Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings...Plus!
The seven studio albums Neil Diamond recorded for Uni Records between 1968 and 1972 are all collected on the three-disc collectionPlay Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings. And it's quite a revelation to listen to them front to back in succession like this, as these records highlight the most dramatic artistic evolution in Diamond's career. Diamond was no neophyte when he signed with Uni in '68; he'd already penned million-sellers like "I'm a Believer" and "Cherry Cherry." But he was still coming into his own as a solo artist, and albums likeVelvet Gloves and SpitandBrother Love's Travelling Salvation Showare wildly erratic, even for an artist renown for producing uneven albums. That said, therearecountless life-affirming, goose-bump-inducing, campy, and brilliant songs on this collection. And one could easily make the argument that they're somehow made more likable--more human, in a way--when heard in their original context, bookended by unsuccessful experiments such as "The Pot Smoker's Song" and "I Am the Lion." This may not be the single Neil Diamond collection to get, but it surely should be the second or third one you buy.--Mike McGonigal