Neil Diamond - Jazz Singer
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Free Music Notes for Jazz Singer
Free Music Review: The Jazz Singer
Hit: 5 Stars
Drive to work with this, almost everyday! Love it!!
Will buy from seller again!
Free Music Review: Listen to Neil Diamond's soundtrack and skip the film
Hit: 4 Stars
The decision to make a modern version of Al Jolson's "Jazz Singer" in 1980 is one of the more dubious ideas to come out of Hollywood. Putting singer Neil Diamond in the Jolson role opposite Laurence Olivier as his cantor father and Lucy Arnaz as the woman he loves had only one sure upside in that Diamond also did the music for the film. If your choice is between watching the film or listening to the soundtrack, then listen to the soundtrack.Diamond was inspired by the immigrant element of the story to honor the national melting pot in the opening song "America," along with one of his better ballads from that part of his career "Hello Again." The songs also play to Diamond's strength in that several of them would be done "live" in the context of the film, and anyone who has listened to "Hot August Night" or any other concert album by Diamond knows he is a lot better live than he is in the studio. In retrospect that is clearly the point in Diamond's career where the hard rock and gospel influences went away and he began a soft rock/pop artist where songs like "Love on the Rocks" and "Summerlove" became the norm. His early songs are arguably his best, but it was not until his 1976 album "Beautiful Noise" that Diamond ever had an album go platinum.
To his credit Diamond does come up with songs that meet the narrative needs of the film, not that this is a reason to watch the movie, so do not accuse me of advocating you do that. There is no reason for you to see that "You Baby" is part of an awkward homage, for lack of a better word, to Jolson in black face. Also worked into the mix are some traditional Jewish songs, "Adon Olom" and "Kol Nidre/My Name Is Yussel," and Diamond makes an earnest attempt to do them right. The resulting mix might be uneven, but there are enough solid songs here to make this an above average Neil Diamond album.
Free Music Review: Comparable to the likes of Jolson
Hit: 4 Stars
Having seen the original Jolson version, then Diamond's you must learn to appreciate both. If you choose, you can look at them from the aspect of different time periods. Diamond's is a much more modernized portrayal of The Jazz Singer, especially with the music, hehe. The story is different to a sense, and it involves the likes of a rock star over Jolson's Broadway character. We must also remember that "The Jazz Singer" was the first film of all-time... being silent, per se it would be incomparable to this. If you have seen the Diamond film this album might be heavily valuable to you... if you haven't then it is only good music.Free Music Review: TODAY!
Hit: 4 Stars
My mom had this cassette when I was a kid, and I don't know if it's nostalgia or what, but I love this soundtrack. Neil is *not* my normal kind of music, but there are days when the Jazz Singer just hits the spot for me. "On the Robert E. Lee" is just about one of my favorite perky good-mood songs. I can sing practically the entire album from memory.
So, yes, I don't know if I can recommend this album, I just wanted to say that I love it for personal reasons.
(and I once had "THAT AIN'T NO BROTHER! THAT'S A WHITE BOY!" on my answering machine)
Free Music Review: Still a good recording!
Hit: 4 Stars
Over the years I have heard and read most of the rather nasty reviews of this recording and of the film. I am pleased to see that the majority of the reviewers agree with my feelings. If Neil Diamond made one mistake in doing this film,it was calling it "The Jazz Singer" since it was NOT a remake of the classic Jolson film. So lighten up, sit back and enjoy one of the most memorable scores to come along in many years,and really has not been matched since in a film of this type. And yes, I really did enjoy the movie as well.