Welcome to the first post in my Neil Diamond song-a-day discussion and tribute blog. I’ve been a huge Neil Diamond fan for many, many years now, and it seems only fitting to have some place to talk about his songs and what they mean to us, and what they mean in general, sometimes. I’m doing this to bring all Neil Diamond fans (and we know they are legion, and fiercely faithful) together to discuss the music we all know and love. It’ll make me listen to at least one Neil Diamond song per day, which is hardly a chore, and reflect on it and talk about it. Along the way I’ll also add some non-sequitors to keep things interesting and lively. For facts, I’ll be relying on some internet research, and for feelings, well, I’ll be relying on myself for those. Some will be long, others not so long. I suppose it’ll all depend on my mood that day, the song itself, and how deep of a song it is. For it’s easier to go to great lengths to discuss the complexity of a fine wine than it is to talk about the “nose” of a fruit punch. So let us begin!
And what better day to do this than on January 24th, Neil Diamond’s birthday. He’ll be 71 this year, and shows no signs of slowing down; no signs of disappointing any of his fans. So here we begin. Happy Birthday, Neil!
I’ve chosen “Solitary Man” as the first song to talk about because it was Neil’s “first”- his first big solo hit. The song was originally released in 1966 under the Bang record label. You can find the lyrics here.
This song speaks of a man who has gone through loves and loss, and vows to remain single until such time as he can find someone who will be faithful to him. I think that this sentiment, this persona, has somewhat followed Neil throughout his career – him as being alone, solitary, amongst others. After all, Neil Diamond has always been there in the popular culture, though sometimes not as prominently as others. But he has never really had a great “coolness factor” that other, similar artists have been able to cultivate. I’m thinking here of Elton John and Billy Joel, to name two. He’s done many ballads, for sure, but he’s also done a lot of rock-and-roll songs as well, both penned by him and cover songs. I’ve always wondered why he never rose in the “coolness” charts. Was it because he wasn’t cool? Not by any means. I think it was more due to the fact that he followed his own inner guide, and sang/wrote the songs that he wanted or felt the need to do. So it’s no wonder that he wasn’t always at the Top of the Pops, as it were, like some other artists. Yet, unlike many other artists, he didn’t flame out and go away. His songs remained, many firmly ingrained in the popular mindset. And that is what is so fascinating about Neil Diamond. He didn’t veer from his course and get sucked into flashy trends and fads, yet still he remained ever popular.
And so, it is with this first song, “Solitary Man,” that we begin our journey through the Neil Diamond song collection. I hope you’ll enjoy the journey as much as I’m sure I will. Until we meet again, I’ll be what I am, a solitary man.
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