NEIL DIAMOND / 12 Songs (2005)

Neil's first album with Rick Rubin as producer is a striped-down affair, full of genuine emotion and personal reflection, exploring what it means to be an old-time singer/songwriter in the fast-paced, hypocritical music scene of today.
Its main focus is his voice and acoustic guitar; there's other orchestration but it's not in your face. Neil is a performer, he loves the extravagance; to hear him so reserved is a joy. 12 Songs is without a doubt the best album he'd made in over a decade. But it was just the beginning. The album he made after is even better.

Songs of Note: Delirious Love; Hell Yeah

3½ Beach Boy cameos out of 5