Like countless other children of a certain generation, this scribe heard Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night a few too many times to be able to listen to it without bias. After forty years though, it is time to readdress this and listen to the music on its own terms.
What strikes immediately about Hot August Night is its warmth and intimacy. The connection between artist and audience is almost tangible – even in recorded form.
On such tracks like “Sweet Caroline”, “Cherry Cherry”, and particularly, the truly iconic “Crunchy Granola Suite”, the respect and love the audience feels towards the artist, whether it be their respectful silence during the song or rapt response after each track, recalls a time free of iPhones and inane chatter, when people really appreciated their live music.
Included on this Anniversary Edition are three tracks left out from the original release. They include a stunning version of Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today”; a beautiful tip of the hat from one brilliant singer/songwriter to another.
Love him or hate him, one must truly admire and respect Neil Diamond’s way with both an audience and a song, which is brilliantly captured on this live release, from a time where the live album was a viable art form rather than a cynical grab for the fan’s dollar.
– Neil Evans
