Neil Diamond: In My Lifetime

Cover art

With the October 29 1996 (November in Europe) release of In My Lifetime, an elaborate three-CD boxed set, Columbia will give Neil Diamond fans a rare treat. The package, which includes his biggest hits as well as 16 previously unreleased tracks and rare demos, gives listeners what the singer/songwriter calls "a portrait of Neil Diamond - warts, freckles, zits, and some clear patches as well." In My Lifetime marks the first time that the original versions of Diamond's hits for Columbia, Bang, MCA, and Capitol Records have been collected in one set. Columbia's 1992 two-CD The Greatest Hits 1966-1992 features live versions of many of Diamond's early hits, because the label was unable to license the studio versions from MCA. Columbia already had the rights to Diamond's Bang recordings but had to license 14 masters from MCA and obtain the rights to "Dry Your Eyes" from The Last Waltz from Warner Bros. Initially, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-born singer/songwriter was less than enthused about compiling the retrospective, but after he began working on it, he found himself so inspired that he penned a new song, "In My Lifetime," which bookends the set in different versions. With the inclusion of the late-'50s demo recordings of "Blue Destiny," "A Million Miles Away," and "A Good Kind Of Lonely," Diamond offers his fans a rare look at his tentative early steps. Aside from the music, the box includes an attractive 72-page booklet with rare photos and essays by Diamond and Rolling Stone scribe David Wild, as well as a track-by-track commentary by Diamond. The song "In My Lifetime" includes audioclips from his appearances on "The Tonight Show," "Larry King Live," and "Late Show With David Letterman," as well as historical speeches by John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Timothy Leary, and Walter Cronkite's reporting on the Vietnam War. Diamond calls the tune a "semidocumentary record."
-- Extracted from the Neil Diamond website in the UK

Disc 2 of the 3 CD Neil Diamond box set includes the "Dry Your Eyes" cut with the Band, from The Last Waltz, as well as two Robbie Robertson-produced tracks from the Beautiful Noise album, the title track and "If You Know What I Mean."

Tracks

Disc 1

1. In My Lifetime (opening album version)
2. Hear Them Bells (live) - Recorded 1992 Minneapolis - Previously unissued
3. Blue Destiny - Recorded 1958 - Demo
4. A Million Miles Away - Recorded 1958 - Demo
5. A Good Kind Of Lonely - Recorded 1958 - Demo
6. What Will I Do? (by Neil & Jack) - Recorded 1960 - From Duel single 508
7. At Night - A-side of Columbia single 42809 - Recorded 1963
8. Clown Town - B-side of Columbia single 42809 - Recorded May 1963
9. Flame - Recorded - 1964 Demo
10. Straw in The Wind - Recorded 1964 Demo
11. Solitary Man - Recorded 1966 - From Bang single 519
12. Cherry, Cherry - Recorded 1966 - From Bang single 528
13. Cherry, Cherry (alternate version) -Recorded 1966 - Previously unreleased
14. I Got The Feelin' (Oh No, No) - Recorded 1966 - A-side of Bang single 536
15. I'm A Believer - Recorded 1967 - From the album "Just For You" (Bang 217)
16. Kentucky Woman - Recorded 1967 - From Bang single 551
17. The Boat That I Row - Recorded 1967 - B-side of Bang single 536
18. Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon - Recorded 1967 - From Bang single 542
19. You Got To Me - Recorded 1966 - From Bang single 540
20. Thank The Lord For The Night Time - Recorded 1967 - From Bang single 547
21. Red, Red Wine Recorded 1967 - From Bang single 556
22. Shilo - Recorded 1967 - From Bang single 561
23. Brooklyn Roads - Recorded 1968 - From the album "Velvet Gloves & Spit" (Uni 73030)
24. And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind - Recorded 1969 - From the album "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" (Uni 73047)
25. Sweet Caroline - Recorded 1969 - From the album "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" (Uni 73047)
26. Holly Holy - Recorded 1969 - From the album "Touching You...Touching Me" (Uni 73071)
27. Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show - Recorded 1969 From the album "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" (Uni 73047)

Disc 2

1. Cracklin' Rosie - Recorded 1970 - From the album "Tap Root Manuscript" (Uni 73092)
2. Done Too Soon - Recorded 1970 - From the album "Tap Root Manuscript" (Uni 73092)
3. Morningside - Recorded 1972 - From the album Moods (Uni 93136)
4. Soolaimon - Recorded 1970 - From the album "Tap Root Manuscript" (Uni 73092)
5. He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother - Recorded 1970 - From the album "Tap Root Manuscript" (Uni 7 092)
6. Crunchy Granola Suite - Recorded 1971 - From the album "Stones" (Uni 93106)
7. Play Me - Recorded 1972 - From the album "Moods" (Uni 93136)
8. I Am...I Said - Recorded 1971 - From the album "Stones" (Uni 93106)
9. Song Sung Blue - Recorded 1972 - From the album "Moods" (Uni 93136)

   Jonathan Livingston Seagull Suite:

10. Prologue
11. Lonely Looking Sky
12. Skybird
13. Dear Father
14. Be - Recorded 1973 - From the album "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (Columbia CK 32550)

15. I've Been This Way Before - Recorded 1974 - From the album "Serenade" (Columbia CK 32919)
16. Longfellow Serenade - Recorded 1974 - From the album "Serenade" (Columbia CK 32919)
17. Beautiful Noise (home demo) - Recorded 1976 - Unreleased home cassette
18. Beautiful Noise - Recorded 1976 - From the album "Beautiful Noise" (Columbia CK 33965)
19. If You Know What I Mean - Recorded 1976 - From the album "Beautiful Noise" (Columbia CK 33965)
20. Dry Your Eyes (live) - Recorded 1976 From the soundtrack to the motion picture "The Last Waltz"
21. Desiree - Recorded 1977 - From the album "I'm Glad You're Here With me Tonight" (Columbia 34990)
22. September Morn - Recorded 1979 - From the album "September Morn" (Columbia CK 36121
23. Forever In Blue Jeans - Recorded 1978 - From the album "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (Columbia CK 35625)
24. You Don't Bring Me Flowers (duet with Barbra Streisand) - Recorded 1978 - From the album "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (Columbia CK 35625)

Disc 3

1. America - Recorded 1980 - From the album "The Jazz Singer" (Columbia CK 67569)
2. Love On The Rocks - Recorded 1980 From the album "The Jazz Singer" (Columbia CK 67569)
3. Scotch On The Rocks - Recorded 1979 - Demo
4. Hello Again - Recorded 1980 - A-side of Capitol single 4960
5. Yesterday's Songs - Recorded 1981 - From the album "On The Way To The Sky" (Columbia CK 37628)
6. Heaven Can Wait - Recorded 1982 - Previously unissued
7. I'm Alive - Recorded 1982 - From the album "Heartlight" (Columbia CK 38359)
8. Heartlight - Recorded 1982 From the album "Heartlight" (Columbia CK 38359)
9. Just Need To Love You More - Recorded 1991 - Previously unissued track from "Lovescape" sessions Produced by Don Was
10. You Make It Feel Like Christmas - Recorded 1984 - From the album "Primitive" (Columbia CK 39199)
11. Falling - Recorded 1985 - Previously unissued
12. Dancing To The Party Next Door - Recorded 1985 - Previously unissued
13. The Story Of My Life - Recorded 1986 - From the album "Headed For The Future" (Columbia CK 40368)
14. I'm Sayin' I'm Sorry - Recorded 1985 - Previously unissued
15. If There Were No Dreams - Recorded 1991 - From the album "Lovescape" (Columbia CK 48610)
16. Headed For The Future - Recorded 1986 - From the album "Headed For The Future" (Columbia CK 40368)
17. Hooked On The Memory Of You - Recorded 1988 - From the album "Best Years Of Our Lives" (Columbia CK 40525)
18. Angel Above My Head - Recorded 1985 - Previously unissued
19. Everybody - Recorded 1995 - From the album "Tennessee Moon" (Columbia CK 67382)
20. In My Lifetime - Recorded August 1996. Closing album version.

Sidemen

• The Band
• Robbie Robertson, producer