Picture this. I'm nestled in a chair next to the music producer icon, the one and only Rick Rubin, (founder of DefJam Records; one of Forbes 100 most influential ppl in the world; co-head of Columbia Records), along with 10 other diligent reporters (Rollingstone, LA Weekly, Flaunt Magazine, etc..) in a quaint little listening den in Santa Monica earlier this wk. The occasion? To listen to the unreleased Neil Diamond album HOME BEFORE DARK (out May 6th).
{Rick Rubin}
Neil's not here but he left us a hand-out in type-writer print with some words of the experience recording this album. He wrote: "Shouldn't I, at this stage in my life, have mastered my craft?...In truth, I'm as hungry as I ever was: the 'emptiness deep inside' me aches even more...The fourteen months spent furiously writing and then recording this album included some of the highest points in my life so far and some of the lowest, too."
In tandem, the album is raw and sentimental- according to Rubin, many of the tracks were recorded in up to 3 live takes. If the album was a book- it would have fragile, yellow-hued corners as though it had been around for a while. In the album, Diamond sticks to what he knows best- acoustic folk-rock (love) ballads and long (up to 8-minute!) lyrical soliloquies that show his age as well as endurance. He’s dug deep down into his psyche- lamenting about life, love and dying- so that there are rivulets of age and (gasp!) finality in this album. It could not have been written by a 20 year old-or 30 year-old- there’s far too much weight in the strumming- and far too many tales of life and experience in the lyrics.
The first track played “If I Don’t See You Again” is a long foray into love addiction- about not being about to quit or leave or move on in his distinctive crackling voice. The next track, “Pretty Amazing Grace” has Rubin nodding and swaying...as Neil croons about the loss of hope and faith. "Don't Go There" is psychedelic with an onslaught of instrumentals (trumpet? horn? is that a sitar I heard? no se).
But the most striking- perhaps because it is interspersed between heavy acoustic songs, is the riveting and beautiful duet with the country chanteuse Natalie Maines (of the Dixie Chicks) called “Another Day.” Natalie has dropped her country tones in this one and instead emerges as a type of folk maven, whose voice would have blended right in on the stages of Woodstock or another folk festival of that era. The duo harmonizes about ‘Another day that time forgot’ with a beautiful piano accompaniment, and goosebumps rise on my skin.
Truth be told, other songs are long winded and heavily-loaded. He uses 'familiar' imagery- biting apples, freeing birds from cages, and curtains descending. At times, I felt like I had heard this before....they're relics of an icon. But with Neil Diamond, such deja vu is quite inevitable..And the bottom line is one gets the point- this is a journey he's STILL grasping to come to terms with- if we are willing to listen.
Neil wrote "The genius of an album becomes a collection of little 'births' and 'deaths'; I live and die with each song. The deaths often arise from my own diffidence, ideas that don't gel, chords that jar, melodies that stray. The births are the magic, the impetus that releases the song from me and brings the ideas to life. I am addicted to them." Indeed there's that magic within HOME BEFORE DARK.
ps FYI Rick Rubin was delightful. He was enthusiastic to talk and reminisce about the album (as well as others before it like 12 songs)...He's also a big fan of Mog, so he said. So kudos to that!
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Get the f.. outta here. Way to go pixie. Hello, Mr. Rubin.
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Wow! What an experience. And what a great post.
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thanks. definitely one for the history books.
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awesome, awesome story. you'll be telling that one to your nieces, nephews, maybe even your own kids one day.
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Very cool!!! Loved this.
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When Neil says "I'm as hungry as I ever was" I believe him. He knowns and we know he's as relevant as ever. The country is in need of a wise man to help us through these troublesome times. HOME BEFORE DARK, eh?
Rubin looks like a pretty down to Earth dude. Reminds me a lot of one of my uncles who likes to hunt and fish and is also a very down to Earth guy. I think it's the beard.
Great work, Pix!
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Rick Rubin is one guy I'd like to be in the same room with, let alone have a little chat with. Kick ass!
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y'know, while i totally understand how influential Rick Rubin is - and i appreciate all he's done... i can't help but wonder if he's become even too influential. It seems like he's in a position where he doesn't really have to do anything - he says "good" and it's great. he says "not good" and the band has to figure out what to do. i mean - how long did R.E.M take on recording their latest album? Supposedly - 9 weeks. That's not bad at all. and then Weezer (working with Rick Rubin) -man - this new one, about to come out - has been taking a helluva long time. and i'm not saying it's mister Rubin's fault - but i do think he did affect the recording process in possibly a less than positive way... maybe he was distracted because he was working with Metallica at the same time. must be tough to go from Weezer to Metallica and back again and not get confused about the sound. all that being said - i'm wondering if his big say-so had any interesting effects on the Neil Diamond...
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Man, indiepixie, you rule and rock and roll with the masters. Thanks! There's a video of "Pretty Amazing Gace" on amazon which I viewed last night; I liked the song, but it seemed to go on and on. Rick Rubin is a bear of a man, I didn't know. Amazing post!
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We should get Rubin to join. Posts would be cool, but I'd be content just seeing what's in his music collection....
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wouldn't argue with you ivylander. : )
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dude ivylander- i am totally for Rick joining! If only I....had his phone number! :)
yeah mocha louder, evidently its an interesting process recording with Rubin....
in Neil's piece he actually wrote about working with Rubin:
"Rick would occasionally visit us in the studio, have a quiet word with one of the musicians or whisper something to me, like; "In the Buddhist Religion the power of two people praying together is infinite." Then he'd pad barefoot back into the dark of the control room where he'd lie down on the couch behind the engineers and go trancelike again into the music, leaving me to figure out what the hell he was talking about since the song I was working on was already about "The Power of Two"- not in prayer but in love- and there wasn't a goodamn Buddhist in sight to ask what he meant."
_psst...aren't you impressed with the eloquence with which Neil was able to describe the recording and writing process? They gave us reporters about 3 pages of blissful prose from him. I may frame it. :)
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The track "Best Years of Our Lives" actually sounds pretty good. I liked what you wrote, indiepixie.
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oh, sweet indiepix oh oh oh ...good times never seem so good so good so good!
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Listening to a Rick Rubin produced album now - Ours "Mercy...dancing for the death of an imaginary enemy" - dark and lush.
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Very cool :)
keane
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Rick might better serve the music community by continuing exactly what he's doing, but on a selfish basis, yes, get him to join up. But, if he's going to promote the CD, shouldn't he be talking to music magazines instead of Rolling Stone?
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great article it's nice to hear that old time artists still have the hunger and just don't want to do the same old thing over and over again, I can hardly wait to hear the duet with natalie maines I love her voice, maybe now her and Ann Wilson can collaberate that would be awesome
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To say I'm jealous would be the understatement of the decade! GREAT one indiepixie :-)
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You keep getting the bst stories and meeting the best artists. Way to go!
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AWESOME!!!
... Neil sounds exactly as I picture him... A Tru†hfull Bleedin' Heårt...
dixie, you do not stop surprising me...
hav a gr€at weeken∂... cheers,
ps.: If you happend to know if Rubins in fact hav a mog, please let me know'
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the last one with rubin has some real gems on it
oh mary, hell yeah, delirious love, men are so easy, save me a saturday night
i love rubin's stripped down sparse approach, none of that glitzy production, just the songs, some acoustic guitars and neil's special voice
the twilight of singer/songwriters this good is always so satisfying, like a fine wine
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wow that's awesome, indiepix! much respect for rick rubin.