a hell of a ride / Don’t need to say let’s be friends / Don’t need to promise you’ll write,” it’s clear that there’ll be no stone left unturned by the album’s end. 
The title track closes the album and brings the emotional journey of its writer to a somewhat open ending. Its searching and humble lyrics (“I looked for the truth / Knowing the truth might hurt me”) re-enforce the introspective nature of the album. “Pretty Amazing Grace” is far more upbeat and hopeful, and it is complimented beautifully by a simple but emotive arrangement. “Don’t Go There” is another highlight with our journeyman warning a friend of entering into a potentially dangerous love affair with a mystery femme fatal.
“Another Day (That Time Forgot)” is an enchanting duet with Dixie Chick Natalie Maines that covers the emotional aftermath of a broken relationship, its tender hearted lyrics given sensitive readings by both singers. This is immediately followed by “One More Bite Of The Apple,” which is defiant and self-assured both lyrically and in his performance Diamond assures us he’s not giving up on his love easily: “But I couldn’t get the music off my mind / And I couldn’t leave the needing you behind.”
Diamond’s no bullshit approach to songwriting is another reason why this album speaks so many truths and connects instantly upon first hearing it. There’s no need to spend hours deciphering the meaning of his lyrics; they are blatantly obvious. There are no whimsical, metaphorical hidden nuggets of enlightenment to be found here. You won’t find yourself scanning the lyrics to understand what he’s singing about either; his delivery throughout the album is succinct and truly soulful. This is the sound of a man who has re-discovered his craft and is clearly enjoying the process of simply writing and singing his songs for us to hear and hopefully love as much as he does.
The deluxe CD edition that I purchased comes with two bonus tracks. The first is a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Without Her,” followed by a beautiful rendition of Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love.” They compliment the album nicely but aren’t essential. This edition also contains fantastic liner notes (as well as lyrics) by the man himself, in which he states his want for the listener to connect with and feel his music upon hearing it.
I can honestly say it’s pretty rare for me to be floored by an album after playing it just once, so you can imagine my surprise when I played this once, then twice, and then a third time after walking in the door with it, having thought I’d just play the opener to get a feel for it. And now almost two weeks later, I’m still playing it daily.
With his mojo back, more potent than ever, Neil Diamond has made the greatest album of his career, and I can’t thank him enough.