Neil Diamond

While Madacy issues some pretty dodgy compilations, this three-disc set is simply the reissue of three pre-Columbia-period Neil Diamond recordings: Stones, Moods, and Touching You, Touching Me from his Uni period. There are as many covers as originals on these recordings, but as albums they all work -- and well. As is usual with Madacy, the cover photo is very misleading. This is the pre-crooner Diamond, when he was still a theatrical rock & roll singer. There are numerous hits collections available that document the many highlights of this period of Diamond's work, but many of those same tracks are here, from "Holly Holy," "I Am, I Said," and "Song Sung Blue" to some tremendous covers, including his nearly definitive reading of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles." ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide