Music legend Neil Diamond’s latest CD, “Home Before Dark,” due out May 6, may be the best of his career. Diamond teamed with Grammy-winning producer Rick Rubin on a follow-up to the critically-acclaimed 2005 album, “12 Songs.”
"Critical acclaim is always helpful, any kind of encouragement for an artist is helpful, but my music is going to be written or recorded with or without critical acclaim," said Diamond, 67. "I appreciate it when it comes, but it will not stop me for a moment when I don't get it. It's unpredictable."
Neil Diamond kicks off his upcoming North American tour July 19 in
"This is the most technically challenging show that I've ever done," Diamond told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. Diamond’s tour is scheduled to end Oct. 30 in
As for the album — "Home Before Dark," — Diamond said: "This record represents a giant step in my evolution as a writer and a recording artist ... you will see I've gone deeper. It was more painful to write this — maybe the most difficult album I've ever written, and maybe my best."
While Neil Diamond promises to showcase songs from the new CD on his tour, he will include plenty of his classic hits, which include “Cherry, Cherry,” "Sweet Caroline," “Song Sung Blue” and "Love on the Rocks."
"It's always difficult to introduce new music in a show, but not this time around," he said. "This music suits itself perfectly for the show, and I think these songs will go over beautifully with the audience, and they will get as many hits as well."
