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Neil Diamond is a fantasic singer/songwriter. I've been listening to
him since age nine and now at 23 own all his albums except for the first
three. The fans are loyal to him because Neil is loyal to us. He puts
out a sound that's indescribeable. Regis Philbin calls it "the Neil
Diamond thump" Here's something I wrote in High School for Neil.
9-11-99 |
I've been a Neil Diamond fan for 20+ years and when Neil is in Chicago I
make sure that I attend his concerts.He really knows how to put on a show and gets the crowd going. In fact my daughter has gone to his concerts and agrees with me. Neil will be coming to Chicago Dec. 14, 1999 and I want to make sure I'm in the audience. I have been to many other concerts and Neil's are the BEST. Kathy 9-10-99 |
I guess I have been a "Diamond Head" before there ever was such a thing.
First met the future "frog King" in Greenvwich Village in the 60's . He was
just sitting on a stool with his guitar in front of a stack of boxes and
singing as only he knows how. He had star quality even then. He knew what
he wanted to do with his life even at that young age and despite the setbacks
he stayed for the long haul, which is why I am "Hooked on the memory
of Neil"
From Diamond Fan 1 in South Jersey 9-6-99 |
Music is a religion, it's a very important part of a persons life. It makes them happy, sad, it makes them feel good, and those
emotions are found in Neil's Music. Neil Diamond has been a part of our lives for as long as he has been singing, and we thank
him for being a 'part' of our lives.
Rich 9-6-99 |
For over 30 years I have been listening and singing along with Neil
Diamond, to all of his hits. I fondly recall seeing Neil in his first
concert in Salt Lake City Utah in the last 60"s, as a then 15 year old.
Now 31 years later I still find myself anxious to see my #1 man perform
live. I just fulfilled my quest by being a part of the audience for two
Salt Lake City performances (August 30-31, 1999), and anticipate and
look forward to his return to our great city again. Having seen Neil
perform at all concerts presented in our state since 1968, I feel I am
one of his many "lifelong" fans, and his #1 UTAH fan. I loved Neil in
Jazz Singer, and I love Neil in person. What I would give to personally
meet Neil Diamond in person.....that is my ultimate wish in this
lifetime. To all my friends who are ND fans, I send you my love. Thank
you Neil, and the band, for all the many years of songs, lyrics that
actually mean something, and I hope we have many more years together on
this great ride in life. God bless each of you.
Love you forever (in blue jeans!) Sharon Kerkman 9-6-99 |
I have been a Neil Diamond fan for as long as I can remember. When I first
started listening to his songs it was the music that got my attention. You
could dance to it and feel good. As I got older it was the lyrics that kept
my attention because they did more than make you feel good they touched my
very soul. He puts his heart in his work and you can feel that when you
listen. He has truly been blessed with a gift. I started listening to him as
a child and now my children listen to him with me. God bless those that can
gently touch our hearts and leave an indelible print.
Thank you Neil. Debbie Wilson 8-25-99 |
Saw Neil last night in Portland, Oregon (8/19/99) and planning to go again
tonight. As always, he doesn't disappoint me. His rendition of As Time
Goes By makes me absolutely speechless, it is so beautiful. But I still
enjoy all of his songs the most. The only bad thing is that it's too long
between concerts; although I have traveled to other cities to see him as
well. Enjoy!!!! From Pat in Portland 8-25-99 |
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FOND Memories A fan's very personal glimpse on the early 70s
When on March 21st in 1999 I realized the first light glitters on Neil Diamond's black shirt while he was walking down the aisle to hit the
stage in Munich's Olmypiahalle for his first German concert after an absence of 10 years, it was like a spotlight was lit in my inner self.
I never had such an experience before in my life. Lighting that inner spotlight brought back all the wonderful memories of Neil since I
started out on his music back in 1971. Even before Neil entered the stage to sing the first lines of "Beautiful Noise" that night, these
memories started to run through my mind like a fast train. Especially the memories and experience of my first Neil Diamond concert,
which took place on the 10th of June in 1972, were as present as 27 years ago.
Maybe Neil would put it the following way: For lovers it was their very first kiss, for bikers it's their very first Harley Davidson motorcycle, for songwriters it's their very first hit record ... for a Neil Diamond fan it's his or her very first Neil Diamond song. In my case it happened in the summer of 1971 when I heard the complicated but wonderful lyrics of "I am ... I said" the first time on the radio. I was struck as having been hit by lightning. Never have I heard something like this before in my young life, having been just 13 years of age back then. That summer in 1971 "I am ... I said" was making its way to number one on the German single charts, competing for weeks with Lynn Anderson's country hit "Rose Garden". It was the high time of productivity of the quartett Diamond, Catalano, Holdridge and Steiner. Although "I am ... I said" was the only song that Lee Holdridge did not arrange on the "Stones" album, Marty Paich and Larry Mohuberac, with the help of Tom Catalano, had put the wonderful horn arrangement in the frog-king verse: an arrangement that Neil is reported had not liked at all when he first heard it on the playback. Thank God he changed his mind about it.
Then in June of 1972, Neil's album "Moods" was very present having been released in the spring of the same year, and "Song Sung
Blue" was making its way straight to number one on the Billboard charts and around the world. "Moods" was another biggy the
mentioned famous quartett had put together with all the songs written by Neil himself. It was also the time when Neil started playing a
new guitar that revolutionized the music world: the Ovation with its base made of a special kind of fibre invented for the airplane
industry. As far as I know Neil was one of the very first music artists who played this new instrument with its sharp and clear sound
that is so familiar to us from the rhythm intro of "Cherry, Cherry" on "Hot August Night" or the first chords of "Lonely Looking Sky".
The Ovation's sound was much different from the sound of other famed guitars like Gibson or Fender; it was so much different like
"I am ... I said" was different from the rest of the chart songs at that time. "I am ... I said" until today is the hymn of my life, closely
followed by my all time secret favorite "Yes, I will".
"... bathed in blue reflection, there he stood and made his song. Closed his eyes to feel the thunder, the echo like a wave around him, love was in this strange house, and he knew he did belong, yes, he did belong ...": these wonderful lyrics of "Yes, I will" exactly reflect the experiences of my first Neil Diamond concert, although those lyrics had not even been written back then. Being an unexperienced teenager in 1971, I didn't even had the idea to see Neil performing live during his very first German tour that year. So I had to wait another year until the 10th of June in 1972 when Neil did a concert in Munich's Circus Krone: "a hall built for elephants and not for singers" as he had put in his own words complaining about the acoustics during the concert, although Stan Miller did the best possible job on them. 
I remember Neil standing there on the dark-backgrounded stage, playing his Ovation guitar with so much passion, his long dark hair
flowing down to his slender shoulders, his eyes often closed to feel the thunder, his soft warm voice intoning "Play Me" ... when finally
a string broke and he displayed the shy boy from Brooklyn in his very own manner. Neil didn't move at all, except his left foot that he
tipped over from time to time on its outer left side so it almost looked like a broken ankle. There he stood, bathed in blue reflection,
the "lean, sensual performer", as Michael Carmack had described Neil in his "Hot August Night" review for the Los Angeles Harald
Examiner in 1972. Well, the Munich concert took place just about 10 weeks before this historical recording was done at the Greek.
Maybe the only big difference to the Greek Theatre performances was Neil's outfit. Back then in Munich, he had worn a red velvet,
balloon sleeve shirt and tight, slightly bell-bottomed black pants, he had a black belt around his slender hips (it was very fashionable
to wear the belt on your hips instead the waist), and he was wearing black boots on his feet. Neil looked like a prince from a fairy tale,
charming his splendid charisma throughout the concert, although the image of the renaissance prince was finally established only a few
weeks later with the help of Bill Whitten's newly designed stage cloths for the Greek Theatre and the Wintergarden performances in
August and October of 1972.
During "my first" concert, Neil played all those biggies from the early years. Don't ask me for a song list as I really can't remember it. But I clearly remember him singing his then new songs from the "Moods" album, plus parts of the "African Trilogy" headed by "Soolaimon", "Holly Holy" and, of course, "I am ... I said", to name but a few. Yes, I guess he really was bathed in blue lighting during "Song Sung Blue". Even back then, his performance lasted almost two hours. But as each one of his concerts, it could have lasted as long as the universe is old... Over the years between 1972 to 1999, I had the chance to see Neil performing for several times. He always delivered great shows until this day. Also having had the privilege to meet him personally for three times in my life until now - the first time during his "Serenade" promotion tour in Germany in December of 1974 -, I still treasure my first concert in a very special way. Maybe the first one is always very special for each Diamondhead. NEILOVE to everyone who took the time to read that and who knows what I mean, Karin 8-25-99 |
Neil Diamond music has brought me many hours of endless pleasure. It makes me
happy and makes me feel good.Thanks Neil. Maryann 8-15-99 |
I have been a Neil Diamond fan since the beginning of time,
I have come along with the life and times of Neil and enjoy any news and info that
I can get. Some of the tunes, Shilo, Can Anybody Hear Me, Brother
Love's Traveling Salvation Show, have given me the strength to get through the hardest times of my
life. I have reunited with a brother after 43 years of
separation. And have really enjoyed the song He Ain't Heavy
He's My Brother. I can't express enough what Neil's music does for my family.
God bless him, I hope that he's with us for a long time to come and then some. He is truly blesssd to have given all his fans the pleasure of hearing and feeling the music in their lives. I feel that even if he wasn't to perform the music live for the fans on tour, he could appear and do nothing and still pack the house and feel the love for him. Thank you Neil, God bless you Phoenix Web 8-8-99 |
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I am 38 years of age, I've loved Neil's music since I was nine. I'm looking
for Neil Diamond fans to write to. My e-mail address is: LLFetzner@aol.com Thank you, Laura Fetzner 8-1-99 |
Neil Diamond is very important to me. I do carry him deep inside of me.
There is no time when his music is very far from me. I wrote the book,
NO MAGIC WANDS, in which I detail the events which brought Neil into my life,
forever. I love the music. I love the performer.. I love the man. I hope
he continues to make that Beautiful Noise for many years to come. I have
seen him live 7 times. I look forward to my next opportunity to see him
perform. Sitting in an arena, listening to him, and watching him, is almost
the height of this human's emotional experience. Sincerely, Beverly S. Nichols 7-31-99 |
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I've been a Neil Diamond fan from the late 70's. I have attended many of his concerts and
each and every one a better than the other. His music will always be around right into the
next century. Its music that one can listen and learn and southe your soul. He works hard
at everything he does, to please us, his fans, keep up the good work, Neil. Mary A. Sands 7-31-99 |
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Mr. Diamond is the most talented man on earth. Great composer,
great singer, great performer. He always makes the audience feel like we
are doing him a big favor by coming to see him. He appeals to all ages. D. Albrecht dalbrecht@home.com 7-28-99 |
My first experience with Neil Diamond came when I was twelve years old, I was spending the summer with my grandparents in Florida. One
night my grandfather played the song "Beautiful Noise" and I was instantly hooked. His songs grab you like no other and his words just have
a way of touching your heart. I saw him "In the round" in Auburn Hills, MI with my grandparents and had a wonderful time. My grandfather
passed away two years latter, but "Beautiful Noise" and the joy on his face the night at that concert will never leave my thoughts. At the age
of twenty-five I'm a BIG fan!!!! Mr.Diamond, I really enjoy your music!! I hope you will continue to write your own music. My favorite is "Love on the Rocks." I hope someday to stand in the same room and shake your hand and thank you for all the wonderful music you have written. Cory 7-25-99 |
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