''Tap Root Manuscript'' is the sixth studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

recorded by

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 ...

, released in October 1970. It was one of the most experimental albums he ever recorded, featuring

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States a ...

fused with prominent African sounds and instruments. The album was a commercial success, going Gold in three months, eventually certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album's success was powered primarily by " Cracklin' Rosie", his first number 1 single, with help from Diamond's cover of "

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is a ballad written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for the Hollies later that year and also a hit for Neil Diamond in 1970. It h ...

", which rose to number 20. The latter song had been a major hit for

the Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

the previous year. While the first side of the LP contained five

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

songs, Side Two was a conceptual suite of related songs expressing an African theme, titled "The African Trilogy". Within this suite was the song "Soolaimon", which rose to number 30 in the US. The 19-minute suite saw African folk styles twined with blues and gospel elements to create what Diamond called "a folk ballet". This effort predates many Western pop artists' interest in world music, for instance

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

's 1980 founding of

World of Music, Arts and Dance WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, ...

(WOMAD), and the African-influenced album ''

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

'' by

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

in 1986. ''Tap Root Manuscript'' was one of the most novel experimental recording projects of its time, and the Uni label, to which Diamond was then under contract, initially was not sure whether it would be commercially viable. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' said of the single "Soolaimón" that "Neil Diamond applies his composer's sophistication in an approach at primitivism that stands apart as a new slant on top forty sound. The effect is very much like a 'Brother Love' and ' Brooklyn Roads' gone afro with excellent results." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record W ...

'' said that "Neil Diamond is into some far out things with 'Soolaimon.'"

Track listing

All selections written and composed by

except "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," written and composed by Bob Russell and Bobby Scott. Total Length: 16:15 Total time: 35:30

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

Neil Diamond's Official WebsiteRecord Label
{{Authority control Neil Diamond albums 1970 albums Uni Records albums MCA Records albums Albums arranged by Marty Paich Albums arranged by Lee Holdridge Albums produced by Tom Catalano