According to Lester Bangs from Music Track, who wrote the review on Hot August Night, the set begins with a gigantic "orchestral flourish fit to put both Elvis and David Bowie to shame" and Diamond is one of the few who can actually outclass Elvis, as in the introduction to the song Morningside: 'This is a dream ... a dream about an old man who dies alone ... and leaves a gift behind...'Like a hymn in church, the feeling reaches a peak on record two, "what with such celebrations of the common man's innate nobility as Canta Libre and I Am ... I Said", and by the time Brother Love is sung in the grand finale, it becomes hysterical. He is like Eric Burdon and the melodrama is incomparable.
As of 2007 Diamond has 120 million records sales worldwide, including 50 million records in the U.S. With his Billboard chart success, he is the third most successful adult contemporary artist, ranking Barbra Streisand and Elton John. He is also called the Jewish Elvis.
1. From: http://www.musictrack.com/
2. Image from record cover MCA 2-8000-1971: Andy Lim Collection.
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