Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

As compared to his latest album, Melody Road, which the Neil Diamond groupies are all giving five stars just because it's Neil Diamond, this collection is all legitimately five-star Neil Diamond. These are the original recordings of 23 of his best compiled from different collections/albums, from his early stuff (i.e. Kentucky Woman, Sweet Caroline, Solitary Man), to 70s-80s hits (i.e. Song Sung Blue, Forever in Blue Jeans, America, etc.) The listener can do no better in a compilation of great Neil Diamond than this. I bought this after buying his latest album based on the rave reviews found on Amazon, and decided that either I was missing something or that the new stuff just isn't all that phenomenal, and that biased reviewers would give ANYTHING Neil Diamond does five stars. Sorry, folks, but that does people a disservice. A five star review should not just be given away because you think an author/singer/celebrity can do nothing wrong or not up to his/her usual standards. It's supposed to help people either unfamiliar with (not too likely with Neil Diamond, who has been around for 40+ years at least) material make an informed decision. Reviews that say simply "It's great!", "It's the best!", etc. not only are not reviews but are simply applause for someone the "author" of a review wouldn't give a bad review to if it were an album of belches and drum beats. These are essential songs for anyone who wants a Neil Diamond collection, and from his Tin Pan Alley days, to his rocking period (Cherry, Cherry, Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show) to his African period (Soolaimon), there's something for everyone. This, then, is an ACTUAL five-star collection that actually deserves the rating.