The Very Best of Neil Diamond

I feel like I have always known music by Neil Diamond. As I read through the list of tracks included on the soon to be released The Very Best of Neil Diamond - the Original Studio Recordings, I found myself singing a few lines from each song. Some of which, I was surprised to recall were his songs. I'm not sure what song that I heard first, but I am pretty certain that my parents listened to Neil Diamond. In college, no party would have been complete without a group sway to Sweet Caroline. I am not sure that I can pick a favorite, but know that Forever in Blue Jeans is one of my favorites.

Then, I was listening to the radio the other day and learned that Neil Diamond is coming to town next summer. I checked out the tour schedule. The shows start in June and it looks like tickets start to go on sale next week for many locations. I'm not sure that I will make it to the show, but I am sure that if I do, it will be filled with many familiar songs.

"Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings proudly announce the release of The Very Best of Neil Diamond - The Original Studio Recordings on Tuesday, December 6. The new long-awaited definitive single disc compilation of 23 best-loved hits and signature tracks from America's quintessential singer-songwriter is the first Neil Diamond collection to draw from the artist's complete studio discography. The Very Best of Neil Diamond - The Original Studio Records includes his first pop chartings as a writer/performer for Bang Records in the mid-1960s; his spectacular career-defining hits for Uni/MCA (1968-1972); music from 1980's The Jazz Singer (his 5x platinum-selling soundtrack album on Capitol Records) and studio essentials from a long-running association with Columbia Records that began in 1973 with the Jonathan Livingston Seagull soundtrack album and runs through a pair of Rick Rubin-produced albums: 12 Songs (2005) and Home Before Dark (which became Neil's first Number 1 album on the Billboard 200 in 2008). Also included is "Recollections," a revelatory set of liner notes penned by Neil especially for this collection, providing anecdotal detail and behind-the-scenes point-of-view insight into each of the songs. In his reflections on "Hell Yeah," the track that closes the album, he writes, "'Hell Yeah' is an affirmation of a lifetime spent devoted to music and my attempt to find a personally satisfying life for myself beyond the music. I have that life now but it was a much harder job than I thought possible. Still, well worth all the years and all the tears." In closing his "Recollections" for The Very Best of Neil Diamond - The Original Studio Recordings, Neil says, "I wish I could personally thank the hundreds of musicians, arrangers, and engineers who, along with the producers, spent long days and nights in studios around the country to make these recordings vibrate and thrill. As a songwriter I can only humbly bow down and thank them all from the depths of my heart for giving wings to my dreams.""

The track list for the album is:
The Very Best of Neil Diamond - The Original Studio Recordings

1. Forever In Blue Jeans


2. Beautiful Noise


3. Love On The Rocks


4. Cherry, Cherry


5. I Am…I Said


6. Sweet Caroline


7. Cracklin’ Rosie


8. Play Me


9. I’m A Believer


10. Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon


11. Holly Holy


12. Solitary Man


13. Song Sung Blue


14. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers


15. Hello Again


16. Red, Red Wine


17. If You Know What I Mean


18. Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show


19. Pretty Amazing Grace


20. Kentucky Woman


21. Shilo


22. America


23. Hell Yeah

Giveaway!
Courtesy of Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, one A Busy Mom of Two reader will win their own copy of The Very Best of Neil Diamond.

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Christmas Wish Lists

When I was little, I remember there being large store catalogs - Sears and JC Penney are the two companies that I remember sending out catalogs. I used those catalogs to help me generate a Christmas wish list.

Now, as a mom, I rely on the toy books that are sent out by Walmart, Target and Toys 'R Us to get input on what the kids would like for Christmas. Fortunately, we seem to wind up with two of each book, so I am able to give one of each to each child. They put their name on the front of the book and then start to explore.

When we first started this, they had a tendency to circle everything! This year, I made sure to tell them to only mark the things that they really want or they might wind up with the things that they only sort of want.

It took them a few weeks to fully identify and circle their wish list of toys and games, so it is good that the books come out in early November, giving them plenty of time to make their selections.

I usually have some level of idea of what they will get for Christmas, but want to make sure that those ideas are amongst the things that have been circled. For the most part, the things that they mark do not come as a surprise to me, but sometimes there are a few things that do surprise me.

Before I head out to shop, I reference their books to see what is on their wish list. This tool also works great because it allows me to more easily generate ideas to send out as lists to family members. Otherwise, I feel like the only ideas that I have are the things that I was planning to get or clothes.

Having the kids circle the items on their wish list works for me.