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Home Before Dark offers aesthetic proof that "12 Songs" was no fluke. This is a much stronger, less "civilized" album.
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Like much of Diamond's canon, these songs are rich with melodramatic flare-ups.
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This is understated folk pop, and as a result, some may be disappointed by the lack of big pop hooks. However, for those of us who always found Diamond overwrought and too extroverted, this restraint is refreshing and welcome.
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MojoFans of dramatic Diamond are well taken care of here. But the real masterpieces are the opening and closing tracks. [June 2008, p.104]
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The songs are deeper and richer than on 2006's "12 Songs," but still naked and raw.
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Some of it is as good as anything Diamond has done.
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Q MagazineHome Before Dark offers a dignified and, yes, hip addition to the Neil Diamond canon. [July 2008, p.110]
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While not quite as revealing and rewarding as its 2005 cousin, the new album will certainly please fans of Rubin and Diamond's stark-yet-comfy acoustic direction.
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This year's model is not quite as stark or stirring as its predecessor; the emphatic melodic thrusts and vocal bravado of "Whose Hands Are These" and "No Words" will resonate with fans of Diamond's adult-contemporary glory.
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The result is an album of the kind of sophisticated pop that proves that such exemplary songcraft should always be relevant.
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Blemishes and all, Home Before Dark is an album of rare beauty, grace, and eloquence that captures Diamond in all his plain-spoken and big-hearted glory.
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It's sure to please its predecessor's fans, but the filler-to-killer ratio here is skewed a little too far in the wrong direction.
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Neil doesn’t do things by halves. His words and melodies are, like Roy Orbison, Cecil B De Mille scaled. That said, there are more than a few points where he misses the mark.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 8 out of 10
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Mixed: 1 out of 10
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Negative: 1 out of 10
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JohnO.Jul 13, 2008I enjoy this disc more every time I hear it.
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GregJun 10, 2008
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JohanV.May 29, 2008Neil's latest cd is a terrific one! I feel almost compelled to listen to it all day! Keep up the fine work, Neil!