''Melody Road'' is

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

's 32nd studio album, and first album of original music recorded since 2008's well-received '' Home Before Dark'', which debuted on the US album charts at #1. It was produced by

Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced s ...

and

Jacknife Lee Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including the Cars, U2, R.E.M., the Killers, Robbie Williams, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Two Door Cinema Club, AFI, the Hives, Weezer, One Directi ...

. After 40 years recording solo for Columbia (Capitol had released Diamond's 1980 soundtrack album for ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...

''.), Diamond signed with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

in early 2014. At the same time, his back catalogue was moved to

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

, Capitol's parent company. On September 8, 2014, six of the tracks from ''Melody Road'' were premiered at the Capitol Records studios in Hollywood, CA at a listening party for a small group of music industry executives and journalists. Following the event, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote that the album is "rich in orchestration that retains the dark rustic qualities of his last two studio albums of original material, '' 12 Songs'' and ''Home Before Dark''. Of the songs, the article stated that "'Something Blue', the most commercial of the songs played Monday, has the classic Diamond mid-tempo lilt; the ballads 'The Art of Love' and '(Ooo) Do I Wanna Be Yours' offer springboards for Diamond's still-potent voice; and 'Seongah and Jimmy' is an eyewitness account of a romance between a woman from Korea and a man from Long Island." ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' wrote that "The Art of Love" is a "tender offering from Diamond, who at age 73, hasn't lost that ability to convey a wide swath of emotions in just four minutes." In September, three videos from the album were released. A lyric video for "The Art of Love" debuted on Diamond's

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VEVO Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

channel, and the video for the album's first single, "Something Blue", premiered on

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Music. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' debuted the video for "Nothing But a Heartache".

Reception

The album received generally favorable reviews.

Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and pop music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also served as pop critic at ''The ...

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

wrote: "This is music with (as one song title says) a sunny disposition, expressing Diamond's resilient faith in the power of both romance and the balladry that enhances it. 'Still remember the first word you wrote, in every single note that you play,' he declares in "First Time," a joyful remembrance of musical beginnings that recalls one of the singer's own early hits, "I'm a Believer." Diamond's ability to do that, to be in the moment while knowing just what makes his long career special, keeps him vital. Few could navigate this road with so much panache." In October 2014, ''Melody Road'' debuted at number 3 on the ''

'' charts, selling 78,000 copies in the first week. The album has sold 235,000 copies in the United States as of September 2016.

Track listing

Personnel

* Neil Diamond – vocals, guitars * Jim Cox – keyboards *

Rami Jaffee Rami Jaffee (born March 11, 1969) is an American musician. He is best known as the keyboardist for the rock band Foo Fighters, whom he initially joined in a touring and session capacity in 2005. Jaffee has contributed to six of the band's studi ...

– keyboards *

Greg Phillinganes Gregory Arthur Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and musical director based in Los Angeles, California. A prolific session musician, Phillinganes has contributed the role of keyboards to numerous alb ...

– keyboards *

Matt Rollings Matt Rollings is a Grammy Award-winning American composer, keyboard player and record producer. Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, Rollings has worked with many artists, not all country. Matt won the 'Best Traditional Pop Voca ...

– keyboards *

Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early years Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin ...

– keyboards * C.J. Vanston – keyboards *

– keyboards *

– keyboards, guitars * Richard Bennett – guitars *

Mark Goldenberg Mark Goldenberg (born April 10, 1952) is an American guitarist and songwriter, noted for his session work and composition of successful songs for Linda Ronstadt, the Pointer Sisters, and others. Biography Early career Raised in Chicago, Illin ...

– guitars * Hadley Hockensmith – guitars *

Smokey Hormel Smokey Hormel (born circa 1959)Cohen (2017) quotes Hormel as saying he was "4 or 5 ears old when "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles was "a big hit on the radio"; the song was released in America in December 1963. is an American guitarist ...

– guitars *

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage band cu ...

– guitars *

Blake Mills Blake Mills (born September 21, 1986) is an American songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in California. Biography Blake Mills was born in Santa Monica, California, United States, and grew up in Malibu, where he attended Malibu ...

– guitars *

Tim Pierce Tim Pierce (born 1959 in Albuquerque) is an American session guitarist. He has worked for artists such as Joe Cocker, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Michael Jackson, Beth Hart, Roger Waters, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, and the C ...

– guitars *

James "Hutch" Hutchinson James Hutchinson (born January 24, 1953) is an American session bassist best known for his work with Bonnie Raitt. Though his work takes him nearly everywhere he primarily resides in Studio City, Los Angeles, CA and Haiku-Pauwela, Hawaii. Car ...

– bass *

Sebastian Steinberg Sebastian Steinberg (born February 20, 1959) is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing. Biography Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992 to 2000. In 2001, Steinberg ...

– bass *

Jeremy Stacey Jeremy Stacey (born 27 September 1963) is a British drummer and keyboard player. His early works included the 1990s band The Lemon Trees (with twin brother Paul Stacey on guitars, Guy Chambers and others) and Denzil. He has also played with She ...

– drums *

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He is best known as a regular drummer of both Beck and R.E.M., and as member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Background Waronker w ...

– drums, percussion * Alan Estes – percussion * Sara Andon –

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

* Don Markese – flute *

Davide Rossi Davide Rossi (born 7 August 1970) is an Italian violinist, string arranger, composer, conductor and a record producer, perhaps best known for having been the violinist, guitar and keytar-player for the British electronic music duo Goldfrapp f ...

– strings (11), string arrangements (11) * Julia Waters – backing vocals * Maxine Waters – backing vocals *

Oren Waters Oren Waters is an American vocalist best known for his work with the backup singing group The Waters, his siblings: Luther, Maxine and Julia. As an ensemble, Waters has been a part of 260 gold and over 100 platinum albums with artists ranging from ...

– backing vocals Horns (Tracks 3, 4 & 10) * Eric Gorfain – arrangements * Mark Bolin * Mike Cottone * John Fumo * Justin Hageman * Stephanie O'Keefe * Dan Weinstein * Jamelle Williams Strings (Tracks 3 & 5) * Alan Lindgren – arrangements and conductor) * Assa Drori – concertmaster * Erik Avinder (3) * Robert Berg (3, 5) * Chuck Berghofer (3, 5) * Sally Berman (3, 5) * Caroline Buckman (3, 5) * Phillippa Ruth Clarke-Ling (5) * Giovanna Clayton (3, 5) * Matthew Cooker (3) * Marcia Dickstein (5) * Andrew Duckles (3, 5) * Alan Estes (5) * Michael Ferril (3, 5) * Alex Gorlovsky (3, 5) * Agnes Gottschewski (5) * Lynn Grants (3, 5) * Maurice Grants (3, 5) * Sarkis Gyurgchyan (5) * Vahe Hayrikian (5) * Norman Hughes (3, 5) * Carrie Kennedy (5) * Ovsep Ketendjian (3, 5) * Anna Kostyucheck (3) * Johana Krejci (3) * Gayle Levant (3) * Marina Manukian (3) * Dennis Molchan (3, 5) * Karolina Naziemiec (3, 5) * Cheryl Norman (5) * Aaron Oltman (5) * Joel Pargman (3, 5) * Steve Richards (3, 5) * Anatoly Rosinsky (3) * Jody Rubin (3, 5) * Harry Shirinian (3) * Christina Soule (3, 5) * David Stone (3, 5) * Kevan Torfeh (3, 5) * Elizabeth Wilson (3, 5) * Zhou Yi (3, 5) * Shari Zippert (3, 5)

Production

* Producers – Jacknife Lee and Don Was * Recorded by Tom McFall * Recording Assistants – Matt Bishop, Pablo Hernandez and Kyle Stevens. * Strings and Vocals recorded by Bernie Becker * Mixed by

Bob Clearmountain Bob Clearmountain (born January 15, 1953) is an American recording engineer, mixer and record producer. He has worked with many major acts, including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Toto, Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, with whom he has a very ...

at Mix This! (Los Angeles, California), assisted by Sergio Rueles. * Mastered by Bernie Becker at Bernie Becker Mastering (Pasadena, California), assisted by Dale Becker. * Art Direction – Todd Gallopo * Design – Todd Gallopo and Leslie Kim * Studio Photography – Jesse Diamond and Todd Gallopo * Cover Portrait Photo – Micah Diamond * Cover, Background and Package Photos – Al Michaelson * Liner Notes – Julie Farman

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

"The Art of Love" lyric video

Official website
{{Authority control Neil Diamond albums Albums produced by Don Was Capitol Records albums 2014 albums