Various Artists - A Solitary Man: The Early Songs Of

Facts 2009 collection of songs penned by Neil Diamond before he became a worldwide solo superstar. While he scored a few hits on his own in the mid '60's ('Cherry Cherry', 'Solitary Man'), Neil's major bread and butter at the time was as a songwriter. This compilation contains his most famous tracks performed by the artists that made them hits including the Monkees, Lulu, Cliff Richard, Jay & the Americans, Deep Purple and others. Thanks to a pair of recent albums produced by Rick Rubin (2005's 12 Songs and the 2008 chart-topper Home Before Dark) the credibility of Neil Diamond stands at it's highest ever - a great achievement, especially when one considers that his first recordings were made some 48 years ago. Ace.